One thing to consider, that rarely is mentioned, is that when you need help from Amazon, you are apt to be connected to someone in the Philippines, who is very hard to understand.
I have two Kindle Fires for kids. One the USB port stopped working so it's dead because I can't charge it. 2nd the software is general is light years behind the iPad. Some media consumption is better? LOL. I have Movies Anywhere I can download any of my 500 digital to my iPad or my Kindle Fire. Media Consumption is not an issue for people that digital copy of their movies.
I need the iPad because I want a single cohesive family platform and iOS delivers. With the advent of Arcade and Screen Time I'm going to be able to control what and when they watch. I know like every Holiday the iPads will be in the 200 dollar range and that's when I'll buy.
An as an aside why would I want to buy another Amazon Kindle knowing they just took the insurance from underpaid Whole Foods workers? At some point I have a moral obligation to my fellow citizens.
I have two Kindle Fires for kids. One the USB port stopped working so it's dead because I can't charge it. 2nd the software is general is light years behind the iPad. Some media consumption is better? LOL. I have Movies Anywhere I can download any of my 500 digital to my iPad or my Kindle Fire. Media Consumption is not an issue for people that digital copy of their movies.
I need the iPad because I want a single cohesive family platform and iOS delivers. With the advent of Arcade and Screen Time I'm going to be able to control what and when they watch. I know like every Holiday the iPads will be in the 200 dollar range and that's when I'll buy.
Not only that, but iPads tend to last a long time. We still have an original iPad, it still works with no issues other than it can no longer be updated. I have an iPad mini 2 that is essentially now just a media device for my kid on car trips. Why spend the money on a Fire when I can get a new iPad for myself and the old one can be handed down? I'm sure ours is not the only household that has hand-me-down iPhones and iPads.
An as an aside why would I want to buy another Amazon Kindle knowing they just took the insurance from underpaid Whole Foods workers? At some point I have a moral obligation to my fellow citizens.
I hear you but I think you're probably in the minority. Based on my own experiences people don't care one whit about the actions of a company. Look at how Uber was/is for years and years. I always hear people saying they'll use Uber when they need a ride, even when they are aware of what a shitty company they are. I doubt the amount of people who would stop going to Whole Foods or ordering something from Amazon based on Amazon's behavior would even be noticeable to Amazon at the end of the day.
Just having USB-C doesn't mean a device will charge faster.
No, but having full USB-C PD not reliant on Lightning does.
Even that isn’t a positive indication of faster charging on its own. You still need a battery that can accept the charge rate and the electronics to handle that higher charge rate.
I have little doubt that the new Amazon product can charge faster due to upgrades it is just that many things electronically need to be addressed to accomplish that. So while USB-C PD May enable faster charging it isn’t a positive indicator that you will actually get faster charge rates. Lithium Polymer charging can be pretty complex in order to maintain safety which is another factor in battery recharge rates.
I'm sure the iPad is better but the article seemed to be more about assertions of superiority rather than presenting examples (save noting the absence of Word). For example, how was email on the Fire? Skype? Maps? I assume that music and videos are about the same but these non-work uses of a tablet seem worth reviewing.
Your questions are reasonable but considering the Fire HD 10 doesn't ship until 10/30 my guess is AI didn't have a hands-on unit to compare. This article seems like mostly a comparison of the specs on paper.
When we get one, we'll be discussing it in more detail.
I’d actually would love to see that article as there are certain factors that make non Apple tablets attractive. The obvious one is price. Not so obvious is the issue of software, which is where iPad sucks in my opinion.
You might not have the in house experts on development for this Amazon Kindle but just focusing a bit on loading apps from outside Amazons store would be informative. Maybe diving a bit deeper into self developed apps and the installation of those.
For many of us tablets (especially used ones) have a significant attraction in their ability to be hooked up to hardware or machinery needing a touch interface. Apple makes this reuse extremely difficult so seeing what sort of restrictions exist for third party apps on these alternative systems is instructive.
I'd assume most people here would lean to Apple for most decisions, but I'd really recommend this tablet if you don't need a real workhorse tablet (and I don't think most people do). From a media consumption standpoint it blows iPads out of the water. Hands down. Is the picture better on an iPad? Sure. But when I weigh that vs the huge pain in getting movies and TV shows onto an iPad it's not even a close decision. Around the house the iPads get used occasionally but they never leave the house, while we wouldn't dream of traveling without our fire tablets. Kids have 8s and we have 10s. It's a breeze to transfer Plex movies to an SD card and pop it into the fire tablets. I often download videos from YouTube for the kids and put them on their tablets too. Super easy.
Why would it be more difficult to download movies and tv shows to an iPad? You just download them to the device, you don’t even need a SD card.
I could see where the cost of Fire tablet would make travel a little more relaxed. You drop one or lose it oh well. Just get another one.
Oh come on any reasonable person knows about the file handling issues on iOS. Even the latest update do little to correct that.
As for the SD card slot that should be obvious also but I will help you out here. Media files take up huge amounts of space, as such external storage can be a huge advantage. On iOS you constantly have to manage storage and often re-download media due to the lack of storage. An SD slot eliminates the need to download media repeatedly. This saves on bandwidth significantly but more important addresses the issue of no WiFi/Cellular access. This might shock a few here but RF communications isn’t universally available.
These products are windows in to the various storefronts, Amazon and Google make their money *after* you purchase these products, while Apple makes its money *on* the product and adds services to make them more valuable to *you* not them.
The cost issue is bullshit, Amazon and Google are just very good at reaching around your pocket, extracting money *after* you've purchased their products, without your even knowing it - that's their business model, full deceit and inferior products. They should give you their products for free or make their money up front, but people are so gullible.
The thing that keeps being missed is that in head-to-head price/hardware comparisons Apple products will almost always come out as second best. But, that ignores two major factors: 1) The 'other' device does run an Apple OS nor does it take advantage of Apple's extensive ecosystem that not only supports and enhances individual devices but integrates multiple devices into a cohesive, functional whole.
2) Apple, unlike other vendors, does not monetize your data. Google and the like can sell devices at or below their cost -- but make up for it by monetizing your data. It's why Google can give away their Android OS: They still profit from it.
As Andrew said: If the Amazon device is the best you can afford, then it's a fine device. Just be aware of its less tangible limitations and drawbacks.
I'd assume most people here would lean to Apple for most decisions, but I'd really recommend this tablet if you don't need a real workhorse tablet (and I don't think most people do). From a media consumption standpoint it blows iPads out of the water. Hands down. Is the picture better on an iPad? Sure. But when I weigh that vs the huge pain in getting movies and TV shows onto an iPad it's not even a close decision. Around the house the iPads get used occasionally but they never leave the house, while we wouldn't dream of traveling without our fire tablets. Kids have 8s and we have 10s. It's a breeze to transfer Plex movies to an SD card and pop it into the fire tablets. I often download videos from YouTube for the kids and put them on their tablets too. Super easy.
Why would it be more difficult to download movies and tv shows to an iPad? You just download them to the device, you don’t even need a SD card.
I could see where the cost of Fire tablet would make travel a little more relaxed. You drop one or lose it oh well. Just get another one.
Oh come on any reasonable person knows about the file handling issues on iOS. Even the latest update do little to correct that.
As for the SD card slot that should be obvious also but I will help you out here. Media files take up huge amounts of space, as such external storage can be a huge advantage. On iOS you constantly have to manage storage and often re-download media due to the lack of storage. An SD slot eliminates the need to download media repeatedly. This saves on bandwidth significantly but more important addresses the issue of no WiFi/Cellular access. This might shock a few here but RF communications isn’t universally available.
Does the new iPad line not have the ability to attach external storage for media, documents, and the like?
The iPad is clearly a better tablet...BUT...on Black Friday I'll buy my second Fire Tablet 10 for $100. For the money the Fire Tablet 10 is hands down the better deal. I use my tablet primarily for travel. If my $300 iPad was stolen or broken I would be miserable...BUT...I can replace my Fire Tablet 10 for a fraction of the price. Additionally, it is relatively easy to install Google Play on a Fire Tablet which vastly improves the number of available apps. The micro USB slot enable really cheap memory expansion. I just bought a 256GB micro SD at Best Buy for $30. No doubt the iPad is the best tablet on the market...BUT...the Amazon Fire Tablet does everything I want it to do and more.
2) Apple, unlike other vendors, does not monetize your data. Google and the like can sell devices at or below their cost -- but make up for it by monetizing your data.
Not exactly accurate as Apple does monetize your data in specific services, Apple News and the App Store being two of them, but that's no big deal anyway. "Monetizing your data" in the form of placing ads on behalf of a company isn't so fearsome as some here portray it to be IMHO.
The data itself doesn't leave Google (or Apple), and neither your name or address is revealed to that advertiser. You're an Advertising ID Number, and using what you've shown an interest in via your searches allows more possibly pertinent ads to be presented to you. Companies want to make the most efficient use of their promotional dollars and targeted ads are thus more valuable.
At least as far as Google is concerned that's the extent of their monetizing of your data. "You" become part of a more granular marketing basket by way of your Ad ID number. Your data isn't sold nor are personal details revealed. Things like your religious status, or personal health, or race or sexual persuasion or a whole plethora of other sensitive personal information cannot be a part of the ad campaign nor used for ad targeting.
With all that said there are circumstances where the advertiser/outside partner can match their own information, and I'll use Apple since they are rarely discussed in conjunction with personalized ads, so that you specifically can be targeted for some ad or promotion. The company might give Apple a list of recent customers, for example identified by phone number, and Apple would match those to an existing Apple user to be categorized as a targeted marketing group. No names would be revealed of course and none of those users would be personally identifiable. Just a basket of numbers in a minimal group of at least 4999 others, very much like Google does. The ads are thus more pertinent while personal privacy is not exposed.
I don't see that as so fearsome as you might, as as it stands it's relatively mundane.
Now if or when Google (or Apple or Amazon) starts selling the underlying personal data itself then it becomes a completely different conversation, But that's not what they do, it's simply to make more money from advertisers by placing the ads where they are most likely to see positive results.
Comments
I need the iPad because I want a single cohesive family platform and iOS delivers. With the advent of Arcade and Screen Time I'm going to be able to control what and when they watch. I know like every Holiday the iPads will be in the 200 dollar range and that's when I'll buy.
An as an aside why would I want to buy another Amazon Kindle knowing they just took the insurance from underpaid Whole Foods workers? At some point I have a moral obligation to my fellow citizens.
I hear you but I think you're probably in the minority. Based on my own experiences people don't care one whit about the actions of a company. Look at how Uber was/is for years and years. I always hear people saying they'll use Uber when they need a ride, even when they are aware of what a shitty company they are. I doubt the amount of people who would stop going to Whole Foods or ordering something from Amazon based on Amazon's behavior would even be noticeable to Amazon at the end of the day.
The cost issue is bullshit, Amazon and Google are just very good at reaching around your pocket, extracting money *after* you've purchased their products, without your even knowing it - that's their business model, full deceit and inferior products. They should give you their products for free or make their money up front, but people are so gullible.
1) The 'other' device does run an Apple OS nor does it take advantage of Apple's extensive ecosystem that not only supports and enhances individual devices but integrates multiple devices into a cohesive, functional whole.
2) Apple, unlike other vendors, does not monetize your data. Google and the like can sell devices at or below their cost -- but make up for it by monetizing your data. It's why Google can give away their Android OS: They still profit from it.
As Andrew said: If the Amazon device is the best you can afford, then it's a fine device. Just be aware of its less tangible limitations and drawbacks.
The data itself doesn't leave Google (or Apple), and neither your name or address is revealed to that advertiser. You're an Advertising ID Number, and using what you've shown an interest in via your searches allows more possibly pertinent ads to be presented to you. Companies want to make the most efficient use of their promotional dollars and targeted ads are thus more valuable. At least as far as Google is concerned that's the extent of their monetizing of your data. "You" become part of a more granular marketing basket by way of your Ad ID number. Your data isn't sold nor are personal details revealed. Things like your religious status, or personal health, or race or sexual persuasion or a whole plethora of other sensitive personal information cannot be a part of the ad campaign nor used for ad targeting.
With all that said there are circumstances where the advertiser/outside partner can match their own information, and I'll use Apple since they are rarely discussed in conjunction with personalized ads, so that you specifically can be targeted for some ad or promotion. The company might give Apple a list of recent customers, for example identified by phone number, and Apple would match those to an existing Apple user to be categorized as a targeted marketing group. No names would be revealed of course and none of those users would be personally identifiable. Just a basket of numbers in a minimal group of at least 4999 others, very much like Google does. The ads are thus more pertinent while personal privacy is not exposed.
I don't see that as so fearsome as you might, as as it stands it's relatively mundane. Now if or when Google (or Apple or Amazon) starts selling the underlying personal data itself then it becomes a completely different conversation, But that's not what they do, it's simply to make more money from advertisers by placing the ads where they are most likely to see positive results.