With Cyber Monday approaching, technology will undoubtedly be in the shopping lists of many, noticeably the ongoing popularity of tablets.
Outside of Apple's current reign of tablet dominance, there are two newer tablets put forth by Amazon and Microsoft.
The Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inches tablet launched in October, same month as Microsoft launched the Surface tablet.
Size and Weight:
The measurement of the Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inches includes a length of 9.45-inches, 6.46-inches for width, and a depth of 0.35-inches. The Surface's measurements include a length of 10.81-inches, width of 6.77-inches, and a depth of 0.37-inches.
The Surface weighs 1.50-lbs while the Amazon tablet weighs .25 less, with 1.25-lbs.
Display:
The screen of the Surface is 10.6-inches with a pixel resolution of 1,366x768 and 148 pixels per image (ppi). The Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inches is exactly what it is promoted as, with a screen size of 8.9-inches. The tablet also has a pixel resolution of 1,920x1,200 and 254 ppi.
Memory:
When it comes the memory, both devices have their advantages and disadvantages.
The Microsoft tablet offers 32GB and 64GB internal storage models with 2GB of RAM. The Surface also offers a microSD card slot for up to 64 GB of memory.
The Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inches is available in 16GB and 32GB but a higher RAM of 1GB. Similar to Apple's iPad Mini, a card slot is not available.
Camera:
Interested in photography?
The front-facing camera of the Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inches offers 1.3-megapixels, holding 1,280x1,024 pixel resolution. A rear-facing camera is not available.
The Surface tablet does offer both rear-and-front-facing cameras, both are at 1.2-megapixels.
Video capabilities are not equipped for the Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inches, but it is for the Surface with 720p for both cameras, each at 30 frames per second.
Wireless Connectivity:
The two tablets do offer Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth with A2DP, and USB.
Operating System:
The Surface utilizes the Windows RT operating system (OS), a spinoff of the new Windows 8 OS. Meanwhile, the Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inches utilizes the Android OS. The Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inches is installed with the Android version 4.0, known also as the Ice Cream Sandwich.
Colors:
The Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inches is available with one color option - black. The Surface is available in Dark Titanium, a variation of the same color.
Price:
The Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inches' starting price is $299 for the 16GB unit and $369 for the 32GB, but that is with the special offers Amazon is offering. Without the specials, the price increases to $314 for the 16GB model and $384 for the 32GB model
The Surface starting price is $499 for the 32GB tablet and increases to $699 for the 64GB model with the Black Touch Cover
Check the Related Articles section below on tablet related articles from the Microsoft Surface to iPad Mini.
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