I’ve been reading up about tablets

I’ve been reading about the Kindle Fire and the Nook Tablet. And not surprisingly, the reviews are generally saying there’s not a lot of difference between the two.

I’m pretty much ignoring the reviews that say [tablet x] is no Ipad. Yeah, and a Hyundai is no Bentley. Besides, the review that panned the Kindle Fire the worst complained that the tablet was unresponsive to swipes at times. The AT&T technician who fixed my U-Verse connection had an Ipad, and his Ipad exhibited that very same problem.

“Worst thing ever invented,” he said. About an Apple product. (Note to Apple fanboys: It was the AT&T technician who said it, not me.)

Since none of the other Kindle Fire reviews I’ve read mentioned that problem, I’m going to assume the same thing about the Kindle Fire that I’m assuming about Apple’s much more expensive competitor: that both units that exhibit the same problem probably are worn-out or defective. If you buy a Kindle Fire or a Nook Tablet and they won’t scroll or otherwise respond to swipes properly, take it back and exchange it for another one. Problem solved.

The two devices are extremely similar, and reading reviews of the two pretty much says the same thing. The Nook Tablet plays videos more smoothly, probably because it has twice as much RAM to work with. But the Kindle Fire offers a more polished user interface, a better selection of media to purchase online, and overall a more pleasant user experience.

The Nook Tablet’s problems can be solved in software, so those problems are more likely to go away in the weeks and months to come. The limitations of 512 MB of RAM are more difficult to overcome.

If you intend to hack either tablet, the Nook has more potential, thanks to its greater memory, greater storage capacity, and ability to use an SDHC card.

I haven’t bought either one. I expect I’ll buy a tablet in the coming year, but I’m torn between buying a sub-$99 cheapie or buying something a little more serious. If I decide to go the little-more-serious route, I’d lean toward the Nook Tablet.

If you found this post informative or helpful, please share it!