(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
Start by asking yourself what you're really looking for. Do
you just want to read books? How about magazines and newspapers? What about
browsing the Web? Want to add multimedia to the mix -- music, audiobooks, or
video? Are you a Netflix junkie? Do you need Flash support? E-mail and
messaging? Gaming?
If you want to stick with "just reading" -- books,
and maybe some newspapers and magazines (in black and white) -- an e-ink reader
($69 to $149) is probably your best bet. They come closest to duplicating the
experience of reading a book, and, while they have some online features, you
won't be distracted while reading by a stream of incoming e-mails, tweets, or
Facebook messages.
But if you're willing to pay as little as $200, there's a
growing class of small tablets that split the difference between e-ink readers
and full-size tablets. The Nook Color blazed the trail in 2010, but the trio of
best choices are now the Google Nexus 7, B&N Nook HD, and Kindle Fire HD.
Stepping up in size and price, you'll find the 7.9- to
9-inch models, priced from $269 to $329. The 9-inch Nook HD+ is the cheapest
and largest, the 7.9-inch iPad Mini the smallest but most expensive. The
8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD sits in the middle, at $329.
At the full-size (around 10 inches) high-end, the iPad
dominates, but plenty of Android
competitors exist for those who would like to steer clear of Apple.
(Yes, plenty of those folks exist.)
by John P. Falcone
http://www.buyetail.com
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