“Now that we’ve seen the Kindle Fire, the big question: Is it an iPad killer? The simple answer is no,” Jon Fortt reports for CNBC.
“If you’re in the market for an iPad 2, looking to tap into apps or play games, you’re not necessarily going to grab a Fire instead,” Fortt reports. “That’s because the new high-end Kindle has a screen that’s small for video, Amazon’s Android marketplace is nascent, and the Fire doesn’t have a built-in microphone or camera for capturing video or audio.”
“But this could doom the field of tablet also-rans like the BlackBerry PlayBook, Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab,” Fortt reports. “If you’re not going to get a $500 iPad 2, why would you buy an Android competitor that costs just as much … when you can get one that costs less than half?”
Read more in the full article, including why Amazon’s Kindle Fire is potentially very dangerous for Google, here.
Related articles:
Amazon announces 7-inch ‘Kindle Fire’ Android tablet for $199 – September 28, 2011
Apple’s iPad owns 80% of North American tablet market; Analyst claims Amazon tablet can challenge iPad – September 27, 2011
Amazon’s tablet is a ‘pretty poor stopgap’ that looks a lot like RIM’s PlayBook failure – September 27, 2011
Analysts claim Amazon’s tablet will be serious challenge to Apple’s iPad – September 26, 2011
Amazon to hold media event on September 28th – September 23, 2011
No worries, iPad, Amazon’s Android ‘tablet’ just a ‘Nook killer’ – September 6, 2011
Amazon’s Android tablet really only a 7-inch color Kindle – September 3, 2011
Q: What do you need for an Amazon Fire?
A: Amazon Kindling!
not going to sell my ipad, but i think it’s an awesome product for $199. books, movies, TV shows, music, email, light games
time to start burning the paper books
Don’t burn — make sure you sell them to the used bookstores while those things are still around and there’s a market.
I burned and unloaded nealy all my CDs 2-3 years ago (made enough to buy an iPad!) figuring that the used CD stores would go the way of the vinyl record stores before too long.
Just FYI, if you mean that you ripped all of your CDs to your computer then sold the originals at a used CD store, then you’re in violation of the licensing agreement for the music. Sorry, but that’s the truth…just trying to keep you from getting fried by the RIAA.
By selling the original CDs, you sold your “license” to listen to the music along with them. Continuing to listen to the MP3s of those CDs is illegal if you no longer own the originals (thereby a license). It’s little different than borrowing all those same CDs from someone (never having owned them yourself) and ripping them (which is also illegal, of course).
If this makes no sense, think of it this way: If you sell your car to someone else, do you still get to drive it? Of course not.
Craig
cd’s and itunes are so last decade. spotify to rule them all
I’ll be darn.
No, it’s an Android tablet killer and it’s a Playbook killer.
So, I read the linked article. Wow, that does make sense. What if Amazon goes a few steps further and ‘licences’ deals with MS, Oracle and ‘others’ on patent issues…would that not also make the big G appear more vulnerable? Ellison and his lawyers are watching, is my guess. Why wouldn’t they be? Heck, Amazon could give away THEIR version of android to other tablet makers and cut G out of everything.
Agreed that this is definitely not an iPad killer. However, it has a darn good shot at being an iTouch killer. $30 less for the same amount of memory and a much bigger screen. For games, browsing, and media consumption this potentially is an iTouch killer. Of course some people do use the camera on the iTouch, so it won’t work for that group. But I’m betting it is a darn good option for many iTouch users. The primary drawback in my mind is the Amazon app market. It is missing many critical apps that are available in Google’s market.
Now, if only Apple made a product named ‘iTouch’.
thank you Arnold, I get so sick of people botching the name of the iPod touch.
You’re welcome, 3.0. One that torques me off (at least 200 foot-pounds!) is when they use ‘MAC’.
Goobers.
One thing i love doing, is saying OSX. X not Ten. 😉
I love how quickly a MAC guy will correct you.
And yes, I do it on purpose. Sometimes the reaction is much more fun than the actual conversation.
I feel the same way when I call it “whine-dos”
Touché.
But when I hear anyone say OS Ex, I just assume their knowledge of OS 10 is pretty damned limited.
Expect that is manages to be LESS functional than the iPod Touch…
An iPod touch killer … except for a serious lack of applications, etc.
Good point! Amazon market will definitely limit applications, but I had forgotten that many apps (and especially games) designed for smaller screens may not run right on a bigger screen. That mess won’t be sorted out until ICS, but Amazon’s tablet will likely never ever see that version of Android. Hmmm. The more I think about it the less I like this tablet . . .
Except, of course, that the iPod Touch has 100,000 more applications and it also connects to the iTunes Music Store.
Apps — check. Music store — have you ever used Amazon to buy your music? It’s pretty darn good. The quality of the tracks I’ve bought from them has been as good or better than what I’ve bought from the iTunes music store. And Amazon’s cloud music service is available now and works well. Not sure how much of a disadvantage this tablet will have when it comes to music, but I’m betting is good enough for most people.
Can’t take it on the roof and shoot video like the touch can, very useful tool and the small size makes it easy to carry and use …..
With the new iOS and iCloud due soon the video will transfer to my iPad, if I like, and use that to show video …..
Either way Apple has a whole system we use, not just this or that ….. So for us the Fire is not useful ……
But I do see some picking instead of an iPad but in no way does it have half the engineering /design the iPad and Apple products, in general have ….
Interesting side note on iPad: the engineers who are inspecting the Washington Monument by rappelling down its sides on ropes are carrying iPads!! Too much!
Can’t do that with a Kindle…
I saw the iPads too.
How is the Android Marketplace “nascent” if Android has been around since 2008?
no camera
no 3G
no microphone
NO FUN
Amazon is enabling parents to screw their children this Christmas – call child protective services.
Fun for all on FIRE.
Amazon Prime (included) gives you free streaming video to your FIRE.
Amazon Prime now includes all of FOX TV.
Looks like an Android will finally kill the iPad to me.
The only Kindles I see used, and Android tablets for that matter, are as refuse lining for bird cages. In the old days people used to use newspapers. But with the advent of the digital age and Android tablets being sold on BOGO or given away for $99 or next to nothing, it’s much cheaper than using the NY Times.
Android tablets…not selling since 2007.
Amazon Prime is only included for one month free, then you have to pay.
Android apps are pale copies/ports of iOS apps. They simply don’t look or work as well.
Android is quickly becoming THE target for virus/trojan/malware writers. And the response of “just run AV software on your phone” is stupid. Those programs slow down a full-blown PC enough, they’ll really hit performance and battery life. No thanks. Why should I even have to mess with such a thing?
14.2 lbs. Pretty heavy for a smaller screen.
Only 8 GB memory. Simply not enough for something that is being promoted as a movie machine.
Claims 8 hrs battery life, 7.5 if video playing. Betcha it’s much less than that real-world, especially if you’re using the WiFi to download movies (which will take a long time).
25% thicker than an iPad (0.45″ v. 0.34″).
Too big for a pocket, too small to be practical.
That said, it is a viable alternative to the iPad.
People want cameras, apps, and the ability to create music and video. This device will sell, but won’t kill anything but Android. And iPhone 5 might create enough lust to leave this in the dust. Too small, too big…
Apple’s iPhone 5 with the bigger screen is going to officially kill the 7″ tablet, including this one. Nobody needs this. Some trend buyers will buy this early on but after a year the market will correct itself and it won’t sell that well because everyone will be using 4″ screened smartphones. The 7″ tablet simply won’t be able to compete with these newer, bigger smartphones.
The only reason to use a tablet over these smartphones is if the screen real estate is substantial enough to be worth the tradeoff of having to hold something bigger in your hands.
The iPad has it nailed: 9.7″ screen. Amazon is just a copier like everyone else, except they can’t even get it right.
Amazon Prime is only included for one month free, then you have to pay.
Android apps are pale copies/ports of iOS apps. They simply don’t look or work as well.
Android is quickly becoming THE target for virus/trojan/malware writers. And the response of “just run AV software on your phone” is stupid. Those programs slow down a full-blown PC enough, they’ll really hit performance and battery life. No thanks. Why should I even have to mess with such a thing?
14.2 lbs. Pretty heavy for a smaller screen.
Only 8 GB memory. Simply not enough for something that is being promoted as a movie machine.
Claims 8 hrs battery life, 7.5 if video playing. Betcha it’s much less than that real-world, especially if you’re using the WiFi to download movies (which will take a long time).
25% thicker than an iPad (0.45″ v. 0.34″).
Too big for a pocket, too small to be practical.
I agree with most of your points. However, I really like the 7″ form factor. It’s small enough to be relatively portable, but has much much more screen than a phone or iPod Touch. Also, your statement about Android apps being pale copies/ports of iOS apps may have been true a year ago, but such is not the case today. Case in point: LoseIt. Android version is actually ahead of iOS — it includes a barcode scanner. I’m sure that feature will eventually come to the iOS version, but for now it’s inclusion in the Android version makes it far superior.
I believe the writer got this exactly right. Add the Amazon tablet to the Motorola purchase and Google is in trouble and through no fault of its management MS will see some benefit.
I think this may compel Apple to make a 7 incher. The time is right for it in my opinion. iPod Touch XL has a nice ring to it.
I just got back from a vacation in Italy and Greece. Although I saw a few Kindles (which are good for what they were designed to do), a surprising number of people had iPad 2’s. How do I know they were 2’s? Because an amazing number of people were using them to take pictures and videos of the scenery. Good luck Kindle Fire!
NOT a GLOBAL competitor to the iPad.
Currently, the “Fire” appears to be a USA device only. No sign of the device, app store, or Amazon Prime on Amazon.CA.
Amazon is smart to not compete with Apple directly. The Kindle Fire and the iPad are really aimed at entirely different markets. Comparing the two is like comparing one of those really cheap headphone / FM radios to an iPod.
All of the drawbacks of Android in a closed platform media consumption device that does not shine unless you pay more money. This is not the creative, laptop replacing device that is the iPad 2. By the time the Kindle Fire is released in November, Apple will have released iOS 5, introducing a whole new class of capabilities to the iPad. It is irresponsible to put the two devices on the same playing field because if your children are expecting an iPad experience they’d cry if they got the Kindle.
Looking forward to buying my new 7″ iPod as soon as it hits the market! …..