Not sure whether to buy Apple’s new iPad mini or Amazon’s Kindle Fire HDX? Both are awesome, but here’s why you should go with the Fire. Amazon’s newest 7” tablet starts at $229, a whopping $170 less than the cheapest iPad mini. The Fire is built around an awesome first-party media experience with access to plenty of great third-party apps. From Kindle to Instant Video to Amazon mp3, Amazon’s media is built into the tablet’s core experience. Tech newbie? No problem! The Kindle Fire has a built-in feature called Mayday that connects you with an Amazon tech-support employee through the tablet to help you navigate or troubleshoot any problem you have. The Fire is also great if you have young kids: Kindle FreeTime lets you create a personalized experience for them, and also lets you limit how much time they spend watching videos or playing games in a day. Apple’s new iPad mini may be great, but the Kindle Fire packs awesome features and specs at nearly half the price. Go with the Fire.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with AI strategy, implementation and governance, as well as technology, media and marketing. Named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Technology, he is a bestselling author, covers tech and business for Fox 5’s Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN, and writes the popular daily business blog Think About This. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.