Kindle, Fire or Other Tablet

I have both the 7" kindle fire and the new, bigger version that came out this year. I like using the smaller one for portability and as you already mentioned - it's great. The other tablets out there are more expensive because they are trying to compete with the iPad so you have more memory, bigger processor, etc for some business applications whereas the kindle is made for reading/streaming. Think of tablets as stripped down laptops but more portable and kindles as reading/multimedia players. Good luck.

I use a Sony Reader for reading and have a bunch of other devices (ipad, netbook, cellphone, laptop) for everything else. I'm a HUGE fan of e-ink for reading. I sit in front of a computer all day for work, and the e-ink is much easier on my eyes...esp since I don't get to read until midnight or so.

I would also consider what your mom likes to read. Books are fine for e-ink, but magazines probably do better on a tablet/color reader of some sort. Where does she get her books? Different readers accept different book formats, so you might want to consider that as well.

I use my Samsung Galaxy S3 for everything....bypassing the need for the Kindle. :)

Thinking in another direction: take her on a Road Trip....that's what my Mom/I did for last year's BD. Memories in the making!

Does she have a lot of photos? What about the 2 of you sitting down & journaling/scrapbooking her entire collection into something presentable?

& one more thought: what about a piece of jewelry? Or a nice quilt?

EDIT (after your SWH): I don't get the feeling YOU are reading your own question! "I'm wondering if we shouldn't just buy her a cheap tablet she can put a kindle app on." Many of the responses answered your original question....they just didn't respond in the manner in which you desired. & my response was geared towards your statement "I'm at a loss as to what to get my mom." As far as I'm concerned you opened the door with that statement. Aren't we a little testy today? Peace & LOL.

I have both a Nook Simple Touch (e-ink reader) and an iPad Mini. I prefer the Nook for reading. As long as your mom isn't interested in reading magazines on her device, an e-ink reader might be a good choice for her. Small, lightweight and easy on the eyes.

On the other hand, my husband hasn't touched his Nook since he got a tablet (iPad Mini). He does all of his reading on the Mini. My dad, also, prefers to read on a tablet (he has a Nook HD, which is similar to a Kindle Fire). They both like to read in the dark, and you can't beat a tablet for that.

It isn't good to do a lot of reading on a tablet that isn't designed as an e-reader because of the shiny screen. We have a Blackberry Playbook to use as a tablet and I have a Nook for reading. Sorry, not a Nook, a Kobo.
ETA: Does your mom like to read? If so I would definitely go with an ereader. As for the Kindle, can you take out library books on the Kindle?

IPad all the way. Why have 2 devices when one will do¿

iPad. Hands down! Love, love, love mine.

I have a Nook HD. The bigger size. This was my Christmas present. I love it.I read on and use the apps.

I have a Kindle fire and LOVE it. I tried to use my MILs regular Kindle and did not like it.

You can also surf the web with a Fire.

We have Nook Color (me) & Kindle Fire (son) in my house. The Nook offers more colors/size/font options for reading not a big deal for my son but if your mom has eyesight issues you might want to go & compare both. I read my Nook without a light in bed & without issues at kid's outside sports practice, changing colors/lighting/margins/fonts with the environment.
The Nook color is a bit clunky to work on internet - I got before the nook tablet came out so the newer versions are probably better. It has inexpensive expandable memory (microSD card) though I have close to 1K books & have never need more memory - apps of course could change this - I only have a few and use my iPhone for this but probably different for your mom. The Kindle does not have expandable memory. Their new HD even has a camera built in making it more multipurpose but not front & rear like iPad.
The Kindle operates more like a computer than Nook & is easier for kids to operate, the Nook more eReader. Google nook v kindle to find out more about this.
You can go to any Barnes & Noble to learn about the Nook & they have classes. A big deal if mom needs help/likes the interaction especially if you don't live close.
Both can now utilize the ebooks from library though I believe it is still the case that Nook can use more file types than kindle - check that aspect out. The Nook comes with connector for computer & charger. The Kindle only a charger though uses standard micro cable to connect to USB - only big deal if you want to transfer stuff from your computer.
I bought a cheap ereader for my husband a few years back - waste of money should have returned it was slow, hard to operate, etc... Amazon/B&N stand behind their products & are user friendly
You can't go wrong with either onen - I know you asked about Kindle but not knowing how old your mom is I wanted to talk about Nook as I really like its eye friendly eReader options things you don't notice unless you are an avid reader. And now with newer models they both really have tablet functionality (just no Siri or dual cameras ;-). B&N has a huge library of online books as does Amazon's online - though I believe given file formats there are more free books available for Nook.
Also recommend a screen cover and a case that is lightweight and suits her - stand/fold etc...
Good luck!