There are many ways to compare tablets, size, performance, style/design and usability. In a commercial currently running, Amazon shows that the average user can't tell the difference between the iPad and Kindle Fire HD 8.9 except for the big price difference of $200.
Tablet buying is not just about the tablet itself but the bundle of software and services that make it useful to the owner. For the geekiest of users you can see benchmark tests that show Offscreen and OnScreeen frames per second like GLBenchmark.
In these tests the iPad 4 wins hands down for speed, while the Nexus 10 bests the iPad 2 and 3, followed by the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 while the Kindle Fire HD is the slowest in frames per second.
After users buy their tablets they start running benchmarks to how fast the tablets are. We think it may be a better idea to look at benchmark tests and reviews before you buy a tablet, especially if you are a power user.
Here are the top 10" tablet tests from GLBenchmark submitted by suers.
10" Tablet Tests GLBenchmark 2.5 Egypt HD C24Z16 - Offscreen (1080p): Fastest to Slowest
- Apple iPad 4- 5868 Frames (51.9 Fps)
- Google Nexus 10 - 4157 Frames (36.8 Fps)
- Apple iPad 3 - 3019 Frames (26.7 Fps)
- Samsung Galaxy 10 - 1722 Frames (15.2 Fps)
- Apple iPad 2 - 1633 Frames (14.5 Fps) iPad mini same
- Amazon KFJWI Kindle Fire HD 8.9 Wi-Fi -1347 Frames (11.9 Fps)
10" Tablet Tests GLBenchmark 2.5 Egypt HD C24Z16
- Apple iPad 4 4767 Frames (42.2 Fps) .
- Google Nexus 10 3027 Frames (26.8 Fps)
- Apple iPad 2 2806 Frames (24.8 Fps) iPad mini the same
- iPad 3 2563 Frames (22.7 Fps)
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 1781 Frames (15.8 Fps)
- Amazon KFJWI Kindle Fire HD 8.9 Wi-Fi 1331 Frames (11.8 Fps)
You can click on the image to see it in larger size.
Where Amazon shines is price, services, parental controls and user reviewers, not speed. The fastest tablets such as the iPad contenders are seldom discounted unless they are bought used or refurbished from places like Cowboom.
Save $20 off your purchase of $300! Use Code CowBoom20 - New Customers Only, Excludes Deal of the Day, Exp 3-31-13 Today's deal of the day is a 64GB Black iPad 3 for $479.99
The hands-down Android winner is the Google Nexus 10 with Wi-Fi, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, dual core-core A15 processor $499, Buy Nexus 10 32GB from Walmart for $499.99 which makes it a better value than the $499 16GB iPad Retina.
It's hard to find a good deal on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Wi-Fi with 16GB of storage with a list price of $499, however Walmart is selling a refurbished model for $379.00 a special buy with free store pick up.
see full test at GLBenchmark