I want to love the Kindle Fire (just like a bunch of people do). But from a technical standpoint, $200 can't hold up to the iPad (although they are still overpriced--the iPads that is ;). The load times on the Fire are quite slow, the physical package is a bit iffy (and that's compared to the slimmer iPad 2), and the overall UX is just not too friendly....it is definitely an improvement, and if you want a 'sexier' cheaper tablet-esque option...this is a good choice--but it's not a tablet in totality.