Conclusion
Looking back on my review it seems to talk mostly about the shortcomings of the Kindle Fire, but it is important to think back to the comparison I set up at the start. In that light, I have to give the Kindle Fire a thumbs up. It is essentially half the tablet both physically and functionally. It sells for less than half the price, so that makes it a good deal on paper. Whether or not it is a good deal for you depends on whether or not you care about the half that is missing.
The size is actually a tradeoff. Although bigger is generally nicer to use, it’s also heavier and not as sharp (at least in the current iPads.) To me, the main functional implication is the lack of a “typable” keyboard. So, the Fire is not the tablet if you’re going to use it as a laptop substitute. Otherwise, the screen size is just a matter of preference.
As for other functions, here’s what I see as missing or weak:
- Video Playback (missing)
- Android Market (missing)
- Calendar (missing)
- Audio Playback (weak sound quality)
- Web Apps (weak compatibility)
- Typing more than a sentence at a time
- Design (not really functionality, but if you care then it is weak as well)
But there are things the Fire does very, very well. If these are the things you care about, it may be a great deal for you:
- Reading Kindle books
- Browsing most websites
- Basic e-mail
- Shopping on Amazon (there’s an App for that)
- Running games and other apps from the Amazon app store
That’s a short but powerful list, and those will be the key features for many, many tablet buyers this holiday season. So, I’ll call the Kindle Fire a qualified winner.
Footnote: The Nook Tablet will probably be the first direct competitor to the Fire, and probably the only one available by the holidays. It will technically superior, although still not in iPad/Galaxy territory. Barnes & Noble does not have the technical cred that Amazon does, and their app store (presumably the default for the Nook) is much less developed. But, B&N has been gaining steam in the e-book segment and they already have a hit device under their belts in the form of the Nook Color. I expect that both devices will do well, and become a significant part of the tablet user base by the start of 2012.
The Nook Tablet ships today. I’d like to give it a similar review. If you live in the Orlando area and you’ve ordered one, I’ll make it worth your while to let me give it a test drive. Use my contact form to get in touch. In the meantime, I may have to drop in at my local B&N store to see if I can get a look.
