I ordered a Kindle Fire last week after reading many mixed reviews from different analysts, blogs, websites, news outlets, etc etc. I decided I needed to see it for myself. After using it for several days now, I like it. It meets my needs.
I’ve been using an iPad for the past 6 months. A lot of reviews I read always compare it to the iPad/iPad2 and I think it’s an unfair comparison. Not because the iPads are so much better, but because they serve different users. These best way I can describe it is using an analogy – I won’t buy a luxury sedan to haul lumber, I would buy a pick-up truck. It’s the same thing with a tablet. Ask yourself how you want to use a tablet – entertainment, browsing, productivity, presentations, etc.
For me, no tablet today can replace my laptop so I only want a device that I use to read books, read blogs, watch movies, listen to music, and quickly lookup something on the web. That’s it. The Kindle Fire lets me do all those things with my existing content subscriptions, and with it’s $199 price tag, it’s easier for me to justify having an entertainment device in conjunction with my laptop.
Since I have an iPad, a few people have asked me if I would recommend switching from an iPad/iPad2 to a Kindle Fire. I probably would not. Again, it’s not because the iPads are so much better, it’s because if you already have an iPad/iPad2, you don’t need the Fire. Pretty obvious. But… if you’re on the market for a new tablet (i.e. you don’t have on yet), here are my recommendations on the right device for you:
Content consumption
I say go for the Kindle Fire. The screen size and form factor make it easier to hold and is more ideal for viewing movies and tv shows. You can also use that extra money you save over the iPad2 to buy a lot of content (about 60 movies or 200 tv shows).
Power business user
You will want fork over the extra cash and go with the iPad/iPad2. I have an iPad and the the larger screen and app market help make it the closest tablet to a laptop replacement (although it’s not really). I’ve done business trips with just the iPad and left my laptop at home.
Web surfer
Stick to your laptop. I find it easier and faster to just power up my laptop instead of either tablet if I need to do some serious browsing.
I hope this post helps you out a bit during this holiday shopping season. Remember what I said earlier – think about how you’re going to use the device and ignore the misleading comparison reviews. No tablet is perfect, it’s about getting a tablet that meets your needs. There are some things that I don’t like about the Kindle Fire, but I’m going to save that for another post. Until then, I’m going to keep streaming my content on my new Fire.
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I had an Ipad, but because it didn’t play flash I felt it was pretty useless for the price I paid. When I got my Kindle Fire, I was happy with all that it did for the price I paid. The reason I like tablets and ereaders in general is so I don’t have to lug around my “17 in laptop around. But to each there own I guess.