This little item has been getting a lot of press lately. I'm encouraged by what I'm hearing. A 7 inch, full color tablet, running a version of Android for $250. Umm, where do I slide my credit card! :)
It's called simply the "Amazon Kindle". But it's not like any Kindle you've seen before. It displays content in full color. It has a 7-inch capacitive touch screen. And it runs Android.
Rumors of Amazon making a full-fledged tablet device have persisted for a while. I believe we were one of the first to report on the possibility from a credible source — the same person who accurately called Amazon's Android Appstore. That source was dead-on again, it just took Amazon longer than anticipated to get the device ready to go. They're now close.
How do I know all of this? Well, not only have I heard about the device, I've seen it and used it. And I'm happy to report that it's going to be a big deal. Huge, potentially.
First of all, before every commenter asks, no, sadly, I don't have any pictures to share. That was the one condition of me getting this information. So instead you'll have to rely on my prose to draw a picture of the device in your head. Or you can just look at a BlackBerry PlayBook — because it looks very similar in terms of form-factor.
So here's what I know and what I saw:
Again, the device is a 7-inch tablet with a capacitive touch screen. It is multi-touch, but from what I saw, I believe the reports that it relies on a two-finger multi-touch (instead of 10-finger, like the iPad uses) are accurate. This will be the first Kindle with a full-color screen. And yes, it is back-lit. There is no e-ink to be found anywhere on this device.
Earlier this week, reports suggested that a 7-inch Amazon tablet could be released in October, with a larger, 10-inch version to follow next year. That's somewhat accurate. As of right now, Amazon's only definitive plan is to release this 7-inch Kindle tablet and they're targeting the end of November to do that. The version I saw was a DVT (Design Verification Testing) unit. These have started floating around the company. It's ready, they're just tweaking the software now. If it's not in production yet, it will be very soon.
Originally, Amazon had planned to launch a 7-inch and a 10-inch tablet at the same time. But that plan changed this summer. Now they're betting everything on the 7-inch. If it's a hit, they will release the more expensive 10-inch tablet in Q1 2012.
So how much will the 7-inch Kindle cost? $250.
Yes, Amazon has been able to trim the cost of the device to half of the entry-level iPad. And it will be the same price as Barnes & Noble's Nook Color, which this will very obviously compete with directly. Both have 7-inch color touch screens. Both run Android.
And this is where things get really interesting. As anticipated, Amazon has forked Android to build their own version for the Kindle. Simply put: it looks nothing like the Android you're used to seeing.
The interface is all Amazon and Kindle. It's black, dark blue, and a bunch of orange. The main screen is a carousel that looks like Cover Flow in iTunes which displays all the content you have on the device. This includes books, apps, movies, etc. Below the main carousel is a dock to pin your favorite items in one easy-to-access place. When you turn the device horizontally, the dock disappears below the fold.
Above the dock is the status bar (time, battery, etc) and this doubles as a notification tray. When apps have updates, or when new subscriptions are ready for you to view, they appear here. The top bar shows "YOUR NAME's Kindle" and then the number of notifications you have in bright orange. It looks quite nice.
There are no physical buttons on the surface of the device. You bring up a lower navigation menu by tapping the screen once. This can take you back home, etc.
But the key for Amazon is just how deeply integrated all of their services are. Amazon's content store is always just one click away. The book reader is a Kindle app (which looks similar to how it does on Android and iOS now). The music player is Amazon's Cloud Player. The movie player is Amazon's Instant Video player. The app store is Amazon's Android Appstore.
Google's Android Market is nowhere to be found. In fact, no Google app is anywhere to be found. This is Android fully forked. My understanding is that the Kindle OS was built on top of some version of Android prior to 2.2. And Amazon will keep building on top of that of that over time. In other words, this won't be getting "Honeycomb" or "Ice Cream Sandwich" — or if it does, users will never know it because that will only be the underpinnings of the OS. Any visual changes will be all Amazon.
They are not working with Google on this. At all.
There is a web browser (of course), and while it's styled a bit to match the Kindle UI, it looks pretty much the same as the Android's WebKit browser. Yes, it has tabs! And yes, Google Search is still the default (the Kindle also has its own search tool to find content on your device).
Overall, the UI of this Kindle felt very responsive. You can flick through the carousel seamlessly. This is something Amazon has apparently been working on quite a bit, I'm told. And they continue to. Some of the page-turning touch mechanics still needed a bit of work in the version I used.
I believe the visual web reading app Pulse will be bundled with the Kindle. A game like Angry Birds may be as well. Again, it uses Amazon's Android Appstore, so all of the content accepted into that store will play well on this device. Apps, games, content, you name it. Amazon creating their own app store is starting to make a lot more sense, and looks potentially very smart (as anticipated).
A few more bits about the hardware:
I believe it is running on a single-core chip (though I'm not 100 percent sure). My understanding is that the 10-inch version, if it comes, will have a dual-core chip.
I also believe the device only has 6 GB of internal storage. The idea is that this will be more of a "cloud device" for things like music and movies. The storage is meant for storing books and apps There were a few references to an SD card expansion, but I couldn't find a slot on the hardware itself.
This initial version of the device will be WiFi-only. Amazon is supposedly working with carriers to possibly product 3G-enabled versions (as they have with their other Kindles), but that won't be the case at launch.
I'm not sure what the battery life is like (I only played with it for about an hour), but I imagine it is very good and in line with other tablets — 10 hours or so.
The back of the device is rubbery — again, it's very similar to the PlayBook (it's black as well). The power button is underneath if you're holding it vertically (which is a bit odd — but it's obviously to the side if you're holding it horizontally). There's a micro-USB port (presumably for powering the device as well). The speakers are of the top of the device (again, if it's being held vertically).
There is no camera.
So why will people buy this device instead of a Nook Color? Well, beyond the deep Amazon services integration, there will be two other reasons, I believe. First, Amazon is going to promote the hell out of this thing on Amazon.com. Second, the plan right now is to give buyers a free subscription to Amazon Prime.
The service, which Amazon currently sells for $79 a year, gives users access things like free unlimited two-day shipping, and no minimum purchases for free shipping. More importantly for this product, Prime users get access to Amazon's Instant Video service. There will be more Kindle-related perks, I imagine.
As far as the existing e-ink-based Kindles, all I've heard is that they'll continue to co-exist with this new tablet (though the DX may or may not stick around). They'll simply be the low-end, low-cost Kindles, whereas this new one will be the high-end one (at least until the 10-inch version comes out, if it does). One source said it doesn't seem likely that Amazon is going to release a touch-screen e-ink Kindle, like the new Nook, anytime soon. But none of that is confirmed, it's simply speculation based on the emphasis on getting this new tablet to market.
Oh and one more thing: Amazon has been working on a multi-touch screen/e-ink hybrid tablet device. But that's nowhere near completion, I'm told. So for now, this new Kindle will have to do.
That's all for now. I suspect even more information (and pictures) will start leaking out soon — again, the new Kindle is very close to being done. Not only is the device real, from what I've seen, it's solid. I suspect it will be on many people's holiday wish-list this year.
http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/02/amazon-kindle-tablet/ (http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/02/amazon-kindle-tablet/)
I heard a rumor that Amazon Vine members might get a free one...I could only hope...
Quote from: Bromptonboy on September 21, 2011, 04:54:37 PM
I heard a rumor that Amazon Vine members might get a free one...I could only hope...
I think you might mean Amazon Prime.
Quote from: Bromptonboy on September 21, 2011, 04:54:37 PM
I heard a rumor that Amazon Vine members might get a free one...I could only hope...
Unless the tablet is much cheaper than the iPad (which has been rumored), I really doubt that Amazon's $79 a year covers tablets ;)
King
I already own a 7 inch color tablet with full Android capability. It's called a Nook Color and I'd place my softrooted nook against anything Amazon can put out. Amazon's way behind the learning curve on the tablet thing.
Kevin
Quote from: Ktrek on September 21, 2011, 08:20:23 PM
I already own a 7 inch color tablet with full Android capability. It's called a Nook Color and I'd place my softrooted nook against anything Amazon can put out. Amazon's way behind the learning curve on the tablet thing.
Kevin
If anyone has a chance of even competing with Apple right now, its Amazon. They have an app store, music, video (streaming too), Audible, Kindle, their version of a cloud and a non-digital store. But the trick is whether they can make their app store more profitable for developers. iOS is still much easier to make $$ off of than Droid.
King
ah so like a nook color but for amazon. interesting.
Quote from: Rico on September 21, 2011, 06:33:38 PM
Quote from: Bromptonboy on September 21, 2011, 04:54:37 PM
I heard a rumor that Amazon Vine members might get a free one...I could only hope...
I think you might mean Amazon Prime.
No - the rumor was for Vine members - who get some free items each month - but must post reviews. I know you will get perks as a Prime member who owns a tablet.
Never heard of Vine members before. Interesting.
Oh, and no one should underestimate Amazon. They have huge buying power and name brand recognition. They are certainly going to do well with this new device - just as they have with the Kindle.
The price point is what makes this so attractive. I'm not crazy about the storage capability. 6Gb is not enough unless you're really only using it to read books and surf the web/email etc. I don't really understand this, is flash memory so expensive that they can only offer that little and keep the price at $250?
It's more likely so cheap that they had to take a lot of it out to pay for the more expensive components and maintain that price.
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on September 22, 2011, 06:53:51 AM
The price point is what makes this so attractive. I'm not crazy about the storage capability. 6Gb is not enough unless you're really only using it to read books and surf the web/email etc. I don't really understand this, is flash memory so expensive that they can only offer that little and keep the price at $250?
Large sized reliable flash memory? Yes. You have to remember, it's not like you're going to the store and buying a 32GB USB stick, they have to source this stuff in vast quantities.
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on September 22, 2011, 06:53:51 AM
The price point is what makes this so attractive. I'm not crazy about the storage capability. 6Gb is not enough unless you're really only using it to re
ad books and surf the web/email etc. I don't really understand this, is flash memory so expensive that they can only offer that little and keep the price at $250?
I don't like that either - I would want more local storage in those instances when WiFi is not available.
Keep in mind both Amazon, iTunes, pretty much everyone is moving more and more to cloud storage. I don't think the memory size will be that big of an issue.
If it can't compete on the ap front, it's going to be a struggle to gain a lot of traction over the momentum iTunes has. They also have missed the boat on the screen size.
I'm still struggling to decide if I'd buy this over a regular Kindle.
Let's face it, if I want a tablet I'll go the Apple route but I don't really want to read on an iPad. That leaves a regular e-ink type, monochrome Kindle as still possibly the best option for me.
^ Case in point. The tablet market is all about web surfing, aps, and video content viewing. Period.
Quote from: Bryancd on September 22, 2011, 12:21:43 PM
^ Case in point. The tablet market is all about web surfing, aps, and video content viewing. Period.
Wow, I totally disagree. There a huge market for this kind of product. I know tons of people that have avoided the iPad and other competing products solely because of the high price. If there's something that comes out with almost the same functionality at half the price or less it's going to do well snatching up those on the fence buyers.
You still can't beat a good book, you knopw ones with pages that gives you a sense of excitement with each trurn of the page.
Doesn't have the aps and the screen is too small.
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on September 22, 2011, 12:34:14 PM
Quote from: Bryancd on September 22, 2011, 12:21:43 PM
^ Case in point. The tablet market is all about web surfing, aps, and video content viewing. Period.
Wow, I totally disagree. There a huge market for this kind of product. I know tons of people that have avoided the iPad and other competing products solely because of the high price. If there's something that comes out with almost the same functionality at half the price or less it's going to do well snatching up those on the fence buyers.
Nope, doesn't have the aps and the screen is too small. People will continue to pay up for the iPad premium. The iPad will be the dominant tablet device for the foreseeable future.
Quote from: HawkeyeMeds on September 22, 2011, 02:52:55 PM
You still can't beat a good book, you knopw ones with pages that gives you a sense of excitement with each trurn of the page.
Luddite. :)
I agree - paper books will always have a place with me - but I see a place in my library for a table\e-reader as well.
Quote from: Bryancd on September 22, 2011, 03:37:15 PM
Doesn't have the aps and the screen is too small.Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on September 22, 2011, 12:34:14 PM
Quote from: Bryancd on September 22, 2011, 12:21:43 PM
^ Case in point. The tablet market is all about web surfing, aps, and video content viewing. Period.
Wow, I totally disagree. There a huge market for this kind of product. I know tons of people that have avoided the iPad and other competing products solely because of the high price. If there's something that comes out with almost the same functionality at half the price or less it's going to do well snatching up those on the fence buyers.
Nope, doesn't have the aps and the screen is too small. People will continue to pay up for the iPad premium. The iPad will be the dominant tablet device for the foreseeable future.
I like my iPad, but Bryan this tablet is going to run a version of Android. TONS of apps on that. A 7 inch screen is ok to surf the web - people do it all day on their iPhones. So, a tablet half the price of an iPad easily has a place in the market. It doesn't need to beat the iPad, but as others said, $250 is much easier for many people to swallow vs. $500. Especially for giving one to their kids, etc. It still freaks me out when I hear about people handing a $500 iPad to a 4 yr. old!
Quote from: Bryancd on September 22, 2011, 03:37:15 PM
Doesn't have the aps and the screen is too small.Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on September 22, 2011, 12:34:14 PM
Quote from: Bryancd on September 22, 2011, 12:21:43 PM
^ Case in point. The tablet market is all about web surfing, aps, and video content viewing. Period.
Wow, I totally disagree. There a huge market for this kind of product. I know tons of people that have avoided the iPad and other competing products solely because of the high price. If there's something that comes out with almost the same functionality at half the price or less it's going to do well snatching up those on the fence buyers.
Nope, doesn't have the aps and the screen is too small. People will continue to pay up for the iPad premium. The iPad will be the dominant tablet device for the foreseeable future.
Of course they will, because the iPad is the best. There will always be people that pay a premium for the Cadillac, but a heck of a lot more buy the Toyota Corrolla because they can afford it. There's room for both, but it's too early to say for sure if your last sentence will always be true.
Or my very non-techie Aunt who just bought one, almost as scary. No, I like Amazon a lot and think the Kindle is a great e-reader. But people will continue to pay the Apple premium for the content AND the cache. You guys forget how powerful that appeal and import is to a lot of people. They want to have the Apple logo on the device and that's worth and extra $200 to the majority of them. That's the power of brand and Apple has it. Amazon doesn't, they are known for having low prices. They will sell these, but the numbers won't be huge and my initial comment was to point out this is NOT an iPad competitor. There will be one one day, justy not today.
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on September 22, 2011, 04:52:51 PM
Of course they will, because the iPad is the best. There will always be people that pay a premium for the Cadillac, but a heck of a lot more buy the Toyota Corrolla because they can afford it. There's room for both, but it's too early to say for sure if your last sentence will always be true.
Have I been wrong in all of our conversations regarding the iPhone or iPad over all these years in predicting the power of these devices? It will be a number of years before any competing device can make inroads in the space. You guys need to appreciate how much the iPad is changing the portable computer market. It's a game changer. It's a direct assault on the traditional laptop business. It's very likely devices like this will become ubiquitous around the world and the main way people use technology.
Bryan - this has nothing to do with you - or you being right or wrong. But look at it this way. Can you name me one product - anywhere that doesn't have serious competition? Even though all us geeks or nerds here love our little devices and gadgets, they haven't really made it far into mainstream society yet. There's plenty of room for other devices.
I will tell you this, if the Amazon device described above was available when I got my iPad I probably would have bought the Amazon version. And that is a critical point for me.
I have four tablet devices now and none of them are an iPAD. Apple is clearly banking with that logo on the device, but soon it's going to be a matter of flash over substance and iPAD doesn't have the substance that some of this other tech has. I'll give Apple credit where credit is due, but they aren't going to dominate for long. If anything, people will soon welcome the diversity and competition.
Being right or wrong in regards to this kind of analysis is what I do for a living, keep that in mind. My clients expect me to identify market trends and position them accordingly. They want decisiveness and clarity of analysis. My comments are based on that position, I don't care what the result is in regards to which tablet is better, just that I identify it early enough to profit from it. My interest begins and ends there.
Let me just say that the Kindle tablet will be Android base OS but Amazon has already said that it will not be an open platform. No Android Market. So... to do so will require softrooting the tablet and liberating it from it's proprietary design. As I said before The Nook Color is a 7 inch tablet. I don't understand why anyone thinks that the Kindle tablet will be any better than the Nook Color. I have full access to the Marketplace and have at least a hundred apps on my Nook Color. It has a 7 inch touch screen. You can buy one on Ebay from B&N for $179.00. I can surf the web, play games, stream video, play music and read books. I even have the Kindle app installed on my Nook Color so I can pretty much read any book available in ebook form and from many vendors. The Kindle tablet is only trying to grab some of the market they think B&N has taken from them. They seriously cannot compete with Apple and the Ipad. It's ridiculous to think so. As I said before they are behind the curve and are now trying to play catch up.
Kevin
Quote from: Bryancd on September 22, 2011, 07:25:18 PM
Being right or wrong in regards to this kind of analysis is what I do for a living, keep that in mind. My clients expect me to identify market trends and position them accordingly. They want decisiveness and clarity of analysis. My comments are based on that position, I don't care what the result is in regards to which tablet is better, just that I identify it early enough to profit from it. My interest begins and ends there.
I totally agree with what you are saying. I think that you're right to a certain extent. Apple is a juggernaut and a status symbol. People will pay the premium for it.
Now, the only thing I disagree with is for how long. I remember a time when Porsche was the car to have. Their pricing hasn't changed much, nor has their quality, but they are no longer the car to have. I think that there is a tipping scale that comes into play when buying items that serve as a status symbol. When they reach a certain level of saturation, a lot of the people in it for the status start looking for new things to be the next big thing.
I have no doubt that the glowing Apple will reach a saturation point to where it's no longer the next big thing and merely a thing. Are we getting close to that point? I honestly have no clue, but I can assure you that the people that are lining up to buy the next big thing won't care if it has an Apple on it as long as they are one of the first to have the bragging right to having it. From my experience, people that are into status symbols aren't that damn picky as to who makes it just as long as they are part of the elite to own it.
Quote from: Ktrek on September 22, 2011, 08:09:16 PM
Let me just say that the Kindle tablet will be Android base OS but Amazon has already said that it will not be an open platform. No Android Market. So...
My understanding was that the reason Android Market was out was because just about everything else Google-centric was also out. Amazon have their own Android app store, however, controversial as this may be in some circles, so I'm not sure you're painting a fully accurate picture.
What makes the iPad great right now is not the functionality, which is the same across multiple platforms, but rather the third party support. Tons of apps, and big names that people associate with the device, like Netflix. I dont see that changing any time soon, but third parties will go where the users go. If tons of people flock to a new device bcause of great marketing and low price, so will the third party developers. What makes the future of the iPad bright is the brand recognition. The average person in the street, when they see me with my iPad, don't say "oh is that a tablet," they usually say "oh is that an iPad" and I don't see that changing anytime soon either.
Quote from: Feathers on September 23, 2011, 01:15:18 AM
Quote from: Ktrek on September 22, 2011, 08:09:16 PM
Let me just say that the Kindle tablet will be Android base OS but Amazon has already said that it will not be an open platform. No Android Market. So...
My understanding was that the reason Android Market was out was because just about everything else Google-centric was also out. Amazon have their own Android app store, however, controversial as this may be in some circles, so I'm not sure you're painting a fully accurate picture.
Since the table isn't out yet, I can only go by what I have read. But I think there is some incorrect or at least misleading information in this thread.
Amazon is building it's own version of the Android OS for the device. But, that doesn't mean it can't run the Android apps that are out there. There really won't be a need to "hack" this device as KTrek has suggested.
As far as the whole iPad vs. Kindle Tablet vs. Nook vs. ??? - that is all up to the individual buyer. Again, I think this Amazon device has a great deal going for it and will do well in the marketplace. I knew starting this whole thread would create this kind of discussion again. But to think the iPad is the only tablet anyone will ever buy or want is somewhat naive to me.
All good points Chris, Joby, and Kevin. I agree down the road there will be multiple versions of this device in consumer hands but it's going to be a long time until the majority of those devices are not an Apple. As Joby points out, they aren't referred to as tablets but iPads. That's already been accepted as the generic term to refer to these devices. The other aspect of this you all need to consider is the global economy. As huge emerging markets continue to industrialize and create a consumer base with new found wealth, the market place for the leader in this space has a huge opportunity to capitalize on that brand recognition. The Apple symbol is as well known as the Nike swoosh around the world. As I mentioned, the tablet market is going to transform the PC market forever and Apple is at the forefront of a growth segment which has HUGE penetration yet to be made .Also keep in mind the iPad is still a new device, it was released only last year, to a lot of criticism which proved to be completely wrong. People didn't get it but then suddenly everyone wanted it. It's the perfect storm for the company and unless they do something colossally stupid, Apple can grow this market for years.
Quote from: Rico on September 23, 2011, 05:11:02 AM
As far as the whole iPad vs. Kindle Tablet vs. Nook vs. ??? - that is all up to the individual buyer. Again, I think this Amazon device has a great deal going for it and will do well in the marketplace. I knew starting this whole thread would create this kind of discussion again. But to think the iPad is the only tablet anyone will ever buy or want is somewhat naive to me.
So what? It's a conversation, no big deal. Why would you worry about the direction a conversation goes, it's a forum. :)
One comment was made that this was a competitior to the iPad and I have pointed out why as of now, it's not and won't be for some time. The same thing was said around here with the RIM product and look how that worked out. And it's far from naive to recognize the reality of the current tablet market. As I have said in every comment, there market position won't last forever but if I had to make a call I would say at least another 5+ years until any competing device can find any real traction.
Bry out of curiosity do you still buy books or do you read all content on your iPad? Do you think books will go down the same route as vinyl?
I don't make a living analyzing trends, but I don't think it takes a professional to see the writing on the wall. If you judge by the magazine and newspaper industries, it's not looking good for print. Also factor in hat one of the biggest retailers closed their doors just this month, and you can clearly see an "adapt or die" scenario rapidly approaching. Personally I don't think paper books will become the niche product that vinyl is now for quite some time, but when you consider the costs and resources required to manufacture and distribute physcial media, it's only a matter of time.
Quote from: HawkeyeMeds on September 23, 2011, 08:23:12 AM
Bry out of curiosity do you still buy books or do you read all content on your iPad? Do you think books will go down the same route as vinyl?
I'm still with books but Jamie is using the iPad more and more and is lobbying for us both to get Kindles. I continue to resist but will likely succumb. :) I have begun to get STAR TREK and STAR WARS magazines using Zinio online subscriptions and read those on the iPad but I still get hard copies of all my triathlon magazines. I do think digital books, magazines, and newspapers are the future, it's just a more efficient distribution model that can ultimately reach more people in a wired world.
FIRE!!!!! Looks like a nice product and the $199 is a great price point for them. Lot's of new Kindle products as well.
The 79 dollar kindle is huge. sub 100 dollars makes it an impulse purchase. Another interesting thing is how they are moving a lot of the heavy lifting into the cloud. For example, with the web browser, the web pages are processed on Amazon EC2 (aka the cloud) and just the rendered HTML is actually sent to the tablet.
Yeah, i think jamie and I will get that basic Kindle and move to e-books.
I want a Fire Tablet already! Amazing and useful at an awesome price. This is going to sell like hotcakes! And a touch Kindle reader! Amazon is firing all barrels today.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2011/09/amazon-announces-kindle-fire-tablet-for-199/1 (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2011/09/amazon-announces-kindle-fire-tablet-for-199/1)
Preorder yours for the Nov. 15th launch!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051VVOB2 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051VVOB2)
Well, Apple has sold about 30 million iPad since introduction and has 2/3 of the market share, so figure current tablet market is 50million units and growing. i could see Amazon capturing upwards of 10%, so that's 5 million+ right off the bat.
Very nice, but Apple still has security. 8GB internal? No cameras? 7" screen? 8 Hour Battery?
Granted, this will sell. People that are really into Amazon stuff will get this, but the iPad is far and away not worried about the Fire. But its little wonder why its so cheap. They really shortened the specs on this to make it cheap.
Also, Silk = not fond of. Opera does the same thing basically and that barely works.
King
There was always going to be room in the cheap tablet market and I think Amazon will easily capture that. It's not an iPad competitior anymore then a $750 Dell desktop competes with a MacBook Pro, it's a different market segment all together. Apple still has the power of the app store, wireless, camera's, and the aspirational nod. Amzon is the king of the loss leader reatil. Just like the Kindle, they likely loose money on these in an effort to drive volume and people to the Amazon store and experience, that's their business model.
Something else I found out, those Kindle prices are with "Special Offers" (Advertisements). You'll have to pay an additional $30-40 to get them without ads. Very sneaky that Amazon doesn't mention this anywhere on their website atm...
King
I think that this is going to be a big hit in a lot of places. I can already see the benefits of a 200 buck tablet for Junior High and High School students. I think that's the cost of a single text book and there is far less overhead for a school to worry about.
Kindle is already a juggernaut and combine that with some of the cheaper entries and you have a means of addressing a huge segment of the population that can't pony up a ton of cash for each person in a family.
As for the special offers ... it's ads outside of the reading. They don't come on when you are reading anything, so I can see that not playing much of a factor.
That's a great point X...
Quote from: X on September 28, 2011, 10:27:01 AM
I think that this is going to be a big hit in a lot of places. I can already see the benefits of a 200 buck tablet for Junior High and High School students. I think that's the cost of a single text book and there is far less overhead for a school to worry about.
Kindle is already a juggernaut and combine that with some of the cheaper entries and you have a means of addressing a huge segment of the population that can't pony up a ton of cash for each person in a family.
As for the special offers ... it's ads outside of the reading. They don't come on when you are reading anything, so I can see that not playing much of a factor.
As long as the book publishers allow the usage of it on the Tablets, then yes, that is a very good point.
King
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on September 28, 2011, 10:36:53 AM
Quote from: X on September 28, 2011, 10:27:01 AM
I think that this is going to be a big hit in a lot of places. I can already see the benefits of a 200 buck tablet for Junior High and High School students. I think that's the cost of a single text book and there is far less overhead for a school to worry about.
Kindle is already a juggernaut and combine that with some of the cheaper entries and you have a means of addressing a huge segment of the population that can't pony up a ton of cash for each person in a family.
As for the special offers ... it's ads outside of the reading. They don't come on when you are reading anything, so I can see that not playing much of a factor.
As long as the book publishers allow the usage of it on the Tablets, then yes, that is a very good point.
King
What do you mean? They already do it. You can get college and some hs text books now and for the last couple of years.
Quote from: X on September 28, 2011, 10:41:31 AM
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on September 28, 2011, 10:36:53 AM
Quote from: X on September 28, 2011, 10:27:01 AM
I think that this is going to be a big hit in a lot of places. I can already see the benefits of a 200 buck tablet for Junior High and High School students. I think that's the cost of a single text book and there is far less overhead for a school to worry about.
Kindle is already a juggernaut and combine that with some of the cheaper entries and you have a means of addressing a huge segment of the population that can't pony up a ton of cash for each person in a family.
As for the special offers ... it's ads outside of the reading. They don't come on when you are reading anything, so I can see that not playing much of a factor.
As long as the book publishers allow the usage of it on the Tablets, then yes, that is a very good point.
King
What do you mean? They already do it. You can get college and some hs text books now and for the last couple of years.
A very select few. For he past year and a half I've checked every book that I got, on Amazon, and it was not available on the Kindle.
King
I was just thinking about this and I checked some prices. Some textbooks are free ... a bunch are less than 10. Can you imagine how much more our children can learn if their classes aren't limited to the bought in bulk text books of old? With cheap text at our fingers, we could actually rebuilt the foundation of our education systems. Libraries in schools that can be a mix of text and digital.
I have so many great memories studying in the school library, but at the same time I have so much disappointment when searching out a book and discovering that we don't carry it. Just imagine the possibilities of a virtual library in conjunction with the physical must haves.
At less than 100 for a reader, I think we've found something that might work well.
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on September 28, 2011, 10:12:59 AM
Something else I found out, those Kindle prices are with "Special Offers" (Advertisements). You'll have to pay an additional $30-40 to get them without ads. Very sneaky that Amazon doesn't mention this anywhere on their website atm...
King
Looks pretty clearly indicated to me
Quote from: billybob476 on September 28, 2011, 11:05:41 AM
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on September 28, 2011, 10:12:59 AM
Something else I found out, those Kindle prices are with "Special Offers" (Advertisements). You'll have to pay an additional $30-40 to get them without ads. Very sneaky that Amazon doesn't mention this anywhere on their website atm...
King
Looks pretty clearly indicated to me
Yeah, I saw that too.
Wow!!! Special offers AND it's $30 cheaper!!! This is amazing. Why would someone pay MORE to voluntarily not get the special offers?!? That's just crazy!!!
As far as I've heard the "special offers" display when the device is in standby and don't affect the reading experience at all.
I have looked and looked at pics of the Fire on their website and they are either lying about the overall size of the Fire or lying about the screen size. The over all dimensions are supposed to be 7.5 inches in length. That would leave room for only 1/4 inch borders on the top and bottom. The bottom border has to be at least one inch and the top a half inch. That would make the screen a 6 inch and not 7.
Also, the only real improvement I see over B&Ns Nook is the dual quad processor. Otherwise the Nook has better support of various file types and more options to buy. Yea the nook can't get the Amazon streams but I bet there is or will be an app I could download on my softrooted nook that would do that if I was willing to pay for "Prime" membership, which I am not! Hulu works just fine thank you! I can't believe that people think this is innovative. Amazon just finally woke up and realized that B&N had outbested them and now they are playing catch up. This does not do anything that I have cannot do and have been doing on my Nook color for a year now.
Kevin
Quote from: Ktrek on September 28, 2011, 05:02:04 PM
I have looked and looked at pics of the Fire on their website and they are either lying about the overall size of the Fire or lying about the screen size. The over all dimensions are supposed to be 7.5 inches in length. That would leave room for only 1/4 inch borders on the top and bottom. The bottom border has to be at least one inch and the top a half inch. That would make the screen a 6 inch and not 7.
Also, the only real improvement I see over B&Ns Nook is the dual quad processor. Otherwise the Nook has better support of various file types and more options to buy. Yea the nook can't get the Amazon streams but I bet there is or will be an app I could download on my softrooted nook that would do that if I was willing to pay for "Prime" membership, which I am not! Hulu works just fine thank you! I can't believe that people think this is innovative. Amazon just finally woke up and realized that B&N had outbested them and now they are playing catch up. This does not do anything that I have cannot do and have been doing on my Nook color for a year now.
Kevin
Screens are measured diagonally.
Gene Munster, a terrific equity analysts at Piper Jaffray, just summed up best what the Fire means to Amazon. They want to put the Amazin store into everyone's pocket. As I mentioned, Amazon will loose money on units sold but is looking to make that up by providing a seamless interface to their retail business. It's a great concept. he also agrees with what I have been saying, this is not an iPad competitor, it's a totally different market. It is a very real competitor for some of the other Droid OS tablets however due to it's massive price point advantage.
Quote from: Bryancd on September 28, 2011, 05:15:25 PM
Gene Munster, a terrific equity analysts at Piper Jaffray, just summed up best what the Fire means to Amazon. They want to put the Amazin store into everyone's pocket. As I mentioned, Amazon will loose money on units sold but is looking to make that up by providing a seamless interface to their retail business. It's a great concept. he also agrees with what I have been saying, this is not an iPad competitor, it's a totally different market. It is a very real competitor for some of the other Droid OS tablets however due to it's massive price point advantage.
I can agree with most of this. I don't think they are out to beat Apple, but capitalize on their large customer base. I can see a lot of potential here.
Now that this has been officially announced, look back to what I was saying at the start of this thread. Amazon knows what they are doing and this will sell very, very well. :)
Quote from: Rico on September 28, 2011, 06:26:44 PM
Now that this has been officially announced, look back to what I was saying at the start of this thread. Amazon knows what they are doing and this will sell very, very well. :)
So long as it performs as well as they say it will, yeah, it'll sell quite well, but that's a lot of thanks to Amazon and the deal your getting. I think I said here or somewhere else that the only potential competitor to Apple is Amazon as far as the tablet war goes. They are the only one who can match iTunes for the sheer amount of content and price. The rest of the Droids and RIM simply don't have that same clought. The only people this doesn't appeal to are those wanting the specs and screen size of the iPad or similar. Even if I didn't already have an iPad, I wouldn't likely get this due to the screen size. I really don't get the appeal of 7" and find it to be a mostly oversized phone look, but I guess someone believes there is a market. *shrugs*.
King
Oh, dunno if anyone mentioned, but is anyone planning on getting one?
King
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on September 28, 2011, 06:46:41 PM
Oh, dunno if anyone mentioned, but is anyone planning on getting one?
King
I am thinking about getting a new 7" and this one will fit the bill.
they say (whoever they are) one day there'll be one thing that's an ipad, phone, camera, kindle, etc. in one package. who knows how long we'll need all the little pieces. better to wait and see i think.
Quote from: turtlesrock on September 28, 2011, 07:24:54 PM
they say (whoever they are) one day there'll be one thing that's an ipad, phone, camera, kindle, etc. in one package. who knows how long we'll need all the little pieces. better to wait and see i think.
If that's coming, and that's a big IF, that is a long long long time off. Displays with Both e-Ink and LCDs themselves are going to be difficult to incorporate.
King
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on September 28, 2011, 07:43:21 PM
Quote from: turtlesrock on September 28, 2011, 07:24:54 PM
they say (whoever they are) one day there'll be one thing that's an ipad, phone, camera, kindle, etc. in one package. who knows how long we'll need all the little pieces. better to wait and see i think.
If that's coming, and that's a big IF, that is a long long long time off. Displays with Both e-Ink and LCDs themselves are going to be difficult to incorporate.
King
They already have some color e-ink displays out since last year.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/11/hanvons-color-e-reader-up-for-pre-order-in-china-for-just-5/ (http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/11/hanvons-color-e-reader-up-for-pre-order-in-china-for-just-5/)
http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/e-ink-promises-thinner-lighter-higher-resolution-and-color-e-paper-displays-2011095/ (http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/e-ink-promises-thinner-lighter-higher-resolution-and-color-e-paper-displays-2011095/)
Quote from: X on September 28, 2011, 07:57:31 PM
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on September 28, 2011, 07:43:21 PM
Quote from: turtlesrock on September 28, 2011, 07:24:54 PM
they say (whoever they are) one day there'll be one thing that's an ipad, phone, camera, kindle, etc. in one package. who knows how long we'll need all the little pieces. better to wait and see i think.
If that's coming, and that's a big IF, that is a long long long time off. Displays with Both e-Ink and LCDs themselves are going to be difficult to incorporate.
King
They already have some color e-ink displays out since last year.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/11/hanvons-color-e-reader-up-for-pre-order-in-china-for-just-5/ (http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/11/hanvons-color-e-reader-up-for-pre-order-in-china-for-just-5/)
http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/e-ink-promises-thinner-lighter-higher-resolution-and-color-e-paper-displays-2011095/ (http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/e-ink-promises-thinner-lighter-higher-resolution-and-color-e-paper-displays-2011095/)
Ah, guess things changed, I'll grant that the article I'm thinking of was months before those two. So my bad. But combining an iPhone & iPad? I don't see how it can be done well with our current tech.
King
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on September 28, 2011, 08:00:47 PM
Quote from: X on September 28, 2011, 07:57:31 PM
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on September 28, 2011, 07:43:21 PM
Quote from: turtlesrock on September 28, 2011, 07:24:54 PM
they say (whoever they are) one day there'll be one thing that's an ipad, phone, camera, kindle, etc. in one package. who knows how long we'll need all the little pieces. better to wait and see i think.
If that's coming, and that's a big IF, that is a long long long time off. Displays with Both e-Ink and LCDs themselves are going to be difficult to incorporate.
King
They already have some color e-ink displays out since last year.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/11/hanvons-color-e-reader-up-for-pre-order-in-china-for-just-5/ (http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/11/hanvons-color-e-reader-up-for-pre-order-in-china-for-just-5/)
http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/e-ink-promises-thinner-lighter-higher-resolution-and-color-e-paper-displays-2011095/ (http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/e-ink-promises-thinner-lighter-higher-resolution-and-color-e-paper-displays-2011095/)
Ah, guess things changed, I'll grant that the article I'm thinking of was months before those two. So my bad. But combining an iPhone & iPad? I don't see how it can be done well with our current tech.
King
What to you mean? It wouldn't be that hard at all. Hell, they could probably do it to the 3G versions with just a firmware update. All the necessary parts are already there.
I think Amazon is being really smart about this product, it's generating huge buzz and will be successful. I expect to see a price drop and feature refresh on similar items like the Nook and other 7" tabs when this hits market.
It also wouldn't surprise me down the road to see those rumors we heard a year or so about an Apple 7" tab crop up again if this product hits big. iPad nano anyone?
Quote from: X on September 28, 2011, 08:07:21 PM
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on September 28, 2011, 08:00:47 PM
Quote from: X on September 28, 2011, 07:57:31 PM
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on September 28, 2011, 07:43:21 PM
Quote from: turtlesrock on September 28, 2011, 07:24:54 PM
they say (whoever they are) one day there'll be one thing that's an ipad, phone, camera, kindle, etc. in one package. who knows how long we'll need all the little pieces. better to wait and see i think.
If that's coming, and that's a big IF, that is a long long long time off. Displays with Both e-Ink and LCDs themselves are going to be difficult to incorporate.
King
They already have some color e-ink displays out since last year.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/11/hanvons-color-e-reader-up-for-pre-order-in-china-for-just-5/ (http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/11/hanvons-color-e-reader-up-for-pre-order-in-china-for-just-5/)
http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/e-ink-promises-thinner-lighter-higher-resolution-and-color-e-paper-displays-2011095/ (http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/e-ink-promises-thinner-lighter-higher-resolution-and-color-e-paper-displays-2011095/)
Ah, guess things changed, I'll grant that the article I'm thinking of was months before those two. So my bad. But combining an iPhone & iPad? I don't see how it can be done well with our current tech.
King
What to you mean? It wouldn't be that hard at all. Hell, they could probably do it to the 3G versions with just a firmware update. All the necessary parts are already there.
I guess it depends on what Turtle meant by combining the iPad and iPhone together. If he meant the iPad's screen size, that just isn't going to happen for a phone. Actually, I can't think of what else he could have meant as both the 3G iPad and the iPhone have very similar capabilities these days, especially with Skype. (Ignoring apps).
King
I don't think this will cause me to get a Fire (especially since they are US only right now and we don't get Amazon video here) but the revised Kindle hardware and pricing may make us a 2 kindle household at least. I know I love mine.
The £89 Kindle is suddenly tempting to me (having dipped below the £100 mark). The Fire (or the Touch models) simply aren't available here. (we also don't have the option of a 'with Ads' device.)
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on September 28, 2011, 08:27:01 PM
I guess it depends on what Turtle meant by combining the iPad and iPhone together. If he meant the iPad's screen size, that just isn't going to happen for a phone. Actually, I can't think of what else he could have meant as both the 3G iPad and the iPhone have very similar capabilities these days, especially with Skype. (Ignoring apps).
King
i meant a single device that can do all the things an iphone, ipad, etc. can do. i don't see how they're going to do that, but anything is possible, right?
Interestingly, I just noticed that for "international" orders (including Canada) we can only order the ad-free Kindle for 109 dollars. No option for the Kindle with special offers.
Kindle Fire sales are already burning up.
Amazon took a whopping 95,000 pre-orders for its new Kindle Fire tablet in its first day on sale, according to a digital marketing firm.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/10/03/amazon-opens-fire-sells-nearly-100000-tablets-in-one-day/#ixzz1ZjdqprWB (http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/10/03/amazon-opens-fire-sells-nearly-100000-tablets-in-one-day/#ixzz1ZjdqprWB)
Quote from: billybob476 on September 30, 2011, 08:04:12 AM
Interestingly, I just noticed that for "international" orders (including Canada) we can only order the ad-free Kindle for 109 dollars. No option for the Kindle with special offers.
Glad to see you're discriminated against just as much as we are ;)
I suspect they've only set the whole Ads thing up in the States and I doubt US advertisers will pay to see devices in the UK and Canada. It's the lack of the touch devices I regret more.
Preorders are now up to 250,000 for the Fire. The first iPad sold 300K on it's first day of release. Just saying. :)
http://www.tgdaily.com/consumer-electronics-brief/58898-report-kindle-fire-pre-orders-reach-250k (http://www.tgdaily.com/consumer-electronics-brief/58898-report-kindle-fire-pre-orders-reach-250k)
Quote from: Rico on October 06, 2011, 08:40:33 AM
Preorders are now up to 250,000 for the Fire. The first iPad sold 300K on it's first day of release. Just saying. :)
http://www.tgdaily.com/consumer-electronics-brief/58898-report-kindle-fire-pre-orders-reach-250k (http://www.tgdaily.com/consumer-electronics-brief/58898-report-kindle-fire-pre-orders-reach-250k)
Not an apt comparrison due to price point differential, just saying. :)
Bryan - you have like Apple radar! LOL!
And of course there is a price difference. That's the whole point of what I have been saying all along. Price these days is crazy important - more than ever. They want people to get hooked into the Amazon-eco system. Just as Apple has done with iTunes and their devices. Anyway, I'm just happy that someone is coming out with a tablet that more people can afford.
Quote from: Bryancd on October 06, 2011, 08:47:55 AM
Quote from: Rico on October 06, 2011, 08:40:33 AM
Preorders are now up to 250,000 for the Fire. The first iPad sold 300K on it's first day of release. Just saying. :)
http://www.tgdaily.com/consumer-electronics-brief/58898-report-kindle-fire-pre-orders-reach-250k (http://www.tgdaily.com/consumer-electronics-brief/58898-report-kindle-fire-pre-orders-reach-250k)
Not an apt comparrison due to price point differential, just saying. :)
That doesn't makes sense. There's a huge price differential between PC and Apple laptops as well. If both are tablets, then the comparison is pretty valid. We can't ignore numbers because of price points.
Agreed Chris. The key is, each one sold no matter the price (just like the with the iPad & iTunes), puts one more customer into Amazon's pocket. That can't be underestimated.
Hehehehe! That's going to be the Fire's biggest challenge is creating an environment which can compete with what Apple's created. Long story short is they can't BUT they don't really intend to. They realize the "lifestyle" ecosystem Aple has created through thier OS, iTunes, retail stores, Ap content , and Mac is too big for anyone to overcome at the present. And the draw of that experince will drive iPad business and compel many to pay up for it even if they are borderline being able to afford it. What Amazon envisions is driving their retail business at the end of the day. The Amazon store in your pocket where hoping on and making a purchase is super easy and convenient, encouraging impulse buying. Their video and entertainment offers are just icing ont he cake for that model.
I agree with Bryan. If you have two products, one sells for $100, the other for $50, and if they are claimed to be comparable, then it would be safe to forecast that the less expensive unit would sell many more. If Apple sold more units than Fire, even though there's a large price difference, I think that says a lot about the Apple tablet. I seriously doubt the fire will be nearly as good as the iPad. Just saying.
Quote from: QuadShot on October 06, 2011, 09:15:41 AM
I agree with Bryan. If you have two products, one sells for $100, the other for $50, and if they are claimed to be comparable, then it would be safe to forecast that the less expensive unit would sell many more. If Apple sold more units than Fire, even though there's a large price difference, I think that says a lot about the Apple tablet. I seriously doubt the fire will be nearly as good as the iPad. Just saying.
It depends on how you define good. In the case of Apple, most of their products are magnitudes more expensive than other products with better specs. Fire doesn't release for a while and I'm pretty sure that it's going be a dominate player. They are already the dominate player in ebook readers and they are leveraging the Kindle name to get more people in the door. When you consider that the price point is half that of the original Kindle, there are going to be tons of sales to the upgrade crowds. I have a strong feeling that Kindle will do quite well for itself in the coming months.
Also keep in mind that success of a product isn't simply volume. It's margin and how profitable it is the the company. Look at Dell and Compaq who went mass market with the PC business. Sure they sell and sold a bazzillion PC's but in the case of Dell, they are just a generic widget maker. Amazon will loose money on every Fire sold in an effort to get as many people to buy one and make up the loss hopefully with online sales at Amazon.com. They won't be providing the same experience as Apple does with the iPad. Fire is a retail portal device. I'm not knocking it, I think it's great and I own Amazon stock, but I am qualifying it and putting the device in it's proper context.
Quote from: X on October 06, 2011, 09:34:49 AM
Quote from: QuadShot on October 06, 2011, 09:15:41 AM
I agree with Bryan. If you have two products, one sells for $100, the other for $50, and if they are claimed to be comparable, then it would be safe to forecast that the less expensive unit would sell many more. If Apple sold more units than Fire, even though there's a large price difference, I think that says a lot about the Apple tablet. I seriously doubt the fire will be nearly as good as the iPad. Just saying.
It depends on how you define good. In the case of Apple, most of their products are magnitudes more expensive than other products with better specs. Fire doesn't release for a while and I'm pretty sure that it's going be a dominate player. They are already the dominate player in ebook readers and they are leveraging the Kindle name to get more people in the door. When you consider that the price point is half that of the original Kindle, there are going to be tons of sales to the upgrade crowds. I have a strong feeling that Kindle will do quite well for itself in the coming months.
I keep trying to tell you guys, the VAST majority of the portable technology purchasing market don't buy based on spec, they buy based on the experience, ease of use, integration with thier current products.
Only 8 gig of storage and no SD Card slot.
No cameras, no accelerometer.
The best thing about the Fire is bringing down the price of the HTC Flyer.
HTC Flyer Full Review
HTC Flyer Full Review (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE7pKmlhOKU#ws)
At $500 it was nothing to write home about but at $300 it stomps the Fire out.
psik
I agree that by far the best thing so far about the Fire is the effect it is having on the tablet marketplace. Those non-apple tabs need to be cheaper for sure.
Quote from: Bryancd on October 06, 2011, 09:41:05 AM
Quote from: X on October 06, 2011, 09:34:49 AM
Quote from: QuadShot on October 06, 2011, 09:15:41 AM
I agree with Bryan. If you have two products, one sells for $100, the other for $50, and if they are claimed to be comparable, then it would be safe to forecast that the less expensive unit would sell many more. If Apple sold more units than Fire, even though there's a large price difference, I think that says a lot about the Apple tablet. I seriously doubt the fire will be nearly as good as the iPad. Just saying.
It depends on how you define good. In the case of Apple, most of their products are magnitudes more expensive than other products with better specs. Fire doesn't release for a while and I'm pretty sure that it's going be a dominate player. They are already the dominate player in ebook readers and they are leveraging the Kindle name to get more people in the door. When you consider that the price point is half that of the original Kindle, there are going to be tons of sales to the upgrade crowds. I have a strong feeling that Kindle will do quite well for itself in the coming months.
I keep trying to tell you guys, the VAST majority of the portable technology purchasing market don't buy based on spec, they buy based on the experience, ease of use, integration with thier current products.
Okay, but what are you saying? It's a Kindle, it has all of that going for it at a lower price.
Quote from: X on October 07, 2011, 06:54:22 AM
Okay, but what are you saying? It's a Kindle, it has all of that going for it at a lower price.
I thought it was clear. :blink The Fire DOES NOT have all that going for it. It doesn't not have the built in ecosystem on par with iTunes and the Ap store experience. It does not have an already established and MASSIVE consumer base committed to that ecosystem via iPod, iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It's not comparable in the least in terms of penetration in the consumer market. It also lacks any semblance of the cache which it ascribed to Apple products. People WNAT Apple's logo and will do everything they can to pay up for it. That might seem absurd to you and i but it's the truth. So the Fire doesn't even come close to currently offering the same experience and they won't as that's not what they are doing with this device.
Quote from: Bryancd on October 07, 2011, 07:32:28 AM
Quote from: X on October 07, 2011, 06:54:22 AM
Okay, but what are you saying? It's a Kindle, it has all of that going for it at a lower price.
I thought it was clear. :blink The Fire DOES NOT have all that going for it. It doesn't not have the built in ecosystem on par with iTunes and the Ap store experience. It does not have an already established and MASSIVE consumer base committed to that ecosystem via iPod, iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It's not comparable in the least in terms of penetration in the consumer market. It also lacks any semblance of the cache which it ascribed to Apple products. People WNAT Apple's logo and will do everything they can to pay up for it. That might seem absurd to you and i but it's the truth. So the Fire doesn't even come close to currently offering the same experience and they won't as that's not what they are doing with this device.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Kindle have a massive consumer base committed to it that's already established? I think it does. Droid also has a large consumer base that is established. I don't know what to tell you, but Apple doesn't have anything as close to the penetration of Amazon. I'm willing to bet that almost everyone here has done something on Amazon. I'm willing to bet that most people here have a Kindle account.
I think you're missing the forest for the trees. Those of us that are saying it's going to be successful aren't saying it's trying to emulate the "Apple Experience". It's creating it's own thing that will draw people in. With readers less than 100.00, they are going to build a better base and then grow from there with their other products, leading to the Fire.
As a portal or gateway to content libraries both products (the iPad vs. the Amazon Fire) have alot going for them. Apple's got the lead with their app store for hundreds of thousands of games and productivity apps (even though nobody ever mentions that a very high percentage of those are fart simulators and other stuff nobody would generally ever buy), while I would have to give the nod to the Fire for the Amazon bookstore and the hundreds of thousands of other products sold on Amazon.com. Not to mention the streaming video content available to Amazon Prime members that gets better and better with every deal they make with content providers. There's a very wide base of all kinds of users, from Grandmoms and Grandpops that are looking for the kind of easy experience that Bryan describes, all the way to the other end of the spectrum of people that are looking for a great portable device to view all the pirated content they've downloaded illegally. I've seen nothing to lead me to believe that the Fire will be anything but a huge success, nor do I believe that the iPad is going to be negatively affected in any way by the success of the Fire. If anything, I think it will cause Apple to diversify even more by offering new and different kinds of products to the same user base that is already buying their stuff. Apple has never been shy about cannibalizing their own user base.
Buying products from Amazon.com and buying the Fire tablet for all the functions people want from a portable tablet device are entirely different purchasing decisions, Chris. That's the point you are missing. Just because you shop at Amazon doesn't have any bearing on what you may choose for your tablet. That decision is driven by all the ancillary things I seem to keep mentioning but you don't seem to be reading. :) Once more, it's the ecosystem and experience of audio, video, iTunes, your iTunes library, Aps, that's the content that people want. Amazon oisn't interested in that market, heck if they were they would have made the screen size larger.
To my eyes the key difference is that you keep talking about Amazon.com. That's a US site with US features that the rest of us don't get. amazon.co.uk exists and it sells kindles and books but it doesn't sell Fires and it doesn't offer all of the other stuff you get over there. I'm sure ts not too far behind but it's not there yet.
iPads launch over here at about the same time as you get them. iTunes does apps, music and all the rest of it just as well as in the US. I don't know what the size of the overseas market is for these guys but, at the moment, Apple has it and Amazon doesn't appear to be trying very hard.
Amazon, Apple...enough already! I prefer oranges. :)
Quote from: Feathers on October 07, 2011, 03:26:21 PM
iPads launch over here at about the same time as you get them. iTunes does apps, music and all the rest of it just as well as in the US. I don't know what the size of the overseas market is for these guys but, at the moment, Apple has it and Amazon doesn't appear to be trying very hard.
No, they aren't as of yet. Here's the deal
Kindle= Amazon Book Store
Fire= Amazon Retail Store
iPad= Portable personal computer for the masses
Quote from: Bryancd on October 07, 2011, 04:09:57 PM
Quote from: Feathers on October 07, 2011, 03:26:21 PM
iPads launch over here at about the same time as you get them. iTunes does apps, music and all the rest of it just as well as in the US. I don't know what the size of the overseas market is for these guys but, at the moment, Apple has it and Amazon doesn't appear to be trying very hard.
No, they aren't as of yet. Here's the deal
Kindle= Amazon Book Store
Fire= Amazon Retail Store
iPad= Portable personal computer for the masses
Finally, you nailed what I wanted to say. Couldn't think of the right word. And that's the biggest difference. Its all great that you can buy content from whoever you feel like (although at the end of the day, the content is the same...) but the iPad has practical computer applications (not a pun) and the Fire has a total of....well, not much. I cannot imagine typing on a 7" screen several pages worth of documents. A blue-tooth keyboard would help that some, but as it doesn't have it (whoops) then I would choose the iPad over the Fire any day. But then again, I'm the sort that wants a all-in-one device so sure, people will have different wishes :).
King
Just bought the smaller new kindle a few days ago as a means to read in the park and it's pretty cool. I'm really enjoying the pocket size.
Amazon Kindle Fire Official Presentation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVsfLnMqOC4#)
Couple good articles on the upcoming Fire tablet and a little early hands on experience with one.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2396113,00.asp#fbid=fry2xKnE0wf (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2396113,00.asp#fbid=fry2xKnE0wf)
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2393754,00.asp#fbid=fry2xKnE0wf (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2393754,00.asp#fbid=fry2xKnE0wf)
I bought the new $75 Kinndle, just waiting to finish my current book to give it a go!
I was reading yesterday Amazon may drop the price to $100 for Christmas.
http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/729/10-black-friday-deal-predictions/ (http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/729/10-black-friday-deal-predictions/)
I'm sure there will be deals for the holidays. And I would also bet the price will eventually go to $150 and then $100 in a short period of time. This device is a gateway tool for Amazon to sell more stuff. They can take a loss on the hardware.
Quote from: Rico on November 10, 2011, 09:06:43 AM
I'm sure there will be deals for the holidays. And I would also bet the price will eventually go to $150 and then $100 in a short period of time. This device is a gateway tool for Amazon to sell more stuff. They can take a loss on the hardware.
Yep, that's the business model.
Unboxing video here and a brief first impressions review:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/11/amazon-kindle-fire-unboxing-hands-on.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/11/amazon-kindle-fire-unboxing-hands-on.html)
I have one of these on the way - I'll let you all know my opinion.
I'm looking forawrd to hearing peoples thoughts on the Fire. I think Amazon did a great job with it. I do think people will begin to see some of the limitations of the Fire vs. other tablets. It intentionaly has a more limited usage profile.
I'd love to say I don't care, but I'm academically interested to know how it works, particularly as a reader given the backlit screen as a major difference from other Kindles.
Writing this on my newly delivered Fire.
Is this your first tablet? I'm interested to know how it handles video content, what file formats are viewable, and if there's an app or reader capable of viewing zipped comics files (CBR/CBZ)
First few comments here - more to follow.
My wife has an iPad 2 - which she absolutely loves - so I have some hands on. The Fire seems to be a beast of a different color - and seems more targeted at the reading & content viewing crowd. Out of the box, it was already linked to my Amazon Prime account - which was a surprise. I was able view a few TV programs from Unbox (I watched a few DS9 episodes). The unit does not come with earbuds, so I used the pair from my iPhone. There are 2 speakers on the 'top' of the unit - when it is held in portrait mode. There is a mini-usb port for the power cord, and an on-off button. I find that I keep looking for the big button that I am accustomed to using on my iPhone. Touching the bottom of the screen makes the HOME button appear. I installed a few apps already - like Angry birds, Weather Channel, and MapQuest - Facebook was pre-installed. To my disappointment, I didn't find any of the Google apps that I like to use - but I imagine that will be mended shortly as they sell more units. Content was held in my 'cloud' Amazon account, so I had to 'load' a few books that I already have.
So far I like it - but I am not blown away by it. The form factor will work well for me - since I will use it what I do part of my commute on a train or bus (riding home on a bike!).
LOL! Why were you suprised it was pre-loaded with your Prime account?! That's the whole point of this device! Thansk for sharing your thoughts, this is exactly what I expected. It was reported to day that there are a lot of developers looking to add to the Fire app store, so I agree you will likely soon be able to have some of the other Google apps you are looking for.
Nice review and great hear some hands on first impressions. Please post more as you get more time with your new gadget.
There's a bit of fuss running round the internet about the whole pre-registration thing.
Most people expect their password to maintained privately, away from the eyes of any employee of the organisation with whom the password is registered. Admittedly, for any sort of large purchase you have to enter it again, but some feel this is a step too far from Amazon. (If you designate the purchase as a gift, your account details are apparently not pre-loaded).
I think there might be some bad info here. For example, what if you buy one of these to give as a gift? Are you saying it would be registered to you already?
Quote from: Rico on November 16, 2011, 09:04:47 AM
I think there might be some bad info here. For example, what if you buy one of these to give as a gift? Are you saying it would be registered to you already?
If you state in the order that it's a gift then it apparently won't be, no.
bit.ly/uqYNvQ (http://bit.ly/uqYNvQ)
Ahhh....
So here's the answer I just found online:
Your mom can de-register the Kindles from her Your Account page (click "Manage Your Kindle"). Then your sisters can either register their new Kindles from their account page or directly from the Kindle.
P.S. Now that I think about it, my regular Kindle came this way too.
I also know of somebody who purchased one and it didn't come Pre registered even though they bought it for themselves. Probably teething issues.
Oh - and it really isn't touching your password, login info. The Kindle has a unique identifier - serial number or some such thing. When you buy one, that hardware is just added to your account.
- at least I think that's the way it works. :)
Yeah, it's not the registration as such that people seem worked up about but the knowledge that someone else has effectively used their password to achieve the registration.
If it's as you suggest, however, then I think it's a bit of a storm in a teacup.
Quote from: Rico on November 16, 2011, 09:10:47 AM
Oh - and it really isn't touching your password, login info. The Kindle has a unique identifier - serial number or some such thing. When you buy one, that hardware is just added to your account.
- at least I think that's the way it works. :)
I think that is how it worked - since the Fire was already in the 'Manage My Kindle' area on Amazon.
Another interesting observation, is that to get documents (spreadsheets, PDF's, etc), you can send an attachment to your Kindle Fire via an 'YOURACCOUNT@KINDLE.COM'. You have to authorize external email accounts to send documents to this account - or they bounce back. This is a neat feature - and will keep spam away (unless someone spoof's my account).
Interesting contrast to the iPad which requires you to fill out your account info when you first set it up. That does make it slightly more secure, in case the hardware was stolen or accidentally lost.
King
Ars Technica posted their full review of the "Fire" today. I have to say, after reading the review, I am actually pretty impressed with Brian's abilities as an analyst: it seems he called it well before anyone else. Here's some quotes from the full review:
"Before it was announced, the Kindle Fire was rumored to be Amazon's entry into the Android tablet market. To get a serious tablet, even a small one, at the Kindle Fire's price of $199 would have been a holiday miracle. But in our time with the Kindle Fire, it fell far short of what tablets should be able to accomplish. As a vector for Amazon's video and music stores and huge e-book selection, it's great. As an e-reader, it's merely OK. As an Internet and app portal, it falls short of Amazon's promises."
"Ultimately, the $200 Kindle Fire lacks many features I consider essential in a serious tablet: the ability to work on it using a keyboard, browse the Internet quickly, view whole magazine pages, and so on. But we can't fault it for not being an iPad. It's only a few hundred fewer dollars, and Amazon has never marketed it as a tablet. This is a basic media consumption device...The best way to think of the Kindle Fire is as a decent e-reader that can do some extra stuff—namely, play videos and browse the Internet. For $200, that's not a bad deal—but just make sure that it's one you're willing to make."
Link to the full article is below...hats off to Bryan, you're not just an Apple fanboy, you're actually pretty smart! ;)
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2011/11/dont-call-it-a-tablet-the-kindle-fire-reviewed.ars (http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2011/11/dont-call-it-a-tablet-the-kindle-fire-reviewed.ars)
As much as my ego would like totals credit, I came to that conclusion after reading some real analysts reports. I agreed with their conclusions and added Amazon to my portfolios.
Yeah, this just didn't scream iPad-equivalent once I looked over the specs. It doesn't have anything that makes the iPad the powerhouse that it is. Its rather lackluster as a tablet, but no doubt great for those that want to read/listen/watch Amazon content.
King
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on November 17, 2011, 05:42:38 PM
Yeah, this just didn't scream iPad-equivalent once I looked over the specs. It doesn't have anything that makes the iPad the powerhouse that it is. Its rather lackluster as a tablet, but no doubt great for those that want to read/listen/watch Amazon content.
King
I bet if it was jail broke and you had access to the Fire and all the Android Market Place you would feel different. I think it has the potential to do everything and anything an Ipad can do. Only with a smaller screen. It wouldn't surprise me at all if there is not a softroot for it within a week.
Kevin
Quote from: Ktrek on November 17, 2011, 08:47:18 PM
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on November 17, 2011, 05:42:38 PM
Yeah, this just didn't scream iPad-equivalent once I looked over the specs. It doesn't have anything that makes the iPad the powerhouse that it is. Its rather lackluster as a tablet, but no doubt great for those that want to read/listen/watch Amazon content.
King
I bet if it was jail broke and you had access to the Fire and all the Android Market Place you would feel different. I think it has the potential to do everything and anything an Ipad can do. Only with a smaller screen. It wouldn't surprise me at all if there is not a softroot for it within a week.
Kevin
I said specs, not software specs. Even rooted the Fire wouldn't be close enough. The fire will not come anywhere close to usability because it lacks things like bluetooth, the screen makes a difference, the lack of a camera...to a degree and the CPU/GPU is not the same as the iPad. Plus on-board storage is a joke, 8GB would easily be taken up by apps alone to make it the same as the iPad.
I think I mentioned all that before, but uhh no it doesn't have the same potential as the iPad. Not as a personal computer turned tablet. This is straight up a tablet solely designed to consume media delivered via Amazon. It may be able to do some of the things the iPad can, but it is limited by its hardware which is why it is so cheap.
King
I guess I should also put it this way. As the Kindle is concerned for educational use, it won't ever work. The 7" screen size makes typing even remotely quickly enough for notes/papers is not enough. The lack of bluetooth kills any possibility of using a full-sized keyboard. Lack of apps that have to be run through the Amazon app store also makes it less than education-friendly.
Its a good tablet, but lacks multi-purpose uses. Although it would be nice if we could push digital books with the fire now and encourage publishers to make them available.
King
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on November 17, 2011, 09:34:47 PM
I guess I should also put it this way. As the Kindle is concerned for educational use, it won't ever work. The 7" screen size makes typing even remotely quickly enough for notes/papers is not enough. The lack of bluetooth kills any possibility of using a full-sized keyboard. Lack of apps that have to be run through the Amazon app store also makes it less than education-friendly.
Its a good tablet, but lacks multi-purpose uses. Although it would be nice if we could push digital books with the fire now and encourage publishers to make them available.
King
This is only the 'Fire 1'. It wouldn't surprise me if the iteration 2 and 3 of this started to close the gap. Apple have always been evolutionary rather than revolutionary developers so with a bit of work, it shouldn't be too hard to close the gap in a year or two. Unless Apple take a sudden step...
Who knows. Certainly possible, and I never said Amazon couldnt make a true competitor, it's just not this device :).
King
I don't think the Fire was meant to be able to do everything something like an iPad could do. But it is less than half the cost so if it can do about that percentage of what the iPad can do and that's mainly what you need it for then it's not a bad deal. Like all things, it really comes down to what you need a portable computing device to be able to do for you.
Quote from: Rico on November 18, 2011, 04:23:52 AM
I don't think the Fire was meant to be able to do everything something like an iPad could do. But it is less than half the cost so if it can do about that percentage of what the iPad can do and that's mainly what you need it for then it's not a bad deal. Like all things, it really comes down to what you need a portable computing device to be able to do for you.
I agree, but I think it will inevitably grow towards that sort of functionality. Maybe it will never catch the iPad but even if they hold the price point, I believe the functionality will inevitably grow.
Yesterday Steve Gibson of GRC.com was tweeting that his had both his Kindle Fires become bricked during the initial firmware updates. he wasn't very impressed, I imagine that will be reoslved soon enough. 1.0 products are always fun!
Yes, this is going for a more narrow - yet deep - part of the market. Not being able to use a Bluetooth keyboard on this device doesn't phase me - since I wouldn't want to use this device for any serious data input.
I took my Fire on it's maiden voyage on my commute today. It worked great, and was easy to stow into the internal pocket of my jacket. I love the iPad, but this 7" footprint is better for my daily use. I would like to have 3G - but I would think that will be addressed in the next generation.
As of now, I don't think a full wireless version is in the cards.
I don't understand why there's no option on this (or the iPad for that matter) to read from an external storage device. How difficult would it be to add an SD slot or something?
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on November 18, 2011, 06:29:01 AM
I don't understand why there's no option on this (or the iPad for that matter) to read from an external storage device. How difficult would it be to add an SD slot or something?
I agree - it would be great to have a slot for expanding storage, or for carrying around lots of content.
People talk about what the Fire won't do that the Ipad does and I have yet to hear of any valid examples besides that it doesn't have a camera. Yes the keyboard is smaller but does that make it impractical? No! I see hundreds of people typing away on Iphones all day long but nobody says... "uh the keyboard is too small". Give me some real examples of what the Ipad can do and the Fire does not do at all. My Nook Color is softrooted and it does everything I have ever seen done on an Ipad. It's just smaller. I like it smaller. The Ipad is awkward and bulky. And in case anyone missed it B&N just released the Nook Tablet. It outperforms the Fire just a little but costs $50 more.
Kevin
Quote from: Ktrek on November 18, 2011, 07:11:20 AM
Give me some real examples of what the Ipad can do and the Fire does not do at all.
There's a bunch of great games for the iPad that couldn't run on the Nook or Fire because of hardware limitations...Dead Space, Need for Speed, Infinity Blade are three examples that I've downloaded and really enjoy. Also Apple's Game Center keeps track of game progress through leaderboards, achievements, friends lists...no equivalent for your smaller tabs.
Take a look at some of the videos our friend Rick has filmed and edited on his iPad 2...pretty cool stuff, impossible on the Nook or Fire. Video conferencing, Skype video chat, Face Time...not possible on those devices.
GarageBand for iPad offers the ability to record, compose, edit, and produce songs and albums. Not sure if there is that type of software available for the Nook or Fire.
These are just a few examples that immediately spring to mind.
iPad has the App Store, game over. By that I mean the sheer volume of available content via the App Store has and will continue to push iPad as the go to portable media device for a long time to come. And most people prefer the iPad form factor and larger screen.
As Scotty would say, "the right tool for the right job."
I there's a place for all these devices. Now if the iPad were to shave the price by say $100, I'd expect the Kindle to drop it's price then too.
My big question about the Fire is this talk about simple web browsing being a bit slow, etc. Pete (Bromptonboy) can you confirm or deny this??
I can see where Joby is going, but iPAD was a success and can't do a 10th of what a netbook can do. Bryan is right about the apps, but I'm not convinced that people looking for a portable media device is looking for all the apps to go with it. The Fire is a great addition to the tech of someone that already has other tech. The iPAD is a good stand alone device for the most part, but I don't see anyone moving exclusively to one single device any time soon.
In the end, it's apples and oranges. They aren't designed to do the same things and both are pretty much gateway devices to the services of their creators. I'm pretty sure that the Fire will be quite successful for what it's designed for and while the screen isn't huge, 9.7 was also crapped on in the beginning for not being laptop sized.
It also doesn't have to be an either or situation and I really don't think that it will be given the price point and options.
I can tell you size is a bit of a factor for reading things like magazines, comics, etc. I find the iPad about the lowest I would go for screen size to read these types of things. Think about the size of a typical magazine or comic book. The Fire pushes this a little bit for easy viewing of a single page. Yes, I know you can zoom and all that but it's annoying to do in my view for page after page.
Quote from: Rico on November 18, 2011, 08:49:18 AM
I can tell you size is a bit of a factor for reading things like magazines, comics, etc. I find the iPad about the lowest I would go for screen size to read these types of things. Think about the size of a typical magazine or comic book. The Fire pushes this a little bit for easy viewing of a single page. Yes, I know you can zoom and all that but it's annoying to do in my view for page after page.
I agree, but I've tended to read my comics on a 10.1 tablet and novels on a smaller screen. I don't try to read picture books on the smaller screens and I don't like reading my books on the larger ones.
I have only done some simple web-browsing - and I was satisfied with the speed. It didn't knock my socks off as the Amazon ads would suggest (with their back-end servers doing the heavy lifting). The screen is too small for me to enjoy real surfing. The Facebook page was nice. TreksInSciFi forum didn't look very good - but perhaps I should be hitting a mobile-friendly address - I had to do a reverse pinch on the screen to expand the view.
When I get some time this weekend, I will experiment some more,
Quote from: Ktrek on November 18, 2011, 07:11:20 AM
People talk about what the Fire won't do that the Ipad does and I have yet to hear of any valid examples besides that it doesn't have a camera. Yes the keyboard is smaller but does that make it impractical? No! I see hundreds of people typing away on Iphones all day long but nobody says... "uh the keyboard is too small". Give me some real examples of what the Ipad can do and the Fire does not do at all. My Nook Color is softrooted and it does everything I have ever seen done on an Ipad. It's just smaller. I like it smaller. The Ipad is awkward and bulky. And in case anyone missed it B&N just released the Nook Tablet. It outperforms the Fire just a little but costs $50 more.
Kevin
iWork Suite works great on the iPad, doesn't exist on the Fire. (Which is Word, Excel and PowerPoint for Apple). And the screen space really makes the apps look snappy. Games like Infinity Blade which have 3D models would not run on the Fire, though I know it has apps like Angry Birds. Video editing or audio editing. The iOS App store continues to be the main pushing point because the apps can do so much. I mentioned hardware strictly as a comparison point between the two devices. The software makes a lot of difference. And I'm repeating what Bryan and Joby have said.
But I'm not saying that the Fire is bad. If I was more of an Amazon consumer, I would be tempted by it. But its a very narrow product compared to the wide range of applications that the iPad can do and we're just beginning to see what the iPad can do considering its only been out for a couple of years for developers.
As far as your keyboard comment, students like myself wouldn't do a lot of text writing on a small screen like that because we can't hope to get close to 50+ WPM. I think I get...up to 30 WPM on the iPad screen and that's at best. And I'm talking strictly in the sense of writing long papers or taking notes. So having a physical keyboard is definitely helpful, especially if we're editing on an iPhone (which is possible with iWork).
As far as the Nook is concerned, I haven't really looked at it as I'm not a customer of B&N often. There's no particular reason beyond I'm not much of a book reader. Don't have the time or energy especially after reading boring text books for hours on end x_x.
King
Well I got to spend some time with the Kindle Fire today in the store where I work and I have to say it is sleek but I don't care for the design nor the functionality. The Samsung Galaxy is a better device and the Amazon Fire seems to be patterned quite a bit after it. Same type of casing but smaller. I did not find it as intuitive as the Ipad or the Nook Color or the Nook Tablet. In fact the Nook tablet seemed way faster to me on web browsing, scrolling and general application loading. The design and feel of the Nook Tablet feels better in your hand and safer. I found the fire kind of slippery and not at all easy or comfortable to hold. The beveled edge of the Nook Tablet and the Nook Color are much more stable in your hand. Now that may be a mute point because most everyone would buy a cover for these kinds of devices but I have found that while at home I prefer to use my Nook Color without a cover. It's very comfortable to hold in your hand. The design of the Nook Tablet is basically the same as the Color but slightly thinner. Not enough to be noticeable to me. Having had a chance to spend some time with the Nook Tablet I found it to be very fast. It streams Netflix really really well and the picture quality is quite good. The built in apps are nice and convenient. The navigation on the Nook Tablet is also much more intuitive and easier to get around on than the Fire. Having been able to use them all I still prefer my softrooted Nook Color but if I were in the market to upgrade I would buy the Nook Tablet before I would even consider the Kindle Fire.
Kevin
Quote from: Ktrek on November 21, 2011, 05:28:47 PM
Well I got to spend some time with the Kindle Fire today in the store where I work and I have to say it is sleek but I don't care for the design nor the functionality. The Samsung Galaxy is a better device and the Amazon Fire seems to be patterned quite a bit after it. Same type of casing but smaller. I did not find it as intuitive as the Ipad or the Nook Color or the Nook Tablet. In fact the Nook tablet seemed way faster to me on web browsing, scrolling and general application loading. The design and feel of the Nook Tablet feels better in your hand and safer. I found the fire kind of slippery and not at all easy or comfortable to hold. The beveled edge of the Nook Tablet and the Nook Color are much more stable in your hand. Now that may be a mute point because most everyone would buy a cover for these kinds of devices but I have found that while at home I prefer to use my Nook Color without a cover. It's very comfortable to hold in your hand. The design of the Nook Tablet is basically the same as the Color but slightly thinner. Not enough to be noticeable to me. Having had a chance to spend some time with the Nook Tablet I found it to be very fast. It streams Netflix really really well and the picture quality is quite good. The built in apps are nice and convenient. The navigation on the Nook Tablet is also much more intuitive and easier to get around on than the Fire. Having been able to use them all I still prefer my softrooted Nook Color but if I were in the market to upgrade I would buy the Nook Tablet before I would even consider the Kindle Fire.
Kevin
I kinda suspected that internet browsing wouldn't be all that fast on Silk. Opera is the best example I can point to that shows that tech not being all that fast. But maybe results will vary. But considering that none of the other browsers use that tech, there is probably something to my thinking.
King
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on November 21, 2011, 05:32:19 PM
I kinda suspected that internet browsing wouldn't be all that fast on Silk. Opera is the best example I can point to that shows that tech not being all that fast. But maybe results will vary. But considering that none of the other browsers use that tech, there is probably something to my thinking.
King
It is possible that ultimately Silk would be faster for websites that you frequent often, I just don't know. I tried several of my favorite sites and did not see any improvement over my browsing experience in the store compared to my Nook Color. But I did find the Nook Tablet considerably faster overall. Not just web browsing but opening apps, magazines and books. It's really too bad that B&N let Kindle get first call on the tablet this time. It really is a better device in my opinion. At least from the short time I have been able to spend on each device.
Kevin
Many agree that the Nook Tablet is a better device...AND it has a built in Micro SD card reader for additional storage. And it plays more video formats than the iPad and Fire, including MKV. If I was in the market for a new tablet right now, and wasn't married to my iPad, the Nook Tablet would likely be at or near the top of my list.
I predict the optometry field will BOOM in the next 10 years. :)
Looks like an ingenious hacker was able to put the latest Android OS on a Kindle Fire Tablet. Pretty cool!
http://www.pcworld.com/article/245622/hacker_installs_ice_cream_sandwich_on_kindle_fire.html (http://www.pcworld.com/article/245622/hacker_installs_ice_cream_sandwich_on_kindle_fire.html)
Ah the beauty of Android! :)
Been hearing some bad reviews or at the very least mixed reviews. Anyone gotten one yet?
King
Not bad per se, most of what I have read from the analyst community echo's what I said initially, if you buy this device and think you are getting an iPad you will be dissapointed. Also the 7" screen size, which even Steve Jobs said was too small, and the design of the Fire is getting some criticism. It's a great device for what it does, but what it does is limited.
I've heard a lot have had Wifi network and Internet connection issues. A lot of people are contacting the support team for help so I hear and there's not a lot they can do at the moment cause it's an OS or hardware issue.
I have one, and I like it but am not blown away by it. The 7" form factor does suit me, but I want more storage on it, or an SD slot. As Bryan points out, it is a cool device, but limited.
You can get a refurbished Kindle fire for $139 today - while supplies last. Awesome deal!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0051VVOB2/?ie=UTF8&pf_rd_t=701&tag=mysimon&linkCode=ur2&qid=1327619743&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=313767801&pf_rd_s=center-2&camp=1789&sr=8-1&pf_rd_r=0H7NJWQGXQXX26HMSB78&creative=9325&condition=refurbished&pf_rd_i=21 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0051VVOB2/?ie=UTF8&pf_rd_t=701&tag=mysimon&linkCode=ur2&qid=1327619743&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=313767801&pf_rd_s=center-2&camp=1789&sr=8-1&pf_rd_r=0H7NJWQGXQXX26HMSB78&creative=9325&condition=refurbished&pf_rd_i=21)
Excellent deal indeed.