I've been lusting for a tablet but don't want to pay the price for one. The new Kindle Fire and Nook Color look like good alternatives. Anybody have one or have played with one (or preferably both)?

While I'll use it for books, etc., I really want something that is a reasonable alternative for keeping up on email and web-surfing. While I can do both with my Android, a 7" screen would be nice.

I've been reading reviews but would love to hear from any of you who might have first-hand knowledge.

I played with the KF at work this last week. Geeky employee was showing it off. When I showed him Lenovo Ideapad A1 he almost cried. It's not a catchy name like Kindle Fire or Nook, but for $20 more you get exact same configuration but also 2 cams. $40 more and you get 16GB storage native. Enhance featured versions come in cute colors. My sproggs have a pink and blue in delivery.

My biggest "kudos" to the review is the Lenovo isn't married to either book houses yet has access to both through Android Market.

However if you are stuck on those. Kindle Fire. The kid at work said he get a paid app free everyday.

Note: Feels like I just repeated myself for some reason though.

Nope, not stuck on them at all. Would rather have an Android tablet without all the layers on top of it at a price I can afford. The Lenovo looks very interesting. I'd be curious to hear how the sproggs like it, and what you think of it, after they receive it.

It's deja vu all over again. Doing the due diligence. My main concern is trying to ascertain exactly for what it would be used. It seems a reader is the main, if not ultimate desire. The lenovo and the fire both appear to be pretty damn expensive readers. They are both pretty great at a bells and whistles electronic apparatus. But, an expensive reader.

If you want a test drive we can work something out. This review is imo only I could be wrong. Maybe Madicarus can find a CCR on it.

I know. Shortly after I responded to your inquiry I figured I would follow up imo review on the eReader level. Doesn't Jewels have a Kindle? Maybe she'll give a review.

We bought our 18 year old an Archos 101 16gb as a graduation present. So far so good - he loves it.

I can't find the 'deja vu' conversation Stash is referring to above.

I have two plain ol' e-ink version Kindle's (and know there are other owners here on the board) ... but am not sure what type of a review is being requested. Mine are 1 and 2yrs old, I am considering getting the touch version this year... we'll see what Santa has to say about that, though.

I don't want it for an e-reader. I'm looking for something that can do what my Android phone can do with a bigger screen. Except make calls, of course.

I've actually spent quite a bit of time today reading around and think I'll just stick with my phone unless I hear a compelling reason why I should shell out the bucks. It was a passing fancy, I guess. At times, a bigger screen would be nice but not really a necessity.

I played with a KF this weekend and it seems pretty solid. I had some issues with the touch screen but I haven't read anything about that in any reviews so I'll chalk that up to the beat up floor model i was playing with. I have an eink kindle and love it this one is quite a bit heavier in comparison but its a full color touch screen so that's to be expected. I would like to have a front and back camera because I skype with out of town friends and family often but for $199 you cant expect everything.

I'm not 100% sold on tablets yet. The price of laptops and netbooks have come down so much that for just a little more you can get a full on computer.

If you are looking for a small device that will be used 100% for consuming content and playing the games we all know and love this one might be it and for $200 you really cant go wrong.

I will most likely preoder the Kindle Fire 2 and pass on this one since I can do everything this does on my cell phone, but I couldn't drag my wife away from it so santa may accidentally throw one under the tree.

I'm trying to decide if I should go play with some to get first-hand experience or if I should just bag it so I don't let gadget-lust take over my common-sense. If I can do it all on my phone, it's probably not worth it just so I can have a bigger screen once in awhile. My Android is one with a smaller screen compared to most of the ones out there these days but I'll be eligible for my upgrade in February. Might just wait that out and get one with a bigger screen (and more internal memory so I'm not having to swap out some of my programs due to space issues). I think that a tad bigger screen and more memory will please me enough at this point.

Thanks for all your input.

Sorry. I had send a private message to 5th regarding Kindles or Nooks. He responded privately as well. But, nothing really private as illustrated by this discussion, now.

I would think that a larger screened phone with more internal memory may do what you'd like. The phone benefit for me (as a person with a larger screened phone and more internal memory) is that I have access to what I want everywhere with the phone network OR wifi.

The fire/nook is wifi-only. When we were playing with one at work (sans wifi), the limitation is really obvious. Ok, ok, we could read a book and play with aps... but I can use aps on the phone and prefer to read on a non-backlit device or wait... even a real book!

We do have an iPad at home (it is not mine, but belongs to my college-aged child and is used the most by my 7th grader) so it's not as if I'm unfamiliar with what a tablet can do.

For me, personally, I'm still not sold on needing one but I've also noticed that I am moving further and further away from being tied to The Internets. Everything comes to my phone, and honestly, days will go by before I feel the need to get out the computer and even then it's usually because I want to transfer music or look at hiking photos someone else has posted. Also: I'll be the last person to skype... ever. (Please, someone, don't make my phone do that!)

I could see how it might be pretty useful when traveling... more useful than a netbook or cheap laptop or more limited?

It IS "only" $200. It would be interesting to compare it to the iPad (which is also only wifi here at our house) but I'll channel my $200 somewhere else for the time being.

Nope, no Kindle here. I WAS thinking about buying the new one, until I read some not-so-good reviews, this being the most telling one: http://www.wired.com/reviews/2011/11/kindle-fire/all/1

For the time being (until maybe when Kindle Fire 2 comes out), I will stick with 'paper, not plastic'.

I've been talked out of it. Thanks! Looking forward to my Android upgrade in February.

I have the droid x with a 4.3" screen its great and I rarely use my computer anymore and have never had a memory issue, as of yet.

Sorry my memory is 1/5th what it used to be. Thanks that is a valuable review!

Well, your Droid has 8gbs of internal memory. Mine has 512mb. Quite a difference. My screen is also quite a bit smaller. So, yeah, more screen and more memory should make me a Happycamper!

Yeah you should totally borrow a DroidX. I had the phone once and it's great. At least you'd have something to play with to see if you'd like the enlarged virtual keyboard. THEN if you liked it you could upgrade to the AWESOME new Droid Razr in Feb!!!

Agreed, i didn't like the virtual keyboard at first but it has grown on me.

An angel has offered me a DroidX to play with. Can't wait! I don't care for my virtual keyboard but I do have a smaller screen so I'm thinking the bigger DroidX screen might be easier to work with. Oh, this is gonna be fun. The dishes will pile up as I play with my new toy!

I love my X. Of all the Droids I tried before buying, the X was the best fit for me. Enjoy!

I, too, have an X. I use two different-from-stock keyboards with it:

Swiftkey X - there is a trial version and a (cheap) paid-for version that you upgrade to if you want to keep it. I ended up paying for it because (it was cheap and) I quite like the predictive text feature.

Swype - it's nifty but not as clean with it's predictive text features as Swiftkey and the potential for the wrong word seems to be a little larger in my world. It's really nice if you're lazy though. One finger swyping is nice!

(That said, as a died-hard Blackberry user, I far prefer to use the smaller screened Droid Pro because it has a real keyboard. Old technology, please don't leave me!)

That's awesome!

I totally had to replace mine with the Droid3 before I had upgrade option. Ugh paying full price stinks. Well not as much as my old X does. Accidentally dropped it in the toilet after Mexican dinner at Mazatlan night. Yuck! There's no way I'd want anyone hold that up to their face now.

Love the Droid3. No way am I upgrading to Droid4 according to the specs the deal breaker for me is the non-removable battery.

I have a friend that has a Samsung smartphone w/o a removable battery. WTF?

So, who fished it out of the toilet?????

I'd fish mine out. That's what water and soap is all about! BTW, I read somewhere the #1 cell phone accident is dropping them in the toilet. I've always thought about that when entering the restroom... because even though I would if I had to, I sure as hell don't want to fishing.

I've had to go phone fishing before. No fun.

I take comfort in the fact that a shopping cart handle is less sanitary than a toilet.

http://www.sanitizesystems.com/press_1.html

I know! I understand the ones with non-removable batteries have hard reset buttons but not sure if that would do what I want. On my old Palm, the hard reset button would reset it back to stock so you'd have to re-load all your apps and other info. Unlike temporarily removing the battery in case of lock-up which just restarts the phone. I'd want more info on that before getting on with a removable.

BTW...totally loving the DroidX. I'm not giving it back to my Johnny Angel.

ETA: The bigger screen, increased memory, faster processor are all just wowing me. Not interested in a small tablet now. This has filled the gap nicely.

Do you know how much do they sock for the monthly fee to access and use all those wow features? You already have a phone with a lot of the apps now, so maybe it's no different. I'm flying a pretty old one by choice. I'm about 3 upgrades behind.

$28/month. Same as I'm paying now. Yeah, it hurt the first month I paid it but it's worth it for all it does. If push came to shove, I'd give up the home wifi first and then just do everything on the phone with an occasional visit to Tully's to use their wifi if I needed to do things on the computer. This would mainly be for things like website and HTML newsletter design as those would be too tough on the small screen. Oh, and I can't use the "pay my bills" function at my credit union on the phone for some reason so that, too. From what I've played around with so far, I can do everything else on the phone just fine.

Luckily, I'm grandfathered into unlimited wifi so I don't have to monitor my usage. I've noticed they now have tiers but I haven't paid attention to what the new prices are so I don't know what you'll pay when you finally take the leap.