Kindle Fire

[Batou456]

This showed up recently.


So we're looking at a tablet platform designed to help push Amazon's answer to Netflix, iTunes, and other online services in addition to dedicating some of its server space entirely to optimizing the general browsing experience of users of its browser. This combined with the low pricing is clearly designed to be disruptive to the tablet market and encourage more sales through Amazon itself.


There doesn't seem to be anything official about how much of a walled garden we're looking at, but it's almost assuredly going to be more open then iOS.

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

Yeah i read about this.It doesent use Android i believe.Yes i definately think its an attempt to encourage more sales through Amazon.They must have a huge customer base to tap into.A cheap yet brand name tablet could do well perhaps better than a cheap non branded one.

 

[sporkbox]

Just another tablet device to me. A fad just like the netbook market was.

 

[pmprog]

I like my Netbook, don't use it enough these days though. It was great for coding on the fly, and playing a few games.


Amazon have forked their own Android in prep for a proper tablet (so I've read), not that the current Kindles use it.


I've been tempted to get a Kindle, but I have too many paper books on my shelf to read

 

[gadgetoid]

The Kindle Fire, coupled with Amazon's services, probably has more chance of surviving than anything else.


Like Apple, Amazon can afford to loss-lead the tablet and recoup funds on the services/purchases; unlike Apple (for whom "exclusive" pricing is part of the image), they're actually doing it.


Ultimately it's just a tool to push their other products and will never be a cutting edge competitor in the tablet market. But it could still have a profound effect on the iPad.


I still firmly believe that there isn't really a market for tablets; rather a market for iPads. The sales figures seem to confirm this.

 

[renegadechic]

i have to agree. the tablet format seems to ride more on the iPhone hype rather than any actual need or use for the device. most PC users are too savvy to buy an overpriced, redundant piece of hardware to enable to them to do little more than browse the internet and watch videos. it takes the ridiculousness of an apple zealot to really think they are getting some kind of value out of it.

 

[sporkbox]

The Kindle Fire, coupled with Amazon's services, probably has more chance of surviving than anything else.


Like Apple, Amazon can afford to loss-lead the tablet and recoup funds on the services/purchases; unlike Apple (for whom "exclusive" pricing is part of the image), they're actually doing it.


Ultimately it's just a tool to push their other products and will never be a cutting edge competitor in the tablet market. But it could still have a profound effect on the iPad.


I still firmly believe that there isn't really a market for tablets; rather a market for iPads. The sales figures seem to confirm this.

I dunno, I think tablets have a place if your needs are extremely light and you never do anything useful with your computing. The thing is, even people who got netbooks thinking, "I won't need much power" end up discovering the machine's limitations with a little bit of effort because they want to get more out of their machine. Today's tablets are more powerful than early netbooks, but I think their most limiting trait is the touchscreen interface. I think HP and Asus have tablets that have a keyboard dock so you can use it like a real computer. To compound this, though, the OSes on these devices are pretty well locked down and aren't too useful until you break the protection on them. As it currently stands though, it's a passing fad.

 

[Blue Protoman]

I wonder what the next will be. Place your bets!

 

[id10t]

I bought a B&N Nook color in May this year (got it brought into the UK with someone returning from the US).


I rooted it to Cyangenmod7, and since then I haven't switched on my Pandora! *shock*


The Kindle Fire looks like a later chipset than the Nook, but I don't think it adds anything worth shouting about.


Why haven't I used the Pandora since?


Different use cases.


Frankly the browsing and reading experience is much better on an overclocked 7" multitouch IPS tablet.


I read a lot, and I think my attention span for games has tailed off. Books and comics work well on the 7" screen


as does video. I found the Pandora screen to be just slightly too small for cbr reading for any length of time.


I have played with the iPads, but I prefer the size of the 7" screen. For me it's the sweet spot size


and price. Worked out about £180.


But, when I travel, I'll be taking both the Nook and the Pandora.


The Pandora has usb and SD slots, and I hope, a TV out cable someday! A real keyboard for


terminal shell stuff. Oh, and it can use my phone for 3g internet over bluetooth. It will be able to


do most things I'd need from a laptop on hols, including copying photos around SD cards.


I think the Kindle Fire will be a success with consumers who won't shell out for the iPad.


I think the iPad is slick but over priced, or maybe I just like the mod/opensource scene.


ID

 

[vcoleiro1]

There's a story on slashgear stating that Amazon have sold 250,000 Kindle Fire in the first 5 days. Apparently they are selling for around cost at $199.

 

[Batou456]

That should really be 250,000 units paid for 42 days before actual product launch in the first 5 days pre-orders have been available. The store page clearly states they will not start shipping units until Novermber 15th.


I'm not sure why Slashgear is going on about with the "great disparity in specs" given we don't have specifications for the Amazon Fire's processor except it's a dual core. Yes, Apple is behind OpenCL and their relatively large die dedicated to related assets with the A5 will tend to give them an advantage in that area, but they don't seem to be making that distinction.