Google Nexus 7 vs Kindle Fire HDX

Choose your rectangle Picking a favourite in the design department is a little tricky when you're comparing four glass-fronted slabs, but there are a few distinct differences here. The Google Nexus 7 is the slimmer, more elongated device, measuring a svelte 200 x 114 x 8.7 mm, while the Kindle Fire HDX 7 and Tesco Hudl are a slightly burlier 186 x 128 x 9.0mm and 192.8 x 128.8 x 9.9mm respectively.

Amazon is upgrading its Kindle Fire HD tablet to the Kindle Fire HDX, and the 7-inch model is ready to square off directly against the Google Nexus 7. The new 16GB Kindle retails for $229 (with Special Offers on the lock screen; the price is $244 without ads) just like the Nexus 7.

There are lots of 7-inch Android tablets, but two stand above the rest: Google's Nexus 7 and the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX. Both devices start at $229, and both feature sharp, full-1080p displays. Plus, both tablets earned Editors' Choice awards. So how is one to choose?

The tablet as we know it has existed for only three years and we already have plenty of tired old cliches about them. The first is that they're media consumption machines, built only for taking in movies and leafing through magazines. Tell that to the legions of suit and tie types running their empires via iPad and keyboard dock.