# iPad v. Kindle Fire **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 15, 2015, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipad-v-kindle-fire/740493 "2015-12-15T03:04:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Khendrask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@Khendrask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khendrask)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipad-v-kindle-fire/740493/21 "2015-12-16T17:47:19Z")
Why just those as choices? I just got my 85+ year old mother a Samsung Galaxy tablet, and she loves that. It’s quick, nice to look at, and pretty simple. I wouldn’t go with Apple at all, too much price for the same as anywhere else, and while I like the Kindle readers, and have two Fires as well, I’d go for a generic Android tablet any day now. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipad-v-kindle-fire/740493/22 "2015-12-16T21:02:04Z")
> [@Khendrask](#): > > I wouldn’t go with Apple at all, too much price for the same as anywhere else, and while I like the Kindle readers, and have two Fires as well, I’d go for a generic Android tablet any day now. My cousin had one when she vacationed with us, and said that it was painfully slow, so I ruled it out. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipad-v-kindle-fire/740493/23 "2015-12-16T23:11:03Z")
I just got my second Kindle Fire (I have a first generation one, and now the newest). I also have had multiple iPads. My initial thought was the Kindle Fire would be sufficient BUT last night I was trying to do email and post on SDMB, and I realized that the typing functionality just doesn’t compare. I would say the Fire is fine for apps, reading, and media (movies, TV) but if they want to use it for anything else (Facebook, email, etc), the iPad is a much better choice. You can find slightly older iPads on eBay or with electronic outlets for very reasonable prices. My kids are still happy with Gen2, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipad-v-kindle-fire/740493/24 "2015-12-16T23:18:52Z")
> [@ddsun](#): > > My initial thought was the Kindle Fire would be sufficient BUT last night I was trying to do email and post on SDMB, and I realized that the typing functionality just doesn’t compare. Having never used an iPad, I’m curious: what makes it better for typing on? The Fire is fine for _reading_ email, Facebook, etc. For writing anything very long, personally I’d be frustrated trying to do so on anything but an actual keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipad-v-kindle-fire/740493/25 "2015-12-16T23:45:15Z")
The iPad has a bigger virtual keyboard. It’s also configured slightly differently, so that the experience is more like a traditional keyboard. I do most of my online activities from the iPad these days, which works out to a fair amount of typing. I wouldn’t write a novel on it, but it’s relatively easy to use for typing. After a few minutes with the Fire I was ready to save some activities for another device. It felt like learning to type all over again (or something - just very painful and slow). ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipad-v-kindle-fire/740493/26 "2015-12-17T02:33:04Z")
> [@rbroome](#): > > BTW, is my belief that only the latest models (HD models) support the latest OS correct? That appears to be correct- only the latest 5th generation Kindle Fires support the latest Fire OS 5.1.1 (which means their current OS is a version behind Android 6 from which it is forked). That makes it unlike Apple’s support of the iPad, in which every iPad except the first generation iPad supports the latest iOS 9.2. ---
**Author:** ![dirty\_hippie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@dirty\_hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirty_hippie)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipad-v-kindle-fire/740493/27 "2015-12-17T08:47:48Z")
Recently got a new Fire HDX 8.9 to replace my Kindle Fire HDX 7. Amazing. I got a free 1-month Prime subscription and am loving the free Prime movie downloads. The battery life is excellent. Watching a full movie on battery mode doesn’t seem to drain the battery all that much. I think the ipad is overrated and overpriced. Sure, Amazon doesn’t have a big app library compared to Apple or Android, but it offers many of the major apps that people use. I’m giving my HDX 7 to my 4-year-old niece for Christmas. It’s in like-new condition, and I still have the original box and stuff. She’s already familiar with it since she likes to play games on it. A few days ago I factory reset it, and registered it under her name, then downloaded some games onto it. I have an Otter case that will fully encapsulated the device to protect it from little hands. She’s gonna love it! ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipad-v-kindle-fire/740493/28 "2015-12-17T16:07:47Z")
Instead of a Kindle of any variety, I would suggest the Samsung Tab. Last year my wife upgraded to the latest and greatest Kindle Fire, I bought me a Tab 10.1. Within a few weeks she returned the Fire and exchanged it for a Tab like mine. She claims it is much easier to use than the Fire. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipad-v-kindle-fire/740493/29 "2015-12-17T16:11:31Z")
Then she is weird. The Fire uses a custom version of the Android OS that doesn’t vary much more from basic Android than Samsung’s custom version (other than the missing Google standard apps). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipad-v-kindle-fire/740493.md?page=1)