I have an iPhone so thought of sticking with Apple when hinting for a mini pad for CHRISTmas.
Son#3 has a Kindle Fire and when I held it, it seemed heavy and bulky. Is the iPad Mimi easier to hold than the Fire. I’m not big on apps. I just like to go and bookmark where google takes me-— mostly current news. So my tastes are simple.
Would I like Apple or Amazon Kindle do you think?
For that usage profile, I'd lead toward Kindle (or Nook, if you're so inclined). The strength of the iPad is that it's more versatile and powerful -- if you don't need that, then a less expensive alternative is probably better.
I have a Kindle Fire myself, and while I have some apps installed, I rarely use them (as opposed to the apps on my iPhone). It's used 99% of the time for reading books, and frankly, the only benefit the Fire has over the basic Kindle in that respect is that it's in color, which can help for illustrated books.
The mini iPad is wonderful, it’s light and you can read all your Kindle books on it .
I just gave it as a gift and it was a big hit!