Originally Posted by Bob Maxey

Just as long as buyers do not expect their device to equal the iPad, they will be happy. I suspect there are some people that ordered it thinking it was an "iPad Killer" and they might be upset when they learn that does not do what they think it will or should do.

I view it as a more advanced e-book reader not a serious entry into the tablet market. Every time I research the device I learn something I do not like. For example, limited memory and no memory card slot. I did not know your only option for apps was Amazon. Are you saying the Android Market is out? This might be a good thing especially if the tablet is limited.

According to Anantech the Amazon app store will be the only way to get apps on the kindle fire.

Originally Posted by Itwasntme

According to Anantech the Amazon app store will be the only way to get apps on the kindle fire.

Good idea for consumers or bad idea? Good for ADC I suppose.

Of course Amazon's cloud storage is only available via WiFi (and then dependent on one's broadband speeds...of which media requires a healthy dose). If you don't have access to WiFi you'd better be happy with whatever you can squeeze into 8GB's of memory. That said eBooks, magazines, etc. take up very little space. However I wouldn't want to try and store a few movies, a TV show or two and some music for that next plane ride or family vacation.

I think it has a USB slot, but I wish it had sd card reader.

It has a USB 2.0 (micro-B connector), so not a conventional USB port that you could plug a thumb drive into. An SD card slot would have been very nice...heck that would be very nice on the iPad!

Originally Posted by Bob Maxey

It is looking like the Fire is designed to offer minimum benefits except for accessing the Amazon stuff.

So basically, the Apple model.

The Apple model, cut down dramatically, but reportedly with an anti-rooting setup on a heavily customized Android 2.2 that means you cannot install applications without going through the Amazon App Store. If you do, the device will not run and simply display an "initialization required" dialog.

It reportedly does this through a checksum calculation that verifies the apps installed came directly from the Amazon App Store, and that the OS has not been modified or any additional apps added.

Should be interesting.

This is NOT an Android device, it's an Amazon device that happens to be built on a heavily modified Android 2.2 OS.

We will probably port a few applications over to it, but it will be interesting to see how many they sell first. One company we work closely with has ported two of their applications and their comment was it was not trivial... Should be interesting.

-t

Originally Posted by richsadams

Of course Amazon's cloud storage is only available via WiFi (and then dependent on one's broadband speeds...of which media requires a healthy dose). If you don't have access to WiFi you'd better be happy with whatever you can squeeze into 8GB's of memory. That said eBooks, magazines, etc. take up very little space. However I wouldn't want to try and store a few movies, a TV show or two and some music for that next plane ride or family vacation.

I think there's no question that Amazon is betting the farm on the "cloud." That's not surprising for several reasons. First, they have what is arguably the best server infrastructure in the world. In addition to the huge business they do hosting corporate server farms, they even support data storage for competitors like Netflix. That server capacity is already prepared for the demand they expect. Second, adding storage to the Fire would have increased its cost on pretty much a dollar for dollar basis. Based on current retail market prices, offering a 16 gig Fire would have added at least $50 to the price of the Fire. Amazon clearly wanted to crack the $200 minimum price for the Fire, a figure that research has indicated is a critical price point for consumers.

Third, offering built-in 3G support would mean saddling purchasers with the same sort of monthly data plan carriers offer for the iPad. And that at a time when 3G networks are already bottlenecked with demand. Amazon believes, correctly I think, that a year from now 4G service will be the minimum expectation for new devices. And that market has yet to sort itself out. Finally, of course, if one wants 3G/4G support, especially with multiple devices, it makes much more sense to purchase a single data plan built on a mifi hotspot. Amazon recognizes, I think, that consumers who want such access are likely to have dedicated portable hotspots or tethering plans with their smartphones. Had the Fire been introduced a year ago, the absence of built-in 3G support would have been a major weakness. Amazon believes, and I think they're right, that over the next couple of years it will be much less important.

Leaked sales figures reported:

Leaked Sales Screenshots: Amazon’s Kindle Fire Already Burning Up? - Techland - TIME.com

I think the amazon focus is on the nook not apple. I had a kindle and it was good for books but terrible for the web. Then I switched to nook color and it was good for books and the web but bad since you had to use their apps only and they had so few of them. Thats when I got my iPad 2 which is the best of all worlds. (I've had iphone since it came out) Luckily I gave away my other tablets so they don't go to waste. Kindle is a much better platform than nook ever will be as long as BN insists on controlling their own limited apps. Apple did it right from the start.