Ipad versus kindle fire?

[Sailor Kenshin]

Who has one? Either? Both?

I am test driving the pad. Wonder how the Fire stacks up.

This seems cool but a lot of moolah for basically, a toy. :confused:

[manoeuver]

I don't have either. I do have and use a Lenovo Android tablet. If you're an apple person you'll likely prefer the ipad. If not maybe check out the new google tablet. Same size as the Fire but the OS will be a lot more flexible.

I haven't tried Android 4.1 (it's on the google tablet) but I have 4.0 on my telephone and I gotta say it's pretty slick.

[etoyoc]

I have an ipad at work (haven't touched it since June at the start of break) and a fire at home. They both have issues but I like them both. However, I use them for different purposes and I don't have many common applications between the two. For an e-reader, I actually prefer the non touch Kindle 3 for readability in low light conditions. I think the sound on the iPad is better. The kindle fire does not have a microphone or a camera. In regards to responsiveness, I wouldn't say either responds any better to touch, etc... I do not like having to get all apps through the iTunes store. However, I don't own any other Apple products. If you do, then you are used to being tied to iTunes. But then again, with the fire, you are kind of tied to the Amazon store - but you can get around that through several loop holes.

The ipad is 2X the size of the fire. Really... you can put two fire screens side by side to make the iPad. That gives the iPad a big thumbs up on screen size and the clarity is good on the screen. However, it is also less convenient to haul around all the time. But then again, the fire won't fit in a shirt pocket either and I haven't gone to carrying a man-purse to carry either.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I have an ipad at work (haven't touched it since June at the start of break) and a fire at home. They both have issues but I like them both. However, I use them for different purposes and I don't have many common applications between the two. For an e-reader, I actually prefer the non touch Kindle 3 for readability in low light conditions. I think the sound on the iPad is better. The kindle fire does not have a microphone or a camera. In regards to responsiveness, I wouldn't say either responds any better to touch, etc... I do not like having to get all apps through the iTunes store. However, I don't own any other Apple products. If you do, then you are used to being tied to iTunes. But then again, with the fire, you are kind of tied to the Amazon store - but you can get around that through several loop holes.

The ipad is 2X the size of the fire. Really... you can put two fire screens side by side to make the iPad. That gives the iPad a big thumbs up on screen size and the clarity is good on the screen. However, it is also less convenient to haul around all the time. But then again, the fire won't fit in a shirt pocket either and I haven't gone to carrying a man-purse to carry either.

Good for you, lol.

Excellent info. Thanks!

Can you tell me more? Is the Fire good for innerweb browsing? Can you shrink and enlarge any page like with the ipad?

[etoyoc]

The interface on the Fire isn't like a normal tablet. I would mark that a minus. You can't customize your tablet-top to have your screens look the way you want. You have menu options for Newstand, Books, Music, Video, Docs, Apps, Web. There is a scroll bar that scrolls through icons of all the apps, webpages, albums, etc.. in your carousel. Under each menu, you can chose to display shelf items from the cloud, the device, or go to the amazon store. Although you can drag and set icons of apps/albums/etc onto a favorite shelf (or apparently shelves - Huh... I just learned something new about my fire. I hadn't noticed there were extra favorite shelves).

As with other tablets, a lot of websites come up in the Fire under mobile view. But yes, you can use two fingers and pinch/stretch to change to size of the webscreen once you get a page to load the desktop site instead. However, its smaller screen isn't as convenient for reading websites. It is better than a smart phone screen, but for readability of the web, the iPad has the advantage. I find it helpful to turn the fire sideways and read websites with the screen in landscape mode.

Yes, you can zoom in, but then you are constantly panning around to see everything on a page (like on a smart phone)

Oh, in regards to turning the fire around... Like on the iPad most apps will re-adjust to display properly if the fire is turned N-S, or E-W. However, I have run into some apps on the fire that will run upside down if you have the fire held S-N instead of N-S. (I hope that all makes sense). I don't recall having that problem on the iPad, but then again, I use different apps at home and at work.

[KrazyIvan]

If you like IOS, stick with the iPad. If you are into rooted android devices and replacing the ROM's, get a Fire.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Excellent and detailed advice! Many thanks. I'm test- driving an ipad, but the cost kinda makes me dizzy. ;p

[etoyoc]

Well there are many other tablets on the market. The new Google Nexus 7 tablet is supposed to be a very good 7" tablet and an iPad rival. But I haven't had a chance to try it and I hear they are temporarily stopping production (16GB version) because they can't keep up with demand (8GB version). Or some similar mess.. either way, they are stopping 16GB pre-orders.

[manoeuver]

stopping production because they can't keep up with demand. Who said that? That sounds like the opposite of what one would do.

[etoyoc]

Who said that? That sounds like the opposite of what one would do.

It looks like it may just be the 16GB version that they are stopping production of allowing them to produce more of the 8GB version which is in far greater demand. A few days ago the articles were that they had stopped production, but the more recent articles are being more specific about 16GB vs. 8GB models. The earlier articles I had read have been edited, Google is keeping a tight lip on its supply and how many tablets it had already produced. So who knows what is really the reality. Scarcity driving the market?

On a side note - there Nexus Q social streaming video player also sold out very quickly with questions being raised about how many were actually made, sold, etc...

Either Google is seriously underestimating demand, or they are shifty. Or both...

[Sailor Kenshin]

All right... The ipad is nice, I admit, but after a shakedown cruise, here is what I wonder:

Love the speed of browsing and the fact that I can stay logged in, no probs.

Appreciate the email interface. Kind of stripped-down with no ads.

Love that I can view youtube with NO ADS. Wooohoooo.

Will the Kindle Fire give me that?

[etoyoc]

can't tell you if the speed of browsing is comparable. Work internet is just plain faster than home internet so any device at work trumps the speeds I get at home. Yes, you can stay logged in. My notifies me of tweets (I use tweetcaster), e-mail, etc.. I am not using the built in e-mail program (I don't recall why), but I am using K9-Mail which is a free android app and it is a simple straight forward interface. Now I am checking and I see that I do have the fire e-mail app set up. I honestly couldn't tell you off the top of my head why I am using the K9 app. I do not get a dropbox notification telling me when a new file was added like I get on the computer. However, I don't recall getting those messages on the iPad either.

My daughter watches youtube videos all the time on her fire. I can't say that she has run into ads popping up on a youtube on the fire. I have had issues trying to watch live ustream podcasts on the fire. But that may just be due to the bandwith and our internet connection. I have also been trying to go directly through the ustream site and haven't tried using the app (downloading that now)

[Sailor Kenshin]

Well. One reason we got the ipad was to see whether it would make blogging easier. You know. Because the camera is built in.

Dh and I both managed to post updates, but only after much sturm 'n' drang. There is an eblogger app, but it wants too much information.

This leaves me undecided. The keyboard does funny things and makes typos easier. Still, the browsing speed is niiiiiiiice. ;p

[etoyoc]

If your intention is for blogging and you want a camera, the Fire does not have a camera. There are ways in the iPad settings to turn off some of the autocorrect features.

[Sailor Kenshin]

It wasn't/isn't the autocorrect makes it hard to type. I can mess things up all on my own. ;p

Thanks for the Fire info.

[KrazyIvan]

Well. One reason we got the ipad was to see whether it would make blogging easier. You know. Because the camera is built in.

Dh and I both managed to post updates, but only after much sturm 'n' drang. There is an eblogger app, but it wants too much information.

This leaves me undecided. The keyboard does funny things and makes typos easier. Still, the browsing speed is niiiiiiiice. ;p

The iPad and most tablets are not really for content creation but content consumption. While you can create on them, it's just easier, it seems, on a good old laptop or desktop.

[Sailor Kenshin]

U sed it, lol

[KrazyIvan]

Just to clarify also, I am not saying you can't create on a tablet, heck, I create on my phone and iPod so...

[manoeuver]

I second the laptop thing. sometimes I'll put down the tablet mid-post to start over on the laptop.
haven't used a desktop @ home in a year maybe.

[KrazyIvan]

For a while I was lightly using a netbook and liked that too. Netbooks are going for very little now. My daughter has a Lenovo Netbook for school.

[manoeuver]

I have a glorified lenovo netbook (x100e) that's pretty all right. The ultrabooks that are coming out are much, much better than ye olde netbooks. I had an Acer Aspire One and it was just pitifully underpowered.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Yes.

Mine is pink.

[snedwos]

Have you thought about any of the other tablets out there? I'm pretty sure you can get decent 10" droid tablets for less than the price of an iPad.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I have, thanks.... Just looked at a couple today. Evidently, for not all that much less. Might as well go with a lesser ipad or hang onto this one.

[Tracy Lee]

Apple is engaged in patent lawsuits by the dozen, the most current being the Nexus so you may see a halt in production based on a court ordered injunction from what I have read. Apple claims it behaves too much like a iPad so there are multiple patent infringement cases and I think a trial was to start this week. Watch the papers. Samsung Galaxy tablet is in there somewhere too. IPad lately has gotten bad press for making their products less "green" than they could be by gluing in the batteries now and the glue is bad stuff I guess. I am not an Apple customer, too many issues with how they keep you from having control over your devices once you buy them (e.g., can't change batteries yourself) and there is no expansion capability like you have with most Droid tablets. You are stuck with the memory size you buy. I use a Motorola Xoom (with ice cream sandwich) and love it. SD card slot (expands to 32G), and free upgrade to 4 G when 4G finally gets here and is stable. I say go play with them, talk to folks like us, then decide what makes sense to you. Enough differences out there it isn't possible to say one thing is better than others. Size, weight, apps, memory size, functionality, purpose - so many variables for each person. Good luck, you'll enjoy whatever you buy. I suggest downloading Tapatalk first so you can easily enjoy this forum! :):thumbup:

[Brad94]

the fire is in a different niche than the iPad since the iPad is geared more toward laptop/computer type functions while the fire is more for books and movies

[Sailor Kenshin]

Well, then. Traded in the newest version for the ipad 2. Didn't need the cellular, or the 'better' camera. This is a great toy, and at last I CAN STAY LOGGED IN. ;p

So now what's all this about tapatalk?

[KrazyIvan]

It is an app that is supposed to make your forum browsing experience jump to a new level. I never tried it.

[etoyoc]

Its a good thing to have on some forums. However, with a smart phone (or tablet) and a good internet connection, most forums have a mobile site that runs just as well. I paid for TAT, but of all the forums I use, only three are available in TAT. Anymore, I only use TAT because I paid for it.

[writingrav]

Tapatalk is great specifically for FP Geeks Forum. It allows me to pretty much stay in touch all day and I use it almost exclusively to participate here. It is easier by far than the mobile app of the FP Geeks site. Unfortunately, I have not found any other forum that uses it, but I still find it worth it.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Iz hasin fun wif mai new stylus.

DH: when it gives out, maybe you can stick a nib into it.


He 'gets' pens. ;-p

[miatapaul]

Well there are many other tablets on the market. The new Google Nexus 7 tablet is supposed to be a very good 7" tablet and an iPad rival. But I haven't had a chance to try it and I hear they are temporarily stopping production (16GB version) because they can't keep up with demand (8GB version). Or some similar mess.. either way, they are stopping 16GB pre-orders.

Yea the Nexu 7 is going to kill both the fire and nook tablet. It is $199 for the 8 gig version, and if you have access to WiFi likely all you would need. Very smooth operation, comes with Jelly Bean and really a nice piece of kit. I am ordering one for myself. The thing I like is it has built in bluetooth and GPS both missing from the Nook and Fire. Between the fire and Nook I would suggest the Nook as it has a better display, but both are decent little machines as long as you are up to rooting them.

[Struthious]

I'm very pleased with android, but if its just between Kindle and iPad, you'll get more for your money with Kindle.

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