Why I bought my dad a Kindle Fire

Why I bought my dad a Kindle Fire and not an Ipad 

By The Dylan Lama

 Like a lot of people these days, I have parents who struggle with technology and their solution, of course, is me. Why is it that whenever a non-techie person has a techie problem, they click ten or twenty times and then just give up? I suppose the older generation just can’t grasp the idea that all the answers are now literally at their fingertips. My father is one of these people. He can use Microsoft Word and browse the Internet a bit, and even use Skype. This however seems to be his limit so far. He’s pretty much satisfied with the level he’s at now; along with asking me for help whenever he get’s stuck.

 There is one techie thing my dad wants badly though. He is an avid reader and has been saying he wants a Kindle for years. Dad carries a minimum of three books with him everywhere he goes. He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t mind waiting at the doctor’s office or the DMV. All he needs is a book and he’s happy anywhere. When he found out that he could carry thousands of books with him and even shop for more from the same device, he wouldn’t stop talking about it. And talking about it, and talking about it. Yet, of course, never buying it.

Recently someone showed him an Ipad with the Ibook and Kindle apps. Now he is in a terrible quandary. Which one will he talk about buying for the next few years? Of course he couldn’t buy the kindle when it first came out because he was sure the price would come down eventually. When the second generation came out he had to start waiting all over!

Well, I’ve had enough, and now I’ve decided to buy one for him, and stop all the nonsense. This means the decision is now left to me as to which device to buy, and should I choose wrong, I will never hear the end of it.

I have read plenty of articles comparing the two, but it’s actually pretty simple in this situation. If you think about it logically there are only a few things to consider when buying for someone at this tech level.

First and maybe most important….”size matters”. As I said before, my dad carries books with him everywhere, and of course he is frequently dropping them. The Fire wins hands down here. I think most tablets should follow this logic. The Ipad is not that much smaller then a laptop and one of the biggest selling points is that it is supposed to be more convenient. The kindle fire actually fits in my pocket. That’s convenient! It’s big enough to read, watch video, and browse. I’d say it’s kind of the perfect size.

Maybe just as important is ease of use, especially for the non-techie. Obviously they are both touch-screen, which I think is the best thing since sliced bread when it comes to older people learning today’s technology. Some people just can’t get the idea of a mouse, how to click, or what do you mean hover! Everybody understands fingers. So here both the Fire and the Ipad don’t really differ.
Price? Well this is easy. I really don’t think my dad would have ever shelled out $499 for an Ipad, and that is the bottom of the line model. I can buy the Kindle Fire, their top model, for $200, about the same price as taking my parents out for dinner.

I suppose the biggest argument for the Ipad is that it has more features. In this case though I don’t think that really matters. Sure the Ipad has a camera, and more storage, and tons of apps. And yes, it’s made by Apple. When it comes down to it though, the old man is never gonna use half of these features and won’t miss them. Primarily he is going to read books, which is what the Fire is made for, and does it well. Dad might find a game or two he enjoys, like solitaire. He’ll probably even browse the net once in a while. If he had a built in camera he would probably try it once, and only once, because it’s there.

Well I bought my dad the Kindle Fire and as I predicted, he brings it with him everywhere he goes. He has learned how to shop, buy, and download books and magazines. He checks his email ten times a day. He plays solitaire and poker. He even watches news videos sometimes. Dad loves his kindle, never mentions the Ipad, and best of all, he bought me a coffee mug that says #1 son! Nice sentiment, even though I am his only son.