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Your tech quiz of the day! Amazon’s Kindle Fire is:
- The hottest device for the holidays
- An Edsel
- All of the Above
Last month, Amazon launched the Kindle Fire after much hype and fanfare. Reviews of the Fire have ranged from Fire’s a tablet for everyone to The Kindle Fire is the New Edsel. Which opinion should you believe? Is the Fire the greatest device since the iPad or the worst device since Audrey?
To know whether the Kindle Fire is any good or not, it’s helpful to know what the Kindle Fire is not.
- It’s not an iPad
- It’s not an ereader
That should help clear things right up!
So what is the Kindle Fire? It’s a very inexpensive tablet that offers a lot more than its price suggests but, and I repeat, it isn’t an iPad.
[note] If you want an iPad, but don’t have an iPad budget, check out refurbished iPads being sold by Apple, from $299: Refurbished iPad [/note]
Amazon Content
The Fire is a content consumption device, not a content creation device. If you want to enjoy content from the Internet and content that Amazon has to offer, then the Kindle Fire should be at the top of your holiday shopping list. With the Fire, you can enjoy:
- Kindle books
- Amazon Instant Video
- Apps sold in the Amazon Appstore
- Amazon MP3 Music
- The Internet via the Silk Browser
While that list may seem limited, it actually offers quite a bit. The Kindle ebook collection numbers in the millions.
Amazon Instant Video has over 100,000 movies and tv shows, many of them free with an Amazon Prime membership, others available for rent or purchase. You can either stream or download the videos for when you don’t have Wi-Fi available (such as a plane ride).
Amazon’s Appstore has thousands of Android apps which, unlike apps in the Android Market, have been tested for quality. Major apps such as Angry Birds, Netflix and Pandora are available in Amazon’s Appstore. Amazon gives away a free app each day, often high quality apps that you would want to purchase even if they weren’t free.
Amazon MP3 Store has over 17 million songs and gives you 5 GB of free storage for your songs (or other data files) in Amazon Cloud. Unlimited Amazon content is stored free of charge.
Size
The Fire’s screen size is nestled comfortably between a smartphone and an iPad. For those looking to have a truly portable tablet that can fit into a pocket or small purse, the Fire is an ideal size. Men who don’t carry a murse will especially appreciate the ability to tuck the Fire into their jeans pocket.
Screen
The screen is clear, sharp and anti-reflective, making it easy to read or watch videos on the device.
Price
The Fire is $199, making it the least expensive full-powered tablet on the market. If you’re interested in getting a tablet as a present for your children, this price makes it more affordable and less upsetting if ill befalls the device. At this price you can buy two and a half Fires for the price of one new iPad 2.
Whispersync
Whispersync has always been a favorite feature of mine for Kindle ebooks. This feature allows you to put down an ebook on one device and pick up reading the ebook on another device exactly where you left off. With Whispersync on the Fire, you can use it not only for ebooks but for Instant Videos as well. You can begin watching a movie on the Fire, pause it, then continue watching it from the same place on your computer, or TV through your Roku.
Ease of Navigation
The Fire’s operating system is very intuitive, with tabs at the top and the Home button consistently in the bottom left corner of the screen. You can easily navigate from place to place without getting lost.
Internet
Amazon made much of the Silk Browser when the Fire was first announced. Perhaps they over-hyped the speed a bit much, but some pages, such as Wikipedia, do load instantly. Other pages don’t seem to have any advantage on loading times over other devices.
Although the app selection in the Amazon Appstore is not as extensive as the Android Market or Apple’s iTunes App Store, many sites such as Facebook and YouTube can be access by using the Fire’s browser.
As one Wonder of Tech reader put it, “The Internet is the only app I need.”
Restricted Content
All of those apps you’ve purchased or want to purchase at the Android Market won’t work on the Fire. Some major apps, such as Spotify and Facebook, aren’t available on the Fire (though Facebook can be accessed through the Internet browser).
Size
Although some may prefer the portability of the Fire, the screen is much smaller than an iPad. The actual screen size is 6″ x 3 5/8″, smaller than a greeting card envelope. Content such as some magazines can be difficult to read on the smaller screen.
Design
The only external button is a power button at the bottom of the screen. While the design is sleek, form over function seems to have ruled the day. Because of its symmetry, you have to look to see which side is up. That doesn’t matter when you’re viewing the screen because images rotate, but it does matter when you’re trying to find the power button.
Much has been made of a lack of volume buttons. That design feature doesn’t bother me as I imagine most people will be mostly using earbuds to listen to audio coming from the device. Just make sure you get earbuds with volume control buttons and you’ll be all set. If you’re not using earbuds, the issue of missing volume controls becomes more of a problem. You can listen to music while playing a game on the Fire, but changing the music volume takes more steps than is ideal.
Parental Controls
While the Fire seems to be an ideal gift for parents who want their kids to stop stealing their iPads to play Angry Birds, parental controls currently are lacking on the device. If a Fire is registered to your Amazon account, the device has full access to your Amazon content. That means if you happen to own movies or ebooks that you would rather your child not see, you’re out of luck. That also means your child can buy anything on the Amazon site and charge it to your credit card without entering a password.
While that news might strike fear in your heart, on Monday Amazon promised an update to the software within two weeks (translation: before Christmas). So if you’re giving a Kindle Fire to your child on Christmas, parental controls should be in place by then.
The Kindle Fire provides a rich tablet experience for a very small price. The device isn’t perfect, but it offers quite a bit of bang for the buck. If you want more, buy an iPad. If the Fire can do most of what you want a tablet to do, the screen size is an advantage to you, and you want to save money, the Fire will make you very happy.
Have you had a chance to try the Kindle Fire? Does the device have all of the features you want in a tablet? Do you see the smaller screen size as an advantage or a disadvantage? Let us know in the Comments section below!
* Fire image by Carol von Canon
Istill say if you are gonna for a half tablet, go for the nook line since it is less restrictive.
Hi Matt, I’m curious why you say the Nook tablets are less restrictive. If you buy an app at the Amazon Appstore, you can load that app onto your Android phone. But if you buy an app for your Nook at Barnes and Noble, you can’t load that app onto your Android phone.
The Kindle Fire also has the Amazon Instant Video library available, as well as the Kindle Owners Lending Library with a free book a month.
So in my mind the Kindle Fire is less restrictive than the Nook. But my mind is open so I would be very interested in learning your reasons for thinking the Nook Tablet is less restrictive than the Fire. 🙂
Nook supports Epub. You can get a book (and other content) from more then just amazon. Amazon has oppted for a more Apple-esqu strategy in that mostly everything (if not everything everything) you do on le Fire must be done through Amazon.
Excellent point Matt. I am thinking of the Fire and the Nook tablet more as tablets than as ereaders. People who are interested in ereaders would do better getting a device with e-ink, such as the Nook Simple Touch and the Kindle ereader.
I call them half-tablets, but the epub is just indicative of the greater whole. In that the nook doesn’t force you to go through B&N, except for apps, but even then you can side load apps to the Nook, and it is probably doable with the Fire as well (it was rooted 2 days after release) but that is likely much harder since the Fire I think I read somewhere that you can’t connect the fire to a compy via USB, but I might be wrong about that.
Hi Matt, Yes, you can side load apps to the Fire too, but you’re right about epub formatted books being incompatible with the Kindle ereaders. I don’t think of the Nook Tablet or the Fire as half tablets, I really do regard them as tablets. If the Fire were really an ereader, I think Amazon would probably discontinue the Kindle ereaders, but they have increased the number of different models available. Reading on e-ink is very different from reading on a backlit screen.
Some people have no problem using their tablets as ereaders. I prefer my Kindle ereader for reading ebooks because of the e-ink screen and because I’m not distracted to play games, check email or surf the web with my device.
I believe you can connect the Fire to a PC with the micro USB cord. (I can’t test it now because the Fire in our house is a Christmas present for someone. 🙂 )
Better to get an ipad than kindle fire. Since ipad have billons of apps dedicated to ipad only.
Hi Suresh, You’re right, the iPad has more apps, about 100,000 apps that are exclusively for the iPad. But not everyone wants to spend the money on the iPad or wants a larger screen.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big iPad fan. But the iPad isn’t for everyone. 🙂
Not a problem at all. and more over ipad3 is coming up with awesome retina display. So better to save money to grab ipad3 will be a great idea too.
Hi Suresh, Great idea. I think those who are saving up for the iPad 3 probably will wait for that instead of being tempted by the Fire.
I wonder what will happen with the pricing of iPads after the launch of the iPad 3. The retina display is very expensive, especially for a large screen. Apple must be feeling pricing pressure with the Fire, so perhaps it lowers the price of the iPad 2 and still manufactures it to compete with lower priced tablets? Can the market sustain a higher priced iPad if lower priced competitors enter the market successfully?
Fascinating issues, thanks for sharing your thoughts with us! 🙂
Thanks for a really great review. I would suggest one minor change – “fits (un)comfortably in a jeans pocket”. Most guys I know would find it a stretch – pun intended – to put one in a pants pocket
Hi Gary, I’m glad you like review. I guess it depends on the style of the jeans pocket. I have it on good authority that the Fire fits in the back pocket of (some) men’s jeans. Just make sure you don’t sit down when the tablet is in your pocket!
Carolyn – I did try the new Fire, my friend just got it as a gift from his employer.
I did like the sleek design, but I also felt the glossy finish adds a touch of reflection to the screen. Many a times, I saw my own image at the back and it made it a little uneasy.
I liked the fact that it is quite handy and good for browsing and reading books. Of course, when compared to the TP that I own, it felt smaller and not comfortable for watching videos.
Nicely summarized by you about the pros & cons.
Hi Praveen, That’s interesting to learn of your experience with the Fire. Perhaps if the screen were adjusted brighter you would have less problem with reflection on the Fire screen. I have been in a bright room withe the Fire and was able to see the screen quite well.
I wish that the design weren’t so sleek. But I’m a fan of physical keyboards too (not that I would want a physical keyboard on the Fire!).
I’m not convinced and won’t be getting one! I have considered a Playstation 3 though, they do more than I though. I can watch catch up TV on one and play games. The only place I can see the Kindle Fire for sale in the UK is on EBay.
We are lucky to be able to choose between all these tech devices. I was talking to students in China earlier and they are freezing because they have no heating in their dormitories and even the voltage on the electricity supply is reduced. One was complaining that a website she needed for her studies was blocked by the government!
I need some new subjects to blog about, I’m running out of ideas! I have to do a new Chinese stir fry recipe in the next few days to give me a new blog! This weeks photos are interesting, I did a before and after editing again.
Hi Mike, You’re right. Unfortunately, the Kindle Fire is not available for sale at Amazon.co.uk yet. eBay would be the only place you could find it, but be careful of counterfeit goods.
You’re right to be enticed by the PS3, Mike. The beauty of that device is that it’s a combination gaming console and a Blu-ray DVD player.
I find it difficult to believe you are running out of topics, Mike. You cover so many subjects on your blog that you must have loads of topics to write upon. How about David Cameron’s decision on the EU this pas week? I’m thinking you might have an opinion on that topic!
I’ll be by your blog in just a bit, Mike. Your before and after photos are very beautiful and educational! 🙂
This is GREAT information, Carolyn! When you look through the product specs when you’re considering a purchase, it’s sometimes hard to get to the bottom line.
Thanks for spelling this out so clearly. I think the Fire might be just what I was looking for!
Hi Amber, If you have a chance to try out the Kindle Fire (it’s available for demo at Staples), give it a try. The Fire could be a great fit, if you’re looking for a tablet sized in between the iPad and a smartphone at an excellent price. Keep us posted on what you decide, Amber. 🙂
Carolyn, aloha. As always, a great review. Though I was not in the market for a Kindle Fire, however, if I had been, after reading your review I would pay few dollars more so that I would have more options.
What I so appreciate, Carolyn, is your ability to outline so clearly the pros and cons so we can make informed decisions.
Love the fire image. Enjoy a Wonderful Wednesday. Until next time, aloha. Janet
Hi Janet, I’m glad you found this review helpful! If you have a larger budget and want a larger screen, then the iPad is the way to go. But if you have a smaller budget and want a smaller screen, the Kindle Fire is a great tablet.
Great to have you back, Janet! I hope your trip was wonderful. 🙂
I love the Fire. As you said, it’s not an iPad — it’s meant for content consumption. I’ve read books and magazines with it, downloaded music, watched TV shows and movies.
The browser can occasionally be a bit wonky, but overall, it’s a great device. And Amazon’s plan is working — I’m now buying more content from them, which is exactly what they wanted!
Hi Susan, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Great point. If you have the Fire, chances are you are going to become an Amazon Prime customer. And if you’re an Amazon Prime customer, the Kindle Fire is even more appealing. Amazon does a fantastic job at cross-marketing! 🙂
Hi Carolyn,
Interesting post.
I’m going to go with numero uno – it’s the hottest device this holiday season. Whether or not that is justified is a different question.
If you cast your mind back to 2007, when Amazon launched their original Kindle, it was an interesting device – but not “must have” or sexy in any way. It wasn’t until the launch of the Kindle 2.0 that it really took off (along with the ebook and ebook reader market in general).
I think that we may see something similar with the Fire. It’s Amazon’s first foray into the tablet market and the best may well be yet to come. Another Kindle tablet in the first half of 2012?
Hi Hamish, Interesting points. You’re right, the original Kindle was clunky and held little appeal. But the second generation Kindle really created the ebook reader market, similar to how the iPad created the tablet market. There were ebook readers and tablets before the Kindle 2 and the iPad, but their adoption wasn’t widespread.
With the Fire, the tablet market leader has been established. Whether a seven inch, low cost tablet is going to carve its own niche remains to be seen. But the demand seems to be there for a low cost tablet.
In September I ran a poll of Wonder of Tech readers to see how many would buy a tablet at $99. Over two thirds of the readers said they would: https://wonderoftech.com/2011/09/poll-would-you-buy-a-basic-tablet-for-99/
The interest is there, the question is: does the Kindle Fire offer enough features to make the purchase worthwhile at $200? I believe it does.
There is definitely room for improvement. But I don’t think Amazon will introduce its second generation of the Fire until next fall. People who bought the original Fire would feel cheated and the Fire is selling well so why rock the boat?
Time will tell, but this is a very interesting time for the tablet market!
Well Hello Carolyn (:
I love how much effort you put into this site. As someone who has a brother who owns a Kindle, as someone who owns books, and as someone who has a sister who works at Barnes N Noble (Nook) – I’ve been able to evaluate all three versions of literature.
If we stick to just technology, I think what I’m going to focus on is the Kindle because of the screen. That’s about it. The screen is what makes it so amazing because the lack of eye-painstaking LED lights is what makes life so beautiful (:
Hi Jonathan, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I’m so glad you like the site.
Wow, you do have a lot of exposure to ereaders, between your brother who owns a Kindle and your sister who works at Barnes and Noble (is your sister mad at your brother for getting a Kindle instead of a Nook?).
The Nook Simple Touch and Kindle ereaders use e-ink so they are kinder to the eyes when reading. The Kindle Fire, Nook Color and Nook Tablet all use backlit screens, so if you’re going to compare the devices by screens, you should really be comparing the ereaders with other ereaders and tablets with other tablets.
I imagine your dinner table conversations are full of comparisons between Amazon Kindle devices and Barnes and Noble Nook devices! 🙂
Excellent review. I came across your review when a friend of mine posted a link to it.
I would not pay for an iPad. It does way more than what I am looking for in a hand held device. (I think most people underuse the full potential of the iPad).
I was about to buy a Kindle when I heard that they were releasing the Fire. I decided to wait and see what it was like. I went to BestBuy and tried the demo. I loved it. It was everything that I want in a tablet/ereader/handheld device and no more. I went home and told my wife that a Fire is all I want for Christmas.
Until the Fire, I never wanted a tablet. I have a nerve tremor and have difficulty using touch smart-phones. When I tried an iPad it was the same difficulty. I always end up clicking on the wrong things, having things jump across the screen, or other goofy things. The reason I was sold on the Fire is because the OS is so simple that my tremor was not an issue. I know this won’t affect most people, but it IS the selling point for me.
Great post.
I have been playing with Kindle for 2 weeks now. I have both love hate relationship with it. You have listed most of them. Few things I like are its UI is actually a better UI of the Android devices. They also have removed the extra menu buttons, back buttons from the device (and made it part of the screen, which should be). Though, the volume button should have a physical button, IMO.
The lack of Camera + Mic is the biggest negatives. Most of the software issues can be fixed with an update. But No camera + mic makes a tablet half useful (esp if you are buying it for family use during Christmas). Obbviously no Skype and Talking Tom.
There is a brilliant app-developer I met recently (app: Toontastic). He told me they are very interested in Kindle but Mic is an integral part of their app. So they are waiting for the next release of Fire may be.
Overall, its an okay device. You get what you pay for. Its killer feature is its Price. For that, they’re going to sell a loooot of those devices during the holidays.
Oh, btw, did I tell you, we already launched iRewardChart on Amazon appstore for Kindle also? (http://amzn.to/irc_pro)
Its not complete as in iOS version, but just a beginning.
Thanks!
Congratulations on getting the app in the Amazon Appstore! This is another great reason for someone to buy the Kindle Fire. The more people who use iRewardChart, the better world it will be. Positive reinforcement is a beautiful thing. 🙂
Hi iRewardChart, You’re right, the Fire would benefit from a camera and a microphone. But for the price, I don’t see these as deal breakers. As soon as the manufacturer puts a camera on the device, the camera is criticized for being low quality (unless it isn’t). I realize that hampers some apps from functioning on the device, but buying a $200 device is bound to involve trade-offs. For what you get for the money, I think the Fire is a great deal.
Hi Carolyn,
Sorry I’m late dropping by so I have some catching up to do. First off, LOVE the new look of the blog. Very well done, I love the wrap around look in the sidebar. I wanted that so bad for mine but stuck with the simple look I currently have. Great job girl.
I probably sound like such a broken record but you really do a great job of sharing these different products with us. What the pros are vs. the cons. Who they may be meant for and who would truly hate them.
My sister got an iPad and I must admit, that’s just too cool. As you know, my niece has the iPhone and that’s pretty cool too. I’m still from the old school and enjoy reading books the old fashion way because as I’ve mentioned before, I pass them around first to my Mom and then to her friends to share. But I sure can seen the convenience of having a Kindle or Kindle Fire. The size of the screen would be an issue for me. Oh, I have reading glasses and I’m not blind, I just don’t enjoy reading from a very small screen.
So much to consider but you’ve definitely broken it down for everyone. Job well done Carolyn, thanks again for always keeping us up to date on the latest. Hope you are having a wonderful week.
~Adrienne
Hi Carolyn, interesting post thanks. I’ve got a Kindle Fire and think it’s a great option for someone looking for a tablet at a low price. As you say it’s great for Amazon’s digital content but there are limitations. I heard that Amazon are also releasing an over-the-air update in the coming weeks to tidy up some of the odd sticky moments when the tablet isn’t the quickest to react to taps. Will be interesting to see how long Amazon wait until they bring the next version of the Kindle Fire.
Hi Ted, Yes, Amazon has promised the update before Christmas. The update should add parental controls and may tackle other issues such as volume controls being buried in audio apps.
After waiting four months for the latest iPhone to launch, I don’t speculate on hardware releases anymore. But you’re right, it will be interesting to see how long Amazon will wait until the Fire 2 is launched and what new features it will have. 🙂
Hi Carolyn. Interesting debate between iPad and Kindle Fire going on! I only have the iPad right now, hoping to have a Fire by the end of the Holidays, so I will be able to come to my own conclusion then. However, I suspect there might be a niche for both devices, even within one household!
Hi Carol, I agree, I think there is a niche for both devices. The Kindle Fire is so much smaller and lighter that it can make for a more convenient companion than the iPad. But the iPad is more of a workhorse, with its ability to do so much more than the Fire, but with a bigger screen and more weight.
I will be interested in learning what you think of the Fire, if you happen to get one for the holidays! 🙂
I am not sure if it’s for me. I saw the Barnes & Noble nook and it looked cool too. I think at the end of the day, I still love the essence of holding a book and flipping through the pages. Nevertheless, having less clutter and something consolidated on one piece of equipment sure makes up for the mess books can create. Maybe some day I will warm up to it, but for now I can dream about it! Ha Ha!
Hi Sonia, you’re right, there are advantages to both ebooks and real world books. I just heard from a Wonder of Tech reader who is moving to Haiti to help with the rebuilding of that country and he wants to get a Kindle so he will have access to English books and be able to bring his books with him without taking up luggage space.
Ebooks can be very handy but they don’t have the look, feel and smell of a real world book.
Who knows if you will end up getting an ebook reader some day? 😕
I haven’t seen the Kindle Fire yet, other than online. But I have an old Kindle and an iPad, so even though I get access to new amazing content from Amazon, I can’t deal with another device.
I use my iPad more and more, and especially after I purchased iawriter and a keyboard.
Hi Jens, I don’t think you really need a Kindle Fire since you already have an iPad and a Kindle ereader. I got one for my daughter and now my iPad doesn’t get stolen quite as often! She absolutely loves it and the device was cheaper than the iPod Touch her sister got.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying your iPad, Jens! 🙂