Size
The Kindle Fire is a little thicker than the iPad, but still pretty slim, especially if you get one of the official cases from Amazon. Either way, both are very portable, and will potentially fit in a regular winter-coat pocket (which is of course the standard unit of measurement for tablets.)
Style
Needless to say, style comes down to personal task in the long run, but it would seem that the general consensus is that the iPad wins on the sexiness scale, as is often the case with Apple products. Still, the Fire is pretty aesthetically pleasing.
Software
Rather than throwing numbers out there, which means very little to the average person, it's easier to actually comment on how smooth each device actually is. If you've ever used an iPad in any of it's forms, you'll know that Apple's interface is inherently easy to come to terms with. Safari makes sense to the general internet user, and the tiles on the home screen make navigating between applications clear and easy. The Kindle on the other hand has a surprisingly efficient internet browser in the form of 'Silk' but the carousel system which becomes the Kindle's home-screen can be confusing, and messy if not kept under control. However, books, movies and music becomes easy to find after a few days of usage.
Hardware
Size has already been mentioned, but what of screens, cameras and speakers?
The iPad's screen is a little bigger than the Kindle Fire. If you go for the Fire HD, then the screen is at least on-par (but might even exceed) the iPad's quality. However, if you go for the standard Kindle Fire, don't expect anything near the screen quality.
The iPad takes the crown with the camera, for photos at any rate. The Kindle's camera is on the same side as the screen, so you can't see what you're taking a picture of which makes it useless in that respect. However, when Skyping, the Fire's camera is as brilliant as the iPad's.
Speakers are where the Fire wins hands-down. The iPad's speakers are nothing to shout about, but the Fire speakers, for a portable device, are pretty spectacular.
Price
£129 for the basic Kindle Fire, but you're much better off going for the HD for £159. The iPad however will set you back a minimum £269.
The Verdict
As with all comparisons, there is always the need to factor in personal taste. However, there are a few things to factor in here:
What do you want to use the device for? If you want something that will be used in a similar way as a laptop: Surfing the internet, e-mails, Twitter, Facebook, etc, then the iPad's your device. However, if it's all about consuming media: films, television, music and especially books, then the Kindle Fire HD is most definitely the one for you.
Do you prefer Apple or Amazon? This is obvious. If you're a life-long Apple fan, you're unlikely to get on with the Fire. If you hate Apple, then why are you even reading this article?! It also depends on where you like to get your media. If you use iTunes, then iPad it. If you enjoy Amazon (and the flexibility you get when purchasing your music, let's not forget that!) then you'll get on with the Kindle like a house on fire.... (Yep, that joke was made...)
How much do you have to spend? It all really comes down to this. There's a £100 difference between the two devices, and if nothing mentioned above has swung it either way for you, then that £100 might. £159 for a tablet is a pretty cool, especially one as usable as the Fire.
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