Amazon has decided it is time to up the ante against tablet manufacturers. The Kindle is arguably the greatest E-Reader currently in terms of sales. Being able to purchase and read books on your device has never been easier. As a Kindle owner the only problem I have with the device is the e-ink screen.
I am not going to try and compare the Apple iPad to the original Kindle. They are two different products catering for 2 different sets of users. Many iPad owners also own the Kindle to read books on.
The Amazon Kindle Fire on the other hand, can definitely be compared to the iPad, BlackBerry PlayBook and the Samsung Galaxy Tab. The Kindle Fire I believe was conceived by the “brains trust” at Amazon in response to the iPad and the App store policies. Apple has changed their terms and conditions and have forced all publishers to remove the shopping cart functionality from the Apps. Amazon does not want to be governed by Apple’s rules in terms of how users can make purchases directly from the Kindle App. So Amazon have subsequently unveiled a “native” Kindle app (The Kindle Cloud Reader) that users can use in their Safari browser on their iPad’s as well. It is only a matter of time before Amazon pulls their original Kindle App from the Apple App Store.
The Amazon Kindle Fire features a forked version of Android. Forked for the non tech readers refers to a version of the software that contains elements of the original code. The direction in which the software has been taken is not what the original manufacturers had in mind for it. However the move is very logical as Amazon already has an Android App Store. The potential that the Android platform offers Amazon will definitely affect the Android ecosystem. They will take market share away from the other Android manufacturers.
I have to also mention that the initial screenshots of the device made me think of the BlackBerry PlayBook. The resemblance is not a coincidence. The device was designed by the original design manufacturer (ODM), Quanta, who also did the PlayBook design for Research In Motion.
Kindle Fire Features
Display: 7″ multi-touch display with IPS (in-plane switching) technology and anti-reflective treatment, 1024 x 600 pixel resolution.
Size (in inches): 7.5″ x 4.7″ x 0.45″ (190 mm x 120 mm x 11.4 mm).
Weight: 413 grams
System Requirements: None, because it’s wireless and doesn’t require a computer.
On-device Storage: 8GB internal. That’s enough for 80 apps, plus either 10 movies or 800 songs or 6,000 books.
Cloud Storage: Free cloud storage for all Amazon content
Battery Life: Up to 8 hours of continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video playback, with wireless off.
Charge Time: Fully charges in approximately 4 hours via included U.S. power adapter. Also supports charging from your computer via USB.
Wi-Fi Connectivity: Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, or 802.1X standard with support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks.
USB Port: USB 2.0 (micro-B connector)
Audio: 3.5 mm stereo audio jack, top-mounted stereo speakers.
Content Formats Supported: 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.
Documentation: Quick Start Guide(included in box); Kindle User’s Guide (pre-installed on device)
If there is one major flaw in the initial launch of the Kindle Fire, it’s that its not available to the international market yet. Currently only persons residing in America can purchase it as a pre-order . It took Amazon 2 years to provide international users a Kindle (as seen in the first generation Kindle). It just seems far too long for the prospective users to wait before they can get their hands on this device.
Amazon has not made any announcements when the Kindle Fire will be available to South African users.
