The estimated reading time for this post is 7 minutes
Yesterday, Amazon announced four new Kindle devices, ranging from the $79 basic Kindle to the $199 tablet, Kindle Fire. Each of the four models is new and each has different features, making the decision about which to get deliciously difficult.
None of the new devices has a physical keyboard, but if you miss that feature, no worries. Amazon is still selling the current Kindles models, now called the Kindle Keyboard, at discounted prices:
- Kindle Keyboard Wi-Fi $99
- Kindle Keyboard 3G $139
Here is a run-down of Kindle features:
All of the prices quoted are for Kindle devices with special offers except the Kindle Fire. Special offers means that ads appear as screen savers and at the bottom of the home screen. You can avoid these special offers if you are willing to spend $40 extra for your device.
With all the Kindle devices, you have access to Kindle ebooks, magazines, newspapers and Kindle Singles. You can also borrow books from your local library (see, Kindle Library Lending Has Arrived!).
Amazon has also introduced Xray to the Kindle ereaders, which provides additional information about the books you read by accessing Wikipedia through the Internet. This handy feature supplements the built-in dictionary as a handy reference tool.
Kindle ereaders have free connections to AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots.
$79 Kindle
This is the cheapest price for a Kindle ereader. The navigation is via a five-way control button at the bottom of the screen and four other buttons: Home, Keyboard, Library and Back buttons.
To enter text, you must use a virtual keyboard and toggle between the letters using the control button. If you take a lot of notes, do a lot of searches or otherwise use a Kindle keyboard frequently, this method of data entry will drive you nuts pretty quickly.
Kindle Touch/Kindle Touch 3G
The Kindle Touch has a multi-touch screen that allows you to navigate the device similar to using a smartphone or iPad. You just press the screen to make your selections and swipe to turn pages. With this model’s virtual keyboard, unlike the virtual keyboard on the $79 Kindle, you press the screen to type.
With the 3G option, you don’t need to be connected to a Wi-Fi network to download books or access the limited web browser. The cost of the device is all that you pay. There is no monthly fee or contract and you can use the 3G service in over 100 countries at no charge. If being connected at all times is important to you, the extra $50 for 3G may be worthwhile.
Kindle Fire
The Kindle Fire is an Android tablet that many say is the best rival to the iPad. The Android operating system on the Fire is unique to Amazon and different from other Android tablets. The Fire knows which apps, books, music you access the most and puts them on your Main Shelf. You can put your favorite apps on the screen below the Main Shelf.
In addition to accessing your Kindle library, the Fire also has access to your Amazon MP3 music, Instant Videos, the Internet, apps, and email. You can download your Amazon music onto your Kindle to listen to it if you are going to be away from the Internet or you can keep your music, videos and apps in the Cloud to keep free space on your device. To use an app, you need to download it to your Fire.
To connect to the Internet, Kindle Fire uses a brand-spanking new browser called Amazon Silk. The browser is designed to run efficiently by using Amazon’s servers to store more information for you in the Cloud. Very little information resides on your Kindle Fire, making it very quick to load new websites onto your tablet.
Amazon has 10,000 Instant Videos available for free if you are a Prime Member ($79/year). You get one month free membership to Amazon Prime by purchasing a Kindle Fire.
Amazon’s Instant Video store, with tv shows and movies, now has Whispersync, so if you start watching a video on your Fire and pause it, you can start watching from where you left off.
What doesn’t the Fire have? A camera, 3G, a microphone, access to the Android market and a lot of space on the device (8 GB, but unlimited Amazon content can be stored in the Cloud for free). The screen is much smaller than other tablets, 7 inches versus 9.7 inches for the iPad. But for $199 (60% less than the cheapest iPad 2 price of $499), the Kindle Fire may have all the features you need.
Which To Buy?
1. Kindle Ereader vs. Kindle Fire
Should you get a Kindle ereader or the Kindle Fire? That depends on your purpose for using the device. I read a great quote last week that compared the iPad to the Kindle ereader. The author said,
Comparing a Kindle and an iPad is like comparing a spoon to a Swiss Army knife. Yes, both enable someone to eat a bowl of soup, but the spoon is more or less limited to that role, while the Swiss Army knife might also include a corkscrew, can opener, wire strippers, scissors, tweezers, magnifying glass, and screwdriver. Trying to determine which one is “better” is entirely subjective, and ultimately futile. (See, Amazon Kindle Tablet: Android Tablet or eReader on Steroids? PC World)
If you need the device to perform a variety of tasks, consider the Fire. If you are going to use the device mainly to read, get the Kindle ereader with E Ink for less eye strain.
2. Which Kindle?
Budget
Your budget will probably play a major role in your decision to purchase a Kindle ereader device. I would stay away from the $79 Kindle. For $20 more you can get a touch screen or keyboard for much easier navigation.
Virtual or Physical Keyboard
You should consider whether you want a physical keyboard or a touchscreen device. (See, Poll: Physical Or Virtual Keyboard?). If you want the convenience of a physical keyboard, choose the Kindle Keyboard model, even though it is an older model of the device.
The Kindle Keyboard devices have physical buttons to turn pages so if you like to hold and operate your device with one hand, you may not be a fan of the Kindle Touch ereaders.
The price is the same for the touch screen versus the keyboard, so the choice is purely preference of navigation method.
3G or Wi-Fi Only?
If you can afford the 3G, I highly recommend that you get a 3G Kindle so you can access the Internet from wherever you are, even in other countries.
3. Kindle Fire vs. iPad
Should you get a Kindle Fire or an iPad? The least expensive iPad 2 is 2 1/2 times as expensive as the Fire. But a gently used iPad 1 may not be much more expensive than a Kindle Fire. An iPad 1 has a much larger screen, much larger app catalog, twice the storage space, a camera and a microphone.
You can read your Kindle books on the iPad, but you can’t access Amazon Instant Videos. You can watch the videos from the iTunes store on an iPad, but not on the Kindle Fire.
The Fire is a quality tablet at a bargain price. If you are thinking of pre-ordering the Kindle Fire, I suggest you go to a store that carries the BlackBerry PlayBook, such as Staples or Best Buy. The PlayBook also has a 7 inch screen so you can see if you like that size for a tablet. Some of you might like the smaller screen size for convenience, others may like the look of a larger screen.
Compare the features listed above for the Kindle Fire. If you like the smaller screen, want to save on cost and won’t mind limited app availability and fewer features, the Fire would be a great choice for a tablet. If you have a bit more to spend and want a larger screen, a wider selection of apps, more storage space, a camera and a microphone, consider getting a gently used iPad 1.
Bottom Line
Amazon introduced four impressive devices yesterday that may tempt anyone considering an ereader and/or a tablet. Compare the specifications, consider your needs and budget and then decide which, if any, of these devices is the best choice for your needs.
Are you tempted by any of the new Kindle devices? Are you leaning more towards a Kindle ereader or the Fire tablet? Which Kindle appeals to you the most? Do you think the Fire is an iPad killer? Let us know in the Comments section below!
I thought this would be good, but no access to the Android market. I think the UK price will be expensive too. The Kindle is £89.00 and Amazon say pre-order. I don’t like being tied to one supplier for content, although I think I could read PDFs. I would use a tablet mostly at home, maybe for reading in bed when the television is garbage; most nights!
The weather in England is good, 10C above normal! It must be about 26 C maybe higher now. We had a warmer than normal April and that helped fuel bills, this will help too if it carries on!
I have a blog to write for Saturday, another Frugal Food blog!
Hi Mike, Unfortunately, Amazon does not have either the Kindle Touch Screen or Kindle Fire devices available outside the US yet. The Kindle Fire is US only due to rights to the apps, I’m sure. But I don’t know why the Kindle Touch screens aren’t being offered outside the US yet.
I don’t recommend the £89.00 Kindle due to the difficulty in navigating. I shouldn’t be surprised at the significantly higher prices in the UK, having lived there for 3 1/2 years, but I still am shocked at the price of the new Kindle in the UK Amazon store.
Thanks for your visit and wonderful comment, Mike! 🙂
A great summary of all the possibilities! Many thanks. Now, which one should I get for my soon-to-be-sixteen granddaughter?
Hi Gramps, Yes, there are many possibilities. You should find out which Kindle device appeals to her more. Does she want an ereader or a tablet? Keyboard or touch screen? Wi-Fi only or 3G?
I asked my teen daughter which one she liked best and she said she liked the keyboard 3G Kindle ereader. She likes to read on E Ink for less eye strain and prefers physical keyboards to touch screens.
Everyone is different though, which makes the wide selection of devices at Amazon very compelling!
Thanks, Gramps, for your visit and awesome comment!
What I’m tempted to do is enter your contest for most comments when you decide to make one of these the prize.
Good stuff and something to look at if you are in the market. We are still minimalists at the Dorman house until our youngest son is employed (which should be soon) then we will probably look at some of these toys. My wife does have an iPhone and we will buy iPhones for both of the boys when their current deal expires this month; poor ol’ dad is always last in line………….good thing I don’t want for much, huh? I think I want to be one of my kids when I grow up…..
Good to see you, hope you are having a lovely day.
Hi Bill, Don’t do it! Don’t buy a new iPhone this month! Apple has a press conference next week (October 4) to announce the new iPhone 5. Well, they haven’t actually said that’s what they’re announcing, but to avoid riots, they probably will make that announcement.
Don’t worry, if you pass up a tech device, the new latest and greatest device is just around the corner!
Thanks for your wonderful comment, Bill! 😀
Oh, she’ll wait; trust me. She will shop this thing every ways but sideways before she pulls the trigger……
Excellent. 🙂
I like the new kindle, it looks smooth and clean and i’m sure that the software is running nice.
Hi Radu, You’re right. The software on the Kindle Fire is amazingly fast. The load time of websites is very fast and switching between apps works speedily too!
Thanks for stopping by again, Radu. 🙂
Hi Carolyn,
I just found out about the new Kindles, and I’m so excited. My Kindle and my iPhone are my two favorite devices, and I’m telling everybody I talk to about my experience with Kindle. Too bad that the new Kindles are only available in the US, but hopefully they’ll start shipping it to Norway fairly soon 🙂
I’m not sure which one I would have bought. I would like the Fire, but I will probably still use it to read a lot, and the battery life is a lot less on the Fire, and I’m not sure how my eyes will be after reading on the Fire for hours.
Thanks a lot for a great review.
Hi Jens, I’m excited about the new Kindles too. It’s great to see Amazon continuing to innovate and expand its business. I’m glad that Amazon is keeping its prior model of Kindle with the keyboard, giving consumers a variety of models to choose from.
Jens, you make such good use of the worldwide 3G, I imagine you would want to have a Kindle with this feature. If the Kindle Fire is successful, they may offer one with a larger screen and/or 3G. But I imagine the 3G service on the Fire would not be the same worldwide 3G service as on the Kindle readers, but be a monthly paid service like on the iPad.
I am surprised that Amazon has not released the Kindle Touch devices outside the US. I don’t know the reason for this, but perhaps they will launch those devices soon.
Thanks so much for your visit and awesome comment, Jens!
Carolyn, aloha. To begin, I loved that quote comparing the spoon and the Swiss Army Knife. That definitely says it.
The timing of the release of the new Kindle’s and your review is perfect. Here’s why.
My little 94 year old mother said she was willing to see if she could use a Kindle. My thought was I could load it with books for her, send it off and then when she gets low refill it. Since she has never even used a computer, I want to get her whichever would be simplest for her to use.
Carolyn, all she wants to do is be able to read books.–absolutely nothing else. Do you think the $99 model would be good or what would you recommend?
Impressive, isn’t it, that she is willing to see if she can learn to use a Kindle. Carolyn, I am so very proud of her.
Awaiting your guidance. Until then, aloha. Janet
Hi Janet, What a wonderful story about your mom! That’s fantastic how she is willing to give the Kindle a try. It’s very easy and I’m sure she will love it. She can adjust the font easily if she wants to read with larger type. And she can easily get books without leaving her house.
My question for you is whether she has Wi-Fi. Not everyone does, so if she doesn’t you may want to buy her the 3G model Kindle to make sure she gets the books you send her.
I would suggest that you register her Kindle to your Amazon account if you will be buying the books for her. That way you can send the books directly to her Kindle instead of sending her a gift card for a book.
As far as getting her the touch screen versus the keyboard, you should consider which would be easier for her to use. The touch screen is very easy to press and swipe but perhaps not as intuitive as the keyboard Kindle with buttons.
Janet, please keep us posted on what you decide upon. I am so excited that you are getting a Kindle for your mother. I think she will really enjoy it. She may even like to read some library books on it!
Thanks so much, Janet, for sharing this with us! 🙂
Carolyn, Any idea on how I can get a Kindle Fire in India. I want to get one for my sis. However I noticed that they are available for pre order only in the US.
Hi Eddie, you could arrange for someone in the US to ship a Kindle Fire to your sister in India, but I’m afraid that it wouldn’t do her much good. The Kindle Fire will only work in the US. The apps are in the Amazon AppStore, which is only on the US Amazon site. The Instant Video and Amazon MP3 are US only. And internet surfing is on the Silk browser which uses Amazon’s servers. Whether those servers can be accessed outside the US remains to be seen.
I hope that Amazon will expand the distribution of the Kindle Fire, but they need to secure a lot of rights in a lot of different countries to have this be a global device.
I like the idea of the Kindle Fire for my boys … less investment for something that will cover many of their uses. Bonus … they will stop nabbing my ipad! Question … have you heard if the Fire will support either Pandora or Spotify? We currently use Spotify and really like it, so if the Fire is “Spotify-ready:, we are good. But if music is restricted to “Amazon-based sources”, and the Fire isn’t on-board with at least one of these two music sources, probably a deal breaker. Music is a key component to any device for my one son.
Hi Carol, Great question! Right now, Spotify and Pandora are not in the Amazon App Store. But the Facebook app isn’t in the Amazon App Store either, yet the Facebook app icon is featured in Amazon’s picture of the Kindle Fire (see image above). So not all of the apps that will be available on the Fire are in the App Store at this time. But Pandora, Spotify, Hulu+ and Netflix are all subscription apps and Amazon may want a piece of the subscription revenue before it allows such apps on its device.
If these apps being available on the Fire is truly a deal breaker, you need to hold off on ordering the Fire until when and if those apps become available.
Hi Carolyn,
As you know Janet Calaway recommended that I expand my blog reading and commenting journeys to include things technical by way of visiting your blog.
I am jolly pleased I did and it comes as no surprise to me that the law of attraction (this is what I probably know more about Carolyn) has led me here at exactly the right time.
Just yesterday I asked a friend of mine who is an “Apple Disciple” what he thought about Ipad versus The Kindle Fire. Naturally he stood up for Apple so I was none the wiser but then I was probably asking the wrong person. 🙂
I have to say I am a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to reading books. I like the actual book in my hands but I also read and travel around a lot so using a kindle or Ipad does make sense. I do also feel guilty about contributing to deforestation just so that I can have a hard copy which someone will have to get rid of one day after I lam gone. I have enough if these already.
I am still not sure whether it will Ipad or Kindle but it would have to be the 3G model if I did go that way and of course the price is a big factor too.
Being in Australia I have some time to consider my options a little more before making my mind up however I am more informed now after reading your post so thank you. 🙂
BY the way I’ve now started a new category of blogs to visit in Google Reader called “TECH” and guess what I have one subscription – yours!
~Marcus
Hi Marcus, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I’m delighted you followed Janet’s sage advice and headed over here!
I agree with your friend, the iPad can do much more than the Kindle Fire. It’s like comparing a Cooper Mini with a Porsche. The Cooper Mini may fit your needs and budget but the Porsche will be a better performer. The Fire is not offered with 3G yet.
If you are concerned about the environment, ebooks probably have the edge. Between printing and distribution, dead tree books have more of a carbon footprint.
Marcus, I appreciate you adding The Wonder of Tech to your reading list. I hope you continue to enjoy this blog!
WooHoo! Another convert to the wonderoftech! Delighted to conenct two of my favorite people in the blogosphere.
Janet, thanks again for recommending The Wonder of Tech! I appreciate you. 😀
Marcus, aloha. How perfect that the post I linked to was the one on Kindles. As you said, no surprise there with the law of attraction
Isn’t Carolyn a treasure? The way she explains things, by the time I finish reading I feel like I actually know and understand something about technology.
Delighted that you have added her to your list. You will thoroughly enjoy getting to know her. She is a warm, engaging and supportive friend–just like you!
Best wishes to you both for a fabulous week. Aloha. Janet
Thank you for your very kind words, Janet! I do try to make technology approachable and understandable. I’m so pleased that you have discovered the wonder of tech through The Wonder of Tech! 😀
Hi Caorlyn,
This is excellent comparison. I think Kindle fire is setting up a a good middle path between a tablet and an ereader. This in my opinion is start of one more category, one that is larger than e-reader but smaller that a tablet in terms of feature.
I think Amazon very well understands the need of the market and came out with quite a number of options to cater to as many customer as they can. But considering your analysis people who have lesser knowledge of technology may be slightly confused.
In the end I am of the opinion, that Amazon is an excellent company and they know what they are doing( at least in area of books, their core).
In another news, they(Amazon) are planning to come to India. All the boring/ over -advertising book portals are shaking in their boots . Good for customers though 🙂
Hi Ashvini, I am honored to have my favorite Kindle author praise my review of the new Kindles! Yes, all of the choices are fantastic but you’re right, it can be confusing to know the differences between all the models.
Amazon is an excellent company and they tend to do things well. It’s interesting though because they are not a hardware company other than their Kindle devices. Many predicted that Amazon would fail in their line extension to hardware from basically a product distribution channel, but they have succeeded beyond most people’s expectations.
I am delighted that Amazon will be coming to India. If anyone deserves a Kindle it’s you, Ashvini!
Thanks so much for the visit, awesome tweet and insightful comment, Ashvini. 🙂
I’m not sure about which would be best – but as I am UK based, my choices are somewhat limited at this time!
We have the Kindle 2.0 and the Kindle 3 – I suppose I had better start calling it the Kindle Keyboard now – and I’m not sure that I would really want to go for the Touch, when it comes to the UK at any rate.
I don’t fancy having to tap the screen to turn pages and get my nice e-ink display all covered in fingerprints. I believe that the Nook Touch has small buttons for page turns so that you don’t need to touch the screen. No sign of something similar on the Kindle Touch as far as I can see.
I’ll be interested to hear some feedback from the USA when people finally get their hands on the new Kindles.
Hi Carolyn, I choose kindle to be my ebook reader because it’s use e-ink screen technology. I can read ebook for a long time. I dont know about kindle fire. but with amazon support, kindle fire can be a good choice for ebook reader
Hi Jhon, Good point, e-ink screens are easy on the eyes because they don’t have any backlight. It’s just like reading a book. The Kindle Fire will have backlight, it won’t be an e-ink screen but more of a computer tablet. The Fire will be a good choice for people who want to combine an ereader with a tablet.