Nook color or Amazon's Kindle Fire?

[RAB]

Damn fool has kidnapped my Nook (not the color), so my plan was to get him the Nook color for Christmas.

Now I've been reading about the new Kindle fire, which is priced $50.00 less than the Nook.

You all know I'm technologically impaired, so I don't understand a lot of the gobbldygook about this that or the other.

The one thing I can decipher is that the Kindle Fire apparently has less memory than the Nook color. 

How important is that?  He mostly buys books and reads them, he doesn't use it for much else.

The Kindle isn't going to be available until November 15th.  But can be pre-ordered. 

Anybody have an opinion?

RAB   

[GSOgymrat]

Since the Kindle Fire isn't available yet I think it is a bit early to make a decision. One thing that is nice about the Kindle is Amazon is giving free cloud storage so everything you put on your Kindle is automatically backed up. I suspect Kindle is going to be a better deal and have a couple more features than Nook but practically speaking if the primary function is reading I don't think there will be a big difference.

[David_CA]

I'd get an iPad.  It's good for a lot more, there's a Kindle reader app.  I'm not sure what the differences in price are between the three, but it's something that you'll keep for a few years, most likely, so the cost will be spread out. 

[Miss Philicia]

As far as whether to get an iPad or the Kindle Fire, it depends what you plan to use it for -- keeping in mind the very substantial price differential.

If you want something that's more geared to reading, meaning smaller and easier to read one-handed. If you want much more memory and ability to do a lot of other tasks, then get an iPad for more than twice the money. We're talking $200 vs. minimum of $500.

I don't think it's a useful comparison in the first place, iPad vs. Kindle Fire. It's like comparing an iPad with a MacBook Air. Anyway, RAB didn't ask about an iPad

[mecch]

One or both of these non Apple products deal with flash. That's good, no?

I'm kind of a luddite cause I don't read books on gadgets.  I guess thats why I dont read many books!   If I don't want to carry around an expensive gadget, I like grabbing a newspaper and tossing it when Im done.

I'd go for the gadget that does what I want at the lowest price.  Reason I am not a user of Apple music gadgets, not to mention they refuse to deal with flac, plus its annoying history of proprietary music formats. 

[David_CA]

He didn't ask about an iPad, which is exactly why I mentioned them.  If he'd said that he did not want one, I wouldn't have brought it up, but many don't realize that they can read Kindle 'books'.  People that haven't used one very likely don't know all that much about them... that they work nicely for browsing the internet, email, movies, etc.  Combine one (or an iPhone) with an Apple TV or Airport Express, and you can stream movies, music, pictures, etc to a stereo or tv wirelessly.  Regardless of what somebody asks, there's no harm in providing more information or options that they possibly haven't considered. 

Mecch, Apple devices play mp3, the most standard audio format today, just fine.  As for FLAC support, it sounds like you need to read up:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flac-player/id390532592?mt=8 and http://www.macstories.net/reviews/review-flac-player-for-iphone/. 

[bocker3]

He didn't ask about an iPad, which is exactly why I mentioned them.  If he'd said that he did not want one, I wouldn't have brought it up, but many don't realize that they can read Kindle 'books'.  People that haven't used one very likely don't know all that much about them... that they work nicely for browsing the internet, email, movies, etc.  Combine one (or an iPhone) with an Apple TV or Airport Express, and you can stream movies, music, pictures, etc to a stereo or tv wirelessly.  Regardless of what somebody asks, there's no harm in providing more information or options that they possibly haven't considered. 

Mecch, Apple devices play mp3, the most standard audio format today, just fine.  As for FLAC support, it sounds like you need to read up:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flac-player/id390532592?mt=8 and http://www.macstories.net/reviews/review-flac-player-for-iphone/. 

Hmmmm.......   I think we know who Steve Jobs replacement is now....   

Mike

[Rev. Moon]

Between the Nook and the Kindle Fire I believe that the choice is rather easy: #2 (one good thing about this item is that, when combined with Amazon's Prime membership, it will give you access to lots of video on demand for free).  Here's an online article comparing the two; it might help with the decision.

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/09/29/kindle-fire-vs-nook-color/

Amazon, like Apple, has proved that they can deliver some excellent gadgets. While I totally love my iPad, I still use my Kindle DX to read books and large PDF documents at school (it is lighter, there is no shiny feel to it, the "ink" looks quite natural, and the battery life is rather impressive).  For that price this new Fire thingy sounds pretty promising.

[Robert]

Hi Rab.

When the announcement for Kindle Fire came out yesterday, all the articles I saw compared it to the IPAD and said nothing about the Nook

This article from The Huffington Post (I know, The HuffingtonPost???) lists 6 reasons why a Kindle Fire is better than the IPAD.

1:  It runs Flash                      2:  It costs less        3:  It fits in your hand             4:  It weighs less
5:  It loads webpages faster
6:  It has both wireless mirroring and native streaming media. (?)

Reasons 1-4 sound like they might apply to the Nook.  Reasons #5 & 6  sound like what David is talking about.  Not sure.

[Miss Philicia]

Between the Nook and the Kindle Fire I believe that the choice is rather easy: #2 (one good thing about this item is that, when combined with Amazon's Prime membership, it will give you access to lots of video on demand for free).  Here's an online article comparing the two; it might help with the decision.

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/09/29/kindle-fire-vs-nook-color/

Amazon, like Apple, has proved that they can deliver some excellent gadgets. While I totally love my iPad, I still use my Kindle DX to read books and large PDF documents at school (it is lighter, there is no shiny feel to it, the "ink" looks quite natural, and the battery life is rather impressive).  For that price this new Fire thingy sounds pretty promising.

So you have an iPad, and iPhone, a Macbook Air, and iMac, and Apple TV and a Kindle. How do you find time to get laid?

[Rev. Moon]

So you have an iPad, and iPhone, a Macbook Air, and iMac, and Apple TV and a Kindle. How do you find time to get laid?

I don't have a Macbook Air.  That explains my slutty ways.

[GSOgymrat]

Hi Rab.

When the announcement for Kindle Fire came out yesterday, all the articles I saw compared it to the IPAD and said nothing about the Nook

This article from The Huffington Post (I know, The HuffingtonPost???) lists 6 reasons why a Kindle Fire is better than the IPAD.

1:  It runs Flash                      2:  It costs less        3:  It fits in your hand             4:  It weighs less
5:  It loads webpages faster
6:  It has both wireless mirroring and native streaming media. (?)

Reasons 1-4 sound like they might apply to the Nook.  Reasons #5 & 6  sound like what David is talking about.  Not sure.

Once again, the Kindle Fire isn't even released yet. It may "fit in your hand" (like iPad 2 doesn't ) and it may also feel like a piece of cheap plastic crap... we don't know yet. The real question is how are you going to use the device. If you are going to use it primarily as a reader, go for the Nook or the Kindle (Kindle appears better, at least until the new Nook Color is released). Nook and Kindle are significantly cheaper and will do what you want. If you want to have more memory, play games, have the best apps, video chat, edit photos and videos, watch movies on a bigger screen AND read books get the iPad 2. Kindle Fire and Nook Color are great for the price but this idea that they are better tablets than iPad 2 is hyperbole.

[mecch]

Mecch, Apple devices play mp3, the most standard audio format today, just fine.  As for FLAC support, it sounds like you need to read up:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flac-player/id390532592?mt=8 and http://www.macstories.net/reviews/review-flac-player-for-iphone/. 

wow.  guess i'm getting an iphone finally then.  This month my contract is up and I'm waiting for the new iphones..

[mecch]

So you have an iPad, and iPhone, a Macbook Air, and iMac, and Apple TV and a Kindle. How do you find time to get laid?

For that matter, how can anyone afford such a pile of gadgets.

You only really need a library card to read. 

Are the libraries going to start loaning the gadget, along with the electronic book?

[Ann]

So you have an iPad, and iPhone, a Macbook Air, and iMac, and Apple TV and a Kindle. How do you find time to get laid?

Grindr.

[David_CA]

Hmmmm.......   I think we know who Steve Jobs replacement is now....   

Mike

Nope.  I'm sitting in front of a shiny new(ish) iMac... running WinXP and 7 (and MacOS for fun stuff).  When it comes to work, It's MS all the way!  Win7 really is nice - fast and stable.  Apple does have the portable market from what I've seen and experienced - iPhones vs other's Android phones and iPads vs other's Android tablets.  One is polished and smooth; the other is kinda cool but not so stable.  Again, these are my experiences. 

[David_CA]

Grindr.

Or betther yet... Scruff!   

[Rev. Moon]

For that matter, how can anyone afford such a pile of gadgets.

Please , you're making it sound like five or six measly gadgets are worth a million bucks.  All in all they may have cost four thousand bucks, and they weren't bought all at once.  And no, I'm not saying that I'm some trust-fund baby, far from that --unlike other people who were recently flaunting an inheritance of 1.5 to 2 million dollars.

What can I say, I'm a gadget whore (like many other people).  Never mind the fact that Miss bitch Philicia failed to mention the old iPods, the netbook that I never use, the black MacBook that I broke a year ago, the Roku box, the Nintendo Wii, the Playstation (these last two are virtually never used; the Wii still being in its original box).  I still can't see the correlation between owning a few objects and how much use my nether regions gets every now and then.  Bite me.

Are the libraries going to start loaning the gadget, along with the electronic book?

On that note, and back to the real topic of this thread, the answer is yes (partially).  Some local libraries loan books to the Kindle device.  It is mainly new fiction, self-help, business, and other books without much scholarly worth.  There is still a lot of stuff not available in an electronic format.

It's the way of the future.  Real paper books may eventually, though I doubt it will happen soon, be a thing of the past.  Let us not forget that Borders closed its doors just a week or two ago due to a significant drop in sales for the past few years.

[Rev. Moon]

Grindr.

You probably won't believe me, but I've never used it (or any other similar app).

[Miss Philicia]

For that matter, how can anyone afford such a pile of gadgets.

She owns a youth hostel called Club Aqua Miami.

Anywho La Meecha, should you really be criticizing the purchasing habits of someone else when you're a self-admitted hoarder of 16 chandeliers?

You probably won't believe me, but I've never used it (or any other similar app).

You're right girl, we won't and don't believe you.

[RAB]

So I decided to pre-order the Kindle Fire.  I was afraid if I waited until it was released it might not be available by Christmas.

Besides I live only a couple hours from Amazon's Corp. Hdq. so if Damn Fool isn't happy with it, I can drive up there and beat them over the head with it.   

RAB   

[mecch]

On that note, and back to the real topic of this thread, the answer is yes (partially).  Some local libraries loan books to the Kindle device.  It is mainly new fiction, self-help, business, and other books without much scholarly worth.  There is still a lot of stuff not available in an electronic format.

I know libraries lend the electronic book.

My question was, when will be the day they need to lend the gadget as well???

Like in my country where the state will pay for telephone service and increasingly internet service for people who can't afford it because one needs such things to be a member of the community. 

I remember that big bruhaha a few years ago about the 200 buck or 100 buck laptop for the developing and poor countries.

And then clever leftists in the rich countries said, OK, but what about a cheap laptop for the poor in our OWN damn countries, too.  And the MIT guru and the tech companies said, NO, impossible.  Cause it would ruin the market.

Kind of like Indian HAART, n'est-ce pas?

[GSOgymrat]

Refurbished Nook Color are being sold for $149 while supplies last.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-20113871-58/and-so-it-begins-nook-color-down-to-$149.99/?tag=TOCmoreStories.0