Amazon is finally out with its long rumored tablet and no, let's get it straight at the outset, the Android Éclair wielding tablet is no 'iPad
Killer'. But it does not mean that the product is not full of possibilities, quite opposite to that actually! The $199 tablet certainly has potential. This 7-inch contraption features various Amazon services such as Amazon Instant Video, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Prime, Amazon AppStore and Amazon MP3.
Kindle Fire comes equipped with 1 GHz TI OMAP dual core processor and its 7 inch IPS Gorilla Glass display is capable of handling 1024×600 pixel resolution. At 8 GB, the tablet has smaller than usual storage capacity on board. This is consistent with rumors that the tablet would be heavily dependent on Amazon's Cloud Drive. Its battery life is not as good as iPad but it is still good enough at 8 hours of continuous reading. You can also watch videos for about 7.5 hours before the tablet runs out of juice. Fire also supports various Wi Fi protocols such as 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n and 802.1X.
Surprisingly, the tablet will be running on 2.1 version of Android aka Éclair. However, the platform has been so heavily customized by Amazon that it does not look like Android anymore. Amazon has stripped off superfluous features and apps and has made it more streamlined and intuitive. So, we hope that the OS would not feel so ancient after all. As for its looks, the tablet is slightly chunkier than the rest at 11.4 mm thickness. Among other features of the tablet are the WhisperSync, the feature which is available on Kindle.
One of the most interesting features added to the tablet is the brand new browser called Amazon Silk. The browser is based on Amazon's EC2 engine and is a split browser. So, Amazon has not only entered the tablet market, but is also getting involved in browser segment.
Amazon Silk is not a simple concept as it combines both a processor and a browser. The browser is closely aligned with Amazon's Cloud computing platform. So, Silk not only uses the resources available on your tab, but also taps the power of cloud computing, thus helping in faster downloads and smoother operations. In Amazon's own words, "Each time you load a web page, Silk makes a dynamic decision about which of these subsystems will run locally and which will execute remotely.” The concept sounds great on paper, but it is yet to be seen how it performance in the real life conditions.
So, now that we have vital stats and some more of Kindle Fire, we cannot help but pit it against iPad. However, with Fire's specs and price tag of $199, it would be gross injustice to compare the two tablets. Even industry analysts agree that Amazon is targeting a whole different demography with its tablet and that it is certainly not looking to compete with Apple. The tablet is essentially targeted towards users who want an e-reader with added functionality. So, Fire is not competing with iPad, this thing is for the sure. Though, it would be interesting to see how Nook retaliates to Fire threat.
Fire is available for pre ordering now and it would be delivered in November. However, the tablet is currently available in the US only. Amazon did not give any pointer about its availability in the UK. Similarly, the new Kindle Touch will also not be available in the UK. However, non Touch Kindles would now be available at more attractive price points. Amazon UK refused to provide any tentative date for Kindle Fire and Kindle Touch's UK arrival.