[Moosifer]

Hi,

My sister desperately wants a Kindle, her birthday is coming up and I've come into some money so I want to spoil her a bit.

Her laptop is old and decrepid, and while I can't afford to buy her a new laptop a tablet might bridge the gap somewhat.

So I'm looking at the Kindle Fire HD and while it looks good for e-reading, I wonder how good it as a tablet- is web surfing and game playing good? Are you able to access the Android Market or are you limited to Amazon apps?

I have had a play with a friend's Nexus 7 and I liked it a lot (I will probably get myself one) I think she would like the ability to play the games I have mentioned and to surf the web... But I wonder how good the Kindle App is? Is it as good as on the Kindle?

She deserves something nice, and I don't want to get her something that's not fit for purpose.

So I'm after some opinions, please...

Thanks
xx

[alan1302]

Does she want a Tablet though or an actual Kindle with the eInk for reading?

[IvanIV]

For ebooks it will be very similar experience with both. On Nexus you can read both main ebook formats, epub and mobi, with Kindle there's a restriction to mobi only. So if choice is between these two, I'd say Nexus. But, if your sister only wants to read ebooks, e-ink display devices are much better for the job. So make sure you won't buy her something that you want, but maybe she doesn't.

[Moosifer]

She wants a Kindle for reading, but has specifically in conversations that she would love Kindle Fire if she had the money.

I am leaning toward the Nexus7 at the moment just because it seems you can do more with it.

[Moosifer]

Originally Posted by IvanIV

For ebooks it will be very similar experience with both. On Nexus you can read both main ebook formats, epub and mobi, with Kindle there's a restriction to mobi only. So if choice is between these two, I'd say Nexus. But, if your sister only wants to read ebooks, e-ink display devices are much better for the job. So make sure you won't buy her something that you want, but maybe she doesn't.

It's like you actually know me!

Thank you though. I think a Nexus is the way forward- like I said her laptop is also rubbish, and while I know it's not a replacement, anything is better than what she currently has and the Nexus does seem more versatile.

I am seeing her next weekend so I might test the waters a bit then, without tipping her off that I might get her one. She's had a really poopy time and she really deserves a lovely surprise and to be spoilt.

xx

[pattycake]

I have a kindle fire and an original kindle. Reading is better on the original, and the battery life much better.
The fire is ok I wouldn't' say better than that. There are too many limitationsl. I am stuck with the Amazon apps and amazon browser , some of the apps are not free which they are on android. I actually get a lot more on my Sony experia phone.

[Sue_C]

I've got a Kindle Fire HD and a Kindle e-ink reader. Husband has a Nexus 7.

So far as the two tablets are concerned, I've used the Nexus a lot but much prefer the Kindle Fire. It's far more user friendly in my opinion. I've had no trouble finding apps and have installed Dolphin & Opera browsers and Flash. A bit of searching the discussions section of Amazon's website is all that is required.

So far as reading is concerned I prefer e-ink. It's a more book-like experience.

[BrokenArrow]

If she wants a Kindle you should get her a kindle and not a tablet.

None of the tablets are any good for reading books.

[TelevisionUser]

Originally Posted by BrokenArrow

If she wants a Kindle you should get her a kindle and not a tablet.

None of the tablets are any good for reading books.

! E-ink technology is very good for dedicated e-Readers but my Bluefire app on my android tablet is customisable and it makes for a good reading experience plus I also get access to audiobooks, e.g. from Librevox and that's something that a dedicated e-Reader cannot do.

[Anika Hanson]

Originally Posted by TelevisionUser

! E-ink technology is very good for dedicated e-Readers but my Bluefire app on my android tablet is customisable and it makes for a good reading experience plus I also get access to audiobooks, e.g. from Librevox and that's something that a dedicated e-Reader cannot do.

Some of the kindles allow you to listen to audiobooks on them. You have to use your computer to load them up but you can listen to them. Before I had a dedicated e-ink device I used to read books on my iPhone which at the time I found ok. However once I got a dedicated e-ink reader I found it difficult to read for extended periods on any LCD display. I'd always pick my kindle over any of my LCD type devices.

[TelevisionUser]

Originally Posted by Anika Hanson

Some of the kindles allow you to listen to audiobooks on them. You have to use your computer to load them up but you can listen to them. Before I had a dedicated e-ink device I used to read books on my iPhone which at the time I found ok. However once I got a dedicated e-ink reader I found it difficult to read for extended periods on any LCD display. I'd always pick my kindle over any of my LCD type devices.

The e-ink displays do seem to do better outside in the sunshine and their matte screens help in that respect as well. The Bluefire reader I have has a customisation setting that mimics e-ink tones and that works fine for me.

[paulbrock]

Nexus 7 also has access to Google Books, an alternative place to buy them (or get the old ones free)

I read plenty of books on my tablet, nothing wrong with it.

[Anika Hanson]

Originally Posted by paulbrock

Nexus 7 also has access to Google Books, an alternative place to buy them (or get the old ones free)

I read plenty of books on my tablet, nothing wrong with it.

You can also buy books from the kindle store, kobo and Nook on the nexus 7.

[bazaar1]

not to hijack the thread, but I'm wondering about the kindle fire hd. I've got an ipad 2 atm, and all I use it for is checking the net/fb, emails, and reading books on pdf download (Im a book blogger so get pdfs to review). I've got a kindle keyboard and love it, but he's getting very old and tatty. I much prefer the reading experience on there, so was wondering about going for the fire hd, which does pretty much everything the ipad does for me (i'm not appy-centered!) but does anyone know if you can read/down load pdf's to it? I use bluefire reader at the moment, and the ability to read the pdfs easily is essential for me.

[cy_bones]

Originally Posted by bazaar1

not to hijack the thread, but I'm wondering about the kindle fire hd. I've got an ipad 2 atm, and all I use it for is checking the net/fb, emails, and reading books on pdf download (Im a book blogger so get pdfs to review). I've got a kindle keyboard and love it, but he's getting very old and tatty. I much prefer the reading experience on there, so was wondering about going for the fire hd, which does pretty much everything the ipad does for me (i'm not appy-centered!) but does anyone know if you can read/down load pdf's to it? I use bluefire reader at the moment, and the ability to read the pdfs easily is essential for me.

The Kindle app on Android supports PDFs so I expect that the Kindle Fire (& HD) does as well

[Anika Hanson]

Originally Posted by bazaar1

not to hijack the thread, but I'm wondering about the kindle fire hd. I've got an ipad 2 atm, and all I use it for is checking the net/fb, emails, and reading books on pdf download (Im a book blogger so get pdfs to review). I've got a kindle keyboard and love it, but he's getting very old and tatty. I much prefer the reading experience on there, so was wondering about going for the fire hd, which does pretty much everything the ipad does for me (i'm not appy-centered!) but does anyone know if you can read/down load pdf's to it? I use bluefire reader at the moment, and the ability to read the pdfs easily is essential for me.

If you plan on keeping the iPad, I'd recommend getting the kindle paperwhite over the kindle fire. You'd already have a tablet and as you said the reading experience is better on an e-ink device. Reading on the kindle fire HD will be the same as reading on your iPad.

[bazaar1]

Thanks guys, not keeping the iPad, son has claimed it! But that's fine, I don't like reading on it anyway as its too clumpy.

I didn't realise the kindle fire didn't have a more kindle type read to it. Will check it out before I buy!

[IvanIV]

Kindle ereaders can display pdfs, but they cannot reflow the text. You zoom in into parts of a page. When I have to read pdf file I switch to landscape and a page width fills the screen. Then a font size is acceptable and I only scroll vertically. Epub readers like Sony can reflow pdfs so you do not have this problem.

[wakey]

Originally Posted by Moosifer

It's like you actually know me!

Thank you though. I think a Nexus is the way forward- like I said her laptop is also rubbish, and while I know it's not a replacement, anything is better than what she currently has and the Nexus does seem more versatile.

I wouldn't instantly assume that any tablet will be better than her current laptop. While there are many great elements to a tablet even at their most advanced what they do is fairly basic compared to a laptop.

Pretty much anything you can do on a tablet even a fairly old laptop can do just as well, if not better and a laptop will do much that a tablet won't do. Tablets atleast at this point work better as a companion to a laptop or desktop rather than a replacement.

Certainly I wouldn't get rid of my iPad but I wouldn't want to try and use it as a catch all device by using it for tasks that its not ideally suited for as it would take it from being a device that's a pleasure to use to one that causes too much frustration

[Stilian]

If it is for reading books than go with the Kindle Paperwhite, tablets are not meant for reading books for plenty of reasons But if I had to choose between the two you mentioned I would go with the Nexus 7.

[The Sack]

I put FBReader on my Nexus 7 and promptly gave my Kindle to my mum.