iPads Are No Longer The Next Best Thing. Too Bad.

Samsung tablets have edged out iPads for the first time in JD Power's biannual customer-satisfaction survey, although some observers say the results don't quite add up. Samsung topped JD Power's rankings with a score of 835 out of 1,000, narrowly beating out Apple's 833. Amazon was third in customer satisfaction at 826, followed by Asus and Acer. The rankings are based on the experiences of 3,375 tablet owners who responded between March and August of this year, and don't include the new iPad Air and iPad Mini, which went on sale Friday. But some tech pundits questioned the market-research company's scoring system. Survey respondents scored Apple's iPad higher than Samsung's tablets in four of five categories -- performance, ease of operation, styling/design, and features -- while Samsung scored higher in just one: cost. A Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 tablet with a 7-inch screen and 16GB of storage sells for $199, compared to $399 for a comparable iPad Mini. "Reporters who got their hands on the attached chart were left scratching their heads," wrote Philip Elmer DeWitt in Fortune. "The only category that Samsung beat Apple in was (duh) cost. And cost, according to Power's press release, counts for at most 16% of the total score." "Did J.D. Power overreach in giving its top customer satisfaction nod to Samsung instead of Apple?" wondered Don Reisinger of CNET. "So who's the real winner?" JD Power did not immediately respond Friday to CNN's request for comment. Apple in the past has trumpeted JD Power's rankings as evidence of its products' popularity with consumers. At the company's Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Apple CEO Tim Cook bragged that iOS devices have won nine consecutive JD Power awards.

Apple iPad Air Review

1.Apple's iPad Air takes the tablets design to a new level of portability. At just one pound and 0.29 inch thick, the tablet is light enough to hold with just your fingertips. 2. The only notable thing about the iPad Air box is that it's smaller than any full-size iPad box that's come before it. 3. As you can see, the lock switch and volume buttons are still on the side. 4. Aside from the "space gray" aluminum, there's nothing remarkable about the back of the iPad Air. You can see the iSight camera in the upper left corner. 5. This is pretty much the same camera you'll find on the previous iPad and on the iPhone 5C. 6. The top edge features the 3.5mm audio jack, microphone opening and the power/sleep button. 7. Another look at that very thin edge. 8. You'll find the speakers and Lightning port on the bottom edge of the iPad Air. 9. The new iPad Air fits snugly into the leather Smart Case. 10. Another look at the bottom of the iPad Air. 11. Compared with previous iPads, the iPad Air (left) is also considerably thinner. 12. The iPad Air is considerably smaller than the iPad 4 (bottom). 13. At the bottom is an iPad 4. In the middle is the much smaller iPad Air (with the same size screen). On top is the iPad Mini (Gen 1). 14. It's fun to hold it like this, but not particularly useful. 15. If you've seen iOS 7 before, then the home screen is quite familiar. Even if you haven't, it still looks just like an iPad. 16. The new Smart Case is leather and fits the iPad Air perfectly. It's easy to put on and a bit tricky to take off. It also doubles as a stand. It lists for $79. 17. The case features an opening for the camera, speakers and Lightning port. Other buttons are covered, but still entirely usable. 18. Don't want to cover the iPad Air's shiny back? Try the smart cover. It costs $39. 19. They share many of the same specs, but the iPad Air is considerably larger than the iPad Mini.