Considering the price difference and the amount of features that tablets offer compared to dedicated ebook readers, I guess it shouldn’t be surprising that Fire tablets are a lot more popular than Kindle ereaders, but the number of overall reviews for each helps put things into perspective.
Amazon never releases sales figures for Kindles or Fire tablets so you never know what is going on behind the curtain.
The number of customer reviews is one indication of popularity.
I was surprised to see the new Fire HD 8 has close to 4,000 reviews already. Considering that it was just released last month that’s pretty impressive.
Undoubtedly the lower $89 price has a lot to do with that. Last year’s Fire HD 8 was priced at $149 and it only has 8,842 reviews after 1 full year.
By comparison, the new entry-level Kindle that was released this past July only has 1,894 reviews and the Kindle Oasis that was released way back in April only has 1,907 reviews.
In a month and a half the Fire HD 8 alone has exceeded those numbers.
Amazon sells a ton of $49 Fire Tablets as well. In one year it has amassed nearly 80,000 reviews.
Compare that to the Kindle Paperwhite 3, which was released a couple of months earlier, with about 29,000 reviews.
I guess it shouldn’t be surprising considering how inexpensive Fire tablets are compared to Kindle ereaders, especially the likes of the Kindle Oasis and Kindle Voyage, but the number of reviews suggest that Fire tablets are a lot more popular that Kindle ereaders.
Cost is without a doubt a huge factor and people will do anything to pinch pennies. I myself could not stand such low resolution on a Fire. It would give me a headache. I’m a believer in if your going to do something do it right, despite the cost. I’d rather discipline myself and save a few weeks and get something nice if cost was an issue.
Looking at the multi-functionality of a Fire tablet, one would believe that A Kindle e-Reader with such basic specs and limited features is a bad deal, and they are right. Aside from being a niche product, what doesn’t help is the fact that there is virtually no innovation on the Kindle e-Reader department. We are still dealing with the same 6″ screen, same storage, limited customization options, no waterproof, and e-book prices are getting higher by the month to the point of even surpassing some paperback and even hardback versions. As an example check out Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power, the Kindle version is almost double the cost of the Paperback, why? With such limited features, no innovation, cheaper alternatives and high e-book prices it’s no wonder that aside from being a niche product, people simply aren’t too enthusiastic about a Kindle e_reader.
Kindle e-ink platform only provide one venue for generating profits… e-books. Fire tablets sells you e-books plus music, videos, applications, plus everything they sell on their site including prime memberships.
I have 2 Kindle Fires, and can only say good things about them. I get everything an ipad mini would give me. Never got a headache reading and can do so with apps other thanthe Kindle app–ie, Nook, Aldiko, Pocketbook, Kobo, HC, Bookperks, each app having its own pros and cons. I get my emails, music and movies on it. Also Facebook and Skype so it even acts as a phone. What more can one ask? My next ereader will also be a 7″ Fire. Small enough to fit in my purse and large enough to read from comfortably. And not expensive. A great gadget. I can no longer be without one.
I think Amazon still needs to work on the book reading part of their tablets – specifically with their Blue Shade feature. I liked the Fire except for the fact that the light at the lowest setting is still way too bright. When you turn on the Night Shade function you get a reddish orange bright screen which is every bit as headache inducing as the screen without the Night Shade. Apple does a much more superior job with their Night Shift feature and their tablet’s lowest light setting is more comfortable. I would have enjoyed the Fire if not for that one flaw.
Tablets are great for reading on. You don’t have to get low resolution. The Fire HD 6 is 252 dpi res, and 8GB for $70. Very good for the money. Just wish the battery life was longer than 8 hours. I’d also like it better if it was thinner.
I’d be curious as to how many Fire owners actually use them for dedicated reading only. While I do own a few tablets, I rarely use them for reading. I like that I can ONLY read on my Kindles. Well, maybe 99.9 % of the time.
I do. I’ve read about 16k pages this year so far on my KFHD 8.9
Tablets are good for reading PDFs. I have yet to see an e-reader that can handle PDFs that well.
e-readers have the e-ink screen, amazing battery life, and are typically lighter.
Each device has their pros and cons. For dedicated reading I prefer e-readers.
I have yet to see an e-reader that can handle PDFs that well.
The 9.7″ Kindle DX handles PDFs pretty well, but its age is not an advantage. I do all my PDF reading on a Kindle DX. Nor is the Kindle DX’s old software an advantage. For example, it has only one font available.