Amazon Kindle Fire HD

1. PCMag.com

Review Credibility: Excellent
PCMag.com says, "The 7-inch Amazon Kindle Fire HD is a great way to consume your Amazon content on a small screen." However, the tablet's locked-down app and content selection -- as well as its average performance chops -- relegate it to second fiddle status behind the Nexus 7. That said, it still earns an overall Excellent rating.

Review: Amazon Kindle Fire HD (7", Wi-Fi), Sascha Segan, Sept. 11, 2012

2. Laptop Magazine

Review Credibility: Excellent
"With its superb display, superior speakers and improved performance, the $199 Kindle Fire HD is easily one of the best 7-inch tablets available," Prospero writes. However, he says the Nexus 7 is still the better option for most people because of its stock Android operating system and larger app selection.

Review: Amazon Kindle Fire HD (7 inch) Review, Michael A. Prospero, Sept. 11, 2012

3. CNET

Review Credibility: Excellent
"The Amazon Kindle Fire HD is the Kindle Fire as it should have been," Franklin writes en route to giving the tablet an Excellent rating. However, he also considers the Nexus 7 a better overall option. The Kindle Fire HD's limited app selection and lock screen ads prove especially bothersome.

Review: Amazon Kindle Fire HD Review, Eric Franklin, Sept. 11, 2012

4. Arstechnica.com

Review Credibility: Excellent
Johnston also finds the Amazon Kindle Fire HD to be an exceptional 7-inch tablet, but not as exceptional as the Nexus 7. "We'd go so far as to say that if you're not getting a Kindle Fire HD specifically to interact with Amazon's purchasable content, you might be a little annoyed at the way it behaves," she says.

Review: When Your Best Just Isn't Good Enough: the Kindle Fire HD, Casey Johnston, Sept . 18, 2012

5. TheVerge.com

Review Credibility: Excellent
The Kindle Fire HD is "a marvel of bottom-line engineering and incredibly clever subsidies," Topolsky says. "It's a really, really good tablet for doing some very specific things." But if you're looking for a complete tablet experience and not just a device for viewing Amazon-pushed movies and e-books, he calls the Nexus 7 and iPad much better options.

Review: Amazon Kindle Fire HD Review (7-inch), Joshua Topolsky, Sept. 11, 2012

6. Engadget.com

Review Credibility: Excellent
"For casual users looking for an inexpensive yet powerful tablet, the Kindle Fire HD should absolutely be at the top of your shopping list," Stevens says in this detailed and benchmark-filled review. "But for those looking to do more, and do more rapidly, the Nexus 7 is still the king of this diminutive hill."

Review: Amazon Kindle Fire HD Review (7-inch), Tim Stevens, Sept. 11, 2012

7. Pocket-lint.com

Review Credibility: Very Good
Britain's Pocket-lint.com publishes decently detailed reviews that don't include much benchmark testing. After spending several days with the Kindle Fire HD, Hall calls it "a nice safe tablet," but says its shortcomings -- notably the limited app selection -- make the Nexus 7 a better pick.

Review: Amazon Kindle Fire HD Review, Chris Hall, Nov. 1, 2012

8. TrustedReviews.com

Review Credibility: Good
The Kindle Fire HD drives users toward Amazon's downloadable wares, says Williams, who calls the tablet "a good buy as long as you can live with the highly simplified, Amazon-focused interface."

Review: Amazon Kindle Fire HD Review, Andrew Williams, Oct. 26, 2012