As the holiday season approaches, some people are already making a list of products they want to purchase and deciding between a tablet or a laptop can be difficult.

A tablet is more compact and offers the main features that a laptop has. A laptop, on the other hand, can do much more, but it is too big to carry around everywhere you go.

If you are one of these people struggling to choose between a tablet or laptop, you might be interested in what Microsoft has created.

Microsoft released a tablet/laptop hybrid called the Microsoft Surface on Friday. Yes, Microsoft was able to get the best of both worlds and create an interesting product.

Microsoft Surface Specs:

• 10.6-inch screen

• Front- and rear-facing 720p HD LifeCams

• Quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU

• Windows RT operating system

• Full-size USB port

• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0

The two HD cameras and USB port are rare features in a tablet and will come in handy. What is worth noting is the cover for the Surface, which also acts as a keyboard. With the kickstand that comes in the back, you can use the tablet like you would a laptop in a matter of seconds. With the Windows RT model, there is an app for the Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 RT preview, so you can write and create presentations on the go.

If you are looking forward to purchasing this tablet/laptop, you have two options. The 32GB Surface costs $499, the 32GB Surface with a black touch cover costs $599 and the 64GB with a black touch cover costs $699.

If the price is a little too much for your taste, you might be interested in the Kindle Fire HD 8.9”. Amazon will begin shipping the latest version of its popular tablet Nov. 20. The new tablet is vastly improved from the previous version.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD specs:

• HD display

• Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi

• Free Skype video calls with front-facing HD camera

• Free unlimited cloud storage

With dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi, the Kindle Fire HD is capable of much faster downloads than other tablets, like the iPad 3. The HD display looks amazing for a 7-inch tablet. The Skype capability is a nice touch, as well. The only drawback is that there are special offers and sponsored screensavers on the lock screen. You may get rid of those ads by paying an extra $15 dollars. Overall, I recommend this tablet to those who want a tablet just to watch movies and videos. This tablet works great for games and web browsing. There are two models available right now: The 16GB model costs $299 and the 32GB model costs $369.