We have an iPod touch which my husband uses. We're about to get an iPad because I don't like the small screen. My desk top is 24 inches, so that I love. Another reason I don't use our Toshiba laptop is the small screen. I was told to compare the Kindle with the iPad to see which would be the best fit. The Best Buy geek said iPad is for us. Still considering.

I don't know what the new iPads are like, but I've used my DD's original model and found it heavy and awkward. It all depends on what you're going to use it for, I'm sure. For computing at home, I'll stick with my desktop and big monitors. I'm looking for something to carry with me at times. Can't afford the iPad even if I wanted it.

The iPod Touch is so talented and seductive.....and so small, like you say. I'd be putting on reading glasses all the time.

This is no reflection on you, Lily, but any Best Buy geek would quickly become an EX-Best Buy geek if he or she didn't recommend the iPad over anything else, considering the price difference! (Full disclosure: I have an Apple laptop, so it's not that I'm against Apple products.)

Good point, Pammyfay. This is one reason why I have an aversion to Best Buy. I felt the same way about Circuit City, long gone now (at least in our area). Amazon is my go-to place.

I am still very very in love with my Vizio 8" vtab tablet and even more in love since just a couple days ago Vizio pushed out the newer version of Android Honeycomb to our tablets which is just amazing, love this version. We will get the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich later after it has had some time to work out the bugs.
I use my tablet so much now I am rarely on my desktop and my poor netbook has been collecting dust LOL.

I know Costco had restocked on them, they sold out in no time at Christmas, they are I believe $189 there which is great because at Amazon they are much higher. For the price it is about the best deal available right now especially now with Android 3.2 on it.
VIZIO 8-Inch Tablet with WiFi - VTAB1008 info about it at amazon.
I bought mine at Overstock.com at Christmas time.

My Toshiba tablet is on it's way. I like the larger screen than the Kindle Fire and the fact that I can plug in my cordless mouse transponder. Will mainly use it for the pool and shows.
But, even tho a Kindle app comes with it, I will still use my Kindle to read my books.

The BB geek actually likes another android for himself as he plays a lot of games. His manager came around and asked us questions, knew we had iPods and an iPod touch and of course iTunes so that's why he thought it would be a better fit for us.Husband told him I want it to go to forums, get on FB, go to Pinterest,see the news. That's why his wife got the iPad. We weren't getting the iPad that everyone is in line today for, but the one it's replacing which now is $399 vs $499 last week. BTW, we don't have Apple computers like our kids do but a Dell desktop and Toshiba laptop so I'm not a slave to any one brand.

I love, love, love my Kindle Fire. The battery life is good if not you can read it plugged in.

I have the original 3G iPad, a netbook, a laptop, and the Kindle Fire. I use them differently. The Fire isn't 3G so you need to be within range of wifi. My iPad is the 3G so I can use it on trips or wherever I want. I use my laptop mostly for making CDs these days. I also use my netbook when there are word docs or similar that I need to either see or compose. I use my iPod(s) for music or Podcasts.

We have an iPad and a Nook and a couple iPhones. DH is the main user of the iPad for web browsing and reading newspapers. I am the main user of the Nook for reading e-books - browsing I do on a computer/laptop or iPhone though I have used the browser on the Nook at times.

I bought a Nook and a Fire so I could compare them side by side and preferred the Nook (returned the Fire). The web browser is a little better on the Fire I think except I found I had too many instances where the Fire was unresponsive when I touched it - not like the iPad or the Nook neither which ever had that problem.

If I were going to be using something more for web browsing I'd rather use the iPad - larger screen and just a nicer device. For book reading I prefer the smaller, lighter Nook.

I don't have an IPod touch so I can't comment about that. I LOVE my Kindle Fire. I'd coveted my grandson's IPad for a long time but didn't want to pay the big bucks. And he was the one who told me to get a Fire after his 9 yr. old sister got one for Christmas -- he was VERY impressed with the Fire (this is a 14 yr. old techno geek) It's perfect for my web-surfing when I'm babysitting & don't have to bring my laptop.

Thanks for your input, everyone. I still haven't decided, but I'm leaning toward the Fire. The iPad and similar models are such cool devices--even though they aren't what I want right now, if I had unlimited funds I'd probably get one, just to play. However.....I'll have to wait till I win the lottery, and since I don't play the lottery, this could take awhile. :-)

I'm totally in love with my Fire. I have read lots of free books and have about 200 more in my "to be read" list. I love connecting to the internet (yes, need to have wifi access, which is a bit of a restriction but hasn't negatively impacted me yet). I don't even use it (yet) to its fullest extent but have downloaded free guides to help me learn how to. I simply love it.

Battery life is short, but if you turn wifi off when you don't need it that helps a lot. If I've used it during the day I try to remember to plug it in at night. Battery life hasn't been a problem for me.

And the $199 price tag (and not having to pay a nmonthly fee for 3g) is a good thing.

Good luck with your final decision.

Every time I hear someone say they're in love with their Fire, I move a little closer to buying one. ;-)

I have a Kindle fire, but need help setting it up. DH bought it at Target and they don't want to help much. Oh well, just have to play with it.

Just wanted to say that I just got the big lots ad, they have a 10 inch Sylvania running Android same version as the fire for $159. 99 right now till next weekend or they run out.
I own the 7" Sylvania with the same Android version, I used the the heck out of it and now my husband uses it since I got my Vizio.
This is an excellent price for a ten inch tablet!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Tablet

I have the Fire, and like the way it's set up, portrait or landscape, don't know if the others do that. DH has a Kobo that was a Borders reader.

The one thing I am not happy about, and it's probably because I am doing something wrong, is I can not read with out wi-fi. I am supposed to be able to, but can not make it do it. I have not contacted amazon yet as I want to be home with no distractions when I do so. I have done everything that's been suggested otherwise, ans still can't read with out it, unless I just let it go to sleep instead of shutting it down. I think I am going to start downloading them to the pc and put them on a memory card for the Kobo.

Tami

I have a friend who loves her Kindle Fire and suggested I get one. Still not ready to give up the regular old book.

Tami.....are you downloading the books to your Fire? Or trying to read them on line?
Where are you getting the books you are trying to read?
Linda c

I love my Fire too. I mostly use it to read. I don't spend a lot of time using the internet with it but I have and it works fine. Battery does not last as long as my old Kindle but it's not that much trouble to plug it in.

The battery on my Kindle Fire lasts a good eight hours with Wi-Fi turned on, more with the Wi-Fi off. But I pretty much always leave the Wi-Fi on because we have a wireless network here at home, and there's wireless at work, too.

Tami, once you've downloaded a book to your Fire, you should be able to read the entire book with the wireless turned off. Go to the home screen on the Fire. You should see the Carousel, the Favorites shelf, and near the top, from left to right you should see the words "Newstand," "Books," "Music," "Video," "Docs," "Apps," and "Web."

Touch on the word "Books." Centered near the top, just under where the time is displayed, you will see the words "Cloud," and "Device." Directly below them, also centered, you will see the words, "By Author," "By Recent," and "By Title." Whichever words are shown in orange are active. So, if the words "Cloud" and "By Author" are orange, it means that you are looking at all of your books that are in the Amazon cloud, and they are arranged by the authors' names.

Also, if you're looking at the "cloud view," any books that have a small dark grey circle with a white downward-pointing arrow in the lower right-hand corner are only in the cloud. Any books that don't have that circle/arrow showing have been downloaded to your device.

So, in the Books view, touch on "Device." Doesn't matter how they're sorted -- you just want at this point to see which books are on your device.

If no books are showing in the Device view, it means you haven't really downloaded any books to the Fire itself. If you DO see books in the Device view, then turn off the wireless. You should still see those same books in the Device view. And you should be able to touch any one of them to open it and begin reading.

You wrote, above, "I can not read with out wi-fi. I am supposed to be able to, but can not make it do it. I have not contacted amazon yet as I want to be home with no distractions when I do so. I have done everything that's been suggested otherwise, ans still can't read with out it, unless I just let it go to sleep instead of shutting it down."

It's that last phrase that has me puzzled. You say you can't read without the wireless being on unless you let it go to sleep. When the device is in sleep mode, it's sort of the same as being powered off, except that you can bring it back more quickly. When the device is in sleep mode, it's not using the battery, but you can't do anything with/on it because it's asleep.

So... if you look at the books on your Device, and it shows books, but you cannot read them without wireless, it means there is something wrong with your particular Kindle Fire, and you need to contact Amazon.

Linda, I get my books from Amazon. They have been downloaded to the Fire.

Lindsey, I have done what you detailed several times. I just did it again. At the moment I am on the first page of a new book, off line. I am going to turn it off and see what happens when I turn it on again. I have been getting the window saying that download was interuppted try again. The only way it works to read again is to turn on wireless. The last time I got to read without wireless was last Monday when it went to sleep before I left for the dr. office. I could read there, but turned it off when it was my turn. When I turned it back on later, I got the download interrupted window again. The books show in my device, highlighted orange, as you said. I have been on the help forum at amazon. I am not the only one with this problem. There was a post from a man who can also read as long as the Fire goes to sleep, but not after it has been turned off. Which did him no go on a flight because he had to turn the Fire off on take off. I just turned my Fire off while typing this last little bit. The Fire is in front of me at the computer so I can follow your suggestions and type too! I am turning it back on now. Got the same message. Fair Border Bride, Black, Jen Interruped - 0% Resume or Cancel. The only way for me to be able to read is to turn on the wi-fi. Guess I will be on the phone with Amazon.

I started downloading books to the computer yesterday instead of the Fire. I think I am going to put them all on a memory card and read on DH's Kobo. I am getting frustrated with this! I wanted to be able to read without wi-fi while camping or train watching, when I didn't feel like knitting. And of course store my knitting patterns on it! Which most of them are now. So much easier to transport in the RV on the Fire than carry a tote full of heavy patterns that I don't have anywhere to store!

Thanks for your help

Tami

Tami, I had that problem a little bit at first too. Now I wait a few seconds before I tap the book to open and open it only in the book library not the carousel. Also if it comes on download interrupted quickly turn it sideways and most times it will be there. I really think waiting a few seconds in the real key. I only have my internet on when downloading a book because it's an air card and I don't want to go over my minutes.

Wow, I just went to check the price of a book from Amazon and found that because I'm an Amazon Prime Member, I can borrow it for free. That works for me.

I love my KIndle fire. All the books I have gotten for free and games either free or .99. Don't need wifi to read, but do to play games.