Kindle Fire vs. Nook Tablet: an educator weighs the pros and cons in the big smackdown.(Test Drive)(Product/service evaluation)

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It's been a frequently asked-and highly contentious-question since their nearly simultaneous release in mid-November: Which is the better color ereader/tablet, the Kindle Fire or the Nook Tablet? I had the opportunity to test the popular devices side by side, so, like it or not, here's my verdict:

First of all, these little tablets--neither of them exactly iPad killers--are much more similar than they are different. While not full-blown tablets like the iPad or the dozens of like-sized Android competitors, they're both great at what they're intended to do. Both are WiFi only, sport similar seven-inch, 1024 x 600 capacitive multi-touch screens …