The Best 7 inch Tablet Screen is.....

WHAT?!?!?!?!

Well, if you consider pixel resolution and pixels-per-inch, then yes, the Nook HD has the best screen.  Here are the facts:

Nook HD: 1440 x 900, 243 ppi

                  $199 for 8gb, $229 for 16gb

                  315g, 7.65" x 5" x 0.43"

                  HDMI compatible and MicroSD slot

                  No cameras

iPad Mini: 1024 x 768, 163 ppi

                 $329 for 16gb, $429 for 32gb, $529 for 64gb

                 308g, 7.87" x 5.3" x 0.28"

                 Adaptor needed for HDMI, No MicroSD slot

                 Back 5MP, 1080p HD video camera; 

                 Front Facing 1.2MP, 720p HD video camera

Kindle Fire HD: 1280 x 800, 216 ppi

                          $199 for 16gb, $249 for 32gb

                          394g, 7.6" x 5.4" x 0.4"

                          MicroUSB and Micor HDMI, No MicroSD

                          Front Facing HD camera

                          

Google Nexus 7: 1280 x 800, 216 ppi

                           $199 for 16gb, $249 for 32gb

                           340g, 7.81" x 4.72" x 0.41" 

                           MicroUSB, No MicroSd, No HDMI

                           Front Facing 1.2 MP camera
                           

What does all this information boil down to?

• Barnes 'n Noble is trying to make the argument that the Nook HD is the lightest 7 inch tablet, and that appears to be true (the iPad Mini is NOT a 7 inch tablet), but it is certainly not the thinnest.  Both the Kindle Fire HD and the Nexus 7 are thinner, albeit by 0.1 or 0.2 grams, but those add up pretty fast.  Still, at 315g, I definitely want to play around with this device and see just how comfortable and light it feels in the hand. 
• Barnes 'n Noble was also sneaky.  They left out any camera, which is not a bad move for a company trying to keep their heads above water facing stiff competition.  Also, they pulled a "Google" and started the pricing at$199 for the 8gb model.  But with a microSD card slot, the 8gb model is still useful. Plus, the Nook Cloud stores all your purchases. 
• I am REALLY intrigued by the display quality.  The Nook HD is technically better than the Kindle Fire HD, but I need to see them both up close to make any final judgments.  The differences in color saturation or screen brightness or screen manufacturing could tip this battle in either tablet's favor. 

If you want a media consumption tablet, the Nook HD is just as good as the Kindle Fire (and a lot lighter 394g versus 315g).  But if you already have an Amazon Prime account, then there is no reason not the get the Kindle Fire HD. Free Instant video streaming and free digital library books is just too good to pass up (plus you get a front facing camera).  

However, if you want a small all-purpose tablet, your best choice is either the Nexus 7 or the iPad Mini.  Both are excellent devices and I will compare them face-to-face in a future blog.  Granted, you can browse the web and check email on the Nook and Kindle, but there are not nearly as many applications or capabilities when compared to Apple and Google devices.  For example the Nook or Kindle would not be ideal for document writing, document editing, photo editing, video recording, graphic intense games, or social networking (Facebook and Twitter). And although they both have web browsing abilities, the A5 processor of the iPad Mini and the NVIDIA Quad Core processor of the Nexus 7 both offer superior speed and fluidity when opening and using web pages.   

While the Nook HD is actually a really good device that can 'duke it out' with the big boys, there is only a small market for Barnes 'n Noble die-hards who do not shop on Amazon.