Shoppers looking for smaller tablets will have plenty of choices this holiday season. Here’s a comparison of the tablets that have screens measuring roughly 7 inches diagonally:
Apple Inc.’s iPad Mini
_ Price: $329 for base model with Wi-Fi only and 16 gigabytes of storage, $429 with 32 GB, $529 with 64 GB. Add $130 for versions with cellular capability.
_ Screen size: 7.9 inches diagonally
_ Screen resolution: 1024 by 768 pixels, 162 pixels per inch
_ Weight: 0.68 pound (0.69 pound for cellular versions)
_ Cameras: 5-megapixel camera on back and a low-resolution camera on front, for videoconferencing
_ Battery life: 10 hours
_ Operating system: Apple’s iOS
Pros: Looks great. Unmatched access to third-party applications, high-quality Apple software and the iTunes store. Large screen. Available with access to fast 4G wireless broadband networks, starting at $459.
Cons: Data storage cannot be expanded with memory cards. Screen is of relatively low resolution.
Amazon.com Inc.’s Kindle Fire HD.
_ Price: $199 with 16 gigabytes of storage, $249 with 32 GB
_ Screen size: 7 inches diagonally
_ Screen resolution: 1280 by 800 pixels, 216 pixels per inch
_ Weight: 0.87 pound.
_ Cameras: Front-facing camera.
_ Battery life: 11 hours.
_ Operating system: Modified version of Google’s Android
Pros: Cheap and portable. Convenient access to Amazon store. Speakers on either side of screen for good stereo effect.
Cons: Small selection of third-party applications available from Amazon. No rear camera for taking video and photos. Data storage cannot be expanded with memory cards.
Amazon.com Inc.’s regular Kindle Fire:
_ Price: $159 with 8 gigabytes of storage
_ Screen size: 7 inches diagonally
_ Screen resolution: 1024 by 600 pixels, 170 pixels per inch
_ Weight: 0.88 pounds
_ Cameras: none
_ Battery life: 8.5 hours.
_ Operating system: Modified version of Google’s Android
Pros: Cheap and portable. Convenient access to Amazon store.
Cons: No-frills tablet lacks camera and microphone. Small selection of third-party applications available from Amazon. Data storage is small and cannot be expanded with memory cards. No option for cellular wireless broadband.
Barnes & Noble Inc.’s Nook HD
_ Price: $199 with 8 gigabytes of storage, $229 with 16 GB
_ Screen size: 7 inches diagonally
_ Screen resolution: 1440 by 900 pixels, 242 pixels per inch
_ Weight: 0.69 pound
_ Cameras: None
_ Battery life: Up to 10.5 hours of reading and up to 9 hours of video
_ Operating system: Modified version of Google’s Android
Pros: Storage memory is expandable with microSD card. Sharpest screen. Light.
Cons: Selection of third-party applications is small. Lacks cameras and option for cellular broadband.
Google Inc.’s Nexus 7
_ Price: $199 with 16 gigabytes of storage, $249 with 32 GB. Add $50 for 32 GB model with cellular capability.
_ Screen size: 7 inches diagonally,
_ Screen resolution: 1280 x 800 pixels, 216 pixels per inch
_ Weight: 0.75 pounds
_ Cameras: Front-facing, 1.2 megapixel camera
_ Battery life: 10 hours
_ Operating system: Google’s Android
Pros: Access to a wide variety of games, utilities and other software for Android devices, though not as extensive as apps available for iPad. Option for cellular wireless broadband.
Cons: Integrates with Google Play store, which is still new and isn’t as robust as Apple or Amazon’s stores. Data storage cannot be expanded with memory cards.
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