In late 2011, Amazon released their first color tablet called the Kindle Fire. Then in 2012, they updated it to the Kindle Fire HD. It has been one of, if not the most popular 7-inch tablet but that is likely to change now that Apple has released their iPad mini.
While the iPad mini has many things going for it, Amazon is one of the few companies that is in a position to give Apple a run for its money. They have a huge customer base that spends money on their website on a regular basis. Those customers are the perfect target audience for the Kindle.
And they have another benefit that is probably even more valuable - a huge selection of content. One of Apple's strengths has always been the iTunes store, where they sell music, movies, TV shows and more.
Amazon is really the only competitor that can offer a similar amount of content as Apple. In fact, Amazon has a better selection in many cases, particularly for books.
But even if the content is there, the Kindle Fire HD still has to provide a good experience for its users or they will be likely to choose the iPad mini instead. Let's see how they stack up against one another.
Displays
One of the most important components of any tablet is the display. You're going to be reading books, watching movies, playing games and various other things - and it's all done through the display.
The Kindle Fire HD has a 7-inch display that runs at a resolution of 1280x800. This supports full 720p video, which is where the "HD" in the name comes from. The iPad mini, on the other hand, has a slightly larger screen at 7.9 inches but the resolution is not quite as good at 1024x768. It still supports 720p video, but it won't be quite as crisp as the Kindle.
The pixel density on the Kindle is also better than the iPad mini (216 ppi versus 163 ppi) so that will also have a bearing on the sharpness of the display.
App Support
One of Apple's strengths in the tablet market is the number of apps that are available through their App Store. There are currently over 275,000 apps available that are designed for the iPad specifically.
Amazon, on the other hand, currently offers about 51,000 apps through their app store. While the selection isn't as large, many of the most popular apps and games are available for both. If there is something specific that you need, you can check and see if it is available for the Kindle.
It runs a variation of Google's Android operating system, but it has been modified considerably by Amazon. This means that you can run many apps that are designed for Android, but not all of them will necessarily work properly (or even at all, for that matter). Ultimately, you're safest to stick with Amazon's app store to ensure compatibility.
Both the Kindle Fire HD and the iPad mini include WiFi for internet connectivity, but the iPad mini is also available with a cellular connection for internet access anywhere cell service is available. This is not an option on the Kindle Fire HD so you will need to be within range of a WiFi network to access the internet.
One of the most significant differences between the two tablets is the price. The iPad mini starts at $329 for the 16GB WiFi-only model, compared to only $199 for the Kindle Fire HD with the same storage and wireless capabilities.
The iPad mini is also available in 32GB and 64GB models, while the Kindle Fire HD is only available up to 32GB.
The best choice will depend partly on whether or not you've already invested in content for either platform. If you have a previous Kindle, you won't be able to transfer certain types of content over to the iPad, and vice-versa.
But if you're starting from scratch, you'll need to weigh the options carefully. Once you choose a platform, it can be costly to switch in the future, since much of the content you buy in the meantime won't transfer across.
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