Cupertino-based Apple, after dominating the larger tablet market it popularized, 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 gadget that size worth looking into, especially with the Mini's stepped-down processor and screen resolution.

To help potential Mini buyers decide, below is a line up the specs and the intangibles to help find out which tablet has the upper hand: iPad Mini, Asus-made Google Nexus 7, or the Amazon Kind Fire HD?

The Specs

iPad Mini

Google Nexus 7

Kindle Fire HD

Network

2G, 3G, 4G, Nano-sim

N/A

N/A

Body

200x134.7x7.2mm, 312g

198.5x120x10.5mm, 340g

193x137x10.3mm, 395g

Display

LED backlit IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 768x1024 pixels, 7.9" (162ppi), multitouch

LED backlit IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 800x1280 pixels, 7.0" (216ppi), multitouch

IPS TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 800x1280 pixels, 7.0" (216 ppi), multitouch up to 10 fingers

Protection

Oleophobic coating

Corning Gorilla Glass

None

Sound

Alert types N/A, loudspeaker, 3.5mm jack

Alert types N/A, loudspeaker, 3.5mm jack

Alert types N/A, stereo speakers, 3.5mm jack, Dolby Digital Plus sound enhancement

Storage

16/32/64 GB internal, no expansion

8/16GB internal, no expansion

16/32GB internal, no expansion

Memory

512MB RAM

1GB RAM

1GB RAM

Connectivity

GPRS, EDGE, DC-HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microUSB 2.0

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB 2.0

Primary Camera

5MP 2592x1944 pixels, autofocus, geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection

1.2MP, video calling

1.3MP, 1280x1024 pixels

Secondary Camera

Yes, 1.2MP, 720p@30fps, face detection, FaceTime

No

No

Video

Yes, 1080p@30fps, video stabilization

Yes, 720p

No

Operating System

iOS 6

Android OS 4.1 JellyBean, upgradable to 4.1.2

Android OS 4.0 (customized)

Chipset

Apple A5

Nvidia Tegra 3

TI OMAP 4460

CPU

Dual core 1GHz Cortex A9

Quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex A9

Dual core 1.2GHz Cortex A9

GPU

PowerVR SGX543MP2

ULP GeForce

PowerVR SGX540

Specials

Siri natural language, iCloud service

Google Android Market

Kindle FreeTime

Price

$329-$659

$199-$249

$199-$249

Which stands out?

At this stage, it's clearly too early to tell, but keep in mind that the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD already targeted slightly different audiences from the beginning. The Nexus 7 lures gamers, multimedia enthusiasts, and Android fans looking for the pure Jelly Bean experience.

The Fire HD is considered a steal for Amazon Prime members who want to maximize their Amazon membership, while keeping tablet costs low, memory high and the screen mighty.

Apple fans will likely be attracted by the Mini, but there is a question how good the Mini actually is. It is lighter and thinner than the competition, but the screen resolution lacks Apple's crystal clarity and the battery life is on-par with rivals, but won't surpass it.

Apple had also started taking orders for the iMac desktop which also got a makeover. Prices are $599 for the iMac mini, $1,299 for the iMac desktop and $1,699 for the MacBook Pro.

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