Rivals: Kindle Fire HD vs. New iPad

Last year Amazon launched the Kindle Fire, a $199 tablet that changed the rules of the game. It was an instant success, not just because of the low pricing but because it gave people access to the biggest online retailer in the world and the host of content it had to offer.

Despite this, though, the Kindle Fire couldn't quite compete with the iPad, which continued to be the benchmark for tablets and sold in great numbers despite the presence of a significantly cheaper alternative. As good as the Fire was, it was not good enough to take on the iPad.

Enter the Kindle Fire HD. The Kindle Fire HD aims squarely at the iPad, particularly the 8.9-inch model with its high resolution display and dual-core processor and many new features. This year, Amazon does not just want to make the best $199 tablet, they want to make the best tablet at any price point.

Let's take a quick look at it and see how it stacks up against the latest iPad.

As you can see from the table above, the iPad still manages to stay ahead of the Kindle Fire HD in most categories. It has a bigger and higher resolution display, a faster processor and is backed by an incredible ecosystem of highly optimized applications and accessories.

But what the Kindle Fire HD lacks in terms of specifications, it makes up by having a significantly lower price tag. At the end of the day, the Kindle is Amazon's way of bringing people to their store; they sell these tablets at a loss but it doesn't matter to them because they can make up for it from their store, which is, after all, their main business.

Apple, being a hardware company, cannot compete on prices and sell products at a loss because that's where they make the money. What they can do is offer you a better product for that price and it seems that they are.

As a tablet, the iPad is still the best option out there. You get what you pay for. But for someone who doesn't want to spend a lot, the Kindle Fire HD is a solid option for the price.