Samsung's new tablet computer comes out in the U.S. on Thursday. The Galaxy Note 10.1 — 2014 Edition is the second version of Samsung's 10.1-inch stylus-based tablet. Here's how it compares with the iPad and other tablets of similar size.
Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy Note 10.1 — 2014 Edition (shipping Nov. 10, 2013):
— Price: $550 with 16 gigabytes of storage, $600 with 32 GB. Comes with pen.
— Screen size: 10.1 inches diagonally
— Screen resolution: 2560 by 1600 pixels (299 pixels per inch)
— Size: height: 9.57 inches; width: 6.75 inches; thickness: 0.31 inch (243.1 by 171.4 by 7.9 millimeters)
— Weight: 19.75 ounces, or 1.23 pounds (560 grams)
— Cameras: 8 megapixel front camera, 2 megapixel rear camera
— Battery life: Unspecified.
— Operating system: Google's Android
Pros: Comes with pen for writing notes, other tasks on the screen. Access to a variety of games, utilities and other software for Android devices, though not as extensive as apps available for iPad.
Cons: No current plans to bring cellular version to U.S., so it won't be compatible with Galaxy Gear computerized smartwatch. More expensive than iPad and many Android tablets.
Apple Inc.'s iPad, fourth-generation (released Nov. 2, 2012):
— Price: $499 with 16 gigabytes of storage, $599 with 32 GB, $699 with 64 GB and $799 with 128 GB. Add $130 for versions with 4G LTE cellular capability.
— Screen size: 9.7 inches diagonally
— Screen resolution: 2048 by 1536 pixels (264 pixels per inch)
— Size: height: 9.50 inches; width: 7.31 inches; thickness: 0.37 inch (241.2 by 185.7 by 9.4 millimeters)
— Weight: 1.44 pounds (652 grams) for base model, 1.46 pounds (662 grams) for cellular version
— 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: Unmatched access to third-party applications, high-quality Apple software and the iTunes store.
Cons: More expensive than many Android tablets.
Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" (shipping Nov. 7, 2013):
— Price: $379 with 16 gigabytes of storage, $429 with 32 GB, $479 with 64 GB. Add $100 for versions with 4G LTE cellular data access
— Screen size: 8.9 inches diagonally
— Screen resolution: 2560 by 1600 pixels (339 pixels per inch)
— Size: height: 9.1 inches; width: 6.2 inches; thickness: 0.31 inch (231 by 158 by 7.8 millimeters)
— Weight: 13.2 ounces, or 0.83 pound (374 grams) for base model, 13.5 ounces, or 0.84 pound (384 grams) for cellular version
— Cameras: 8 megapixel rear camera; lower-resolution front-facing camera.
— Battery life: 12 hours of mixed use, 18 hours when reading.
— Operating system: Fire OS, which is a modified version of Google's Android
Pros: Cheap and portable. Convenient access to Amazon store. Integration with Amazon Prime subscription benefits such as book-borrowing, videos.
Cons: Third-party applications limited to what's available through Amazon store, not broader Google Play store.
Microsoft Corp.'s Surface 2 (shipping Oct. 22, 2013):
— Price: $449 with 32 gigabytes of storage, $549 with 64 GB. Keyboard cover is extra.
— Screen size: 10.6 inches diagonally
— Screen resolution: 1920 by 1080 pixels (208 pixels per inch)
— Size: height: 10.81 inches; width: 6.79 inches; thickness: 0.35 inch (275 by 173 by 8.9 millimeters)
— Weight: 1.49 pounds.
— Cameras: Front and back cameras
— Battery life: 10 hours.
— Operating system: Microsoft's Windows RT.
