Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire?

[webbie2]

So my wife asked me yesterday if I wanted a nexus 7! she said She would get me one for my birthday (7/24) and she will just take over my kindle 3g/wifi. I use my Kindle at least a few times a week to read and she has been using it lately. Should I go ahead and get a nexus 7 to read books on? I does read a little on my phone but I would love a bigger screen. I'm torn here, but I feel like its time the retire the e-ink screen for a little bit of brightness!!!!.

Nexus 7? Kindle Fire (or wait for the next fire)

Or should I just get another e reader for the wife?

 

[crow11ad]

Get the Nexuz 7. It will do books, magazines, apps, movies, tv....its pure Google. No one else is going to have these specs for this price.

 

[webbie2]

Anyone else?

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[circleinsidebox]

Anyone else?

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Nexus = pure unchained Google/Android/Jellybean
Kindle = chained to AMAZON, unless you want to ROOT..... but why?

You can get a pure android device for the same price as a chained/restricted/dated one (kindle)

Go with the Nexus 7 definitely , I just sold my Galaxy Tab 2 7" for the Nexus device.

 

[mysterygirl]

Based on reviews, the N7 is universally considered the better all-around 7-inch tablet option. But, Amazon has the greatest selection of content, and if you use Prime for video watching, then I think it's worth considering sticking with the Fire. That said, I'm all in for the N7!

 

[quinnsdaddy11]

If you want to pay the same amount of money for a non-HD screen (Fire), and a dual core processor (Fire) be my guest. But for the rest of us who want the best bang for our buck we are going with the Nexus 7.

 

[Premium1]

I would go with nexus 7. Overall it is a better spec'd device with pure google and not some forked version from years ago.

 

[TommyC1969]

I have a (possibly) unique perspective on this question...

I am a loyal Amazon customer, and have been since the very first days of Prime membership (back in 2006). As a loyal Amazon customer, and Kindle afficianado, I got a Kindle Fire on the very first day they were released. I have used it every day since then. I have loved the 7" size, and the integration of books, music, movies, and apps.

Having said all of that, I have to admit that I just sold my Fire and preordered the 16GB N7. Here's why: The Kindle for android app will allow me to read all of my books just like on the Fire. The Amazon MP3 app will let me listen to all my music, just like on the Fire. But the N7 has twice the processor, twice the RAM, twice the ROM, bluetooth, and access to the entire Android marketplace. Plus, you can still access the Amazon app store if you really want to.

The only thing you can't do is watch Amazon Instant Video. This is really going to suck for me, because I have bought a lot of movies and TV shows on Amazon, and really enjoyed downloading them to the Fire to watch offline. Still, I decided to go with the N7 because all of the other benefits outweighed the loss of AIV.

The only possible spoiler would be the Kindle Fire 2 which is probably going to be announced at the end of the month.

 

[webbie2]

That's what i was thinking... I wasn't going to purchase this devise till the end of august or middle of September so I will wait an see. I have my trusty Kindle keyboard that I will use if I can pry that out of my wife's hands. Damn you 50 shades of grey!

Thank you everyone for all your help.... (leaning toward the N7)

 

[gsweinberg]

I have a (possibly) unique perspective on this question...

I am a loyal Amazon customer, and have been since the very first days of Prime membership (back in 2006). As a loyal Amazon customer, and Kindle afficianado, I got a Kindle Fire on the very first day they were released. I have used it every day since then. I have loved the 7" size, and the integration of books, music, movies, and apps.

Having said all of that, I have to admit that I just sold my Fire and preordered the 16GB N7. Here's why: The Kindle for android app will allow me to read all of my books just like on the Fire. The Amazon MP3 app will let me listen to all my music, just like on the Fire. But the N7 has twice the processor, twice the RAM, twice the ROM, bluetooth, and access to the entire Android marketplace. Plus, you can still access the Amazon app store if you really want to.

The only thing you can't do is watch Amazon Instant Video. This is really going to suck for me, because I have bought a lot of movies and TV shows on Amazon, and really enjoyed downloading them to the Fire to watch offline. Still, I decided to go with the N7 because all of the other benefits outweighed the loss of AIV.

The only possible spoiler would be the Kindle Fire 2 which is probably going to be announced at the end of the month.

Question about video from Amazon -- will it be possible to download movies and tv episodes from Amazon for use on the N7? The Google Play store is still pretty weak.

 

[elcheapodeluxe]

Question about video from Amazon -- will it be possible to download movies and tv episodes from Amazon for use on the N7? The Google Play store is still pretty weak.

Since all other non-Kindle tablets can not, it is safe to assume the N7 will be the same. Amazon has not indicated any support for that content outside their own device.

 

[TommyC1969]

Sadly, no. There are several reasons for this. First of all, amazon instant videos are flash based, and there will be no flash support for jellybean. That means no streaming amazon videos. The only way you can download an amazon instant video on a tablet, right now, is on the Kindle Fire. There isn't a standalone AIV app that you could get in the Play store. I think there should be. I think Amazon is hurting themselves by not making it available to anyone with an android tablet, but there it is. So, there's no way to stream, and there's no way to download to a tablet that is not the Fire.

There are a few *outside* possibilities. A number of people have suggested tht the Firefox Android browser will support flash, so it might be possible to stream AIV through Firefox. That still doesn't address the inability to download. Others have gone into the Kindle Fire software and stripped out the Amazon Instant Video app. Some have been able to get it to run on other tablets. I have not been able to. My daughter has an Asus Transformer and, even though she could download and run the app, there is no way to log in with your account, so it wasn't possible for us to stream or download anything.

 

[CSI Guy]

I have a Kindle Fire and have preordered the Nexus 7. I love my Kindle and just wished that it was open to all of the Android system for all programs. I use Dropbox a lot and it is not available for the Fire at this time. So the Nexus it will be and hope that the Kindle will open up a little more.

 

[TommyC1969]

I have a Kindle Fire and have preordered the Nexus 7. I love my Kindle and just wished that it was open to all of the Android system for all programs. I use Dropbox a lot and it is not available for the Fire at this time. So the Nexus it will be and hope that the Kindle will open up a little more.

While I share your desire that the Kindle would open up more, I don't believe that will happen. Amazon has decided to follow the Apple marketing plan and create severe customer "lock-in" with their devices. To be fair, with the Google Play market, Google is going for the same thing.

 

[G3TCASHM0N3Y]

I have a Kindle Fire and have preordered the Nexus 7. I love my Kindle and just wished that it was open to all of the Android system for all programs. I use Dropbox a lot and it is not available for the Fire at this time. So the Nexus it will be and hope that the Kindle will open up a little more.

You can use dropbox on the Kindle. Just download it from their website directly. That's what I did and it works great!

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[sheureka]

. . . . To be fair, with the Google Play market, Google is going for the same thing.

Except you can use the Amazon app store (and any other source for apk's) on the Nexus 7 but not the other way around. - sheureka

 

[rootbrain]

Nexus = pure unchained Google/Android/Jellybean
Kindle = chained to AMAZON, unless you want to ROOT..... but why?

You can get a pure android device for the same price as a chained/restricted/dated one (kindle)

Go with the Nexus 7 definitely , I just sold my Galaxy Tab 2 7" for the Nexus device.

First thing I'll do is root the Nexus anyway. But everyone is right, Nexus for the money. You could wait for the next Kindle Fire but since you don't know what the specs are you won't know if waiting was worth it.

 

[Ry]

The only reason to get a Kindle Fire over a Nexus 7 is if you view Amazon Instant Video.

At $200, the Nexus 7 is a more capable device and you can still shop on Amazon (Amazon Store app), read Kindle books (Kindle app), and stream Amazon MP3s (Amazon MP3 app).

 

[mkiker2089]

I say get both and you and your wife can share them. Get the Nexus now, get the Kindle next month when the new one hits the store.

The Kindle has advantages that many are underplaying. It's REALLY easy to get the Google Play store. Yes you have to root, however someone wrote a program that does it for you even with the latest software. Then you download the market app which is really just a shortcut to add it to the favorites on the kindle.

Secondly some people like the Amazon eco-system. It's what the Kindle does best.

Lastly it's very user friendly. I want a Nexus because I'll play with and tweak it. I use a Kindle and let others use it because anyone can pick it up and instantly work it. It's designed like a bookshelf. It can't be any simpler. You can add the Go Launcher if you insist on a droid look, but I kept going back to the Amazon launcher when I did.

I don't think Amazon is going the Apple route. They are making it by default that way but there is a simple switch to allow non-app store installs. Apple would never do that. Their device allows a third party launcher, and they don't detect and brick rooted devices. Amazon is being somewhat lenient with them. They know that kindle users will spend money at the Amazon store, they have no need to lock it.

 

[cohoman]

I have a Kindle Fire which I got last year when they first came out, and it's definitely a nice tablet. Great battery life, and I've had no issues with it. I did sign up for the Amazon Prime Service which allowed me to watch certainly TV Shows and Movies free of charge on the Kindle Fire, but they had a really poor selection. Instead, I use Netflix.

As others have commented, the operating system for the Kindle Fire is a controlled and limited version of Android OS, so the Fire isn't a true Android tablet (e.g., you can't install apps from the Google Play Store, only from Amazon's App store).

To get around all of this, I rooted and installed a custom ROM that gives me the Ice Cream Sandwich OS, but it has some drawbacks (e.g., the power meter doesn't report the battery power level accurately).

As such, I recommend you get the Nexus 7 tablet over the Kindle Fire. The hardware is better on the Nexus 7 and you have the latest operating software.