Despite the pending iPad 3, a used 1st gen iPad will continue to cost more than a new Kindle Fire

I’m always in the market for potential cheap tablets between my kids (who I hope use it for education without breaking too many devices) and family (who love Angry Birds to a ridiculous amount). Suffice it to say that my requirements aren’t too high when you consider why I’m looking for a relatively cheap tablet but I do keep an eye on prices to see if I can grab a good deal. And with the pending release of the iPad 3 it’s inevitable that the iPad 1st gen and iPad 2 come down in price. If you’re wondering, the current trading price (and by that I mean competitive Craigslists price if you’re hunting daily) for a 16gb iPad 1 in decent condition is about $250 – $275. That’s not a bad price and I think it gets a small hit when the iPad 3 comes out but I don’t think we’re talking about a $100 hit. Why? Well the iPad 1 is still pretty solid. The upgrades in the iPad 2 (like the camera and speed) are nice and all but really, the original iPad still holds its own as a simple to use tablet with tons of apps and it’s more than capable of handling tasks whether they’re casual or business in nature. As much as I despise Apple, it’s hard to knock the iPad for what they’ve made of it. So even assuming a $100 price cut (which I think is a bit extreme at least for a few months) we’ll be looking at an iPad 1 which is used between $150-$175.

Here’s the curious thing though – the current Craigslist price for a new Kindle Fire is between $150-$175. These are in new in box to opened but lightly used. And based on the age of the Kindle Fire you know it will have less use than an iPad 1. We also know that a Kindle Fire 2 isn’t too far off and I’d expect that original Kindle Fire to take a similar hit in price. With a list price of $200 but already selling at $150 I’d expect Amazon to discount the 1st gen to about $150 and that will push the Craigslist price to nearly the $100 range.

Bottom line is, it doesn’t matter if the Kindle is discounted or not. The original iPad is still selling for a higher price than a new Kindle Fire and I don’t see that changing any time soon. This speaks to the quality of the iPad and the lack of quality of the Fire. And these aren’t my words – you’re the consumer and this is what you’re pricing it at. And when the Kindle Fires hit TouchPad prices I can get one to play Angry Birds for my family and when the iPad 1 hits the Kindle Fire range my kids can get one to learn…