Kindle Fire vs. Nook Tablet: How to choose

Editors' note: This article was originally posted November 23, 2011. We've added some material and updated it on February 24, 2012, based on further use of the products and the introduction of Barnes & Noble's 8GB Nook Tablet.

Now that the Amazon Kindle Fire and the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet both have a few months under their belts, we're taking another look at these two budget-price tablets.

Even after a handful of software updates from both manufacturers, we're still awarding the Nook Tablet a slightly higher rating, thanks largely to its hardware advantages: a better … Read more

Does Kindle Touch 5.0.3 software update solve speed issues?

While Amazon's 5.0.3 software update for the Kindle Touch may seem relatively minor on the surface, it may help put to rest some complaints about the generally zippiness of the device compared with its non-touch sibling, which Amazon simply calls the Kindle.

Amazon has quietly released the update without making any reference to what it exactly it fixes. "This update features general software improvements for Kindle Touch," the update page reads.

Some users also were upset that Kindle Touch couldn't switch into landscape mode (yes, the non-touch Kindle can do that). That doesn't … Read more

Is Speck's FitFolio the best Kindle Fire case?

Speck Products' FitFolio is one of our favorite iPad and e-reader cases, and now it's available for the Kindle Fire.

What's nice about it is that the device fits securely in a form-fitting hard-shell case and your screen is protected by a "vegan" leatherette book-style cover that folds back and converts into a stand (yes, "vegan" leather means faux leather in PC speak). A small bungee cord keeps the cover closed.

This one comes in black, red, and teal versions. Speck also makes the $29.95 BookWrap. However, that case doesn't convert into a stand. Also on tap: the soon-to-be-released WanderFolio for Kindle Fire, which is similar to the FitFolio but incorporates some hideaway pockets for "cards, cash, and more" in the cover.

We have a WanderFolio in the office and it's a little thicker than the FitFolio but still is pretty slim. No word on exactly when that one will be available, but we suspect that it should go on sale within days.

… Read more

Dodocase for Kindle Fire now available

Want to bind your Kindle Fire into a moleskin-style notebook?

Dodocase, the maker of popular bookish cases for tablets and e-readers, has just released its Dodocase for Kindle Fire, and it's a good one.

I parked our Kindle Fire review sample in the case for a few days and it fits really nicely inside the bamboo "tray" (rubberized corners hold the device in place) and the case is thin yet protective.… Read more

Case-Mate ships new Kindle Fire cases

A steady stream of Kindle Fire cases have headed to stores and Case-Mate has three new ones: the Venture, Tuxedo, and Hampton.

Here's a quick skinny on all of them, ordered by size, least to most expensive.

The Tuxedo ($40) is a slim folio case that Case-Mate says is equipped with built-in and reusable MagicTape, "a double-sided adhesive that doesn't leave residue and never loses its grip." This one folds up into a stand with multiple viewing angles and also includes smart magnets that "put the Fire to sleep while not in use and awaken … Read more

CNET answers your Kindle Fire questions

No matter how inexpensive Amazon.com makes its Kindle Fire tablet, it's no good to you if it doesn't do what you want.

In this blog post, I'm rounding up all the questions I've received from CNET readers about the Kindle Fire and answering them to the best of my knowledge. If you see something we missed, be sure to keep the conversation going in the comments section.

Should I be worried about how the Kindle's Silk Browser uses my data?

Not particularly. Amazon insists that all of the information it processes to make Silk … Read more

Reviewing Amazon Kindle Fire not an easy task

Writing CNET's official review of the Kindle Fire was probably the toughest assignment I've had all year. This is a tablet that wears its price tag like a bulletproof vest. The standby criticisms don't work. Holding it up to an iPad, I may as well be comparing a Vespa to a Mercedes.

That isn't to say that the Kindle Fire couldn't have flopped. I've seen my share of cheap tablets before and I haven't flinched at flunking them. Nine times out of 10, it's the screen that ruins things. On a tablet, the screen is the foundation of the entire experience. It's the window to the software; it's the substance of the navigation; it's the keyboard; it's the game controller.

Fortunately, Amazon didn't cheap out on the screen, though (spoiler alert!) I was surprised that it only supports two-finger multitouch. My three-finger Fruit Ninja technique was ruined. … Read more

What's missing from the Kindle and Nook? Support for printed books

Having just come from the unveiling of the latest Nook e-readers, I'm feeling more than ever that the future of reading will come in tablet form. I'm already "that guy": I read all my latest books on my iPad via iBooks or the Kindle app. And yet, there's something big--something obvious--that e-readers are missing. It's something that magazines, newspapers, DVDs, and Blu-rays have already figured out.

A way to marry print books and digital ones.

I see bookstores around me closing every day. I'm part of the problem. Here's the vile thing I do: I browse through a bookstore like a vulture. I finger through books. When I find one I like, I buy it, right there, on my iPhone--on the Kindle. The bookstore loses the purchase. I'm a horrible person. And yet, I'll keep doing it. Because those big, bulky physical books don't come with download codes to get e-versions, and right now, I'd rather choose digital. There has to be another way.… Read more

Kindle Fire vs. Nook Tablet

After September's Kindle Fire announcement from Amazon.com, it was only a matter of time before rival bookseller Barnes & Noble retaliated with a new e-book-friendly tablet.

Update, November 18 at 1:12 p.m. PT: CNET's rated reviews of the Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet are now available. The following text has been updated to reflect the observations made in these reviews.

Bearing a striking resemblance to Barnes & Noble's previous effort (the Nook Color--which remains on the market at $199), the Nook Tablet outguns the Kindle Fire in a few key specs.

The most notable differences are the amount of system RAM (1GB on the Nook Tablet, versus 512MB on the Kindle Fire); the amount of integrated storage (16GB versus 8GB on the Kindle Fire); and the inclusion of microSD memory expansion on the Nook Tablet.

Unfortunately, the improved specs of the Nook Tablet come at a $50 premium over the $199 Kindle Fire. Then, there are the details that are not easily broken down on a spec sheet. Once you get past the silicon, these tablets are essentially windows into different storefronts and services. When you add up all the e-books, apps, music, games, and videos, there's no question that Amazon has more of its own content offerings to dive into. Its cloud technology infrastructure also happens to be one of the most robust systems in the industry, and its tablet reaps the rewards in terms of improved Web-browsing performance, media lockers like Cloud Player, and Cloud Drive file backup.

The other big advantage--or, some would say, caveat--to the Kindle Fire is Amazon Prime. In addition to free two-day shipping for most of Amazon's physical product offerings, Prime offers members access to a growing library of Netflix-style on-demand streaming movies and TV shows (a subset of Amazon's full catalog), plus the option to borrow some e-books for free. Of course, all of that "free" stuff comes at a price: $79 per year. Many find it to be the retail deal of a lifetime, but--like Xbox Live on Microsoft's game console--it does mean you need to factor in a yearly premium to fully unlock the value of Amazon's tablet. … Read more