The world's largest online retailer, Amazon.com Inc., unveiled its all-new tablet on September 28, 2011. The tablet is called the Amazon Kindle Fire and will be ready in the Us shop on November 15, 2011. A lot of buzz has been generated since Amazon's Ceo, Jeff Bezos, made the announcement.
Apple's iPad has single-handedly dominated the tablet Pc landscape since its kick off in early 2010. With so many tablets being launched since 2010, the inquire always arises as to how these new tablets stack up against the shop leader, the Apple iPad 2.
We have seen many top tech companies kick off their own version of tablet Pcs like the Samsung Galaxy, Motorola Xoom and Rim's Blackberry Playbook, to name a few. However, none of these competitors have been able to significantly impact Apple's domination in the tablet Pc arena so far.
At first glance, looks like the Amazon's all-new tablet will pose a considerable challenge to the iPad 2, especially that it's priced at 9 compared to Apple's iPad 2 price of 9. However, a closer look at the specifications and features is required to help determine which tablet is right for you. Having said so, let's take a close look at the pros and cons of the Amazon Kindle Fire.
Operating System: the Amazon Kindle Fire runs on a customized version of Android 2.3 Os, whereas, the Apple iPad 2 runs Apple's iOs 4.3.1. Without getting too technical, these two operating systems are comparable, with a few differences. However, with the mixture of the new cloud-accelerated split browser, Amazon Silk, the web sense on the Kindle is improbable to have an benefit in terms of speed and performance.
Amazon Silk Browser: as briefly mentioned above, Silk is a cloud-accelerated internet browser that is exclusive to Amazon's Kindle Fire. In straightforward terms, this innovative web browser does all the heavy lifting straight through Amazon's remote servers, thereby using less resources of the Kindle Fire device. This not only helps in the tablets speed and performance, but also conserves battery life.
Processor: the Kindle Fire uses the Ti Omap 4 dual-core processor, whereas, the iPad 2 uses Apple's A5 dual-core processor. Both the processors have a speed of 1 Ghz, therefore, they are quite comparable in terms of speed.
Memory & Storage: the first generation Kindle Fire has small storehouse space at 8 Gb and does not have an selection to growth this storehouse (i.e. It doesn't have a microSd slot). However, the iPad 2 has discrete memory storehouse options, namely, 16, 32 and 64 Gb. Having said so, Amazon provides free online storehouse space straight through Amazon cloud for digital article like apps, music, movies, books and games.
Display & Screen Resolution: the Kindle Fire as well as the iPad 2 have high-resolution multi-touch screens. However, the Kindle tablet has a smaller 7 inch screen as compared to the iPad's 9.7 inch screen. Therefore, depending on what you intend using your tablet for, you would pick one over the other.
Camera & Microphone: one of the drawbacks of the Kindle Fire tablet is that it lacks webcams. The iPad 2 comes with front and back cameras which are great for online video chatting or conferencing as well as for recording videos.
Battery Life & Usb Port: the iPad 2 has an benefit over the Kindle Fire when it comes to battery life. The iPad 2 battery can last up to 10 hours as compared to practically 8 hours on the Kindle Fire. In terms of Usb support, the iPad 2 Usb port is via the dock connector, whereas, the Kindle tablet has a built-in Usb 2.0 (micro-B Connector) which is more convenient.
Wireless & 3G Connectivity: the Amazon Kindle Fire comes only with the Wi-Fi options, whereas, Apple's iPad comes with both, Wi-Fi options as well as 3G connectivity. So if you are constantly on the move and need to be connected to the internet, you need to be aware of this lack of 3G selection in the Kindle tablet.
Apps Availability: the wide range and sheer amount of apps ready straight through the Apple Appstore as well as protection of the apps is huge benefit for iPad users. However, Kindle Fire runs on the Android operating system, which means that users will have entrance to the Google Android App Market. Also, Kindle tablet users will have entrance to the Amazon Appstore which includes thousands of apps and games.
Price Comparison: Amazon has surprised the consumers by pricing the Kindle Fire tablet at Us9. Compared to the iPad 2 (the cheapest one) costing colse to Us9, this provides Amazon a huge advantage, especially if price is a big factor in selecting a tablet.
From the above review, one can determine that Amazon's Kindle Fire will not pose a considerable challenge to Apple's iPad, other than the price differential. However, I believe that this is a great start for Amazon as it enters the contentious world of tablet Pcs. By pricing the Kindle Fire at Us9, Amazon has made tablet Pcs much more accessible to the mainstream and will be a beloved gift idea for the Christmas/Holiday season.
If interested, you can check this video review of the features of the Kindle Fire. Based on the above, what are your introductory reactions and broad impressions on Amazon's all-new Kindle tablet? I'd love to get your feedback and thoughts.
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