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The Kindle Fire, eReader and iPad Comparison Chart: More than an eReader

/ November 6, 2011 / Kindle Fire / Permalink

kidlefirephoto3 The Kindle Fire, eReader and iPad Comparison Chart: More than an eReaderThe Kindle Fire is selling like crazy, with pre-orders exceeding 50,000 per day.  At this rate, it will certainly meet expectations of selling 2.5 million units the November 15th release date. The word on the street is that the sale of this tablet will surpass both the Nook Color and the iPad2.  The question is:  Is the Kindle Fire more than an eReader?

 

How the Kindle Fire Compares to the Nook Color

Specs

Kindle Fire

Nook Color

  
Price $199 $249
Screen Size 7” 7”
Overall Size 7.5X4.5X.45 inches 8.1X5.0X.48 inches
Weight 14.6 ounces 15.8 ounces
Storage 8GB 8GB
Expandable Storage Innovative, See below microSD Card, 32GB
3G No No
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 802.11 b/g/n
Processor Dual-Core OMAP4 800MHz Cortex-A8
Browser Amazon Silk Android, customized
Camera No No
GPS No No
Data from mfr websites      

One of the criticisms of the Kindle Fire is that it doesn’t offer an sd card option for expanding storage capacity making it a seemingly less desirable option to the Nook Color eReader – that is until you consider the “virtually limitless” storage available through the Amazon Cloud.

In truth, 8GB can store a significant amount of digital book, magazine and newspaper content. And that’s where the Kindle Fire, with its “limitless storage” capacity and access to video content, begins to blur the line between eReader and tablet.

How the Kindle Fire Compares to the iPad2

Specs Kindle Fire iPad2
Price $199 $499-$829
Screen Size 7” 9.7”
Overall Size 7.5X4.5X.45 inches 9.5X7.31X.34 inches
Weight 14.6 ounces 21.28 ounces (1.33lbs)
Storage 8GB 16GB, 32GB, 64GB
Expandable Storage Innovative, See above iCloud
3G No Optional
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 802.11 b/g/n
Processor Dual-Core OMAP4 Dual-core A5
Browser Amazon Silk Mobile Safari
Camera No Front & Rear
GPS No 3G models only
Data from mfr websites    

The processing speed of the Kindle Fire appears to rival that of the iPad2 as both use dual-core processors; however those who’ve had an opportunity to witness the Fire in action have noted its “instantaneous processing power.”

This slight-of-hand is Amazon’s innovative approach to handling time-intensive functions on its Cloud servers and then feeding it in one stream to the Kindle Fire.

In addition, Amazon “learns” from users browsing habits what they’re likely to click next, which enables the Amazon Cloud to preload the Fire with the information the user is most likely to want.

So is the Kindle Fire an eReader or a tablet? A review of the specs reveals that in terms of its size and weight, it resembles the Nook Color. When you consider the Fire’s ability to handle a variety of media at nearly “instantaneous” speeds, it more closely resembles the iPad2.

In terms of price and what you get for the money, nothing touches the Kindle Fire. In fact, some have called this latest offering by Amazon “a game changer.”

Disclosure: We are a professional review site that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review. We test each product thoroughly and give high marks to only the very best. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.

 

 

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The New Kindle Fire Heats up the Tablet Market

/ November 5, 2011 / Kindle Fire / Permalink

kidlefirephoto2 The New Kindle Fire Heats up the Tablet MarketSurely, an Android tablet just $199 isn’t all that.  Well, thousands of people are betting that it is.  At the current rate of pre-ordering, Amazon is expecting to sell nearly 3 million by the release date of November 15, 2011.  In fact, Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO is adding millions more for the Christmas gift giving rush. Needless to say, tech gadget enthusiast are anxious to get their hands on them.

Will Kindle Fire Sell Out Before Christmas?

The Amazon Kindle Fire is still getting steady pre-orders, with many ordering more than one. Amazon is scrambling to make millions more, confident they will be sold.  Analyst are predicting it will be one of this year’s best selling electronic gadgets; and could sell out before Christmas.

Such enthusiasm has caused some to speculate that the Fire will be the biggest launch in tablet history; however that remains to be seen. In the meantime few have actually handled the Kindle Fire so there are some things we just don’t know yet, but there is also a lot that we do know and much of what we know is pretty exciting.

  • Quick Responsiveness: If the Silk browser and the Cloud work together as described by Amazon, the new Kindle Fire will provide the user a responsiveness that is almost instantaneous. It won’t matter if the user is accessing movies, streaming music, or playing games; the Cloud will handle all of the time consuming data collection on its servers, which will then send it in one stream to the tablet.
  • Vibrant Color: Amazon states that the Kindle Fire offers 16 million colors providing saturated, vibrant color in movies, videos, pictures, games and website content.
  • Screen Size: The screen size is similar to Barnes and Nobles’ Nook Color; however the dimensions of the Kindle Fire more closely mimic the widescreen format when turned in landscape mode. This, combined with the quick responsiveness and vibrant color, should make watching movies on the Fire a more enjoyable experience than many other tablets.
  • Whispersync: This fun feature is something analysts have wondered about since the launch of the Kindle 2 back in February of 2009 when PCWorld quoted a Garter Inc. analyst, Van Baker saying, “If you could extend the function of the Kindle to additional devices or, even better, if you could acquire content via another device and have it end up on the Kindle, then that’s getting more compelling as a value proposition.”

 

And that’s exactly what Amazon has done. According to Amazon reps, Kindle Fire users will be able to begin watching a movie on their tablet, pause it, pull it up later on their big screen TV and continue watching from where they left off. The movie could be paused again and viewing could continue on a desktop or laptop.

The millions of content options, fast processing speed, and low price are all helping to position the new Kindle Fire as a serious contender in the tablet market.

Disclosure:  We are a professional review site that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review. We test each product thoroughly and give high marks to only the very best. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.

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Amazon’s Kindle Fire’s Web Browser – Read this Before You Buy

/ November 4, 2011 / Kindle Fire / Permalink

kidlefirephoto1 Amazon’s Kindle Fire’s Web Browser Read this Before You BuyThe new Kindle Fire comes loaded with Amazon Silk as its default browser.  This makes your browsing experience much faster and more powerful.  However, there 2 areas to consider.  This process is also set up to collect data on your browsing history, which has raised some concerns about privacy.   So how does this happen?

First of all, the Kindle Fire’s web browser (Amazon Silk – exclusive to the Kindle Fire) is integrated with Amazon’s Cloud computing capabilities. The Silk browser is sort of a smart browser.  In short, each time you load a web page, Silk makes a decision to either run it locally or remotely; Amazon’s Cloud computing platform.

This extends the limited capabilities of typical mobile browsers, and extends the battery life.  Overall, this is good because it improves the tablet’s performance.

Privacy Invasion?

For all the power and quickness of load times with this dual browser architecture, some are expressing concerns about their privacy.  Read on:

  • Recorded Browsing: If you’ve never cared whether Amazon kept track of your purchasing history, then you might not have a problem with this.  In addition, this information has help many others make buying decisions based on what you’ve bought. Certainly, you’ve seen the “customers who bought this item also bought” statement.

However, with the Kindle Fire, your browsing habits are recorded.  Basically, Amazon Cloud determines where you’ll go next and preloads it. This allows your requests to be instantly returned.

  •  Sharing information and Terms: Amazon is sensitive to these concerns, citing its Amazon Silk Terms & Conditions ““We generally do not keep this information for longer than 30 days.”  It further indicates that Amazon Silk is subject to the Amazon.com Privacy Notice which in part states, “We do not provide any personally identifiable customer information to third-party advertisers or third-party Web sites.”

The real issue seems to be just how much of their information is being shared, so this policy may not ease everyone’s concerns.  Definitely,  Amazon is addressing the matter.

  • Can You Turn the Off the Recording and Sharing?  The answer to this question is yes.  Amazon makes it possible to opt out of the Cloud optimization functioning.  The Kindle Fire would then retrieve all data using Amazon Silk without the aid of the Amazon Cloud. The downside to this is that disabling the Amazon Cloud may result in longer website loading times and increased use of battery power.

Nevertheless, even with this sharing issue at hand, which can be disabled, many are still amazed at Kindle Fire’s capabilities. They are intrigued at the response times, battery conservation, unlimited storage, improved streaming of movies, games and other media.  These advantages cannot be overlooked.

Disclosure: We are a professional review site that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review. We test each product thoroughly and give high marks to only the very best. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.

 

 

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Amazon’s Kindle Fire Appealing to Millions

/ November 3, 2011 / Kindle Fire / Permalink

kidlefirephoto Amazon’s Kindle Fire Appealing to MillionsIf people were willing to depart with $500 for Apple’s iPad2, they surely will cough up $199 for Amazon’s Kindle Fire.  This is just one of the reasons Apple could feel some real competition from Amazon in the tablet market.

In as much as the iPad2 offers outstanding color, a fast processor and access to a vast collection of music, movies, and apps, its price tag is still a challenge for many people.  This is where the Kindle Fire will have an advantage, catering to the price conscious market.  This is not to say these consumers do not care about quality, because in the Kindle Fire they will get both.

Furthermore, this affordable tablet option does not ignore some appealing features such as:

    • Nearly instant responsiveness, with dual core CPU between 1&1.2 GHz
    • Vibrant resolution with 16 million colors
    • More than 16,000 apps
    • Dual-core processing
    • “Virtually limitless” storage capacity with Amazon Cloud
    • Anti-reflective treatment for full-sun viewing
    • Access to 100,000 movies & TV shows
    • Access to 17 million songs
    • Kindle books
    • Access to hundreds of magazines and newspapers

 

Will Amazon’s Supply Match Demand?

Already, Amazon has preorders of more than 250,000 tablets. It is scheduled for release on November 15, 2011.  As this number continues to grow, one wonders if the demand will be met during the holidays.  Clearly, consumers feel they will be getting a high quality product without cutting deep into their Christmas budgets.

The Skeptics

On the other hand, the test will be if the Amazon can capture Apple product lovers.  There are those consumers who will not shop another brand, no matter how attractive the price is or abundant the features.  They are not impressed with the 8GB capacity, the lack of camera for video conferencing and absence of a 3G offering.

However, some are more forgiving, understanding that an inexpensive tablet won’t have all the bells and whistles.  They will live with these shortcomings. Even so, Amazon put to rest concerns about storage by providing “virtually limitless” capacity through its Cloud system.

Nevertheless, while it’s true that some will never accept the Kindle Fire over the Apple iPad, it does appeal to the masses. It is light weight, user friendly and quite affordable;  definite pluses.  Amazon is on track to sell 2.5 million of these tablets by Christmas.  Hopefully, there will be enough to go around, as it seems to be just what so many have been waiting for.

Disclosure:  We are a professional review site that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review. We test each product thoroughly and give high marks to only the very best. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.

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