Is The Kindle Fire Tablet Computer a Hot Buy for Only $200?
Many of us have been anxiously awaiting for Amazon to come out with a device that is a step up from their popular line of Kindle eBook readers. There was a lot of anticipation building up to the Kindle Fire tablet computer. Some people were expecting the Fire to be a full fledged affordable tablet computer while others were hoping for a device that would add more functionality to their Amazon eBook reader.
Now that it’s here, the big question is whether Amazon was actually able to live up to consumer expectations. Before I answer that, let me take a few minutes and go over the specs of the device.
Specifications:
Price – $199.99
Processor – Dual-core 1GHz TI Cortex A9 OMAP4
OS – A Customized Verizon of Android 2.3 (Not compatible with standard Android Apps)
Display – 7″ multi-touch with anti-reflective coating (1024 x 600 px resolution)
Battery – Reported to run for 8 hours for reading or 7.5 for video playback (with Wi-Fi turned off)
Recharge Time – 4 hours
Storage – 8GB Internal but only 6GB is available for users to store files (free cloud storage for Amazon content)
Dimensions 4.7″ x 7.5″ x 0.45″
Weight – 14.6 ounces
Connectivity – Wi-Fi 802.11 b,g,n
Cameras – None
Ports – USB Micro B, 3.5mm headphone jack
Warranty – 1 year limited (optional 2 year extended)
Who is Amazon Targeting With This Device?
First of all, people need to understand that Amazon isn’t really trying to compete with the regular tablet computer market. They are, however, looking to catch the eyes of people who are Kindle fans but want a bit more functionality from their eBook reader.
They’ve priced the device at only $200 to make it an attractive buy but if you’re expecting it to perform like any other Android powered tablet computer I think you’re going to be disappointed. Amazon has heavily customized the Android operating system so that it’s more like their own OS than what you might be accustomed to if you own any other Google Android powered devices. You can’t download apps from the Android Market but Amazon does have a growing selection of their own apps that will run on the Fire.
Instead of thinking of this as a low priced tablet with full tablet computer functionality, you might want to view it as a content deliver device for Amazon content. Owners of the Fire can choose from a large selection of TV shows and movies that they can rent from Amazon to play on the device. They can also play music and eBooks that they buy from Amazon on the Kindle Fire.
There is actually a service that Amazon is hoping Fire users will subscribe to. It’s their content delivery service called “Amazon Prime”. If you choose to subscribe to this service, it will cost you $79 a year. Subscribers can play an unlimited number of the thousands of movies and TV shows that are available in the Amazon Prime content library. They can “borrow” books from the Kindle Owners Lending Library as well but only at a rate of one book a month which is a bit disappointing if you ask me.
What Are People Saying About Amazon’s New Low Priced Tablet?
Well, it’s getting mixed reviews. For those who were hoping that it would be in the same class of other Android powered tablets, they are really disappointed and this group of people have put out a lot of very negative reviews for this device. Those who just wanted a little bit more functionality out of their eBook reader are saying quite good things about Amazon’s latest gadget.
What Are My Thoughts On The Kindle Fire?
I think you have to look at this device for what it “is” and not for what it “isn’t”. What I mean by this is that if you think of it as a device to consume more types of content than you could consume with traditional eBook readers, you’ll probably be quite happy with it. If you’re hoping that it will be able to stack up against popular tablet computers like the iPad 2 or the Toshiba Thrive, you’re probably in for a let down.
One clever marketing tactic that Amazon came up with is that they are giving away a free app to owners of the Fire every day. This is cute but I’m personally not that impressed with this marketing ploy. After all, if Amazon wouldn’t have made it so that you can’t download apps from the Android Market, you could get as many free apps as you wanted. Essentially they restricted access to the thousands of free apps in the Market and then they spoon feed you one app a day. While this may be enough to get some people’s motors running, it’s not enough to convince me to rush out and buy one of these souped up eBook readers.
If you’d rather buy a fully functional Android device that won’t break the bank, you might want to read my article called An Affordable Toshiba Android Honeycomb Tablet.
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