No matter which industry analyst you speak to, the iPad2 is the Secretariat of tablets. Its sales are so far ahead of the competition, you need the Hubble space telescope to see who's in second place. This is a bit of exaggeration, of course, but the race is really to see who will come within shouting distance of the iconic Apple device in the tablet horse race. I own an original iPad and the iPad2 so I'm very familiar with the tablet gold standard. It was with this background that I reviewed two contenders—the 8GB Amazon Kindle Fire ($199) and Sony Tablet S ($399 with 16GB of storage).
Kindle Kitchen
The Fire is generating the most heat and I anxiously looked forward to using it. Initially I was shocked by its tiny size compared to an iPad and the Tablet S. The Wi-Fi-enabled Kindle has a 7-inch diagonal screen rated 1024x600 pixels (approximately 23 square inches). Sony's display is 9.4 inches diagonal (1280x800, 41 square inches) while the iPad2 is 9.7, 1024x768, 42.6. Right off the bat, you know this is tablet of a different size and color. Before getting into the specifics let's just state right up front the Kindle Fire is a device for using content purchased from Amazon—no matter if it's books, magazines, music or videos. It's a closed system without cameras or an SD card slot—Sony has both. Being wed to Amazon isn't such a bad thing—although it can be when it comes to your wallet. Amazon gives you access to more albums, books, TV shows and movies than you could consume in lifetime—or you hit your credit limit. I downloaded The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest, several episodes of Breaking Bad and the Tony Bennett Duets II album during my review period. All of it downloaded quickly. Having the ability to practically search for any item and purchase it on a whim is instant gratification at its best.
Kindle Fire
There are a few issues. Unlike the Tablet S, iPad or most other tablets, there is no hard volume control so you have to tap into a menu to adjust the levels. Is it a deal breaker? Not really. The screen, however, is small—although I enjoyed using it on a commuter train ride. More importantly, it is not as responsive as the iPad and requires serious tapping to get a reaction. The Fire really could use a button to move between screens. And Amazon claims its Silk browser is the greatest thing since the Internet. It's good but nothing super special and the email client is very basic. For $199—not $399 for the Sony and the iPad's $499—the Kindle Fire is good for what it's designed to do—let you swim in the sea of Amazon content. For budget buyers, this makes a lot of sense.
Sony Tablet S
The Sony Tablet S is much more of an iPad wannabe—and as such it really pales in comparison. Although a full-blown Android-based tablet with complete access to the Android Market of apps, the number of choices lags way behind Apple. Sony offers access to a world of content through the Sony Entertainment Network's Music Unlimited and Movies Unlimited plus it offers games certified for PlaySation. It's pre-loaded with the classic Crash Bandicoot and Pinball Heroes (they're quite addictive). As an ergonomic point of difference with the flat iPad, the Tablet S has a wedge shape so it fits neatly on your lap. Since it's a universal IR remote you can use it to change channels while watching TV. Yet I found the Tablet S to be the most difficult to pair with my router and the initial setup took far too long. With the Fire, you simply enter your Amazon account and you're done. The S should stand for simplicity when it comes to using a tablet and Sony's attempt fell short—especially since a much more fluid iPad2 is only $100 more. I expect Sony will improve its next-gen tablet but until then put your money on the favorite--the iPad2--if you're in the market for a full-sized tablet.
Sony Tablet S
There are no comments yet