If you’re overwhelmed by the panoply of tablets out there (and who wouldn’t be?) CNET’s Harry McCracken helps cut through some of the clutter with a thoughtful analysis ^[1] of the various operating systems now challenging (or no longer challenging) Apple’s iOS and the iPad.

Android 3.0 “Honeycomb?” Off to such a shaky start that it’s already slated to be replaced by “Ice Cream Sandwich” which should arrive later this year. But unless it’s spectacular, it won’t make much of a dent, McCracken says. HP WebOS? We’ll never know what could have been. Research In Motion QNX? Racing HP to the bottom.

The serious potential challenger McCracken sees will not arrive till sometime next year, in the form of Windows 8. Precisely by not rushing to market with a not-ready-for-prime-time product, Microsoft may have done itself a favor, he conjectures. And, in case you’re curious about the possible delights of Windows 8, Mobile Magazine has a review ^[2] and video of a side-by-side comparison with an iPad.

Read more at CNET ^[1] and Mobile Magazine ^[2].