So, as the apple ipad at last gets a completly smaller version, the Kindle Fire HD gets a rather bigger one.
Both models are, fundamentally, the same as the modern versions of their respective series. However, both are oddly sized additions for their respective families. The iPad Mini is 7.9 Inches therefore is not, accurately speaking, a 7 Inch pc tablet and, to not be defeated, this new Kindle Fire is 8.9″ and so is therefore not, strictly speaking, a ten-inch version of the (typically 7-Inch) Amazon kindle fire hd.
Traditionally, tablet pc’s come in 2 sizes, 10″ and 7″, and both dimensions have their advocates, just as much as both sides have advantages and disadvantages. I confirmed this latest Kindle Fire in an effort to discover if bigger really is better…
THE Specifications
Maybe I’d have been more happy comparing the Kindle Fire HD to a Google Nexus instead. The Nexus 7 is, after all, the one pc tablet in Kindle Fire’s price range that matches it for efficiency, specs and reputation.
Initially a 7 Inch tablet pc, the 10″ Nexus model was released to about as tepid a greeting as George Costanza’s wig and sold rather poorly from there. Actually, there are barely around 680,000 Google nexus 10 models presently in use, which looks terrible, especially in comparison to estimated 6.8 million Nexus 7 tablets.
Why is this? The Google nexus 10 was nearly as good a pc tablet the Asus nexus 7 (and also the Nexus 7 is an incredibly, excellent tablet). Though, for some reason, it just didn’t cut the mustard.
Perhaps it is a size thing. Bigger tablet pc’s basically are not as portable (or as inexpensive) as their smaller counterparts. Essentially, it seems that when people go big, they go iPad.
Supposedly, the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is identical classy, multinational accessory as the regular Kindle Fire HD, however it’s just a little bit bigger this time about. This means these have a similar duel WiFi antenna, the same astounding array of downloadable apps and content and also the same specifically designed Dolby surround sound system.
THE COST
The 8.9 version + Kindle Fire HD is a great deal more expensive than the 7″ model. For example, I can buy a 7″ Kindle Fire HD (with free delivery, no less) from Amazon for £160, but the 8.9-Inch version, that’s, barring a few minor modifications, the same tablet, will set me back about £230. That’s quite a bit to think about.
THE PERFORMANCE
Right now, I have talked (at great duration) about the Kindle Fire HD in various other places, so I will basically summarise here so as to save space and get out of repeating myself.
The Kindle Fire HD is really a stunning success of condensed computing; it offers an easy, likeable user interface, excellent media playback with a fine array of apps to boot. The Kindle Fire HD is an excellent all rounder that offers great value for money is a really sensible choice for that commuter, first-time buyer and/or the casual consumer.
Skilled programmers will probably find the Fire HD restrictive (Amazon are notoriously heavy-handed about what you can and can’t install, for instance) and its not on the level of an iPad or a Surface in terms of processing muscle. Though, it’s an excellent product overall.
The 8.9 Inch version differs in only the one, achingly obvious, way.
The size increase does benefit from a larger display, which is a genuine boon to the visually impaired user, but further than that, it seems slightly superfluous. The increased size makes the Kindle Fire HD feel that much more cumbersome and clumsy, whilst also making it less prone to fit on your bedside, or as snugly into a handbag or rucksack.
The difference in size is not as harsh as the 10 Inch model would have been, but it is certainly noticeable. #On the# one hand, it is nice to have increased options, but on the other…
THE VERDICT
Fundamentally, the smaller size of the Kindle Fire HD is among its major selling factors. Cheap and cheerful, the 7 Inch Kindle Fire HD was seemingly made for livening up monotonous train journeys, replacing the book on your nightstand and being a perfect journey companion on the last-minute getaway. Conversely, the 8.9 Inch version lacks most of those charms, whilst simultaneously also wanting the processing muscle of the 10″ pc tablet.
This new Kindle Fire HD is still a exceptional tablet, but the size (along with the cost) increase does not seem likely to cause it to many new friends. Don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of the series, but I foresee this one sharing the same fate to the Nexus 10.
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