How Samsung's new tablet compares with rivals

Samsung Electronics Co. on Wednesday announced its latest tablet computer, the Galaxy Note 10.1. Here's a look at its key specifications, compared with key competitors and an earlier Samsung model.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1:

— Price: $499 for 16 gigabytes of storage, $549 for 32 gigabytes

— Screen size: 10.1 inches diagonally

— Screen resolution: 1280 by 800 pixels

— Weight: 1.3 pounds

— Cameras: low-resolution front camera, 5-megapixel back.

— Battery life: 9 hours.

— Operating system: Google's Android

Pros: Comes with a pen, for jotting notes and drawing on the screen. Slightly thinner and lighter than an iPad. Longer, narrower screen better suited to movies. Storage is expandable with microSD memory cards. Can act as a universal remote control for an entertainment center.

Cons: Selection of third-party applications not as good as iPad's. Screen resolution lower than iPad's. No option for wireless broadband. Pen sensor slightly shortens battery life.

Apple Inc.'s iPad:

— Price: Starts at $499 for 16 gigabytes of storage, goes up to $699 for 64 gigabytes, more for versions with cellular data access. (Apple still sells the older, iPad 2 for $399.)

— Screen size: 9.7 inches diagonally

— Screen resolution: 2048 by 1536 pixels

— Weight: 1.44 pounds

— 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. Unique high-resolution screen. Widest range of cases and accessories available. Available with access to fast 4G wireless broadband networks.

Cons: Data storage cannot be expanded with memory cards. Doesn't work with sharp-tipped styluses, just blunt ones.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1:

— Price: $399 for 16 gigabytes of storage

— Screen size: 10.1 inches diagonally

— Screen resolution: 1280 by 800 pixels

— Weight: 1.24 pounds

— Cameras: low-resolution front camera, 3-megapixel back.

— Battery life: 11 hours.

— Operating system: Google's Android

Pros: Similar to the Galaxy Note, but doesn't work with a stylus. Also with 7-inch screen for $250. Storage is expandable with microSD memory cards. Can act as a universal remote control for an entertainment center.

Cons: Selection of third-party applications not as good as iPad's. Screen resolution lower than iPad's. No option yet for wireless broadband.

Microsoft Corp.'s Surface

— Price: Not yet announced. Storage options will range from 32 to 128 GB

— Screen size: 10.6 inches diagonally

— Screen resolution: Not yet announced.

— Weight: About 1.5 pounds for low-power version, 2 pounds for version running PC-style Intel processor.

— Cameras: Front and back cameras

— Battery life: Not yet announced.

— Operating system: Microsoft's Windows 8.

Pros: Some compatibility with programs available for traditional Windows computers. Storage can be expanded with microSD memory cards.

Cons: Operating system lacks good track record on tablets, and selection of tablet-adapted third-party applications will be small.