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On Wednesday, Amazon unveiled not one, but four new Kindle products. It was the Kindle Fire that really had to tech world buzzing.
The tablet was quickly called a rival to Apple's iPad, but with a much lighter price tag at $199. The product, which will go on sale in mid-November, "brings together all of the things we've been working on at Amazon for over 15 years into a single, fully-integrated service for customers," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder and CEO, at the unveiling.
Tech experts were quick to compare the Fire's features with that of the iPad, and while the Fire seems to lack some of the many features of its Apple competitor, the price seemed to win most experts over.
"On paper, the Kindle Fire has half the features of the iPad," wrote CNET's Molly Wood. She goes on to write, however that while the Kindle Fire "may be an orange to Apple's iPad apple, but I'd argue that it's an iPad killer all the same.
"The problem is that hardly anyone actually needs an iPad. And as tablet usage starts to shake out, it's more and more apparent that a low-cost option with fewer features will actually suit most people's first-world needs."
"Our overall impression is that this is what Amazon needs to do, and despite rumors that Amazon had been cutting corners on their design (which may well be the case), the goods on display today look like something Amazon can be proud of," wrote Wilson Rothman atMSNBC.
"The Fire has a good chance at being the best Android-based tablet out of the gate," wrote Erick Schonfeld at TechCrunch. "Not just because of the fine-tuned software, but because of all the media you can get on it."
"Of course, it makes it really easy to buy all of that media from Amazon. But just as Apple builds superior product by integrating the software, hardware, its Web-based store, so too is Amazon trying to do the same thing. And all at an affordable price," he wrote.
Jesus diaz and Sam Biddle of Gizmodo wrote that the Kindle Fire's shortcomings don't seem like "major show stoppers with this price tag. Even the most optimistic analysts pegged the price at $250. Keeping the price tag below the $200 psychological mark is going to have a big effect in the mind of consumers."
"Unlike other tablet competitors, Amazon will use its powerful store to sell this tablet. More importantly, it will be deeply integrated with Amazon's cloud services and all its content. It will offer as many books, songs and movies as Apple does," wrote Gizmodo.
"The real kicker, however, is the price -- at just $199, it's bound to turn heads, regardless of whether you were interested in a slate before. Naturally, that bargain-bin sticker explains the lack of an embedded camera and microphone," wrote Darren Murph at Engadget.
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Amazon Takes on Apple With New Kindle Fire Tablet
Jeff Bezos, the chief executive of Amazon, introduced the Kindle Fire on Wednesday, Sep 28.
September 28, 2011
Seeking to stake a claim in the tablet market alongside Apple and Samsung, Amazon.com on Wednesday revealed plans to begin selling a color touchscreen tablet computer. Named the Kindle Fire, the device has a 7-inch touchscreen, weighs 14.6 ounces and is outfitted with a dual-core processor.
But the most important feature may be the price. At $199 it is less than half the price of the Apple iPad, which starts at $499.
It is the first tablet from a major company to seriously undercut the iPad in price. Jeffrey P. Bezos, Amazon’s founder and chief executive, who showed off the Fire on stage at a news conference in Manhattan, said it was meant to build on the popularity of the company’s e-readers and appeal to a broader audience that also wants to browse the Web and stream music, movies and video on a mobile device.
The Kindle Fire can also play games and has access to Amazon’s library of 18 million e-books, movies and television shows and songs. “We’re building premium products at non-premium prices,” said Mr. Bezos “We are determined to do that.”
The Kindle Fire features a newsstand for users who want to subscribe to magazines, with titles like Cosmopolitan, Vanity Fair, Wired and Glamour. Mr. Bezos also introduced a speedy custom-built mobile browser, called Amazon Silk, which he said was “cloud-accelerated,” combining Amazon’s computing cloud with the Kindle Fire device. “It’s truly a technical achievement,” he said. Amazon plans to begin taking preorders for the device on its Web site immediately, and they will start shipping Nov. 15. “We’re making many millions of these,” he said.
The Kindle Fire includes a free cloud-based storage system, meaning that no syncing with cables is necessary. Mr. Bezos seemed to take a swipe at Apple, saying, “That model that you are responsible for backing up your own content is a broken model.” Like the iPad’s screen, the screen on the Fire has so-called in-plane switching technology, meaning that unlike some LCD screens it can be viewed from a variety of angles, not just straight on. Mr. Bezos also introduced several new e-readers, including the Kindle Touch, a lightweight version of its current Kindle models, with the addition of an infrared touch display. The Touch, which costs $99, has no buttons, and users navigate by tapping the sides of the screen. The device is available for preorder beginning Wednesday and will start shipping Nov. 21.
Mr. Bezos showed off a version of the Kindle Touch with 3G wireless connectivity, for $149. In addition, Mr. Bezos showed off a new, non-touchscreen Kindle that he said was 18 percent lighter than the Kindle 3, includes a faster processor and will sell for $79. It will begin shipping immediately, he said. “We have many customers who tell us they don’t want touch,” Mr. Bezos said. “We’re going to sell many millions of these.”
The Kindle Fire has its work cut out for it. Apple has secured a strong lead in tablets, selling more than 29 million iPads in the product’s first 15 months on the market. Others that have tried to roll out rivals have been less successful. For example, Research in Motion, maker of the BlackBerry line of smartphones, said it only shipped 200,000 of its own rival to the iPad, the PlayBook, in three months.
Amazon will also be competing with the Nook, Barnes & Noble’s popular color e-reader. Many expect the Nook to get an upgrade later this year. However, Amazon has an ace up its sleeve that other tablet makers do not, said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst with Gartner who follows the consumer electronics industry. “Amazon has already nailed the hardest part of the equation: the content,” he said. To entice buyers, the Kindle Fire will offer Amazon’s full spread of digital content, including streaming music, TV and movie rentals and e-books.
The company needs to ensure that its e-commerce business and its consumer electronics arm are supporting each other as more goods go digital. Early sales estimates for the Kindle Fire reach as high as five million. “The tablet market right now is easily defined as Apple and everyone else,” said Mr. Gartenberg. “There is certainly room for another player, and a well-executed device from Amazon could do well.”
[Edited 9/29/11 7:55am] | |
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This is undoubtedly as a result of all the users who were buying the Color NOOK and "modifying" it to work as a pseudo-iPad.
Kindle obviously got the hint and jumped on that bandwagon!
I'd buy one. By St. Boogar and all the saints at the backside door of Purgatory! | |
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Thank you for posting this. I've been debating between the Kindle and Nook. I just ordered one. Shake it til ya make it  | |
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This thing is going to be brilliant.
It looks like it's going to have a pre-built environment ...aka... the amazon store itself with apps, music, videos, and of course book content.
The specs say dual-core...Are they talking Pentium Dual-core If so, I wonder why they chose such a powerful chip (I know it's not powerful for desktops anymore, but for a tablet device, it seems quite powerful). This seems like it would drain the battery quite quickly. The specs do say 8 hour battery life, which is pretty good. But I wonder what exact chip is in it...perhaps one that is older and underclocked to give it more juice.
The fact that it doesn't require a computer, has web browsing, cloud storage, and gives you a touchpad at a sub $200 pricepoint makes attractive, especially in this economy.
I wonder why they're chosing to go head-to-head against the iPad though. The iPad is still a different type of device--larger, camera capable, etc.
Although I don't think it's the exact same league of machine as the iPad, I do think it's going to make Apple sweat. No other competitor has been able to meet Apple's pricepoint on tablet and offer nearly the same suite of features. This thing misses the mark just slightly on features, but more than makes up in price.
Here's to hoping it drives down iPad prices, or at least forces Apple to innovate more quickly.
Either way, this divice is welcome good news. | |
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Just glaze over my reply why don't cha!
The iPad is ALREADY "competing" (if you could apply that word to this situation) with plenty of folks who are choosing a reconfigured NOOK over a more expensive iPad.
Granted, like you said, it's a different animal...but I think that enough broke-ass people (like myself) who can't really "splurge" on an iPad can muster up $200 for it's adolescent dopleganger. By St. Boogar and all the saints at the backside door of Purgatory! | |
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When I get my Kindle I hope I can photoshop & create gifs on it... By St. Boogar and all the saints at the backside door of Purgatory! | |
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dear Amazon...
Please extend me $149 for the Kindle I bought in December 2010, and apply it to the purchase of one Kindle Fire. Thank you. | |
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[Edited 9/28/11 16:37pm] | |
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[Edited 11/12/11 11:15am] | |
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I want a tablet so bad! There are so many out there! how does one chose! Rhythm floods my heart♥The melody it feeds my soul | |
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Awww poo...they would wait till after I got the Nook Color,
But really, the main thing it has over the Nook is the price and the cloud storage for content...what's a cloud?
I wonder if I can borrow library books like I can with the Nook?
Oh well...this war is just beginning anyways...sigh! Prince, in you I found a kindred spirit...Rest In Paradise. | |
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It depends on what you plan on doing with it. If you want something that will let you surf the web, hook up with friends on the Org or Facebook, watch YouTube videos, work as an e-reader, stream Netflix movies, give you apps to check your local weather, stocks, basic stuff, etc., than this new Amazon tablet, the Nook Color, or the Samsung Galaxy Tab will probably work for you. If you want something that has ten zillion apps on it and want to make you the envy of your techie friends, then you can go with the iPad. While the iPad is a fun device, it costs way too much money to use as a computing device, and you're better of getting a decent laptop with much more capability for the same price.
BTW, I have had my HP Touchpad for over a month now, and I pretty much use it to surf the web and as an e-reader. My Kindle can read pdf files, but they look better on the Touchpad. It was definitely worth the $99.00 I spent on it. Unfortunately, there are no more Touchpads on the market unless you want to pay an inflated price for one on Ebay.
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I like that my Nook does all the things you mentioned plus it fits inside my purse. The ipad was too big for that, not to mention the expense. [Edited 9/28/11 19:05pm] Prince, in you I found a kindred spirit...Rest In Paradise. | |
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Kindle Fire: Low Price May Overshadow Missing Bells & Whistles September 29, 2011
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I ordered two of these yesterday. This seems like a larger version of the Ipod touch. I will order the prime service to take advantage of the movies and shows. | |
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Depending on how easy it will be to dump/ignore all the pre-installed, proprietary nonsense, they may have finally reached my price point. I've got over 20,000 comic books in a digital format, that alone makes it intriguing. | |
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Sounds pretty perfect for me I also dont get the cloud storage part, is that unlimited storage? Rhythm floods my heart♥The melody it feeds my soul | |
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too bad there is no camera A jerk short of being a flaming thread. MY COUSIN WORKS IN A PHARMACY AND SHE SAID THEY ENEMA'D PRANCE INTO OBLIVION WITH FENTONILS!! | |
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Yes, yes. | |
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Sweetie and I just got into an argument on the phone over this stupid thing. He tried to tell me it doesn't have a backlit screen. We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves. | |
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Most premium phones and tablets run dual core chips at present. And battery technology has adapted so they don't drain. All the premium Android phones and tablets have dual core processors now. Like the Samsung Galaxy S2 which has the Exynos chip that Sammy developed themselves. Other phones and tablets use dual core chips from NVIDIA (Tegra 2 chip), Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments. iPad2 runs a dual core Samsung processor also (although for some lame reason Apple chose to call it an "Apple A5 chip", maybe to fool people into thinking they made it)
At this stage in the game, it'd be more suprising if Amazon had gone with a single core chip. Dual core is the standard now.
In fact, NVIDIA are planning to release the follow up processor to the Tegra 2, at the end of the year. It's codename "Kal-El" and get this..... It's QUAD-CORE. The first quad-core Android tablet featuring this chip might be the Asus Transformer 2, which should hopefully be out before the holidays.
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Back on topic, Kindle Fire seems cool but I already have a hacked NookColor and this is basically the same but with slightly better specs, so I have no need for it. |
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Before people get too excited about certain features, the "free cloud storage" is all about AMAZON content. That was one of the main reasons they built this device and are selling it at this price. Amazon has built up a HUGE digital library of products and they want people to start buying them. So agian, the "free cloud storage" is for music, videos and books you PURCHASE/D through Amazon.
In all the documentation I can find it makes it quite clear; "Amazon digital content", "Amazon Prime members" (it was $75 a year last time I checked), "Amazon Silk is a revolutionary, cloud-accelerated browser", "Stream your music library from Amazon Cloud Drive or download to your device and listen offline", "Discover over 17 million songs in the Amazon MP3 Store."
Does it do ANYTHING that is not propriatery or require the use of the Amazon store/cloud service?
It says it has an 8 GB internatl and supports Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, Audible (Audible Enhanced (AA, AAX)), DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, OGG, WAV, MP4, VP8. If you can use it like an external, just dragging and dropping items you ALREADY OWN back and forth, then I think its genius. If its going to tie you up into buying a bunch of new files and/or force you to do so through their proprietary software then I'm not interested.
It also doesn't read CBR or CBZ, which is kind of lame, but it can be worked around. | |
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Probably not out of the box, but it's running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) underneath, which means the developer community will get to work straight away on unlocking the bootloader, getting root access, and flashing a complete Android ROM that has access to Android Market, etc. At which point you can just do what you want with it and circumvent Amazon's own software completely if you choose to.
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No ePUB? So you can't check stuff out from the libes, either. We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves. | |
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No MPEG of AVI, either. I assume that's covered with MP4, but I've yet to own a device of this size so I've always avoided that one. | |
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I'm sure you're right and I respect that level of geekiness immensely. But for what I want it to do I would prefer not needing to go to that level of hackery.
Like, is it going to be necessary to unlock the bootloader and gain root access in order to just drag and drop files you already own from your PC to the KF? Because its not necessary with the Nook.
I don't really care about apps at all. And I don't care about cloud services. I just want to be able to read the books and comics I already have on a tablet instead of a full-size laptop or at my desktop. It would be cool to kick it in the recliner or the bed with something so small. | |
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I'm sure you'll be able to drag and drop files, the question is what formats are being supported by Amazon's stock software. Which is why rooting and flasher a fuller Android ROM would be a better idea.
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