ipod touch or Kindle fire?

[hcho3]

Which one would you buy and why? They are exactly same price on both 8GB models.

[Ivan P]

I'd say it really depends on what you want to use it for.

Amazon seems to be marketing the Kindle Fire more as a Kindle with a colour screen that also happens to have apps - they're still pushing it a lot as an e-reader like the other Kindles.

The iPod touch, on the other hand, is being marketed as a portable music player and gaming console.

So, really, it comes to what it would be used for. Not to mention the Kindle Fire is quite a bit larger than the iPod touch, so sheer portability is another factor to consider.

[hcho3]

Originally Posted by Ivan P

I'd say it really depends on what you want to use it for.

Amazon seems to be marketing the Kindle Fire more as a Kindle with a colour screen that also happens to have apps - they're still pushing it a lot as an e-reader like the other Kindles.

The iPod touch, on the other hand, is being marketed as a portable music player and gaming console.

So, really, it comes to what it would be used for. Not to mention the Kindle Fire is quite a bit larger than the iPod touch, so sheer portability is another factor to consider.

Just curious... Don't you think ipod touch is kind of overpriced based on specs + screen size?

[jmpnop]

Originally Posted by hcho3

Just curious... Don't you think ipod touch is kind of overpriced based on specs + screen size?

They are not overpriced but they use outdated tech. There are many new games coming which make use of dual-core A5 CPU, GTA III, Infinity Blade (has better graphics on iPad 2), Real Racing 2, etc.

[mrsir2009]

The Kindle is an eReader and the iPod Touch is pretty much an iPhone without the phone ... Aren't they two completely different devices?

[bartzilla]

Originally Posted by mrsir2009

The Kindle is an eReader and the iPod Touch is pretty much an iPhone without the phone ... Aren't they two completely different devices?

They are indeed, which ought to make choosing one fairly easy for the OP - do they want a great book reader that is decent at doing a few other general app things or do they want something that is great at running apps in general and is decent-ish as a book reader (I can't get past the small screen size for the e-books on the ipod thing)

[skiltrip]

I feel like the Fire is focused more as a media consumption device, and not as much as a social one (not as much as the iPod is). The lack of any camera on the fire is a turnoff to me. No videochat, no taking and sharing your pictures. I do that stuff a lot, so the Fire is a no go for me. But I do like the 7" size. If the Fire2 has cameras, then I'll be interested.

[Plutonius]

Originally Posted by hcho3

Which one would you buy and why? They are exactly same price on both 8GB models.

How would you use it ? The Fire looks nice but the Touch is more portable (fits in your pocket). As far as pricing, it was reported that the Fire is going to be sold at a lose (i.e. less then what it cost to make) while the Touch is not.

[maflynn]

Originally Posted by mrsir2009

The Kindle is an eReader and the iPod Touch is pretty much an iPhone without the phone ... Aren't they two completely different devices?

The Kindle Fire is not just an ereader but a full fledged tablet. You could make that assessment regarding the Kindle Touch, but the fire is a 7" tablet running android capable of showing movies, music, games and what not.

As for the OP, it all depends on what you want. The iPod touch is a small device to listen to music watch movies and play games. The Kindle Fire is a tablet that has more functionality and ability. Two different solutions for two different needs.

[mkrishnan]

Originally Posted by maflynn

As for the OP, it all depends on what you want. The iPod touch is a small device to listen to music watch movies and play games. The Kindle Fire is a tablet that has more functionality and ability. Two different solutions for two different needs.

My thought also is that it depends on what you do. I think the Touch has the clear leg up in games, and if anything that's likely to continue to be a strength, particularly as future iPod touch models get aggressive processor upgrades like the rest of the iOS family.

The Kindle is probably going to be a better browsing experience than an iPod (but not as nice as an iPad) purely by virtue of real estate.

The count on movies is hard to predict, since it's pending to some extent what you can do and how, on the Fire, outside of Amazon's movie rental/purchase in-Cloud experience -- assuming a good way pops up using apps to load movies of your own onto the device, I'd think the Fire is also a better movie device.

[WLS]

I think the Samsung 5 inch tablet is worth a look.. it offers more than the Touch now, at least in a GPS and camera.
it's arond $270 here’s what you get for the money:

5 inch, 480 x 800 pixel capacitive touchscreen display
1 GHz Samsung Hummingbird ARM Cortex-A8 single core processor
8GB storage
Google Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread
3.2MP rear camera and VGA front-facing camera
802.11b/g/n WiFI
Bluetooth 3.0
GPS
FM Radio
microSD card slot
2500mAh battery (up to 8 hours of video playback or 60 hours of music)
720p HD video playback
Support for DiVX, Xvid, H.264, WMV, MP4, RMVB, and other audio and video formats
5.6″ x 3.1″ x 0.5″
6.4 ounces
http://liliputing.com/2011/10/samsun...e-for-270.html

[maflynn]

If you're going to get a 5" "tablet", I'd forgo the samsung and just buy the iPod Touch. A bit smaller but a whole lot more functional thanks to the large library of available apps and movies.

[WLS]

Originally Posted by maflynn

If you're going to get a 5" "tablet", I'd forgo the samsung and just buy the iPod Touch. A bit smaller but a whole lot more functional thanks to the large library of available apps and movies.

But the Samsung has GPS, a better camera and a bigger screen. It runs Android which has it's own library of apps. Depends on what you want.

I think the Touch is EOL and that's why it was not upgraded. I think a new device will be presented next year to replace it. There have been rumors of prototypes all year.
I'll just wait and see. What they gave us was not what we want.

[milo]

Originally Posted by maflynn

The Kindle Fire is not just an ereader but a full fledged tablet.

Actually the Fire is *less* of an ereader than the other kindles since it uses LCD screen instead of the black and white e-ink. For anyone who wants the best option for reading books, the other kindles are much easier to read, particularly in varying light sources, and have much much better battery life.

You definitely can still read on the fire, but it's not like they took the old kindles and just improved them - in many ways they are better but for reading specifically they are arguably not as good.

[palpatine]

It all depends on what you want to do.

Do you want to read books?
They both do that. The Fire will have a larger screen, but ebooks can have their font enlarged, so it doesn't matter. Neither will display PDFs well.

Do you want to watch movies?
They both do that. The Fire has a bigger screen and might do it better.

Do you want to surf the web?
They both do that. The Fire has an exciting new type of browser. That could be fun.

Do you want to take pictures of stuff (like receipts) and send to Evernote?
Only the iPod will do this.

Do you want to pair a bluetooth keyboard with it to get work done?
Only the iPod will do this.

Do you want to listen to music?
They both do that, but how realistic is it to stick the Fire in your pocket and go for a walk?

Anyhow. They are both great devices, but I think it comes down more to whether you want to consume (Amazon) or create (Apple), because without the productivity apps AND bluetooth connectivity, the Fire is pretty restricted.

[maril1111]

Ipod touch but only cuz i don't have access to the kindle fire.

[trip1ex]

The difference is the iPod touch is proven and the Kindle Fire isn't.

The Fire could be really good or it could turn out to be somewhat of a dog.

It does suck the Touch did not get an update. Im guessing the A5 was too expensive for the pricepoint of the Touch or it ran too hot/too up too much room for the thin form factor. The conspiracists could say Apple has no competition in that market and they did it all on purpose to make more money.

----------

Originally Posted by palpatine

They are both great devices,

No they arent. The Fire isn't out yet.

It might be great.

It might suck.

It might not be more

than a color Nook.

[Plutonius]

Originally Posted by WLS

I think the Touch is EOL

With the amount of money that Apple makes off of it, the Touch is not EOL. It is however at a stage where it is no longer updated every year. You will see an updated Touch next year when the iPhone 5 comes out.

[feflower]

Right now I would get the Kindle Fire.

There is only one reason I want a tablet and that is to read material when I commute.

I would feel uncomfortable pulling out an iPad still on a busy subway car.
I want to thumb type.
I want to be able to put it in my jacket pocket.

I do not need lots of apps.

If Apple came out with a 7" iPad, at a reasonable price I would get that. But now it is the Kindle.

[maflynn]

Originally Posted by feflower

I would feel uncomfortable pulling out an iPad still on a busy subway car.
I want to thumb type.
I want to be able to put it in my jacket pocket.

I have an iPad and I had a kindle (waiting for the kindle touch) and I think you're dead on why the kindle has advantages over the iPad in this case.

I take a fairly crowded subway and its nearly impossible to operate an iPad with one hand (I'm standing and holding on to bar with my other hand). Also sometimes there are some less then uplifting people on the train and whipping out my iPad seems a little extra risky. The Kindle on the other hand is much more ubiquitous on the subway.

[Plutonius]

Originally Posted by feflower

Right now I would get the Kindle Fire.

There is only one reason I want a tablet and that is to read material when I commute.

I would feel uncomfortable pulling out an iPad still on a busy subway car.
I want to thumb type.
I want to be able to put it in my jacket pocket.

I do not need lots of apps.

If Apple came out with a 7" iPad, at a reasonable price I would get that. But now it is the Kindle.

If you are getting the Kindle to read material, I would stick with the e-ink Kindles. Once you get used to it, the e-ink is much better (in terms of reading and battery life).

Also, your jacket must have huge pockets. I'm unable to put the current Kindle in my pocket and the Fire is bigger.

[karl184]

They have different uses but if I have to pick between the two, I'll go with the iPod Touch.

[mrsir2009]

Originally Posted by bartzilla

They are indeed, which ought to make choosing one fairly easy for the OP - do they want a great book reader that is decent at doing a few other general app things or do they want something that is great at running apps in general and is decent-ish as a book reader (I can't get past the small screen size for the e-books on the ipod thing)

Even the iPad isn't that great for long term reading, because of the backlight. A lot of the kindles have no backlight, or at least have the option to turn it off so it doesn't feel like a screen, if you know what I mean, because, like a digital watch, it is not generating any light. This makes is have an insanely high battery life of weeks of even months, and it feels like a real book, cuz it doesn't make your eyes sore

[Tigger11]

Originally Posted by trip1ex

The difference is the iPod touch is proven and the Kindle Fire isn't.

The Fire could be really good or it could turn out to be somewhat of a dog.

It does suck the Touch did not get an update. Im guessing the A5 was too expensive for the pricepoint of the Touch or it ran too hot/too up too much room for the thin form factor. The conspiracists could say Apple has no competition in that market and they did it all on purpose to make more money.

But if you look at the price breakdowns it doesnt make much sense. The reality of it probably is that with the situation in Japan affecting electronics as it still is, and with the Iphone and Ipod event being the one and the same this year, Apple had to decide where to put the A5 processors, in the new phone and the still hard to find Ipad 2, or put them into the Ipod touchs as well and possibly run short of iphones and ipads for Christmas. They chose correctly, thats likely why we dont have a 128 GB Ipod as well, because those 64GB parts are being used for the 64 GB Iphones, instead of using two of them for a 128 GB Ipod touch. Next year, we'll get faster Ipod Touches with more memory, in fact the 128 GB unit could show up in January or so as a mid season upgrade as the original (Gen 1) 32 GB unit did if the part constraints lesson.
-Tig

[Loyola]

I have been thinking something similar - Fire + Nano or Touch. My old Ipod Classic from 2004 died earlier this year. I have been using a Shuffle for the last several months.

I like the size of the Nano for working out because it is smaller than the Touch but I want something that has additional functionality.