At a Glance: The new iPad vs. competitors
Apple starts selling its new iPad in the U.S. and several other countries on March 16. Here's a look at the key differences between the new iPad and leading competitors:
New Apple iPad:
— Price: Starts at $499 for 16 gigabytes of storage, goes up to $699 for 64 gigabytes, more for versions with cellular data access.
— Screen size: 9.7 inches diagonally
— Screen resolution: 2048 by 1536 pixels
— Weight: 1.44 pounds
— Cameras: 5-megapixel camera on back and a low-resolution camera on front, for videoconferencing
— Battery life: 10 hours.
Pros: Unmatched access to third-party applications, high-quality Apple software and the iTunes store. Unique high-resolution screen. Widest range of cases and accessories available. Available with access to fast "4G" wireless broadband networks.
Cons: Available in only one screen size. Relatively expensive. Data storage cannot be expanded with memory cards.
Amazon Kindle Fire:
— Price: $199 for 6 gigabytes of storage
— Screen size: 7 inches diagonally
— Screen resolution: 1024 by 600 pixels
— Weight: 0.9 pounds
— Cameras: none
— Battery life: 8 hours.
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. Available in only one screen size. Data storage cannot be expanded with memory cards. No option for wireless broadband.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1:
— Price: $399 for 16 gigabytes of storage
— Screen size: 10.1 inches diagonally (other sizes available)
— Screen resolution: 1280 by 800 pixels
— Weight: 1.24 pounds
— Cameras: 2-megapixel front, 3-megapixel back.
— Battery life: 9 hours.
Pros: Lighter, thinner and cheaper than iPad. Longer, narrower screen better suited to movies. Available with wireless broadband access. Storage is expandable with SD memory cards. Loads memory cards from cameras, without accessories.
Cons: Selection of third-party applications not as good as iPad's, but wider than Kindle's. Screen resolution lower than iPad's.
Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet:
— Price: $199 for 8 gigabytes of storage, $249 for 16 gigabytes
— Screen size: 7 inches diagonally (other sizes available)
— Screen resolution: 1024 by 600 pixels
— Weight: 0.9 pounds
— Cameras: None.
— Battery life: 11.5 hours.
Pros: Cheap and portable. Storage is expandable with microSD memory cards. Easy access to Barnes & Noble book store.
Cons: Selection of third-party applications is small. Barnes & Noble lacks wide range of content.
