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Apple has entered the small-tablet market with the iPad Mini. But at $329, some holiday shoppers may still look toward the less expensive Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire.

I know people love Apple. And I'm sure there will be millions of people who will buy the iPad Mini this holiday season. But at a price of $329 for its least expensive model, I think the 8-inch tablet is still priced beyond many consumers' budgets. In this Ask Maggie, I help a reader, who is looking for an inexpensive tablet to give her kids for Christmas.

I also … Read more

Well, it's official. Apple today announced the iPad Mini, a 7.9-inch version of its immensely popular iPad.

Available beginning November 2, the $329 device should be a top-seller this holiday season. In fact, it's a safe bet that the iPad Mini will join products such as the Kindle Fire HD, Nook HD, and Nexus 7 in winning big sales. But, considering this space is already so crowded, just how will the iPad Mini directly affect Android tablets, and in what capacity?

A pricier point As is the case with other Apple products, the iPad Mini is priced … Read more

After dominating the larger tablet market it popularized, Apple has turned its attention to the slightly smaller screen. The 7.9-inch iPad Mini has Apple's attention to style and detail behind it, but it certainly isn't the only slate of this stature that's worth considering, especially with the Mini's stepped-down processor and screen resolution.

When you line up the specs and the intangibles, which tablet has the upper hand: the iPad Mini, the Asus-made Google Nexus 7 (an original Android 4.1 Jelly Bean device), or the Amazon Kindle Fire HD? … Read more

It seems hard to believe now, but a few years ago the notion that Apple might actually release a device with a clunky name like the "iPad" was openly mocked -- until it came to dominate the category of consumer technology that it created nearly by itself.

Now, the smaller iPad that Apple is expected to announce at a media event tomorrow is stirring similar discussions.

The anticipated 7.8-inch slate with specs comparable to the second-generation iPad has been most commonly referred to as the "iPad Mini" in the onslaught of rumors over the past six months. But we've also heard that it might be called the "iPad Air" in a nod to its MacBook cousin.… Read more

Tablets are "reinventing" Americans' relationship with print publications, according to a new report from digital-business analytics firm ComScore.

Based on new figures, more and more tablet owners in the United States are using their tablets to read digital periodicals on a daily basis. For example, ComScore cited that approximately 1 in 10 tablet owners read digital magazines and/or newspapers on his or her device every day as of August 2012.

Mark Donovan, senior vice president of mobile at ComScore, explained in the report that tablets are "redefining" how people consume news because the format is … Read more

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is growing concerned with the patent lawsuits simmering across the mobile industry.

Speaking to U.K. news outlet Metro in an interview published today, Bezos said that he's worried that the patent lawsuits "might start to stifle innovation." He also that suggested governments around the world consider intervening in the suits to protect consumers.

"Governments may need to look at the patent system and see if those laws need to be modified because I don't think some of these battles are healthy for society," Bezos told Metro.

The idea that … Read more

Amazon could be planning to acquire a mobile processor business, a new report claims.

Texas Instruments and Amazon are currently engaged in "advanced talks" over the possibility of the Kindle maker acquiring Texas Instruments' mobile chip business, Israel-based news outlet Calcalist is reporting today (translate), citing sources. The news outlet didn't say how much Amazon hopes to pay in the sale.

If Amazon buys out Texas Instruments' mobile chip business, it would mark a dramatic shift for the e-retail giant. Amazon uses Texas Instruments' processors in its mobile devices, including the latest Kindle Fire HD. Barnes & … Read more

The iPad Mini has yet to be officially announced, but it's kind of the worst-kept secret in tech right now. There's a very good chance it'll be revealed later this month (although what its final name will be remains to be seen) and even if you've no plans to purchase it, you'll likely want to know what it has to offer anyway.

The Mini is rumored to sport a 7.85-inch screen at a price of at least $299. But when and if it debuts, it will not enter a vacuous 7-inch tablet market. Its opponents will compete on price, ecosystem, performance, and features. Each offers something unique, and Apple's new tablet will have to be an amazing piece of kit to answer the challenge.

Without further lollygagging, let's get to the list.… Read more