How new Kindle Fire compares with rivals

_ Weight: 1.3 pounds

_ Cameras: low-resolution front camera, 5-megapixel back.

_ Battery life: 9 hours.

_ Operating system: Google’s Android

Pros: Comes with a pen, for jotting notes and drawing on the screen. Slightly thinner and lighter than an iPad. Longer, narrower screen better suited to movies. Storage is expandable with microSD memory cards. Can act as a universal remote control for an entertainment center.

Cons: Selection of third-party applications not as good as iPad’s, but wider than Kindle. Screen resolution lower than iPad’s. No option for wireless broadband. Pen sensor slightly shortens battery life.

Barnes & Noble Inc.’s Nook HD+

_ Price: $269 for 16 gigabytes of storage; $299 for 32 GB

_ Screen size: 9 inches diagonally

_ Screen resolution: 1920 x 1280 pixels, 256 pixels per inch

_ Weight: 1.14 pounds

_ Cameras: None.

_ Battery life: 10 hours of reading, 9 hours of video

_ Operating system: Modified version of Google’s Android

Pros: Cheap and portable. Storage is expandable with microSD memory cards. Easy access to Barnes & Noble book store.

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