If you want to change your old e-reader machine with a new color tablet device, then the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet or the Amazon Kindle Fire can do the job for you. Today we are going to compare the Nook Tablet vs Kindle Fire and see which one represents the best value for the money.
When upgrading to a tablet device you are not limited to just reading books anymore. The color machines both have apps and games in addition to the books. So if you are into Angry Birds or streaming movies and videos, plan on spending a little more money.
Nook Tablet standout features
One of the most impressive features of the Nook tablet is its high-resolution display. With a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels and a pixel density of 283 pixels per inch, the Nook’s screen is crisp and clear, making it perfect for reading books, magazines, and comics. The display also features an anti-glare coating that makes it easy to read even in bright sunlight.
Another standout feature of the Nook tablet is its expandable storage. The tablet comes with 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, but you can easily add up to 256GB more with a microSD card. This is great news for readers who want to carry their entire library with them wherever they go.
In addition to its impressive technical specs, the Nook tablet also offers a variety of software features that make it stand out from the competition. For example, the tablet comes with a built-in parental control feature that allows parents to restrict access to certain apps and content. The tablet also has a feature called “Barnes & Noble Readouts” which provides readers with a daily selection of free book excerpts, magazine articles, and other content.
Kindle Fire standout features
The Kindle Fire has been one of the most popular tablets for reading and entertainment since its introduction. With its sleek design, user-friendly interface, and powerful specs, the Kindle Fire stands out from the competition in many ways.
One of the standout features of the Kindle Fire is its stunning high-definition display. With a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels and a density of 323 pixels per inch, the 10.1-inch screen delivers crisp, clear images and text. Whether you’re reading an e-book or streaming a movie, the display will make your content come to life.
Another impressive feature of the Kindle Fire is its processing power. The tablet is powered by a quad-core processor that provides smooth performance, even when you’re running multiple apps or streaming high-definition video. The processor is also energy efficient, helping to extend the tablet’s battery life.
The Kindle Fire also offers a variety of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. You can easily connect to the internet or other devices to download books, movies, and games, or to stream content directly to your TV or other compatible device.
In addition to its technical specs, the Kindle Fire offers a variety of features that make it a great tablet for entertainment and productivity. The tablet comes preloaded with Amazon’s own Silk browser and a selection of popular apps, and it offers access to millions of e-books, movies, and TV shows through Amazon’s ecosystem.
Nook Tablet vs Kindle Fire: Key differences

If you are considering a new tablet and aren’t sure of which one you are going to buy, look at some of the facts on this page and see the top reasons the Nook Color is an excellent buy.
If you already know that you want one, but you are looking for the specs, see Nooks specs.
- Very Good: Item shows light to no signs of use
- May come repackaged, with charger or power cord (which may be non original), other...
- * Get social, surf the web, play games, even listen to music * Over 2 million...
- Read comfortably at any time of day
- Seamless day-to-night reading with Night Mode
- Soft touch finish on front and back for easy grip
- 8" HD display; 16 or 32 GB of internal storage (up to 400 GB with microSD)
- 1.3 GHz quad-core processor
- Up to 10 hours of battery life
Screen Display & Touchscreen
It is hard not to be impressed with the screen display of both the Fire and the Nook Tablet. Both tablets offer a 7” color touchscreen with a resolution of 1024 x 60 and 169 pixels per inch. However, I have been suitably impressed with the highly durable and extra scratch-resistant screen of the Fire tablet 7 which gives it an edge over the Nook Tablet for me.
If you don’t care about touchscreen technology, then you probably don’t need to spend the extra money on that feature. But if you want color touch screens are the only option.
Amazon makes the Kindle Touch and Barnes & Noble make the Nook Touch for the non-color versions of the touch screen.
If you want to have a qwerty keyboard, the Nook doesn’t have a keyboard option in the newest lineups, so the Kindle Keyboard or Keyboard 3G is the choice made for you. Keep in mind there are a few versions of each so look at Amazon.com to see which are the available models.
Overall performance
With its dual-core TI OMAP 4 processor, the Fire is slightly more powerful than the BarnesNoble Tablet which is powered by an 800 MHz single-core processor.
Does this make a considerable difference?
In most cases no – in most of our standard operation tasks we found no significant difference in performance or responses. However, the Kindle did perform marginally better when performing simultaneous tasks such as listening to music while downloading a video or reading a book.
Kindle Fire vs Nook Tablet: Battery life
Obviously, battery life is critical. The reason it is number one on the list is that without it, the tablet is worthless. Make sure you check the model you want for acceptable battery life.
The Kindle Fire boasts a battery life of up to 8 hours with wireless disabled and takes 4 hours for a full charge. Similarly, the Nook can last up to 8 hours with wireless disabled but can be charged in 3 hours which gives it a slight advantage over the Fire machine.
Unfortunately for Barnes and Noble, the Nook pays a big price for its higher screen resolution and its color screen in the form of lower battery life. With the Nook reader, you can get around 8 hours before you need to recharge your device.
So consumers need to make a choice between having the beauty of having a color screen or the longer charge times of other Kindle models. They both can stay charged for up to 2 months.
Connectivity
The difference first. WiFi is the ability to connect with wireless internet. 3G is a cellular signal. Most, if not all, models that have 3G are WiFi-enabled, but not the other way around. You will use these services to access fresh or stored content on the web. Things like streaming music or movies and when you want to buy a new book.
Uploading data to the reader is probably easier on Amazon tablets with their superior Whispernet wireless service. This technology is available all over the world and allows for books and other texts to be downloaded instantly. However the Nook browser is generally better for general, frequent use as internet pages tend to appear faster making it less frustrating than its rival.
Storage Space
This is a very important thing to consider in your search. If you choose the Nook Color machine or the Fire, keep in mind that your memory will get used on apps games, and movies. In this case, more storage is better.
The Nook can traditionally hold more information than its rival as once its 8 GB of memory is filled up, it lets its users have more with an SD memory card slot which allows for 32 GB of storage. Even the new Fire is way behind this with only 5 GB of storage available and while this makes little difference for books and documents, for those who want to build a video library on their eReader the Nook wins hands down.
Weight
Weight – Some sites will tell you to watch the weight. But honestly, it is only an ounce or two difference. If that is going to matter, you may want to start an exercise routine immediately.
Seriously though, I don’t think the weight is an issue. It weighs less than a huge stack of books, no matter which one you get.
Ecosystem and Available Data
One of the main areas that the Kindle attracts customers over the Nook or any other eReader for that matter is in the sheer volume of books available. Amazon has by far more to offer in this area than the competition and continues to expand the number of titles they have, giving them a strong edge in the battle.
E-ink vs Color
With the release of the Nook Color and the Kindle Fire, color is now an option, so don’t discount it in your search.
The quality of the color is very comparable, so your concern here is to make sure that you get color if you want it.
Illustrations are incredible on the color e-readers. So it is not just for games. Children’s books really pop on the color units. On the other hand, some of the “fancier” color screens are difficult to read in bright sunlight.
Nook Color Tablet
Like the Kindle, the Barnes and Noble tablet is available in several different formats. You’ll find the Nook Simple Touch and the all-new Nook Tablet as well.
Just like the Kindle, these Nooks come with a wide range of capabilities, features, and prices. The best way to figure out which one is right for you is by reading our comparison review.
This review will help you determine if you really need that color screen, or if a black and white screen might be a better choice for you. In addition, you’ll be able to use reviews to compare the Nook Tablet to other models. Also, you can see if the price difference is really worth it for your particular needs.
Battery life
Nook Tablet has a very powerful battery. Long battery life is important, especially if you cannot put down that book.
The battery will last up to 8 hours without recharging. Whether you are using your smartphone or computer or the Nook, the FREE NOOK Reading App™ syncs the last page you’ve read so you can read what you love, anywhere you like. No more spending time finding where you left off.
The Color Machine is a great gift idea for someone you care about or maybe just a special gift for yourself.
The Fire is the best competitor for the Color tablet so compare the two by looking at your budget also.
Touch Screen
Touch Screen – The most advanced Vividview Touch screen in the world. The 7-inch screen features multi-touch and 16 million colors. It was specially designed to provide incredible clarity with minimal glare, providing you with the ultimate reading (and entertainment) experience.
Popular Magazines & Newspapers
You will have access to the largest collections of bestselling magazines and newspapers that get delivered as soon as they are released. If you aren’t sure if you want a certain title, no worries, you can try it free for 14 days. Nothing compares to NOOK Kids™.
You can choose from the largest collection of books for children and they come to life with the enchanting Read to Me™ narrations & fun Read and Play™ activities that are built right into the pages.
The largest bookstore in the world from bestsellers to new releases, you can sample more than 2.5 million titles for free. And when you are ready to buy, most cost under ten dollars, and can be delivered to you in just 10 seconds.
Nooks Apps & Connectivity
Must have Apps by the thousands. It wouldn’t be a tablet if you couldn’t get your favorite apps. They are all here, so find your favorite games, news updates, or weather forecasts. Some apps come preloaded on your Color machine.
The Wi-Fi is built-in. So many things can be done with the Color. Shopping online, keep in touch on Facebook, share your videos are just a few ideas. You even can get all your personal emails in one location. Want more, the Nook plays Adobe Flash, unlike the more expensive tablets.
If you are looking for an excellent e-reader you should focus on the Color table or the Glowlight e-reader. It’s also Amazon’s choice.
Kindle Fire
While most electronic readers only have one model on the market, there are numerous Kindle options out there, from the basic Kindle to the Kindle Touch, the Touch 3G, Keyboard 3G, and the hot new Kindle Fires and Kindle Fire HD tablets.
Kindle reviews can help you figure out which of these devices fits your reading needs best. For instance, if you only care about reading and don’t want any bells or whistles, then the simple Kindle is going to be a great option.
First off, we should mention the price. The Amazon Fire is selling for half of the price that iPads are going for example. And bonus: they don’t look or act cheap. The strong build is accentuated by the great features offered.
Kindle fire for reading
The Kindle Fire is great for parents and kids alike. More than 1000 illustrated books for children are available, including Curious George, Brown Bear, and Circus Ship.
Free Cloud Storage – You get Cloud Storage for Free. Don’t worry about whether or not you have enough memory. It also comes with free Amazon Cloud storage for any Amazon digital content. With the touch of your finger, you can instantly download movies, books, and apps.
What else does the Kindle offer ?
You can check out the web, watch movies, read books, has a 7-inch screen, and most importantly, it is connected with Amazon’s cloud services, which allows users to quickly send video, music, and Web pages using their global system of high-speed servers.
It doesn’t have easy access for doing such things as turning down the music volume, though – this is something that you will have to go into the status bar for. It is also missing a camera and a microphone. There are also no options for memory expansion past the 8 GB.
Many believe that the Fire will, instead, be a true competitor to the Color tablet. With more video, music, and book formats as well as not being leashed to a wall adaptor, the Fire offers a bit more freedom than the Color machine.
What Kindle Tablet to buy?
If you have been on the fence about whether or not to get a Kindle, then it is time to get off. The Fire tablet has arrived and it has color apps and more. There are five great reasons to get it right now.
Dual Core Processor – The Dual-Core Processor is fast. With the state-of-the-art dual-core processor that the Fire features, you get very fast and powerful performance. It won’t slow down even if you are downloading videos, streaming music or reading books, or even doing all three at the same time.
Apps and Games – You get apps and games your love. There are thousands of apps, including Pandora, Netflix, ESPN along many more. There is even a bonus, you get to play a paid app for free every day. All the hottest games are included such as; Angry Birds and plants Vs. Zombies. All the games from the top developers. You can count on a great experience because all the apps are tested on the Kindle Fire to ensure they work.
Books by the millions – Comic books, bestsellers, and children’s books in incredible color. There are literally (pun intended) more than a million titles to choose from. Most of the titles are less than $10.00. Additionally, you can get titles that are out of copyright and written prior to 1923. You can get your favorite children’s books also.
Verdict
In Nook Tablet vs Kindle Fire comparison, both have advantages and disadvantages but overall the Fire is probably the best choice as it gives more options and has a wider choice of texts. With the release of the Fire, anything the Nook can do can be found for a lower price.
Also for those who want longer battery life instead of the color feature, the Kindle Keyboard 3G would be the best choice of eReader.