Can't decide between Kindle Fire HD & Asus TF300

13 years ago

I really want a tablet, but won't pay for an iPad. I went in to Staples to look at the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 in person. Ended up talking to the sales guy who said if I am going to spend $299 for the Fire I might as well get the Asus TF300 for $349.

He said that it is faster than the Kindle and has 32 GB rather than the 16 the Kindle has. Also has the rear-facing camera I was hoping for. But I am totally confused. The specs show that the Kindle has better screen resolution but only a dual core processor. The screen images in-store were stunning. I want this mostly for web-surfing, email, reading and streaming videos.

I have a Kindle 3G keyboard model which I love for reading, but I am concerned about how Amazon restricts your access to things on their products. Then again it may not matter based on what I plan to do with it.

I hadn't finished researching what I wanted when Amazon had their one day offer this week of $50.00 off the Kindle so I decided to jump and buy it. Will return it unopened if I decide to go for another tablet.

Can anyone offer any advice?

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Comments (37)

grandms
13 years ago
I'd look at other tablets also before making up my mind. I don't know if you want a 10" or a 7" tablet, but I just bought the Google Nexus 7" 32GB for $249. The 16GB is $199, and it has received rave reviews. You have access to all the apps in the Google Play store, it will sync all your Google accounts, and you aren't limited to what Amazon will allow you to do. BTW, the Nexus is made by Asus also. Now there is a 10" Nexus made by Samsung, I believe. So do some online searching before you spend the money.

The screen is brilliant, too, and there is the ability to speak what you are searching for. Very slick! I'm just learning to use mine and really enjoying it. I have the Nook app, and all my books are there, automatically. Same with Kindle app and those books. I'm sort of open-mouthed about what this thing can do.
acraftylady
13 years ago
I have the original kindle fire that came out a year ago and love it and use it so much more than my laptop now. My friend got the HD one and I have been helping her with it since I know the kindle well and I really like it.

I will upgrade at some point because I want the one with the bigger screen because I watch netflix on it every night and if I miss a show on CBS and such I watch on it.

I don't worry about storage because all my apps and books are stored in my amazon account so I just connect into wifi to get what I need since I have it at home and it's readily available else where but if you are the type to store up stuff on the device then that might not work for you.

You are locked it amazon's content but if you get stuff outside of amazon it's really easy to side load. Since no tablets do flash anymore there is a work around on the kindle for that. You load the dolphin HD browser and an older version of flash then sites like ABC and such that require flash for the videos will work. The amazon kindle boards talk about this and have all the info. Not sure what other tablets do for flash.

For me the price was right and I have a nice e-reader that I can surf, check email and play games on so I am happy but only thing I had before this was a laptop and desktop so no smart phone or I anything to compare. Mary
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ravencajun Zone 8b TX
13 years ago
I am typing this from my fabulous new Asus tf300 transformer that I got for Christmas I am extremely happy with it. It is fast, the resolution is very crisp,the size and weight are perfect. It is pretty much exactly the same as the nexus 7 but in 10 inch form. Both made by Asus both have the tegra quad core, but mine does have sd card slot and with the dock there is a second full size sd card slot and usbport. Igot the dock too. I got mine with the dock for less than the price you quoted for just the tablet! There are some great sales this time of year.

I can not express how much I love this transformer. Definitely highly recommend it.
beache
Original Author
13 years ago
ravencajun,

Aren't the docks alone $150.00?? Can you tell me where you got your TF300 at such a great price and what you paid for the tablet?
juneroses Z9a Cntrl Fl
13 years ago
Congratulations on your new Transformer, RC. I don't have one but I know exactly how you feel when you comment about how much you love it. I have the Google Nexus 7 and share the same open-mouthed wonder and enthusiasm for this device that Grandms expressed in her earlier post in this thread.

Isn't it great that, as adults, we still can get toys that bring us this kind of "new bike" excitement? There's a kid still inside each of us!
grandms
13 years ago
Yeah!!!!!
debo_2006
13 years ago
beache....Woot had the Transformer with dock as a one day deal recently. The price for both, if I remember correctly was $279 or $300, something close to that. Raven may have gotten it there as I know she is big on those deal sight. So am I but I passed on that one. :-(

The TF300 seems to get glowing reviews.
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
13 years ago
I did indeed snatch it up on the one day sale at woot. Itwas under $300 for the tablet and dock. I just could not pass that up, and my husband was happy he wouldn't have to go shopping for my gift.

The reviews are great on it and they are spot on. The dock is great it is a very nice size keyboard. It also has a battery and you can charge the tablet from and it really extends the battery life.

Right now I am sitting in my RV parked on a beautiful lake surrounded by giant 100yr old oaks dripping moss here in Cajun country Louisiana, and my transformer in my hands, life is good lol!

Watch those dailydeal sites they have had it on a couple more times since I got mine. It was also on several black Friday sales.
I have been wanting the transformer since the first version, glad I waited for the tf300. It has not disappointed.
Yep I love my toys too LOL.
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
13 years ago
By the way it is running jellybean and I have flash 11x running on it just fine. Can play flash games and videos easily. I have the stock browser, dolphin, chrome and one called puffin which I really like,puffin is very fast.
Am trying out a few different keyboard programs. Ihave been using swiftkey3 on my phone and other tablets. I really like it but this swipe is pretty good too.
So many things to try out.
beache
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for the info. I will watch for a sale!
urlee
13 years ago
I am typing this from my fabulous new Asus tf300 transformer that I got for Christmas I am extremely happy with it. I can not express how much I love this transformer. Definitely highly recommend it.

raven, Can't email you so will write here hoping you catch it.
I have a hankering to buy an Asus tablet. I have been thinking of the tf700. You speak so highly of the tf300, it makes my decision difficult. (smiles)
One thing I have noticed is the Display on the tf300 is an LCD and the tf700 is LED. My Bedroom TV is LED and my Living room TV is LCD which I like better. At a certain angle, the LED looks like a negative on dark scenes.
Does LED vs LCD make a difference on tablets??
Would you have gotten the tf700 if the price was right?
Thanks
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
13 years ago
That's a difficult question to answer. I know that Asus sent out the jellybean update to the Tf300 fast and Tf700 owners weren't happy about it.
I can't speak for anything other than what I have, and I have to admit I'd highly recommend the one I have. Now would I say the same of the 700, I don't know. I would think so since they are quite similar and Asus makes great tablets.
I am very happy with my screen and resolution I have never tried one of the led screens on a tablet so you would know more about it than me. I love it on my big monitor. However the 700 has a higher quality screen with super ips and higher resolution so with out doubt it will look better.
If I had the money eating a hole in my pocket I probably would have bought the 700 it's the flagship.

great article here
happy hunting let me know what you get

Here is a link that might be useful: comparison
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
13 years ago
by the way just saw last night that best buy had the tf300 docks for $49 that is just mind blowing cheap but they are only in black which really would not matter since it is the bottom. Mine is that dark blue which looks black in some light. I have only used mine with dock once I normally use it just as a tablet.

Another difference is that the 300 case is plastic and parts of the 700 are aluminum. That was not a concern to me since I always put mine in a case of some sort.
urlee
13 years ago
WOW!
Thank you so much for getting back to me and with very good info offered.
Lots to take into consideration.
Thanks,
urlee
luis_pr
13 years ago
Some aluminum products scratch easily. Research that too (and let us know)... if scratches are something that will drive you crazy.
jerry_nj
13 years ago
Wow, and I don't even know what a Tablet is, I'd better check-it-out. Can anyone recommend a site to read about Tablets and what makes them so great/better? Then too, I don't know what an iPOD is (a smart telephone?) - are they competitive with a Tablet, or is a Tablet the new Notebook.

I always find "ravencajun" input and advice helpful and, reading this thread, I think I discover where the name/handle comes from. Quoting: "Right now I am sitting in my RV parked on a beautiful lake surrounded by giant 100yr old oaks dripping moss here in Cajun country Louisiana, and my transformer in my hands, life is good lol! "
urlee
13 years ago
Hi Jerry,
What started me off on a tablet was the demonstration on what you can do with them that was shown on HSN TV some while back.
I like the portability and "Qwerty" (on screen) keyboard they have.
I have come across video's of them in my searching but off hand do not have where. The URL is a list of some to look at and maybe will help a little with info.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tablets to compare
urlee
13 years ago
Here is one place I have been to that may be helpful.

Here is a link that might be useful: Difference of
luis_pr
13 years ago
Quoting: "Right now I am sitting in my RV parked on a beautiful lake surrounded by giant 100yr old oaks dripping moss here in Cajun country Louisiana, and my transformer in my hands, life is good lol! "

It just occured to me... he sounds like he is on a place where wi-fiis not available. How was the Internet connection made with the TF300??? Unless they are putting Starbucks near 100yr old oaks!
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
13 years ago
lol Luis I am a she, and the RV park that I stay at in South Louisiana has Wi-Fi, which is how I was online. However I also carry an ATT USB air card which lets me connect through cellular network.

You bet I am a proud Cajun from down on the bayou in South Louisiana. I am currently not living there but my family is.

Since I got my current Asus transformer I find I am rarely ever on my computers. It does pretty much every thing I need.
luis_pr
13 years ago
Oh and ah! My apologies. I could picture you in a state park miles away from civilization when you said something about connecting while seated besides the big ole oak tree!

I do not have an ASUS but was wondering, do you physically connect the ATT USB Air Card to the ASUS? Never seen one of those cards.
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
13 years ago
No I carry a small portable wireless router with me, the usb card plugs into the usb port on the router, then the router enables me to have wifi in my RV and can use any of my various wifi devices including my Asus Tablet. Plus it affords me security when using a public wifi since I am connecting to my router with WPA2 security and double firewalls.

The RV park is very rustic and laid back but there is a store/office there and they have wifi in there if you are close enough you can use their wifi for free.

Here is a look out of my living room window in the RV at our wonderful relaxing view!
grandms
13 years ago
Ahhhh, Raven, this does bring back memories of our RVing days. But we haven't done this in two years now. Loved every minute of it, too, including the time we spent visiting Cajun country and enjoying the good food and music. By the way, our last name is the same as the owner of the KOA in Lafayette (unless he has sold to someone else). Found out our last name is fairly common in that area. However, my husband's family is German although they hail from the Alsace-Lorraine area of Europe.
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
13 years ago
Louisiana is such a mixing pot of nationality I would not be surprised at any names down there. There's a large German population in areas.

We have truly enjoyed our RV excursions.
WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
13 years ago
Raven, I have recently started thinking about purchasing a tablet. Do you have the ASUS Transformer Pad TF300TG or
ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T? Also, would you mind giving more statistics on the small portable wireless router, please.
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
13 years ago
I have the Tf300t.

The router is small palm size, the Asus dock does have a full size USB port so I probably can plug the air card into it, but I don't use the dock often.

The router is a zyxel

Here is a link that might be useful: zyxel
grandms
13 years ago
Several companies make routers that work with cellular service. One well-known company is Cradlepoint. I have had one of their routers for several years since my only service is 3G and I need a wireless signal for laptop and tablets. These devices are much less expensive now than when I bought mine (always the story with electronic devices).
Elmer J Fudd
13 years ago
For those looking for a "router" for sharing data over cell services, there are additional alternatives to using a USB dongle with a portable router:

- A "mobile hotspot", a combined cellular "modem" and router in one small package. Offered by the major carriers. Cost- wise, it's like having another phone, you pay to buy the device and have a (usually 2 year)contract with monthly access and data usage charges.

- Most smart phones can operate as a mobile hotspot. Also called "tethering". The advantage with this is that there's nothing additional to buy and (at least with some carriers) no contract is necessary. You can turn it off and on as you wish, and apply usage to the phone plan you already have. The disadvantage is if you're not plugged in, the steady stream of cell data and wifi usage will eat through your battery life. I don't know if a tethered connection can be encrypted. It's convenient for occasional use, with my carrier, it's $ 20 per month prorated for the days it's turned on, so it's like 70 cents per day.
WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
13 years ago
Thanks for the info Raven, Grandms, and Snidely.
WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
13 years ago
Raven, would you mind explaining what your following statements refer to, please: "I have flash 11x running on it just fine. Can play flash games and videos easily." I just don't want to buy a tablet that I cannot play games on if I want to and/or watch movies and anything else I want to do. With PCs, I am pretty knowledgeable, but know nothing about tablets. TIA
acraftylady
13 years ago
I wish the websites that require flash would update to what ever it is they use now, HTML5 is it someone told me? Stupid that adobe stopped support of flash on adroid devices when the websites won't change over or at least some places I visit on my tablet haven't.

I am able to do a workaround on my kindle fire so if I miss a show on ABC I can watch it but if I didn't do the work around ABC shows won't play on the built in browser. Mary
genes
13 years ago
Got this a few weeks ago and love it..quad core, 8GB internal storage and mini SD slot for up to 32GBs..normally around $250..got it on sale for $148..at that price it is super
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/Acer-ICONIA-TAB-A110_id7141
marciasc
13 years ago
I bought the 9" Kindle Fire HD and love it! I don't have to pay for anything to get on the Internet. I like it because anything that I have with Amazon like books or music are put onto it free. I just found out that all the music I had bought in the last couple of years can be listened to on my Kindle. I have CDs that I bought for gifts but now I can listen to them myself.

I just bought a DVD of Downton Abby, which hasn't arrived yet, but I can watch it on my Kindle now.....which I did last night. Wifi is easy to find and use.
acraftylady
13 years ago
It's actually 8.9 inches and I take it you got the one where you pay $49.99 for the year and get 250mb a month with 4g? After one year you will pay what ever the monthly rate is for AT&T 4g, probably a lot more than $50 a year but it is a nice introuductory rate.

I wonder what the fees are if you go over in a month? If you stream and download a lot on 4g I can see that happening so I would only use it for lite surfing and email then wifi the rest of the time. I want the larger screen only because I watch netflix and HBO on mine a lot. Mary
marciasc
13 years ago
ACraftyLady, yes, I know it is 8.9 but when they first started talking about it they said 9 so I just say that.

I pay nothing extra as I have wifi as I said above. This is what I got: Kindle Fire HD 8.9"
8.9" HD Display, Dolby Audio, Dual-Band Dual-Antenna Wi-Fi, 16GB.

I am very happy with it. I also have the Kindle just to read books. This Fire is great for watching movies and TV shows.
acraftylady
13 years ago
Oh I see but you sill pay for your main Internet. Mary
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
13 years ago
Asus transformer Tf300t is on sale at woot again, tablet and dock $330 this is the 32GB version.

Here is a link that might be useful: woot

Can't decide between Kindle Fire HD & Asus TF300

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