Amazon kindle fire
amazon kindle fire - The world's largest online retailer, Amazon.com
Inc., unveiled its all-new tablet on September 28, 2011. The tablet is
called the Amazon Kindle Fire and will be available in the US market on
November 15, 2011. A lot of buzz has been generated since Amazon's CEO,
Jeff Bezos, made the announcement.
Apple's iPad has single-handedly dominated the tablet PC landscape since
its launch in early 2010. With so many tablets being launched since
2010, the question always arises as to how these new tablets stack up
against the market leader, the Apple iPad 2.
We have seen many top tech companies launch their own version of tablet
PCs like the Samsung Galaxy, Motorola Xoom and RIM's Blackberry
Playbook, to name a few. However, none of these competitors have been
able to significantly impact Apple's domination in the tablet PC arena
so far.
At first glance, looks like the Amazon's all-new tablet will pose a
significant challenge to the iPad 2, especially that it's priced at $199
compared to Apple's iPad 2 price of $499. However, a closer look at the
specifications and features is required to help determine which tablet
is right for you. Having said so, let's take a close look at the pros
and cons of the Amazon Kindle Fire.
Operating System: the Amazon Kindle Fire runs on a customized version of
Android 2.3 OS, whereas, the Apple iPad 2 runs Apple's iOS 4.3.1.
Without getting too technical, these two operating systems are
comparable, with a few differences. However, with the combination of the
new cloud-accelerated split browser, Amazon Silk, the web experience on
the Kindle is expected to have an advantage in terms of speed and
performance.
Amazon Silk Browser: as briefly mentioned above, Silk is a
cloud-accelerated internet browser that is exclusive to Amazon's Kindle
Fire. In simple terms, this innovative web browser does all the heavy
lifting through Amazon's remote servers, thereby using less resources of
the Kindle Fire device. This not only helps in the tablets speed and
performance, but also conserves battery life.
Processor: the Kindle Fire uses the TI OMAP 4 dual-core processor,
whereas, the iPad 2 uses Apple's A5 dual-core processor. Both the
processors have a speed of 1 GHz, therefore, they are quite comparable
in terms of speed.
Memory & Storage: the first generation Kindle Fire has limited
storage space at 8 GB and does not have an option to increase this
storage (i.e. it doesn't have a microSD slot). However, the iPad 2 has
various memory storage options, namely, 16, 32 and 64 GB. Having said
so, Amazon provides free online storage space through Amazon cloud for
digital content like apps, music, movies, books and games.
Display & Screen Resolution: the Kindle Fire as well as the iPad 2
have high-resolution multi-touch screens. However, the Kindle tablet has
a smaller 7 inch screen as compared to the iPad's 9.7 inch screen.
Therefore, depending on what you intend using your tablet for, you would
choose one over the other.
Camera & Microphone: one of the drawbacks of the Kindle Fire tablet
is that it lacks webcams. The iPad 2 comes with front and back cameras
which are great for online video chatting or conferencing as well as for
recording videos.
Battery Life & USB Port: the iPad 2 has an advantage over the Kindle
Fire when it comes to battery life. The iPad 2 battery can last up to
10 hours as compared to approximately 8 hours on the Kindle Fire. In
terms of USB support, the iPad 2 USB port is via the dock connector,
whereas, the Kindle tablet has a built-in USB 2.0 (micro-B Connector)
which is more convenient.
Wireless & 3G Connectivity: the Amazon Kindle Fire comes only with
the Wi-Fi options, whereas, Apple's iPad comes with both, Wi-Fi options
as well as 3G connectivity. So if you are constantly on the move and
need to be connected to the internet, you need to be aware of this lack
of 3G option in the Kindle tablet.
Apps Availability: the wide range and sheer number of apps available
through the Apple Appstore as well as security of the apps is huge
advantage for iPad users. However, Kindle Fire runs on the Android
operating system, which means that users will have access to the Google
Android App Market. Also, Kindle tablet users will have access to the
Amazon Appstore which includes thousands of apps and games.
Price Comparison: Amazon has surprised the consumers by pricing the
Kindle Fire tablet at US$199. Compared to the iPad 2 (the cheapest one)
costing around US$499, this provides Amazon a huge advantage, especially
if price is a big factor in choosing a tablet.
From the above review, one can determine that Amazon's Kindle Fire will
not pose a significant challenge to Apple's iPad, other than the price
differential. However, I believe that this is a great start for Amazon
as it enters the competitive world of tablet PCs. By pricing the Kindle
Fire at US$199, Amazon has made tablet PCs much more accessible to the
mainstream and will be a popular gift idea for the Christmas/Holiday
season.