I'd love to hear any argument against this (kindle fire)

[malnar]

Personally, I don't understand choosing the ipad... totally gonna get attacked for this.

But it can't do anything the kind fire doesn't do. And it costs so much more!

(i'm not counting stuff it can do but sucks at like the camera aspect of the ipad)

You're right, you ARE going to get attacked! But the review is also right (and stating this, I'll get attacked too.) The Fire is "just fine" for most people because "most people" have simple needs that are met by the Fire (and Nook Tablet, and it's looking like the better actual tablet between the two in the comparison reviews I've seen today.) And those needs are checking email, getting on Facebook, and doing some light browsing, mainly, along with a few light games here and there.

The iPad is really starting to be positioned as the home PC replacement because it's far, far more capable, and that's fine, but it doesn't suit most people. In the nearly two years since the iPad came out, people have suddenly realized how little of the capabilities of their massively powerful home computer they actually use. And for those that use a little more, the iPad is what they're going to want. Apple is setting up a whole new heirarchy of computers here - iPads instead of laptops, laptops instead of desktops, and for people who don't see iPads as even a sensible investment, they can opt for an iPhone or just go find one of the million or so Android tablets out there - that market Apple doesn't care about (yet?)

I'd take a smaller tablet, for sure - I have little need for all the iPad does, and I'd prefer to save some money if all I'm doing is checking email and such. I've grown "dependent," if such a thing is possible, on having a tablet by my side at home, so I don't see what problem there would be having a Fire or, better, a Nook Tablet. But I don't know that I can justify another iPad. But I'm sure Apple is paying attention and will do something very soon to answer what is surely quite a threat.

 

[nicfargo]

iPad does a lot more

The fire is a crippled Android tablet. There's plenty of articles on the interweb stating that it is a fork off an older version of Android. You can't access the google marketplace with it (unless you root it, if that's possible yet).

I can't sync a fire up to my MBP and control it with the fire. I can't sync a fire up to apple TV and mirror my display for giving a presentation directly off my iPad. I can't use a fire to dictate speech to text.

These are just a few things that come to mind immediately, but there's so much I do with the iPad that I wouldn't be able to do with the Fire. If I was not a "power user" of the iPad, I'm sure the fire would be just fine for email, internet, the occasional app, and streaming. But since I do so much more, the fire falls flat.

 

[4DThinker]

The fire is a crippled Android tablet. There's plenty of articles on the interweb stating that it is a fork off an older version of Android. You can't access the google marketplace with it (unless you root it, if that's possible yet).

So far I've been able to run all my favorite apps, some from the Amazon app store, and several side-loaded to the Fire. I wouldn't call that crippled. Not quite anyway. Try to go to market.android.com in the Amazon Silk browser and it re-directs you to it's own AppStore though. I put the Google Music app on my Fire, and although it runs and plays on-board content, there is no way to associate it with my Google account to access my online Google Music. The only account associated with my Fire is my Amazon account. No way to add another. Amazon is certainly serious about the Fire being limited to their own media for purchase. So while most "normal" android tablets can access Amazon's media OR Google's, the Fire goes out of its way to limit you to Amazon's.

 

[Timechaser]

For me the KF is like a small "hand bag" you would carry on special nights out on the town.

Its very cute, looks nice & neat - but it will only provide me enough room to carry just a few of the small things that I'm likely to need the most during that particular outing.

Now Im not saying that a person could not make good use of a KF on a daily basis but for me I tend to carry a lot of things in my purse, some things I may not need but dare not leave home for long periods of times with out.

I like knowing that if for some reason I was trapped in a traffic jam, elevator, waiting room, or airport, I can access more than a five gigs of my own media to keep me company. I want to be able to use my remote desk top app to complete work assignment while I'm out of the office, read blue prints and sheets of music on a screen with out squinting or having to blow up sections of the page. I want the option to turn on 3g and the freedom to share the various apps on my iPad with my iPhone or any other iDevices that are associated with my account.

The size of the KF makes it portable but you aren't really carrying very much more than books with such a small storage capacity. It would be like carrying a TV around in the trunk of your car so you can watch your favorite programs when you get where you are going if they happen to have electricity and a cable hook up.

Any way with all this said I did purchase a KF because I thought I might use it from time to time for reading or to carry along sometimes in a small purse but it just doesn't seem like a true tablet - the news media should of never suggested that this thing could be a iPad killer and may be called it a iPod touch killer and even then I believe the iPod would of been preferred by any one who was looking for more than a really nice e-reader because that is what the KF is to me.

I think I'll be returning the KF - my iPhone is way more useful, more portable, and will fit in my pocket or hand bag.

 

[Mac.World]

For me the KF is like a small "hand bag" you would carry on special nights out on the town.

Its very cute, looks nice & neat - but it will only provide me enough room to carry just a few of the small things that I'm likely to need the most during that particular outing.

Now Im not saying that a person could not make good use of a KF on a daily basis but for me I tend to carry a lot of things in my purse, some things I may not need but dare not leave home for long periods of times with out.

I like knowing that if for some reason I was trapped in a traffic jam, elevator, waiting room, or airport, I can access more than a five gigs of my own media to keep me company. I want to be able to use my remote desk top app to complete work assignment while I'm out of the office, read blue prints and sheets of music on a screen with out squinting or having to blow up sections of the page. I want the option to turn on 3g and the freedom to share the various apps on my iPad with my iPhone or any other iDevices that are associated with my account.

The size of the KF makes it portable but you aren't really carrying very much more than books with such a small storage capacity. It would be like carrying a TV around in the trunk of your car so you can watch your favorite programs when you get where you are going if they happen to have electricity and a cable hook up.

Any way with all this said I did purchase a KF because I thought I might use it from time to time for reading or to carry along sometimes in a small purse but it just doesn't seem like a true tablet - the news media should of never suggested that this thing could be a iPad killer and may be called it a iPod touch killer and even then I believe the iPod would of been preferred by any one who was looking for more than a really nice e-reader because that is what the KF is to me.

I think I'll be returning the KF - my iPhone is way more useful, more portable, and will fit in my pocket or hand bag.

This is what i anticipate seeing a lot of. People will realize the limitations of the device and return it.

But for those that just use their tablet at home and utilize Amazon for many of their purchases, this would be an excellent device.

 

[irDigital0l]

I'm willing to pay more for better quality.

 

[mattg3]

I think people are just buying this because this is the season people want to buy stuff.If apple had released a 7 inch ipad or new ipod touch this device would have gone under the radar.i also expect a lot of these to be returned.

 

[abta1]

The market for tablets is huge, a lot of consumers still have not taken one up so there is room for competition. In that sense, cheaper alternatives that may or may not be as good will always sell, how well is another question.

For some they will see the lower price and be sold.
For some they will see the lower price and capability and be sold.
For some they will buy the Fire and consider it limited and get an iPad or other tablet.
The remaining may opt straight for the iPad or other tablet at a higher price.

The lower price point is a really powerful selling point and for some will be enough to push them over the edge. However, you get what you pay for. And with the Fire it does what it has been designed to do very well, but beyond that, it will struggle which is where other tablets such as the iPad will take up.

 

[skywalkerluke]

Apps - Way more apps on iPad, No netflixs on Fire.
No iTunes on Fire.
7 Inch screen vs 10. 10 Inch screen way better for web.
Fire = No camrea.
I don't think I can edit music/pictures on the fire like I can on the iPad.
I don't think I can use the fire with splash Desktop (remote desktop).

Fire is made for light users. IPad is made for heavy users/people who want an amazing product.

my thought on the matter.

 

[Yr Blues]

I love my Mercedes Benz. I can't understand why people drive Hondas. They definitely have low expectations. My E-Class is so luxurious and smooth.

Sarcasm aside, compared to the usual Android experience, Amazon's Fire has a positively cozy, humanistic feel.

It's only getting so much ire from Apple fans because people are mostly happy with it.

One thing to note, I absolutely adore the macro photos on the unlock screen. They are fantastic.

 

[Mac.World]

I love my Mercedes Benz. I can't understand why people drive Hondas. They definitely have low expectations. My E-Class is so luxurious and smooth.

Sarcasm aside, compared to the usual Android experience, Amazon's Fire has a positively cozy, humanistic feel.

It's only getting so much ire from Apple fans because people are mostly happy with it.

One thing to note, I absolutely adore the macro photos on the unlock screen. They are fantastic.

Would you compare a Mercedes CLK black to a Honda Civic? That's what people were doing by comparing the Fire to the iPad. For me, that is the wrong thing to do. The Fire should be labeled for what it is and people should know what they are buying. But if you listen to some people on this board, you'd think you were getting a Mercedes for the price of a Civic.

The Fire will sell, I've never said otherwise, and it will take up the bottom rung of the tablet totem. That may be enough for Amazon and what the Fire provides is likely enough for a lot of people. It's def not enough for me though. Hell, my 64gb iPad is barely enough.

 

[Yr Blues]

Would you compare a Mercedes CLK black to a Honda Civic? That's what people were doing by comparing the Fire to the iPad. For me, that is the wrong thing to do. The Fire should be labeled for what it is and people should know what they are buying. But if you listen to some people on this board, you'd think you were getting a Mercedes for the price of a Civic.

The Fire will sell, I've never said otherwise, and it will take up the bottom rung of the tablet totem. That may be enough for Amazon and what the Fire provides is likely enough for a lot of people. It's def not enough for me though. Hell, my 64gb iPad is barely enough.

Actually, you said that the Fire will be a dud after the hype wears … but I can be mistaken.

The chances of me buying a Fire is 33%. I think a few more firmware updates will get it where it needs to be.

If iPad goes retina, the difference will be a monolithic, so I'll wait until after the next keynote. And 7.85" would be perfect.

 

[Mac.World]

Actually, you said that the Fire will be a dud after the hype wears … but I can be mistaken.

The chances of me buying a Fire is 33%. I think a few more firmware updates will get it where it needs to be.

If iPad goes retina, the difference will be a monolithic, so I'll wait until after the next keynote. And 7.85" would be perfect.

Specifically, I said the Fire will sell 2 milion this quarter and then wane each successive quarter.

And the iPad will go retina, that is a given, it's just a matter of when (beinning or end of 2012?)

And a 7" tablet is just to small. Trying to read web pages with constant pinching and zooming... Ugghh.

 

[Yr Blues]

And a 7" tablet is just to small. Trying to read web pages with constant pinching and zooming... Ugghh.

I think there is room for 2 models like how the Macbook models have different sizes. Some people think the 11" Air is too small. I think it's perfect.

Pinching and zooming on a Touch and iPhone is just awful.

 

[takeshi74]

I'd love to hear any argument against this (kindle fire)

Totally serious, the title might sound mean but it's not meant to be.

Here's what i'm talking about.

"Consumers will see the iPad and Kindle Fire side-by-side... and simply ask 'why does
the iPad cost at least $300 more?' They will look at the features - the comparable
amount of content, the Kindle's million e-books, streaming TV shows - and pick the Fire." Extreme tech

No argument from me. Shoppers that don't fully perform their own due diligence get what they deserve. I may have chosen and really like the iPad 2 but it's not my job to evangelize it.

If one simply compares lists of functions performed by the two devices, there is no question that the iPad "wins." But if most of the functionality advantage of the iPad (e.g. camera, more storage, 3G connectivity, bluetooth speakers and external keyboards, etc.) is irrelevant to a consumer's needs, there is no reason to pay more than double the price for that functionality.

The market for these devices is elastic, not carved in granite. The Fire will attract consumers who would never purchase an iPad despite its greater range of features. Those are not "lost sales" for the iPad even if they are sales for the Fire. And by the same token, many consumers will continue to want a larger tablet with greater flexibility. Those are not lost sales for the Fire.

Well said.

People seem too often to get caught up in spec sheet racing 2 options. It's not just a matter of the options on their own but the options considered within the context of the needs/wants/budget/etc of the person comparing the two. Change the person and a different option may stand out as the best fit. What I really don't get is why this idea seems to novel to so many.

 

[TrollToddington]

Here's my plain simple argument against Kindle Fire:

I'm not rich enough to buy cheap things.

 

[spiderman0616]

Here's my plain simple argument against Kindle Fire:

I'm not rich enough to buy cheap things.

If you're not being sarcastic, I kind of agree with you and stated this in another post. $200 may not be nearly as much money as $500, but that doesn't mean it's not a lot of money. $200 is enough where I'd still talk to my wife before purchasing and would probably be told no without some strategic begging. (It took me a month for my iPad lobbying to be successful).

And there were a lot of cheap-o MP3 players before the iPod came out. A majority of people just need to play their songs, not have all these fancy menus and touch screens and playlists. But how many iPods have sold vs. everyone else? My father in law bought an iPod recently when he needed a new MP3 player. He doesn't give a rat's ass about technology and understands he could have paid less for a cheaper, crappier MP3 player, but he wants something he KNOWS is good so he paid more for an iPod.

I don't think the Kindle Fire will be quite like iPod vs. Zune/iRiver/etc., but I do think that people will still identify more with the iPad. Forum users, tech geeks, and ESPECIALLY the tech media seem to always write off Apple when a new thing comes out. What they always seem to forget is that the bigger a company is and the more brand recognition it has, the harder it is for it to go down.

Look at companies like RIM. They were huge for a long long time. Just about the only game in town for smartphones. Even after years of failing to innovate or interest their users to stay with the platform, they are still alive. Albeit, they are dying a slow painful death, but has the release of new smartphone models every two seconds killed them off? No.

 

[RossMc]

Here's an argument, The Fire is US only. The iPad is worldwide.

 

[4DThinker]

Here's an argument, The Fire is US only. The iPad is worldwide.

So is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Amazon's other Kindles are world-wide now. It won't be long before the Fire is too. It'll just take them time to get their worldwide ducks for video streaming in a row. Their Prime membership is problematic until they have worldwide warehouses to ship within 2 days to anywhere from.

I've got the Fire now, and picked up a second one for my wife. We bought cases for each, and are still under what I paid one iPad2. For limited android tablets they have plenty of distractions built in. Every android app I'd previously bought from amazon's appstore was available to me. Every book my wife or I ever bought for older Kindles was waiting for us, and we can start reading them right where we left off previously. Music is available from Amazon's MP3 store. As Prime members there are a slew of free movies/TV shows to stream to the Fires, and new movies to buy as well.

That said, Google's recent updates to the android market and Google Music make any conventional android tablet nearly as media-savvy. Since you can put the Kindle (or Nook) app on any Android tablet (or the iPad) the ebook access is equal across the board. Given that Google Music online storage is FREE, I have to give the nod to them as my favorite source for new music.

Times are certainly interesting.

 

[Yr Blues]

4DThinker,

When they eventually switch over to Ice Cream Sandwich, it's going to be a very smooth gadget. I bet you could share a Netflix account for a year's worth of content and still be under $500 after the 2 Fires you bought.

 

[falconeight]

I have not a single argument.

 

[Thetonyk123]

Because the iPad is made by apple.

I'd rate down your post but I'm on tapatalk.

 

[falconeight]

Apps - Way more apps on iPad, No netflixs on Fire.
No iTunes on Fire.
7 Inch screen vs 10. 10 Inch screen way better for web.
Fire = No camrea.
I don't think I can edit music/pictures on the fire like I can on the iPad.
I don't think I can use the fire with splash Desktop (remote desktop).

Fire is made for light users. IPad is made for heavy users/people who want an amazing product.

my thought on the matter.

It has Netflix

 

[smoking monkey]

The Kindle uses Android.

That for me is the biggest problem with it. I recently had an extensive hands on with the sony tablet that my coworker bought. She has both the Ipad2 and the Sony Tablet. It's so clear why people prefer to use ipads. There is simply no comparison in the user experience.

The Android experience is absolutely **** if your coming from the iPad. It's like windows for a tablet.

My coworker has never owned an apple device before and said she only uses the sony as a clock and remote control.

The only reason to buy a kindle is if you are interested in the Amazon ecosystem. Any other reason and it is pretty much going to be a disappointment.

 

[Yr Blues]

The Kindle uses Android.

That for me is the biggest problem with it. I recently had an extensive hands on with the sony tablet that my coworker bought. She has both the Ipad2 and the Sony Tablet. It's so clear why people prefer to use ipads. There is simply no comparison in the user experience.

The Android experience is absolutely **** if your coming from the iPad. It's like windows for a tablet.

My coworker has never owned an apple device before and said she only uses the sony as a clock and remote control.

The only reason to buy a kindle is if you are interested in the Amazon ecosystem. Any other reason and it is pretty much going to be a disappointment.

Have you tried Ice Cream Sandwich? It looks pretty smooth, if not efficient. I hope the Fire upgrades its firmware to ICS.

Although I think Apple is superior in most ways, I'm still rooting for Amazon … mostly out of fear that Apple may get too complacent without a real challenger.