Copy editing Amazon's Kindle Fire vs. iPad mini ad

Rene, your article is moronic at best, if you are going to compare the Fire HD with the iPad with cellphone then at least put the right price for the iPad mini which is $459 at the cheapest version, it is more than double than the Fire HD at $199, if you can't have at least the numbers right you should not be writing about it and deceiving people to buy something that is not.

Rene lacks integrity and tries to deceive people. Sounds like Steve Jobs!

Rene, you forgot to add:
The Kindle Fire has X-ray for Books and Movies. The iPad has none of these.
The Kindle Fire has Whispersync for Books, Audiobooks, Movies and Games. Again, the iPad has none of these.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/technology/personaltech/more-soot-than...

Whoa thanks for that i was beginning to wonder!

Users can tether their iPhone/Android to a Kindle Fire. So cellular isn't a big plus, just another bill. People like the 7" size. It's kind of ironic Apple is bragging their iPad "M-I-N-I" is BIGGER than other 7" tablets. If people want bigger, then they'll get the iPad. Simple. Dumb idea by Apple. International vs. Noninternational content doesn't affect me here in the U.S. I'd care more if I lived outside the U.S. I speak English, and it's covered under one of the nine languages that are supported by the Kindle Fire. So no worry there. Same goes for movies. And of course it's not compatible with iBooks. Apple is too Nazi to license their software. It's much wiser to buy Kindle books than iBooks. Kindle is across many platforms. iBooks are only available on iOS devices. App available will only continue to improve on the Kindle Fire. The major ones are there. AND the Kindle Fire is $130 cheaper. That's HUGE.

Tethering is a terrible solution for me. It drains my smartphone battery, and I need a phone that works. I bought a Nexus 7 and almost never use it because it has no cellular. I use the iPad 3 constantly to tether my laptop too, and will likely switch that to iPad mini. The iPad mini is an iPad. The 7-inch tablets to date have been big iPod touches. The software makes a huge difference. I'm happy you live in the U.S., you're not the majority, unfortunately for the rest of us. Both Apple and Amazon use DRM to lock you to their platform. $130 depends on how assess cost vs. value. You can get a BlackBerry Playbook for $150 so by that logic, anyone even considering a Kindle should buy a PlayBook instead?

Rene, I hate to be corse, but you live in a bubble, which is fine for people who read your blog. I agree that the iPad is a computing device, but to think that a "8" inch computing device is going to sway millions of users away from a cheaper well made Nexus 7 or Fire is absurd. You pay a premium because because you're a nerd like the 2-3% of us who read this. The majority of the world isn't and wants a device to view content. Is your blog viewable on the Fire and 7? I thought so. Do Apple movies, songs or iBooks play on a Kindle or 7? Of course not, you sound ridiculous using that as an excuse not to buy one. The reason Apple allows non-iBooks on other devices is because almost no one buys iBooks, they buy from Amazon. Nerd speak all you want, but at the end of the day, most the people buying these devices don't care whether it plays downscaled HD, they "think" they "need" HD. THe sales will speak for themselves, these posts make you look desperate for something to write about.

THIS THIS THIS. Thank you for another free-thinker. Especially that last part. But I would replace "look desperate for something to write about" for either "desperate to discourage ANY other device on the market" or "overcompensation for something". Just thank you. I hate that I have to use this site for Apple information, but I cannot find another site that doesn't march to the beat of Apple's drum that has decent coverage.

Yes. Sales will speak for themselves. It will be a landslide in the iPad minis favor.

Exactly. Apple *will* sell millions of them. I find it interesting that Amazon felt the need to mislead on that ad. I think that is telling all by itself.

The numbers won't lie buddy. Lets let them add up over the holidays. If you have any doubt that the iPad Mini will outsell the Kindle Fire HD and the Nexus tablets combined then you're the one in the bubble and its about to burst.

“Do Apple movies, songs or iBooks play on a Kindle or 7? Of course not […]” Music from the iTunes Store plays on a Kindle or 7 just fine.

Ahh, I meant through an iTunes player. Good catch. Music is now DRM free so will play anywhere that plays aac files. But movies and books do not. You are correct sir.

You talk about the "majority of the world" yet you don't seem to take into account that Apple has the largest ecosystem (Apps, Movies, books, music, etc) as far as THE WORLD is concerned. Books from Apple's iBooks are available in more languages, you can get movies from Apple in many more countries and the list goes on. Not to mention the build quality of the Apple's devices (both hardware and software) compared to Amazon's offerings. Yes, Amazon's device is cheaper. Anyone who can afford an iPad mini (or other Apple device) that doesn't look at Apple's offerings as far as content goes is doing themselves a disservice. PLUS: as has been stated, you can access lots of Amazon's content on iPad's also.

Annnnnd, why did you waste everyone's time with something we all know? BMW's are built better than Toyota's. Are people who decide to buy a Toyota instead of a BMW doing themselves a disservice. How's the market share for iPhones? A market that is actually competitive? Do people do themselves a disservice buying an Android or WP7/8 device do themselves a disservice? You talk in circles instead of addressing the point that was brought up here. Bring something new or else you're just talking to hear your own voice.

I didn't waste anyone's time. :) I was replying to a poster who didn't seem to get the difference between what Apple offers and what Amazon offers. Also, your car analogy stinks. I can take a BMW or a Toyota almost anywhere on earth where there are roads and do mostly the same thing. At this point in time, you can't take Amazon's tablets to as many places as Apple's and have the same access to media. Right now Amazon only supports a couple countries. What are you talking about that iPhone market share for? I didn't bring up the iPhone or market share. IF a person can afford an iPhone (and they don't hate Apple) then yes, they should at lease consider an Apple device (iPad, iPhone) because of all the media they have access to, if that's the sort of thing you'll be using your device for. Should someone in an unsupported country buy an Amazon tablet just because it's cheaper than an iPad?

You were replying to my post and no where was there reference to either working or not working in different regions. Of course certain OS's aren't optimized for some countries just like the iApp store doesn't work in all countries. Read the OP, we were talking about media transferring between devices and why it does or does not happen. If you don't have any information to add to that, there are plenty of other posts here discussing various countries and where they can get their media. Stay on topic.

Your reply to Rene, which is what I was replying to, had nothing to do with transferring media between devices.
I wasn't talking about a device working in specific regions. I was talking about the benefits of the Apple ecosystem in more countries than either Google's or Amazon's.
You suggested that only nerds will buy iPad mini's because there are cheaper options available. My point is that not just nerds buy Apple products and there are quite a few reasons to choose an iPad over Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire in spite of the 'premium' price. Number of app choices, number of countries where Apple offers movies, books, music etc, build quality of the device, security, etc. The list goes on.
Also, I'll stay on whatever topic I choose. Thanks. You don't get to give out orders. :)

Well, I think you have a great article. When people say its overpriced, and call others stupid or other childish names for buying its crazy. They obviously don't think your opinion counts, everyone should do what they say only. To me, the kindle fire is limited in many ways. Like I said in my other post. You can put android on everything, but you can't put iOS in anything. Which is why I feels the iPad mini is the better tablet in this case. If people can't afford, they shouldn't say others are stupid for buying it lol. Everything can't be based on price, quality has to play a part somewhere in there.

Rene, your article is moronic at best, if you are going to compare the Fire HD with the iPad with cellphone then at least put the right price for the iPad mini which is $459 at the cheapest version, it is more than double than the Fire HD at $199, if you can't have at least the numbers right you should not be writing about it and deceiving people to buy something that is not.

Whoa, whoa there. You do know that the 32GB Cell enabled Nexus 7 costs less than the 16GB wifi only iPad mini right? https://www.imore.com/e?link=https2F2Flinks%2F1... Apple also felt the need to deceive at its keynote announcing the mini. Comparing the widescreen device to the fullscreen iPad like the step backward in aspect ratio was a good thing. On a Nexus you can watch movies released after the 90's without black bars on the top and the bottom taking up half the screen. Though I will give points for it being better for reading articles in landscape mode, but who does that anyway? I will give points to Apple for releasing an actual honest to goodness widescreen iPhone finally as well. You need to get a better Nexus 7 if you want cellular, it will costs less than the iPad and have double the storage space for less than the basic model ;) Ultimately it does come down to personal choice but IMHO the quad core Nexus 7 is the pack leader.

Ok, where do I start? Cellular data might not be a big plus for YOU, but for those who care it is. Especially if it is LTE. You would look downright ridiculous handling two devices just to be able to have internet via cellular on your KFHD. Apple has all the right to brag about the SCREEN SIZE of the iPad mini, since it offers 35% more screen on a tablet with LESS volume and almost 100 grs LESS weight than on the KFHD. I live internationally (Southamerica) and believe me, Amazon had NO presence here. But I don't care about movie selection on iTunes either. But you know what I care about? Apps. I can buy one app and transfer any of my ripped movies and start watching it on the iPad mini in SECONDS. On the KFHD that is impossible. It can get 1000 apps in a year (but Amazon won't allow it, they have a pretty closed system) and even then it's app selection will be lacking. Amazon WANTS you to buy from them. Lastly, while I would have liked to see the iPad mini cost a bit less, what good to me is to have a KFHD that most likely won't ever be updated, making it lose countless features in the next few months, while the iPad mini will receive all the iOS upgrades for at least a couple of years as all iOS devices do? Overall, it is all about having a better overall experience in the long run in many aspects. Amazon knows this, and that is why they are so scared that they do a comparison trying to cheat customers into believing their cheap piece of heavy plastic is better value when its not. What an irony right? For those concerned about their budgets, the iPad mini offers far better value and comes packed with free content, while I wouldn't be surprised if the next gen of the "cheaper" KFHD won't even turn on if you don't BUY from Amazon.

"Alvaro Bernedo says:
Oct 29, 2012 at 1:35 am - 5 hours ago Ok, where do I start? Cellular data might not be a big plus for YOU, but for those who care it is. Especially if it is LTE. You would look downright ridiculous handling two devices just to be able to have internet via cellular on your KFHD" Look downright ridiculous? Who cares? The fact that you even care what some stranger would think as you click on your hotspot on your phone, throw it in your pocket and surf on your table is in itself - ridiculous. And as for the battery argument - I use my phone for a hotspot all the time to allow me to get my tablet online and while it does drain battery faster, you would think people are never in a location to charge their phone.

Sorry - double post.

The iPad mini is only very slightly larger than the Kindle Fire HD, but has a larger screen. I'm surprised Amazon showed the mini right beside the Fire because it highlights just how much bigger the Mini's screen is, and makes the bezels on the Fire look really huge. You're right, the irony of Apple pitching the larger screen is not lost on me.

Wow I never saw it that way, you're absolutely right! Forget apple!! Having said that I can't wait for my iPad "M-I-N-I" ;)

You're obviously have some hate bubbling but the iPad Mini is a great idea! The screen size is something that will appeal to millions and you'll be proven wrong. So..dumb statement by you, not dumb idea buy Apple. Tethering is a cool feature to have when you can plug your phone in to use it. Otherwise you're draining two batteries at once. The cellular version is perfect for the millions on a shared data plan. All we have to do is add this device. Perfect. What doesn't work well for you will work just fine for millions. You're in the minority on this one. Just like all the Kindle Fire HDs. Going after Apple is a bad move by Amazon. Their app selection isn't even close. And it never will be. EVER. LOL

Wow. Amazon is licensing their layer now? I hadn't heard that. Any takers?

The SCREEN is bigger. The device is still super thin, super light, just as pocketable, and able to be held for a long time in just one hand. I have an iPad 3 and I want one of these (can't justify it though, 'cause I already do a lot of reading on my phone; and I think reading is where this product excels).

The SCREEN is bigger. The device is still super thin, super light, just as pocketable, and able to be held for a long time in just one hand. I have an iPad 3 and I want one of these (can't justify it though, 'cause I already do a lot of reading on my phone; and I think reading is where this product excels).

Wondering why the iPad is a "computing appliance" whereas the fire is a "media appliance." Right off the bat, I thought the iPad was instrumental in the content consumption industry. Also, does the Fire prevent me from installing computing software that the iPad can to also be considered a computing appliance? Not to mention, right off the bat, I'm not sure of the computing appliance prowess the iPad comes with stock. Just curious. Some of these articles are just beginning to look ridiculous. I'm surprised that a con for the Fire is that it is not compatible with iPad cases. I mean, if you look at the itemized list, saying that the Fire is not compatible with an Apple service pretty much means the same thing.

Ryan Block from GDGT, former editor-in-chief of Engadget, came up with the consumer media appliance term when he was struggling with their summation for their Kindle Fire page, and it's apt. The iPad has iTunes, but the Kindle fire is the Amazon store. They literally won't sell it in any country without an Amazon digital content story (I can't buy it in Canada. In 2012. How crazy is that?) The iPad is a tablet in the traditional sense of the word. The Kindle Fire is designed to consumer content. Listen to Jeff Bezos' introduction for it. He explains it clearly and articulates it well. It's also an advantage that you can buy iTunes, Amazon, Google, and other content on the iPad, whereas Amazon restricts the content you can buy on the Kindle Fire (and Apple chooses not to provide any anyway), because the content subsidizes the device. That's absolutely a con.

If all a person is looking for is media consumption then there is no comparison - the kindle is your better buy. Do you think people are going to spend an extra $130 for a slightly larger screen? And the ipad stands to gain more users by allowing kindle than the kindle stands to lose by not offering ibooks or itunes video. I dont know a single person who uses ibooks and the itunes video setup (especially purchasing video or rental) is absolutely ridiculous. I understand the desire to show Apple's greatness but can you try and do it with at least a hint of objectivity?

The iPad mini has a very clear advantage over the Kindle Fire. I can side load all the content I want onto the iPad mini (or any other iOS device) without buying a single bit of content from Apple. I cannot do the same on the Kindle. Can you tell me exactly how that makes the Kindle better for media consumption? Or were you planning on re-buying all of your existing content from Amazon anyway?

Here's some objectivity. The Kindle fire HD 7 has really terrible on/off and volume buttons. The keyboard sucks because it offers no voice input and you can't change it customize it. The ads suck. The app home screen sucks because of all the ads and you can't customize it. The performance of switching app sucks because it takes a couple seconds for apps to respond. The Amazon Silk browser sucks because it is slow. No bluetooth option sucks. Netflix lagginess sucks. However, the screen is nice, it sounds good in a quiet room, and the leather case with magnetic closure was pretty cool. The iPad Mini won't have these issues. It's worth the extra money to deal with pain in the butt issues like this. I agree the author should have made the "suckiness" of the Kindle HD more apparent in his article. btw I can write about the issues of the Nexus 7 as well, but I leave that to later.

The point is that with an iPad you have access to both ecosystems.

Well put, Rene. It's important that fair comparisons are made instead of lopsided biased marketing tactics (which Apple AND Amazon have done). For some, the Fire HD will be the way to go whereas others will benefit more from an iPad mini. It's simply a matter of needs and trade offs.

@Rene - Does Kindle have rear facing camera? If not that's an advantage for iPad Mini and also the front facing camera in the iPad MINI is can do 720p, not sure about the Kindle.
May be you want to add the Camera advantage to iPad :) ... I know some people say its ridiculous to take photos thru iPad but hey you never know when it can come handy.

How much do you have to add to the price of the Kindle to get rid of the ads? Shouldn't this be a consideration?

It may sound a little obvious, but the whole Apple media ecosystem and services is still an enormous advantage for iOS. When you get an Android or Amazon tablet, you get 0% Apple in them. When you get an iPad, you get pretty much all of what Google and Amazon has to offer.

Surely the fact that the iPad mini is much lighter and thinner is also an important point.

Classy Stuff! Well Done!

classy? What's classy about this post? It's petty conjecture!

I think the Kindle Fire is a very limited device. Why go for the Kindle Fire when the iPad and Android tablets can do the same and much more? That's my opinion.

And that is the crux of the issue. Is the Kindle sufficient for your needs at 199 or do you need more utility for another 130 bucks. The comparison really isnt even relevant since they are competing at 2 different price points - one is a low end budget unit the other is at the low end - of high end priced tablets.

What about ads on the tablet?

Good point. Rene, include a correction on price, since ad-free Fire is what, $29 more?

At least Amazon didn't use Comic Sans!

+1

Apple geeks are such idiots. WHO CARES IF A COMPETITOR HAS AN ENGAGING ADVERTISEMENT. Holly crap. I see Apple's policy with other companies transfers to their most hopeless followers. You guys must have the worst case of overcompensation I have ever seen, even more than Ferrari owners. Just let it go for once. BTW you attempted to put facts on that list that simply are conjecture. "Limited international capabilities", limited is a subjective term, therefore has no place on a comparison list. Just like "media appliance" and "computer appliance" are subjective to the user. Get over yourselves and provide at least a little less biased information. You have morons reading this who truly take everything you take to heart that Apple is higher than none and $h!%'s gold. Just give information with opinion, not rhetoric that bashes all competitors all the time. You're like Fox News. And I am an iPhone/iPad owner. I only come here because I cannot find a community that is not obnoxious to provide me decent Apple news. I think it must be a requirement.

wow! Petty article! Mac geeks can't let it rest. 'computing appliance'? Really? You can't do real work on a 9" iPad so you're going to tell me this is a work horse?!

So when Gorillaz released a whole album recorded solely on iPads, that's not real work?
When plenty of artists drew awesome pictures and sketches, that's not real work?
When I connect to my PC using remote viewer and do work I bill for, that's not real work?
When students use apps to read books, practice, AND do their homework (including math formulas, etc.), that's no real work?
When many blog posts you read online are published using one of many amazing word editors available for iPad, that's not real work?
When you develop a web site and use Coda's app that let's you have real-time preview of your work/website on an iPad, that's not real work?
When I use DisplayPad app to use my iPad as 2nd monitor for my laptop (yes, displaying OS X), that's not real work?
cc3d, I can go on all day.

Your points unfortunately are cherry picked and of no real substance. So the Gorillaz recorded an album on the ipad? Any others? Do you have any idea how tedious that would have been? How many graphics artists are using the ipad to do work? Answer - none that do real graphics artistry. The bottom line is the only way to efficiently use the ipad is with an external keyboard and/or mouse. If you are doing that - might as well buy a laptop.

Your counter-arguments sound just as bad as the politicians who deny that global warming is actually happening, despite large numbers of scientists showing evidence otherwise. "Show me some evidence that people can use the iPad for serious work."
"Ok, here are a few ways that people use their iPad for work..."
"Not good enough for me, so I'll disregard what you said completely and go with my original assertion."

Thanks, exactly what I was thinking!

I can dig a hole with a rake too, but it's not pragmatic! Use your iPad as a second monitor? That's the stupidest damn thing I've ever heard!! 13" monitor $99, 9.6" iPad $499 and slow as shit as a second monitor. That's digging a hole with a rake and saying "See! Rakes can do everything!"
I can go on all day!

Hahaha, another one of these shockingly bad articles, good selective omitting of the Kindle features, like the fact its also duel-band.

Ahhhh no! Selective omitting perhaps on Amazons side! follow link in article. Anyway I think the iPad mini is way over priced but I agree the ecosystem it plugs into is next to no other, there is no argument about that. I still favor the Nexus 7 (sad google cancelled their event but they had no choice thanks to sandy, was so looking forward to the 3g price announcement).

I did. And on the product page it says Duel Band. They didn't put it in the advantages comparason as they both have it. Then Renee has added it to the iPad and not the Fire to try and unfairly make it look better (like allways)

Ya know. I'm a fan of all the operating systems. However, just because the specs on the kindle fire are better does not make it a better tablet. This is proven by many other devices, and they should know this. The Eco system on iOS is strong, solid, and well built. NO ONE CAN DENY THIS. I have a galaxy note 2, it's strong, solid, and well built. I have an iPhone 5, it's strong, solid, and well built. My Nexus 7 was nice, but I've ordered me a iPad Mini. Why? Because I like how my iPhone performs. Simple. You can put android on anything, but ya can't put iOS on anything. Understand now? They are both nice.

The reason you cant put iOS on anything is because they have it locked down to no end. Its not because it wouldnt function properly - its because Apple wouldnt give it to you in the first place to install on something non-apple.

Apple is, first and foremost, a hardware company. They engineer and sell the hardware and use the software as a hook to lure you in. With the Kindle Fire Amazon went the opposite direction (which makes sense considering that they are not a hardware company).

Awesome post!! I'll go iPad for internationalization and high apps and most important cellular option.

Unless iMore gets paid per device sold why the hell does this matter? This Amazon vs Apple thing has gotten the iMore crew super pissed off. This site has take the term fanboy to a whole new level.

What's so wrong about telling the other side of it? I'm glad iMore does it without needing to get paid for each device sold. Now that would be wrong. Now I wonder how much Gizmodo pocketed for their obvious endorsement..

Price aside, the fact remains that Amazon wants to lock people into using on their content and that doesn't work for me. They not only don't want us using competitor's content- they don't even want us using our OWN content. A maximum of 16 gigs seems laughable in this day and age. Especially if you're not going to include a card reader to expand storage. And don't give me any of this "cloud" jazz, cuz I'm not gonna upload 500 gigs worth of my own ripped movies, just to have to redownload them all again every time I want to watch them. That's a pain in the ass and even worse- it's impossible if you're not on wi-fi. The whole goal of the KF and the Nexus whatever is to drive consumers towards buying more content. My whole goal in own a tablet is enjoying the content I already HAVE. So yeah, the ipad costs more, but the expanded memory makes up for it, in my book. I won't have to constantly be hooking my device up to the computer to change out the content, nor will I have to agonize over what to bring with me content wise when i travel. For those who are fine with 16 gigs, I guess the KF is fine, but the bottom line is that I want a tablet that gives me access to MY content, not content I'm expected to purchase. It's nice to have that option, but I don't want it to be my ONLY option. Frankly the only real contender to the ipad at this point is the Nook HD, which has an expansion slot. But then again you have to root it (if it CAN be rooted) before you have faull tablet functionality, which is somewhat of a pain in the ass.

Very cool and well said. Specs don't describe user experience. We should be more focused on using the tablet for "our stuff" instead of it being a portal for buying more crap.

Wow, you guys are really phazed by the Fire, eh? This is the second post in about a week. Apple is famous for its hyperbole and the reality distortion field, and I don't remember ever seeing a post about that. If any other vendor had taken a two year old device and sold it with a smaller screen I bet the posts would be unforgiving.

You mean like the Galaxy "S3" Mini?

Thank you.

A few takeaways.. Apple touched on how the 4:3 7.9" screen is more but should leave that alone and never touch on it again. Getting a worse quality bigger screen was what android was all about a few years ago. I'm not sure how ifans can defend this. International content. You keep beating this drum. But Amazon isn't marketing the Kindle to countries where they don't have it. They're marketing the Kindle to markets only where they have the content. A lack of countries is not a problem. They wouldn't WANT to sell this device (especially at break even or loss) where they can't lock you in. They supposedly only make money when you use the device. Amazon has room to expand to other countries just like Apple had room to expand from AT&T or offer iOS services on other platforms. Apple must sell ipads to be successful. Amazon doesn't have to sell one Kindle. It's not their business. Amazon isn't trying to sell more Kindles than Apple sells ipads. I think if you have one the latest smartphones, you don't NEED any of the 7" offerings including ipad mini. Your phone does the trick, is faster, has denser screen, and is even more portable. Otherwise, they're more for kids or devs who need a device to develop on. If you want a tablet, get an ipad 4.

1. It doesn't seem that you workout at hotels or thought that certain people actually try to keep healthy by doing so 2. Working out on a machine looking at the wall for 30-45 minutes sucks. 3. Putting a laptop on a treadmill/ellipse is untenable, 4. Watching a video on an iPhone while working out sucks, 5. An iPad works well, but an iPad mini is cheaper and lighter for the bag (and it has Bluetooth 4.0 for my heart rate monitor)

Thanks for putting things in their correctness! Regards,
Yossi

Rene, you HAVE to add weight and thickness to this. At least weight - it's a huge difference! And with one-hand operation that's very important. Kindle fire has weight of Mini AND iPhone 5 combined (or almost?), despite a smaller screen.

Another edit: "Hardware *available* in 7 countries".

Nice comparison, gonna +1 this on google plus for the apple haters.

According to AllThingsD, supposedly Amazon had their best day ever selling Kindle Fire's the day after the iPad Mini announcement (presumably in the US only. :) ). I think a lot of that is due to price (people holding off on purchasing till the iPad Mini info came out). Yes, the iPad Mini's sold out. But $130 more for what the iPad mini's providing is a pretty large pill to swallow in this economy for a lot of people. Incidentally, would we even have an iPad Mini if it weren't for the Kindle Fire? The other Android tablets don't have the store behind them that the Kindle does in order to compete with Apple. Personally, I hope the Fire does gangbusters and is a great competitor, in order to keep Apple's feet to the fire (so to speak :) ).

There is one thing to remember when Amazon says the Kindle Fire had it's best day ever. Amazon has never released sales numbers on Kindles so there is no telling what "best day ever" means. For all we know that could be 10 Kindle Fires. Amazon (and other companies) need to stop yapping about how well their products are selling unless they are going to release the number of products they've sold (not shipped).

The iPad mini will sell millions despite the fact that its not the best spec'd tablet on the market due to the fact that Apple has a history of selling solid products, they have a robust app market, and Apple fans are extremely loyal. I've decided I'm going to stick with N7 this year but I'll be keeping the iPad mini on my radar for next year.

Shouldn't the fact that the iPad mini uses In-Cell Touch Displays and the closeness of the pixels to the screen be added to that comparison?
Something that I find funny is that they are saying that the Kindle Fire has stereo speakers. Who really cares on a device that small if you have stereo speakers. If you want amazing audio quality you are going to put your headphones on.
Not only is the camera a FaceTime camera for those who are on the fence and don't know much about technology but have heard of Skype might look at the comparison and say well I skype with my kids so I guess I should buy this from amazon. iPad can Skype as well. Some may think that it can only FaceTime and oh by the way what is FaceTime?
Something else that should be pointed out is that the Kindle is plastic, it's heavier. The iPad is aluminum and lighter.

No matter how you slice it, Apple popularized "retina" and how beneficial (and desirable) these screens are. Amazon is just feeding it back to them. The whole ipad mini demo was strange bringing up the ipad 2 and dated specs as if that's some sort of benchmark as we approach 2013.

Too bad you chose quantity of arguments over quality.
More than half your points are completely irrelevant to the majority of consumers. I am not arguing that the Kindle is a better device mind you, simply that you didn't need made up reasons to prove your point. None of your international items matter in a country in which the Kindle is not available - Amazon is not wasting their time promoting the Kindle to countries that can't buy it - so no argument on which is better even matters. And since only 1% of typical tablet use is for productivity, the distinction between computing device and consumption device is also largely irrelevant. Plastic vs. Aluminum is iffy, Genius - shouldn't be necessary so also irrelevant, camera - bet no-one uses their tablet's camera after the first 2 weeks anyway. Bottom line, it's an ad - so why even bother with a posting? Why not just write about apps for tracking hurricane Sandy? I think I much preferred the old Apple approach - never bother mentioning the competition - as if there really isn't any. Like Coke - we don't need to tell people we're better - we just have to tell them we're good.

It looks like you chose the same mantra for your post.......more words = quantity vs less words of quality. Lets see......people travel internationally, period. Next. 1% of typical tablet usage for productivity. Where did you get that stat? Plastic vs aluminum........iffy? I'll take aluminum over cheap plastic any day. Camera? Guess you don't own a tablet with one. Speak about what you know, not by assumption. Yes, I own one with a camera and use it heavily. And why mention the ad? Well, simply because many might find it interesting. This is a blog, not CNN. And this blog is responsible for the comparison of features and specs, not Apple. It sure meant enough for you to write about it.

No iDevice has initially shipped with a Retina Display. They did not ship these devices with such a display on purpose to keep cost down. You can call B.S. on this but that is the truth. If they had retina displays in them they probably would have discontinued the iPad two and started them at $399. The display and the chip are what the mini and the 2 share in common. Everything else is upgraded.
If these two things are sitting side by side in a best buy or wherever I am 99% certain the pixel difference between these two are not going to be noticeable. What is going to be noticeable is how well the iPad pulls of being able to display the content on the screen by having the pixels closer, providing clarity and a better color representation that the kindle.

Don't really understand resolution, do you? The pixels on the iPad are not closer together, they are farther apart - the screen is not clearer, but less clear.

I didn't say they were closer together if you read what I typed they are closer to the SCREEN not each other (from my first post "Shouldn't the fact that the iPad mini uses In-Cell Touch Displays and the closeness of the pixels to the screen be added to that comparison?"). Becuase the pixels are "glued" to the glass the screen has a better overall picture, colors a more defined, text is more defined.

I could care less either way, but the inclusion of the genius bar comparison is pretty ridiculous.

If you have a screwy Kindle, what do you do with it? Go to an Amazon store? If you have a screwy iPad, you know where to go to. This is a big deal for most people. Perhaps your one of the 0.0001% of people who never have problems?

Apple should post this on her site. IF they bother replying to Amazon...

Rene, you should ad "with Advertisements" to the 199 price

I especially appreciate this article being from Canada and actually owning the first generation Kindle Fire. The only thing that the Kindle Fire offered in abundance was disappointment; disappointment fatally accentuated by my the love my father showed for his iPad.

Reality is Apple is losing ground on the tablet market. It's the smart phone war all over again. Apple comes out with a great product, Andriod drops some low priced stuff and saturates the market. Is apple a better product? I think so but android will di whatever it takes to take a bigger piece of that tablet pie. Apple has no choice but to introduce a cheaper iPad or else it's market share will continue to fall.

I'd rather have a higher solution and smaller screen (which is easier to carry around), Who cares if you have a 720p camera if you're not going to see it in 720, the genius bar's a joke, and at >50% more price, the Kindle wins.

Movies, music, books, photos and web pages look better and sound better on the Kindle Fire HD than any iPad at any price.

Another correction: iPad mini has stereo speakers. This according to The Verge's Joshua Topolsky and whoever he contacted at apple. via his twitter: https://twitter.com/joshuatopolsky/status/263459681639473152

Yes, I'd like this to be updated.

I got my Kindle Fire online at Amazon here http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0083PWAPW/ref=as_li_qf_br_asin_il_tl?i... and I prefer to use the Kindle because it’s just got so much more usability. The user interfaces are much more friendly to people that aren’t computer literate(like me) so it’s just a lot easier to navigate. It makes the experience a lot better overall.

The Kindle Fire is, to its roots, an e-book reader, so if you are willing to buy a tablet for the reading purpose you should go with the Kindle as it also a good tablet with the features of a good e-book reader.But if you are going for screen resolution then i pad 2 is better option rather than kindle fire hd , As the market sort of pupose <a href="http://www.papablogger.org/2013/02/the-ipad-2-vs-kindle-fire.html">Kindle fire</a> and i pad 2 both are useful in its own scenerio. so i will prefer both at the instant of uses.