If you’re considering spending your hard-earned money on an iPad to improve your productivity, you might be interested to know that another option is now available. The Kindle Fire has many of the same features as an iPad, but at only a fraction of the cost.

Some things to consider:
Do you really need the larger size of the iPad or will a smaller, more portable device meet your needs? Fire measures 7.5 “x 4.7” vs. the largest iPad at 9.5 “x 7.31”. The Kindle is about the same size as a paperback novel (only half the thickness), while the iPad is closer to the size of a sheet of notebook paper. A Kindle fits much better in a purse or the inside pocket of a jacket and will be much more comfortable since it weighs 31% less than the iPad.

As with most electronic devices, as you reduce size or price, you may gain portability, but you will inevitably sacrifice capabilities. The Kindle Fire is first and foremost an electronic reader. Of course, it’s an e-reader on steroids, as it can play movies, music, games, and run apps on Amazon’s custom Android operating system. The Fire has access to nearly 17,000 apps through Amazon, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora, and ESPN ScoreCenter. You can enjoy games, including Words with Friends, Angry Birds, Plants vs. Zombies and more. All apps are tested by Amazon on Kindle Fire to provide the best possible experience.

IPad has access to over 140,000 apps, so there is sure to be an app to suit your needs. There are apps for business, education, entertainment, games, lifestyle, news, social media, travel, etc. The iPad is very versatile. It will solve a large number of productivity goals.

As an e-reader, Fire has access to more than a million titles. The Kindle Store contains the largest selection of e-books people want to read, including the New York Times® best sellers. Most of the new releases are priced at $ 9.99. With Amazon Prime Membership, Kindle owners can choose from thousands of books to borrow for free, including more than 100 New York Times bestsellers, as often as one book per month, with no expiration dates. .

Wow! That’s a lot of reading available. Here’s the trick. Remember, I mentioned that the lower price of the Kindle sacrifices some capabilities. Amazon had to work hard to keep the price of a Kindle as low as possible and it means that some features had to be dropped. One of them is 3G access. The Kindle is only available with Wi-Fi. And it has just 8GB of internal memory (about 6GB available for user content). That’s enough for 80 apps, plus 10 movies, 800 songs, or 6,000 books. In addition to the on-board memory, you will have access to the Amazon cloud. You get 5GB of free online storage to store anything you want and you can access it from anywhere. Just remember to have your media on board before you leave your wireless access point.

There are over 100,000 movies and TV shows, available to stream or download, all just one touch away. Amazon Prime members enjoy unlimited, commercial-free streaming of over 10,000 popular movies and TV shows. However, there is an additional charge for Amazon Prime of $ 79 per year; the first month is free with the purchase of a Kindle.

With iPad you’ll have 16GB of storage with 32GB and 64GB options. The iPad is a computer vs. an electronic reader. You also have the option to add 3G connection capability. This will bring the cost of an iPad from $ 499 for the 16GB / Wi-Fi model to $ 829 for the 64GB / Wi-Fi / 3G model. With the added cost of an iPad vs. With a Kindle, you get a lot more features: a 9.7 “touchscreen (diagonal), cameras (front and back), longer battery life, a built-in speaker, and a microphone. It’s definitely more.

For those who want a simpler interface, the Kindle Fire is intuitive and even novice users will quickly find the music or books they are looking for. When reading, the Fire will be easier on the wrist and hand with its lower weight, but when it comes to video, the iPad has the advantage of a larger screen.

When comparing price, size, portability, ease of use, weight, and viewing experience, the Kindle Fire is undoubtedly the winner here and will likely reduce Apple’s iPad2 sales. With such excellent quality, almost unlimited access to content, and a low cost compared to the iPad, the Kindle Fire is the most popular hybrid e-Reader / tablet available today.