Amazon Kindle Fire Reviews - Will it Take Out...

The Amazon Kindle Fire reviews are in, and so far it seems they are mostly positive. With the web retailer already shipping these items out, customers have been snatching them up before the holidays. Will this device take out the Apple iPad as the new favorite tablet?

The new Amazon Kindle Fire currently sells at the online retail site for $199, with the device shipping out earlier this week. So far reviews are mixed on the item, mostly because it's not in the same group as the iPad, yet. The website Liliputing.com has given a roundup of the various reviews, with CNET, Engadget, Gizmodo, Mashable and PC magazine among those who are collected. Of note Gizmodo and PC Mag gave the device 4.5 out of 5 stars. CNET gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The good aspects from the reviews are its strong media store integration using the Amazon cloud and it's affordability when compared to other options in the tablet market. The aspects that are disliked seem to be speed, the lack of GPS or removable storage, and no camera or mic. Engadget may sum it up best saying "it's a usable tablet that's best thought of as a device for buying content from Amazon."

Amazon is banking on that last aspect the most, because this device, as explained in the video below, really acts like a mobile cash register for Amazon. Users can head to the site, look up an item and buy it on the fly. There's a few important notes to consider as well. The Kindle Fire will run Flash so that means YouTube videos and other website content can work on the device. There's no camera, and no volume button on the sides, so expect future updates to probably address these early shortcomings. For now, this probably makes a good affordable option for those looking to continue their existing relationship with the Amazon.com website, or those who want a simple tablet for basic needs like web surfing, listening to music, checking out videos, and reading books.

Check out an unboxing of the Kindle Fire by Forbes in the YouTube video below. Will you be getting one of these devices or waiting for the next generation to be released?

Comments: 17

Lori F. Nov 18, 2011, 12:54pm UTC

I have been waiting to see how the Kindle Fire was received by the public before I buy one.

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Nippy Katz (Not his real name) Demigod about Town Nov 18, 2011, 1:16pm UTC

I'm still trying to figure out a use for a tablet. I hate the idea of a computing device that doesn't have a decent method for input. Tablets seem to me to be a combination of ereader and internet TV. I don't care much for laptop computers because of their vile keyboards, but I'd still rather have one over a tablet.

I've been touch typing since I was 12 and have never set any speed records but I don't have to look at the keyboard. I've watched people trying to type on an iPad. It looks painful. The best touch screens are still pretty far from being useful except for doing yes/no stuff.

Nippy Katz (Not his real name) Demigod about Town Nov 18, 2011, 1:18pm UTC

Being linked to the Amazon site is a minus for me. I hate the idea of hardware having a proprietary connection to the manufacturer's content. It goes against the basic idea of personal computing.

Kathryn Flynn Nov 18, 2011, 6:52pm UTC

Exactly. See below and Forbes' take on this.

Kathryn Flynn Nov 18, 2011, 6:53pm UTC

Froggy, I also hate tablets. They are a pretty toy and a big iPod. I need a real computer.

Bruce K. Nov 22, 2011, 4:06am UTC

You can get an iPad and use the Apple bluetooth wireless keyboard with it. That works pretty well and costs less than a laptop. But I am with you. I bought the first iPad and really like it, but it does not really replace a laptop, so I just bought a new laptop, the Apple MacBook Air ... which is really nice, all the memory is solid state. The disk is not really big but the performance is very good. It is light and strong.

The only reason I really have a Kindle is the text-to-speech function, which is really useful if you are doing something or driving, you can have the device read the book to you ... at least many books, some publishers disable this function.

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Kathryn Flynn Nov 18, 2011, 6:52pm UTC

It won't take out the iPad but it will take out retailers and force people to stay with Amazon, which is Bezos' main reason for the KF. Here is Forbes' take on the matter.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthof/2011/09/28/kindle-fire-wont-kill-the-ipad-but-it-might-kill-more-retailers/

Bruce K. Nov 22, 2011, 4:11am UTC

I think Amazon, or it could be the publishers they are working with or the deals they are working out, are really blowing it. The Kindle business unit seems to different from Amazon, and althought they are getting better, they seem to have fallen behind and now are kind of desperate. The reality of the Kindle I think is not living up to the hype. My Kindle is clunky and slow ... I would rather read stuff on the Kindle iPad client program ... it is nice, in color, snappy and easier to handle. I don't really like book readers. When I use one it is usually the Kindle reader for my Mac on the large screen that it has - but I do like that text-to-speech function that is so cool.

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Mark H. Nov 19, 2011, 9:15am UTC

I do not think it was intended to take out the iPad. It is intended to offer an alternative to the iPad for those that do not want, or need the features of the iPad. I will stay with my old kindle as I just want to read, not watch movies. I leave that to those that can't read in the first place.

Bruce K. Nov 22, 2011, 4:13am UTC

Yeah, but the price of the cheapest iPad is not that much more, and you get so much more and a nicer experience too. I am not that impressed with any of the readers, including any of the Kindles or anything else. None of them really do a very good job of duplicating the book experience.

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Karen A. Nov 20, 2011, 10:58am UTC

I already have an iPad. I would have ordered the Kindle Fire if it had the free 3G that's in my Kindle :-)

Charlene C. Nov 21, 2011, 12:47am UTC

Exactly! Already has the IPad 2.

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Erik Lambert Nov 21, 2011, 11:19am UTC

Being cheaper works to its advantage but it has some ground to make up technologically.

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Bruce K. Nov 22, 2011, 4:02am UTC

I just saw a Demo in Office Depot today.
Big problem is the lack of memory ... only 8GB. My iPad has 64GB.
There's no camera, and it seems slow, not snappy like the iPad or iPad2.
Also, on my regular Kindle there is a feature that lets the Kindle read
books to me called text-to-speech ... I checked on the Kindle Fire and
I did not see it or any way to invoke it.
It is also small but really heavy.
As much as I really like Amazon, I was not impressed.

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Bruce K. Nov 22, 2011, 4:15am UTC

By the way, you can watch much video content on the iPad without Flash ... YouTube has a free app for watching their videos on an iPad. Flash is a real pig for performance, and may not last much longer as new technology takes over ... ie. HTML5.

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Amazon Kindle Fire Reviews - Will it Take Out the Apple iPad?

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