Looking at Kindle Fire and Samsung Galaxy II Tab. Looking for some light game play, streaming video in addition to reading. Which of these is best, or is there another reader/tablet in approximately this price range ($200) that is better? Any help is greatly appreciated.
The advantage of the e-ink screens is that they aren't computer screens as you're used to them; they aren't backlit, you don't really notice the pixels, and you can't really use them as anything other than readers. It doesn't sound like that big of a deal--it sounds like a disadvantage, really, I know--but in fact it's almost always a more pleasant experience to read on e-ink than a tablet. I can't explain it, but I've read hundreds of hours on both and I always feel better on e-ink.
2) If you want a tablet, you're better off paying the premium for an iPad mini.
The iPad is infinitely more expandable in terms of software than any Android tablet on the market right now. That might not be true in three months or six months or a year, but right now, and for the foreseeable future, the iPad app store is much healthier and has a much broader selection of frequently updated apps. Android's working on it, but most of the apps for Android tablets are scaled-up phone apps, and even if they don't suck, they don't rock the way a lot of iPad apps do.
3) If you have to stick within that budget, the best is the Nexus 7.
The others all have too many tradeoffs for too little benefit.
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Sing lustily and with good courage.
Be aware of singing as if you were half dead,
or half asleep:
but lift your voice with strength.
Be no more afraid of your voice now,
nor more ashamed of its being heard,
than when you sang the songs of Satan.
I have to agree that eInk is the most important aspect of an ereader, period, and that you shouldn't consider a regular tablet over an eInk reader ever. Unless you're primarily getting it for other purposes. If you truly want an ereader, get one with eInk. If you also want a tablet, get a tablet as well - functionally minimalist ereaders are ~$100 and that's well worth it for eInk.
I have a 2nd gen kindle paperwhite without internet, and although I'd like the non-cloud memory to be higher so I could keep more non-amazon store stuff on there at once, it's not a big deal and it's easily the only problem I have with it.
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"Virtue, Jacques, is an excellent thing. Both good people and wicked people speak highly of it..."
I've been really happy recently reading off the Kindle App on my Android Phone. It's one of the Galaxy line, though I could see the screen being too small for some people.
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The advantage of the e-ink screens is that they aren't computer screens as you're used to them; they aren't backlit, you don't really notice the pixels, and you can't really use them as anything other than readers. It doesn't sound like that big of a deal--it sounds like a disadvantage, really, I know--but in fact it's almost always a more pleasant experience to read on e-ink than a tablet. I can't explain it, but I've read hundreds of hours on both and I always feel better on e-ink.
2) If you want a tablet, you're better off paying the premium for an iPad mini.
The iPad is infinitely more expandable in terms of software than any Android tablet on the market right now. That might not be true in three months or six months or a year, but right now, and for the foreseeable future, the iPad app store is much healthier and has a much broader selection of frequently updated apps. Android's working on it, but most of the apps for Android tablets are scaled-up phone apps, and even if they don't suck, they don't rock the way a lot of iPad apps do.
3) If you have to stick within that budget, the best is the Nexus 7.
The others all have too many tradeoffs for too little benefit.
Be aware of singing as if you were half dead,
or half asleep:
but lift your voice with strength.
Be no more afraid of your voice now,
nor more ashamed of its being heard,
than when you sang the songs of Satan.
Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.
Individualities may form communities, but it is institutions alone that can create a nation.
Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.
Here is my principle: Taxes shall be levied according to ability to pay. That is the only American principle.
I have a 2nd gen kindle paperwhite without internet, and although I'd like the non-cloud memory to be higher so I could keep more non-amazon store stuff on there at once, it's not a big deal and it's easily the only problem I have with it.