Originally Posted by apidej

The end of E-ink. Kindle "Fire", using regular Touch screen LCD, may disappoint ebook reader because of it's shorter battery life, compare to previous Kindle E-ink units.

Amazon hasn't abandoned its e-Ink fans. Their Kindle Touch is aimed at that market (along with the $80 base unit.) The Fire expands the "reader" into a multimedia consumption device for those that want that functionality. As you note, it inevitably sacrifices battery life but I think Amazon figures that the success of devices like the iPad and smartphones suggest consumers are prepared to recharge their devices on a daily basis.

Originally Posted by blucente

The fire will be a nice building block to grow on, I'm sure we'll see more products launched in the very near future

Ironically, the Kindle Fire led me to buy an iPad 2. I'd been planning on waiting for the iPad 3 to upgrade, but I now plan to wait for the 10" version of the Fire. Since I don't know how long that will be and I've got family members waiting for my iPad 1, I went ahead and snagged a 2 so they aren't waiting forever.

Originally Posted by bobpet63

I have a kindle.......and its cheaply made and customer service sucks.......I will also be sticking to my iPad .....I switched to an android phone.....and it is no where near the polished iPhone operating system....crashes a lot ..... Very quirky.....have to reset it slot......very unstable

I have a Color Nook and just bought a Kindle with free 3G, mostly for that, to use occasionally in my office where I don't have wifi. I found the 6" Kindle to be very well made and the customer service for the one call I made to be excellent though my problem was solved in the few seconds it took before she answered the phone. Having said this, I do find the 6" screen too small and would prefer a 7" with free 3G. I rarely use my Nook, which has an impressive screen, but use my iPad 2 several times a day and consider it a serious well made and integrated product. Too bad they don't offer free (minimal) 3G service for an occasional use like for e-mail, not watching movies.

Sent from my iPad using iPF

My Kindle is years old and has held up well. It looks brand-new despite extensive use, though I prefer a backlighted device.

I still buy Kindle books almost exclusively, and that service has been flawless. Once in a while I buy a book by mistake, email and get a refund within hours. Emailed receipts show up immediately after each purchase.

Two or three times, I've received notice that editing fixes have been made to a book I've purchased, and Amazon has offered to update my version of the book.

I also like being able to take my Kindle books to myriad devices if I want to switch hardware -- Android, Blackberry, PC, iOS gadgets, even Macs -- and all the apps are free. There's a cloud Kindle reader, too.

The quality of Kindle service is what makes me consider Amazon a viable tablet maker, over all other Android tablet makers. Amazon gets that you have to deliver hardware, as well as content.