Five Reasons Why Kindle Fire Makes iPad Look Bad

Apple’s iPad is the clear leader in tablet computing, and there have been many competitors that tried and failed to corner some of the market. Amazon’s Kindle Fire is the latest tablet computer to try to compete, and it will be released on November 15, 2011. There are already hundreds of thousands of orders for them, and only time will tell if the Kindle Fire will succeed or not in the long run.

When comparing the iPad and the Kindle Fire, it is clear that the iPad has a lot more features. The iPad has access to almost half a million apps, while Kindle Fire can run only a few tens of thousands. The iPad also has a camera and the Kindle Fire doesn’t, so no video chatting or photographing anything with your Kindle Fire. The iPad has a lot more storage capability, also, because the Kindle Fire is only available in an 8GB version. The Kindle Fire also doesn’t have 3G wireless capability like the iPad does, so it can limit your ability to connect when you’re on the go if a signal isn’t available.

With all these differences, it might seem like the iPad will still be the winner in tablet computing. But not so fast. There are a few benefits to the Kindle Fire that make it a very worthy competitor. Some might even say the benefits make the iPad look bad. Ultimately it will be up to you to decide which tablet device fits best with your needs and price range, but here is a look at the clear advantages of a Kindle Fire over an iPad.

Price
The Kindle Fire will sell for $199, while the most inexpensive iPad goes for $499. This big gap in price makes a huge difference. It brings the cost of tablet computing down to a range that a lot more households can afford. The price of the iPad is too far out of the price range of many people, especially when they already have a computer or a smartphone. The Kindle Fire is an affordable tablet option, and many people can reconsider purchasing one. It will make a much better gift, too, for children who would love a tablet computer but tend to break expensive things.

Flash
One of the clear distinctions in the Kindle Fire is that it runs Flash. The iPad doesn’t, and that has been a complaint of many iPad users. The Kindle Fire will be able to display the Flash websites and applications that the iPad can’t.

Amazon Silk
The Kindle Fire uses the Amazon Silk web browsing technology, and it should make web browsing incredibly faster compared to the iPad. Amazon Silk splits up the work of loading web pages between your device and its cloud server, making them load so much faster. It will also preload web pages that you visit often into the cloud every time you begin using your tablet, so they are ready when you want to go to them with no waiting required at all. Amazon Silk greatly increases the convenience factor of web browsing on the Kindle Fire versus the iPad.

Wireless Mirroring and Streaming
A really cool feature of the Kindle Fire is that it can mirror whatever you’re watching on your tablet onto your TV screen wirelessly. Combine this feature with the one-month free trial you will get to Amazon Prime, and the Kindle Fire wins again. Amazon Prime has a library of thousands of movies and TV shows that you can directly access with the Kindle Fire, no third party streaming apps or services required. It is worth it to retain access to this library by paying just $79 for an entire year’s subscription, and you will also get two-day free shipping for any purchases you make on Amazon.com.

Size
While all tablet computers are by nature small and portable, the Kindle Fire is even more so. It is a few inches smaller than the iPad, which makes it fit in one hand a lot more easily. While the screen size is smaller, it isn’t so much smaller that it makes much of a difference. It is the right balance between a screen that is small enough to make the device more easily used and carried, and big enough that you can still easily see your web pages and movies. It also weighs less.

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Category: Gadgets