# Which is better for college: Kindle Fire or iPad? Also, Kindle Fire 2



## Sticks and Stones (Jan 5, 2012)

Which is better for college? I'd mainly be using it to make notes or look up things on the internet. The main advantage of the iPad, for me, seems to be the bigger screen. Does the size of the Kindle Fire's screen hinder you when surfing the internet? Also, there seem to be rumors of a Kindle Fire 2 that is to be released sometime later in the year, which is supposed to have a bigger screen. Would this be worth waiting for?


----------



## sosha (Feb 9, 2010)

IPad.  Straight up.  You need the size and power of a pseudo laptop, and that's not the Fire.


----------



## trastan (Nov 14, 2011)

Why does she need the power of a "pseudo laptop" to take notes and look things up on the internet? Both devices perform those tasks perfectly fine. 

I don't think that the question is so easily answered. Both have significant overlap in functionality, and both are high-quality products. Honestly, you could get by with either - it's really down to four primary factors:

1. Do you want a smaller or larger device?

2. Is the price difference a factor?

3. Whose ecosystem do you prefer? Amazon.com's services, or iTunes?

4. Does the limited storage space on the Fire pose any issue for you? (i.e., do you need to carry around a lot of media offline?)

You can make either device work for you. Focus on the above questions, and you'll be able to figure out which is better. Be sure to let us know what you decide, and why.


----------



## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

I'd say being able to use a bluetooth keyboard is an advantage for iPad.


----------



## Sticks and Stones (Jan 5, 2012)

Thanks for the replies. I probably should mention that I _do_ have a laptop (an old one,) but I wanted something a bit more portable, more light weight - something I can take to class.



> 1. Do you want a smaller or larger device?


I honestly want something that is smaller, but I'm afraid that the screen for the Kindle Fire might be too small for viewing certain sites.



> 2. Is the price difference a factor?


The price is a big part of it - I'm on a bit of a fixed budget, and while I might be able to afford the first generation 64g iPad, I would only just barely be able to afford it.



> 3. Whose ecosystem do you prefer? Amazon.com's services, or iTunes?


The stores for either company are basically the same for me. I like Amazon for it's books, and iTunes for it's podcasts.



> 4. Does the limited storage space on the Fire pose any issue for you? (i.e., do you need to carry around a lot of media offline?)


Honestly, on this issue the Fire wins for me. I like the basically limitless cloud storage for Amazon purchased content. I would mostly use it in places with wifi. So, in this instance, the iPad actually feels a little cramped for me.



> I'd say being able to use a bluetooth keyboard is an advantage for iPad.


That would help with taking notes. My main worry with the Fire is the size of the screen, though. Does anyone find it a hindrance with viewing certain sites?

Also, I do like the fact that the Fire has flash capabilities - though it is something I wouldn't mind giving up.


----------



## kindlegrl81 (Jan 19, 2010)

If you have plans for heavy note taking I would defiantly go with the iPad.  

I can't stand the keyboard on the Fire and spend more time fixing mistakes than I do typing.  The on screen Keyboard on my iPad is much better IMO, plus you have the option of adding a bluetooth keyboard (they even have cases with build in keyboards).  

The Fire does not have Bluetooth capabilities so you can not add an external keyboard and Amazon (for the moment at least) doesn't even allow other on screen keyboard to be added.


----------



## Sticks and Stones (Jan 5, 2012)

What I'm worried about most with the iPad is it's ability to double as a reader/mp3 player. I sold my mp3 player recently to help pay for a Kindle or an iPad, and I'm thinking of selling my Kindle Touch, so it would have to fulfill the functions of both of those devices. I would want this device to be an entertainment device, too, not just something to use for school.

If there were a bigger Fire or a smaller iPad, then that would be perfect for me.


----------



## Xopher (May 14, 2009)

The wifi chip in the fire actually has bluetooth built into it. It just isn't activated. This is something Amazon could turn on in a future update, although it is something I would not count on as a purchasing decision. The Android OS also supports multiple keyboards, which is something I hope the Fire supports in the future as well. Either option would make typing on the Fire a lot better.

Something to look at is what would be the main use (educationally). Apple just announced their partnership with textbook companies, so if there are textbooks that are available on the iPad that aren't available on the Fire, that might be something to consider.

The other thing to look at is other Android tablets. There are several 7" tablets on the market that would give the full Android experience (bluetooth, cameras, microphone, additional microSD storage) for just a little bit more than the Fire. I purchased an Acer Iconia A100 for $249 right before Christmas. She has full access to the Google Marketplace, plus Amazon's Appstore, the Kindle for Android app, and can watch Amazon Prime videos via the web browser. There is also the Lenovo IdeaPad A1, which is a 7" tablet for around $249. It would give you just about everything the Fire can do (in some cases, even more options) for just a little bit more money. Plus, it would still be a lot less than an iPad.

Sent from my gTablet using Tapatalk.


----------



## chilady1 (Jun 9, 2009)

If you want something more portable for taking to class and notes, I would vote for the iPad.  I use my iPad in just about every meeting for note taking.  I am currently using Evernote on my iPad because it allows me to sync notes between the iPad2 and my MacBook Pro.

I prefer Notebooks, however, as of today, they don't have a laptop/PC version of the application (although according to their website, it is in the works scheduled for delivery Early 2012).  Once this happens, I will go back to Notebooks, primarily because it syncs with Dropbox.

I think the iPad is much better suited for your needs, but understanding the $$$, the Fire does make for an interesting proposal.  Good luck in whichever way you decide.


----------



## trastan (Nov 14, 2011)

Regarding the web browsing experience with the Fire, my opinion is that it's excellent. The screen size difference makes very little difference (it's only smaller than the iPad in one direction), and the ability to have some Flash capabilities for sites that require it can be a big deal in certain situations. 

I haven't had any issues with the keyboard on the Fire (it seems like any other touchscreen keyboard to me), but I can say that, after attempting to use the iPad as a note-taking device for more than six months, I can't recommend either for that use unless you're either very good at touchscreen typing, or you want to drag a bluetooth keyboard around with you. Don't get me wrong, it works, but typing on any touchscreen would be terrible for high-speed note-taking.

On a side note, if you're looking forward to using either as a serious music listening device, and have a pair of $50+ headphones, you'll be much happier with the iPad. The sound quality on the Fire was a big disappointment to me coming off of the iPad, and it has some annoying background static to boot. It may be fine for you, depending on how much you care about such things, but it was absolutely a deal-killer for me, resulting in my abandoning the hope of using my Fire as a portable music device. But hey, you have to cut corners somewhere to get that thing under $200.


----------



## Sticks and Stones (Jan 5, 2012)

Was the sound bad _with_ headphones, or without headphones? 'Cause I'd definitely do a lot of music listening on the device, so this might actually be a deal-breaker for me.

Also, does anyone know if there is a limit as to how many books may be loaded on the iPad kindle app at one time? Because when I read books on my iPod touch, it only let me carry around 200 books on the kindle app at one time.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Sticks and Stones said:


> Was the sound bad _with_ headphones, or without headphones? 'Cause I'd definitely do a lot of music listening on the device, so this might actually be a deal-breaker for me.


In my opinion it depends a lot on the headphones. I tried several pair my son had when he was home at Christmas. Most were o.k. though generally fairly tinny and not something I'd want to use to really _listen_ to music. But he had one set that was basically a professional pair and they sounded great.

I found the sound best without headphones if the Fire was not in a case but actually laying on the table. . . . .and there was definitely a quality difference depending on whether the table was glass or wood and what kind of wood.  We did some experimenting around the house and was amazed at the difference we could hear!


----------



## trastan (Nov 14, 2011)

Sticks and Stones said:


> Was the sound bad _with_ headphones, or without headphones? 'Cause I'd definitely do a lot of music listening on the device, so this might actually be a deal-breaker for me.


It all depends on where your tolerance threshold lies. It doesn't sound terrible by any means, just bad enough to discourage someone like me (who has spent a bit too much time and money on audio equipment) from using it for my portable music device. Ann's experience with the interference caused by different surfaces is disturbing, and should be taken as an example of the level of audio quality that you can expect from the Fire.


----------



## Sean Patrick Fox (Dec 3, 2011)

iPad. If not is not an issue, go with the Apple. Bigger screen, more powerful, more versatile.


----------



## krm0789 (Dec 21, 2010)

I love my Fire but there's no way it would've served me any purpose in college. But a coworker had her ipad in a keyboard case at a meeting yesterday, & set-up wise it looked just like my netbook, which I relied on heavily for notetaking in classes. She took notes in the basic note app & emailed them off instantly, & also showed me the Evernote app briefly for notes that needed organizing. The fire's small screen & lack of physical keyboard makes all of that too tough to be practical IMO


----------



## jason10mm (Apr 7, 2009)

Ipad 100%. Or really, a netbook. Note taking on a touch screen is horrible. Do you have a Mac? If not, then get a netbook so you can move papers and powerpoints back and forth.

The fire is just a toy. The apps are nowhere near sufficient and the device itself is underfeatured. In a few years I think amazon will top the ipad, but for now it is just too early. FWIW, I have the ipad, fire, and netbook.

Netbook is by far your most versatile and cost effective option IMHO.


----------



## teralpar (May 18, 2010)

jason10mm said:


> Netbook is by far your most versatile and cost effective option IMHO.


I agree. I don't have an ipad, but I do have a netbook and a Kindle Fire. I handle all of my school work on my netbook, and the Fire is my toy...I mainly use it for surfing the web, reading, and playing games.


----------



## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

If it helps kid iPad2 64gb wifi/3g is on sale for 450 ish on woot for Saturday

Sent from my HTC Inspire via Tapatalk


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

The iPad on woot is the 1st gen:

http://www.woot.com/


----------



## Sticks and Stones (Jan 5, 2012)

> I agree. I don't have an ipad, but I do have a netbook and a Kindle Fire. I handle all of my school work on my netbook, and the Fire is my toy...I mainly use it for surfing the web, reading, and playing games.


I wasn't really looking to do school work on the device, exactly, mainly I was looking for something that was adequate for web-surfing, and perhaps for note taking. I was worried that the Kindle wouldn't work for web browsing because I thought the screen size might make the text on sites too small to make out.


----------



## Tip10 (Apr 16, 2009)

Simply put:
If you are looking for an entertainment device with occasional School uses the the Fire might best fit the bill.
If you are looking for a School device with some side entertainment uses then the Ipad might best fit the bill.
If you are looking for a Serious school device then you might be better to look towards a netbook or ultralight laptop.
Only you can decide which roll the device is to fill.


----------



## Bob327 (Nov 17, 2011)

It has been 45 years (just did the math) since I last sat in a college classroom and I can't imagine taking notes on a netbook,laptop or tablet for that matter...... Never had any problem with my old trusty Bic and a legal pad..  Come to think of it I did ok with my old slip stick too...

Guess I am way way behind the times....

Bob G.


----------



## Sticks and Stones (Jan 5, 2012)

For most notes I'd probably use pen and paper as well. I just like having them all saved on the device, so I don't lose them which, unfortunately, I sometimes do. 



> If you are looking for a School device with some side entertainment uses then the Ipad might best fit the bill.


As far as which device I'm choosing, I'm leaning a lot towards the iPad. I like the mix of entertainment/creation that it brings. I think I can do a lot more on it than I can on the Fire. And I wanted a tablet because I wanted something a bit more portable than a laptop, or even a netbook.


----------



## luvmykindle3 (Dec 5, 2010)

I would go with the iPad. You get a bigger screen, and it's easier to take notes on IMO. If you are on a budget try the original iPad, they are discounted now, or check for a refurbished ipad2. Good luck.


----------



## TraceyC/FL (Mar 23, 2011)

The iPad3 is rumored to already be in production. It will probably be announced in March... This translates to a price drop for the ipad2 and 1. In fact, the iPad2 is rumored to be staying around at a lower price.

If you aren't in a hurry, then you might wait and see what happens - regardless, don't pay high end for a used one at this point, you might end up being able to buy new for same $ in a month!

I have no issues typing on my ipad1. The size is fine, I type faster on the glass screen than I do on a regular keyboard (tested against an 11" MacBook air last night at the apple store). I own a BT keyboard and just never use it with the iPad. 

That said, I'm running into massive issues with my schools computer system and can't do much on my iPad in my online classes. Which stinks..... I'm looking at buying the 11" air to fill the alternate portable & desktop needs. The issues I'm having I don't think would be fixed with a fire - except that some of the flash videos might play.

But for me, I can't imagine doing notes and such on a smaller screen - although my daughter can take them on her iPod touch in the notebooks app. She's pretty fast with her thumbs! (obviously not drawing or writing them).

Good luck with your decision - and I hope you find a bargain for whichever device you choose!!


----------



## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

Additional considerations:

Will you need to print your notes?
Will you want to pass your notes along to others?
Are textbooks available in a format the iPad or Fire can use?
Do you have a favorite snack? (well, that may not be a consideration in this case, but for college bound people it is important!   )


----------



## sarahsbloke (Sep 24, 2011)

Why limit yourself to Fire Vs Ipad
How about a Galaxy Tab 7",8.9", 10.1"
Asus transformer/prime

My 7" Galaxy Tab is a great little device and I can access the internet using a 3G SIM
(It also has wi-fi, Bluetooth, GPS and I can use it as a mobile phone)


----------



## Sticks and Stones (Jan 5, 2012)

Those were just the ones I narrowed it down to. I like the ecosystems, and the looks of the devices themselves.


----------



## Sticks and Stones (Jan 5, 2012)

Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply. Your answers were very helpful for my decision. I've decided to get a iPad 64g first generation.


----------

