[andrys]

[QUOTE=Jessica Lares;2276432]The Kindle Fire is 1024×600, the Mini is 1024x768.

Because I have owned an iPhone since 2007, I am highly invested in the Apple Ecosystem. I have lots and lots and lots and lots of apps that would get used daily on this Mini. I have Snapseed for photography, Garageband for music, iMovie for video, and am planning on getting Paper. My Kindle books will live happily on it, and so will my comiXology comics, and Zinio magazines. Plus I'll be finally able to use my iTunes U iBooks content.[/quote[

Those are the best reasons for going Apple on the smaller tablet.

16GB is fine for me. I'm used to being limited to that coming from an iPhone 4.

No problem with sizing since this iPad mini is not going to do HD videos (which I'm high on). It has the same resolution and 163 ppi as my 2-yr old NookColor but is larger than the the old 7" device so will look even less sharp.

There's no comparison even with the 1280x800 of the Nexus and KFire HD but with the 8.9" KFHD, there is 254 ppi, close to Retina and at $299 for the 16GB and $369 for the 32GB.

So, the Apple apps are the best (if not the only good reason besides light weight with larger form) reason for your decision. But it's hard for me to look at my old KFire and NookColor after even the 1280x800.

If you chose 32GB for HD material, but the iPad mini can't show them correctly anyway, it'd be an almost $200 difference in the units. $180... if thinking of the 7".
If thinking of the 8.9" model that you were thinking of getting though , then you're choosing something with 163ppi over 254ppi and that's a LARGE difference. And it's only $299 for the 16GB and $369 for the 32GB version.

Apple has been known for topmost quality, but this mini isn't it.
But the apps are. AND, it looks nice overall (they mainly show snapshots on it, I noticed) and is definitely lighter than the others even if larger.

Apple didn't focus on the Kindle Fire because it didn't need to. The press and the initial response did it for them.

That would be for only faith-based readers of Pogue and Mossberg.

The other reviews went into detail on things like how the Nexus would not bring in streaming HD in rooms where the KFire HD's stronger WiFi system ran them w/o difficulty.
Pogue loaded a webpage and was happy with that kind of test showing a 1-second 'win' by the $499 iPad. Those reviews + even the good one by Consumer Research almost solely focused on a misunderstanding of Bezos' claim to 'the best tablet' (he meant the $499 one, explained) and then that review wasted a serious reader's time by detailing why the $199 KFHD 7" was not as good as the $499 iPad, w/ features mentioned that are hardly used).

I quote the many other mainstream tech review sites (CNet, Engadget, Gizmodo, Verve) to show reviews that actually tested what they should and didn't misread/mishear Bezos' statement, getting all hot and bothered by it.

If interested in anything but Pogue/Mossberg, see those at
http://kindleworld.blogspot.com/2012...t-goal-of.html

Paying that much money for a device to get ads all over the place?

On the Lock screen which you see briefly when waking it up and one on the bottom of the home screen. But you pay $15 or a total of $214 to not have them. They're also preparing an option to remove 'suggestions' though B&N had them on the home page and people didn't mind.

I don't mind it myself, but then why would I get it when I can have something for the same price (tax wise) that's a lot better for my use and doesn't have advertisements?

Same price? The iPad mini ?? vs ???
Nexus 32GB one will be $249. KFire HD too. The BASIC 16GB for those two is $199 now. This is going against the iPad mini's $329 for 16GB at that lower screen resolution.

I've been holding out so long on jumping on the iPad and it's finally at a price and size that works for me.

In your place I'd want something that can do Apple apps also.
I'd go for the iPad 3 which will be down-priced now. MUCH better, with Retina, 1GB RAM and not the old specs of the iPad 2. I think it's a waste unless you specifically want the smaller one with the scaled down capabilities in sharpness and in RAM/speed.

Amazon also has a great track record of being the only company making Android devices that actually get like 10 updates in its cycle. No one else does that, not even Samsung or Motorola.

I have a Samsung 10.1 Galaxy Tab. My Samsung Galaxy S2 phone got an update to ice cream sandwich that I haven't bothered to update because a few people found it slower (!) the way it was implemented by Samsung. Will update it once I hear it's better.