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Kindle Fire Seen Slowing Some Previously-Planned iPad Purchases

After looking all day I finally bought it at Office Max. No store had them, set Buy, Target , etc......


Literally took less than 5 mins to setup and I was on the web instantly. My daughter is loving this tablet, streaming kid shows from amazon now frees up my laptop as well as my phone. Just for this alone it's worth it.


Also I must note that this little sucker is FAST. Well worth the $199 I spent. Will post more impressions later, but buy first look is it's great!

Home button and volume buttons are all on the screen so dedicated buttons are not needed.
 
To me, this "Kindle Fire" Tablet seems to be Amazons personal content selling machine. It is centered around Amazons Offerings (Books, Music, Movies), but besides that, what does it offer? The limited space does not allow the user to upload own content to the device, it all seems to be centered around Amazon. Am I even allowed to upload a PDF not purchased via Amazon to the device?

Of course the iPad is based around the App Store too, but I can still do more things than just shop at the iBook store and browse the web. The App Store gives me the opportunity to buy content from all kinds of developers, we will see who wants to develop for the Kindle Fire. Their browser seems to follow Operas Model, as by pre rendering websites for faster access, but this purposes a security threat if you want to do banking stuff for example.

All in all the "Kindle Fire" seems to be a tablet for long time Amazon customers in the US. It´s not even being sold in Europe, because Amazon can not offer the same services there. And without those services to back it up, this tablet seems to be kind of useless.

Sorry, but this thing can not even put a scratch on the success of the iPad.
 
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tblrsa said:
To me, this "Kindle Fire" Tablet seems to be Amazons personal content selling machine. It is centered around Amazons Offerings (Books, Music, Movies), but besides that, what does it offer? The limited space does not allow the user to upload own content to the device, it all seems to be centered around Amazon. Am I even allowed to upload a PDF not purchased via Amazon to the device?

Of course the iPad is based around the App Store too, but I can still do more things than just shop at the iBook store and browse the web. The App Store gives me the opportunity to buy content from all kinds of developers, we will see who wants to develop for the Kindle Fire. Their browser seems to follow Operas Model, as by pre rendering websites for faster access, but this purposes a security threat if you want to do banking stuff for example.

All in all the "Kindle Fire" seems to be a tablet for long time Amazon customers in the US. It´s not even being sold in Europe, because Amazon can not offer the same services there. And without those services to back it up, this tablet seems to be kind of useless.

Sorry, but this thing can not even put a scratch on the success of the iPad.
Click to expand...


Of course it is Amazon's personal content machine. That is how it is being sold... You can use apps in the Amazon Market, use Kindle and book rental, use Amazon's music and Stream videos from Prime/Hulu/Netflix. For $200 that is pretty damn good.

No one in their right mind thinks it will take away major sales from the iPad. What it does do is take the people that don't care to spend $500+ on a device but could see themselves spending $200. It is a market that hadn't been tapped, and Amazon can cememnt themselves there.

But people who decide to get a Fire may end up buying less from the iEcosystem since Amazon makes it so easy to get books/music/video from their world.
 
Mine just arrived at work and I had it setup within a very few minutes (including updating the firmware on the device). It is hefty and very solid feeling, not the cheap plastic feel that so many have mentioned (more of a hard rubber). It came already registered to my account, which was a nice touch. Don't really have time to play with it now but I'll do so later at home this evening.
 
danny_w said:
Mine just arrived at work and I had it setup within a very few minutes (including updating the firmware on the device). It is hefty and very solid feeling, not the cheap plastic feel that so many have mentioned (more of a hard rubber). It came already registered to my account, which was a nice touch. Don't really have time to play with it now but I'll do so later at home this evening.
Click to expand...
Were there any changelog notes for the firmware update?
 
shadowhawk2020 said:
Of course it is Amazon's personal content machine. That is how it is being sold... You can use apps in the Amazon Market, use Kindle and book rental, use Amazon's music and Stream videos from Prime/Hulu/Netflix. For $200 that is pretty damn good.

No one in their right mind thinks it will take away major sales from the iPad. What it does do is take the people that don't care to spend $500+ on a device but could see themselves spending $200. It is a market that hadn't been tapped, and Amazon can cememnt themselves there.

But people who decide to get a Fire may end up buying less from the iEcosystem since Amazon makes it so easy to get books/music/video from their world.
Click to expand...

I've asked this before and never gotten an answer. How is the Fire any different from the iPad in this regard? The iPad makes heavy use of iTunes-purchased music, movies, TV shows, and apps. Both are intended to sell a lot of ancillary content.
 
Just to clear up some misconceptions. The Fire is not a hardware portal to amazon services. Yes you can access all of amazon services, but you can just as easily access other services. Netflix, Hulu, Nook, Comixology. Just to name a few. So let's move past that. I love my iPad and I am absolutely one of it's biggest proponents, but the Fire is an absolutely fantastic device and I love it. It won't replace my iPad. If someone asks me which to choose though, I'll have to seriously ask them a few different questions before recommending one over the other. I think Amazon has really hit it out of the park with this device.
 
Here's another take on it...

"The iPad crowd is by-and-large quite different. These buyers are looking for simplicity and design. The typical iPad owner doesn’t care about ports or other technical features, he/she just wants the tablet to do what is needed, and easily.

The Kindle Fire is the tablet for the rest of the market. The reasonable price of less than $200 puts it in the realm of an impulse buy. No doubt many buyers will see one in a Target, Best Buy, or other retail shop they frequent, and pick one up to see what all the fuss is about.

Amazon has reportedly gotten a million pre-orders for the Kindle Fire, and while that is impressive it is only the beginning. When mainstream consumers get a taste of the Fire, that $199 price is going to make the fly off retailers’ shelves. The next phase of the tablet era will be born, as the Kindle Fire will be the tablet for the rest of the market. And that market is huge."




source
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-ne...r-the-rest-of-us/5509?tag=mantle_skin;content
 
The Kindle Fire is the cheapest Android tablet you can buy. Now that someone has figured out to "root" it, it can easily become an enthusiast go-to tablet.

Kindle killing the iPad - not sure. But then I thought the original Kindle was a dumb idea and look how much money Amazon made out of that one.
 
vitzr said:
Here's another take on it...

"The iPad crowd is by-and-large quite different. These buyers are looking for simplicity and design. The typical iPad owner doesn’t care about ports or other technical features, he/she just wants the tablet to do what is needed, and easily.

The Kindle Fire is the tablet for the rest of the market. The reasonable price of less than $200 puts it in the realm of an impulse buy. No doubt many buyers will see one in a Target, Best Buy, or other retail shop they frequent, and pick one up to see what all the fuss is about.

Amazon has reportedly gotten a million pre-orders for the Kindle Fire, and while that is impressive it is only the beginning. When mainstream consumers get a taste of the Fire, that $199 price is going to make the fly off retailers’ shelves. The next phase of the tablet era will be born, as the Kindle Fire will be the tablet for the rest of the market. And that market is huge."




source
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-ne...r-the-rest-of-us/5509?tag=mantle_skin;content
Click to expand...

I don't really agree with this assesment that much. Sure Apple users like their product to "just work". But the Fire is not a "difficult" Android tablet. Amazon has skinned the tablet so it is quick to start up for new users and everyhing works easily. In that sense they are going after the same type of customers the iPad has (except maybe less disposable income). It is a media consumption device.

It has little to offer those who want Ports/Camera/Memory Expansion etc. While many Android enthusiasts will buy it to root and play, that isn't it's main demographic.

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AlterEg0 said:
The Kindle Fire is the cheapest Android tablet you can buy. Now that someone has figured out to "root" it, it can easily become an enthusiast go-to tablet.

Kindle killing the iPad - not sure. But then I thought the original Kindle was a dumb idea and look how much money Amazon made out of that one.
Click to expand...

I never thought I would be into a kindle. I have an android tablet, and a Touchpad (I am a sucker for cheap devices), my parents have an iPad1 and iPad2 and I am still getting a kindle.

Why? Because reading is so much easiser on one. E-Ink is amazing for reading, the size and weight is perfect and the battery life is amazing. Sure on these tablets with sparse use you only have to charge every couple of days. But reading an hour here and an hour there on an e-ink device makes it so you don't have to charge for more than a MONTH.
 
danny_w said:
Hardly. It may be the cheapest list price but there are numerous Android tables that can be had for under $150. Junk yes, but they are available everyday of the week.
Click to expand...
I seriously doubt that this is the voice of the ownership experience here. I don't advocate, nor am I married to any brand, but to call it junk is a reflection of a distinct lack of information, much less experience.

I have no fear of competition, I welcome it. I frequently buy the competitors products for the fun of comparison. Furthermore it's an overwhelming fact that Apple is ahead by a very wide margin.

Why people are so intent on bad mouthing products they don't even own, or care about, speaks more about their need to vent, than it does a factual report. If there's a product I don't care for the last thing I'm going to do is to waste my time writing about it. But then again I have nothing to get angry about.

There's too much to enjoy within the Apple product line to take every opportunity to bash a product that's not even in widespread use yet.

Perhaps it's people's boredom... :D
 
vitzr said:
I seriously doubt that this is the voice of the ownership experience here. I don't advocate, nor am I married to any brand, but to call it junk is a reflection of a distinct lack of information, much less experience.

I have no fear of competition, I welcome it. I frequently buy the competitors products for the fun of comparison. Furthermore it's an overwhelming fact that Apple is ahead by a very wide margin.

Why people are so intent on bad mouthing products they don't even own, or care about, speaks more about their need to vent, than it does a factual report. If there's a product I don't care for the last thing I'm going to do is to waste my time writing about it. But then again I have nothing to get angry about.

There's too much to enjoy within the Apple product line to take every opportunity to bash a product that's not even in widespread use yet.

Perhaps it's people's boredom... :D
Click to expand...

Amen. I'm constantly seeing bad mouthing of apple products just because their apple products. When I ask for facts to back up claims they of course come up empty. I'm a user of apple products & know exactly what it can & can't do. I also don't speak about products which I have not used.
 
vitzr said:
I seriously doubt that this is the voice of the ownership experience here. I don't advocate, nor am I married to any brand, but to call it junk is a reflection of a distinct lack of information, much less experience.
Click to expand...

monkeylui said:
Amen. I'm constantly seeing bad mouthing of apple products just because their apple products. When I ask for facts to back up claims they of course come up empty. I'm a user of apple products & know exactly what it can & can't do. I also don't speak about products which I have not used.
Click to expand...

I can't speak for Danny_w, but I think he was referring to the $150 Android tablets like the Coby, Pandigital, etc. You don't have to own one of those devices to know that they're junk. Just about everything they make is junk.

The BOM on the mid/high-end tablets are about $150 to $200. To get a retail price on a table down to $150 means you have to put crappy components, spend little on integration, and just cobble it together. Especially since these low-end brands have little else to make up the profit on (e.g. digital music store, app store, etc).

ft
 
Apple has a kind of brand recognition that others would kill to obtain. Out of people who want an ipad, most of them will still buy an ipad.
 
vitzr said:
I seriously doubt that this is the voice of the ownership experience here. I don't advocate, nor am I married to any brand, but to call it junk is a reflection of a distinct lack of information, much less experience.

I have no fear of competition, I welcome it. I frequently buy the competitors products for the fun of comparison. Furthermore it's an overwhelming fact that Apple is ahead by a very wide margin.

Why people are so intent on bad mouthing products they don't even own, or care about, speaks more about their need to vent, than it does a factual report. If there's a product I don't care for the last thing I'm going to do is to waste my time writing about it. But then again I have nothing to get angry about.

There's too much to enjoy within the Apple product line to take every opportunity to bash a product that's not even in widespread use yet.

Perhaps it's people's boredom... :D
Click to expand...

Sorry, I guess I came across as bad mouthing Android tablets when I had no such intention. I have used Android phones and tablets and have enjoyed them. What I was referring to was the ultra-cheap tablets from unheard-of companies that (for several reasons not having anything to do with the Android name) are mostly useless throw-away devices and tend to give Android a bad name. Many of these have very poor touch sensitivity and/or accuracy, very poor screens, flimsy build quality, etc. I guess what I was trying to say is that the Kindle Fire seems very solid by comparison and I predict will do very well. I have had iPad 1 & 2 and now a Kindle Fire, and they are all very nice devices. I could not justify the price for the iPad for simply browsing the web and email at home, but the Kindle Fire seems perfect for this use, and I am looking forward to using it.

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ftaok said:
I can't speak for Danny_w, but I think he was referring to the $150 Android tablets like the Coby, Pandigital, etc. You don't have to own one of those devices to know that they're junk. Just about everything they make is junk.

The BOM on the mid/high-end tablets are about $150 to $200. To get a retail price on a table down to $150 means you have to put crappy components, spend little on integration, and just cobble it together. Especially since these low-end brands have little else to make up the profit on (e.g. digital music store, app store, etc).

ft
Click to expand...
Thank you, that was what I meant.
 
The kindle won't kill the iPad, but it will most definitely impact sales of the iPad a great deal. Anybody who thinks its a different market and won't have an effect is lyng to themselves. There were no real alternatives before the kindle came out. It's not as nice as an iPad, but at $200 it's going to sell like crazy. Before it existed I was going to buy an iPad for my wife and mom. Now they're getting fires. They don't care about the apple ecosystem and your average consumer doesn't eIther.
 
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eye said:
The kindle won't kill the iPad, but it will most definitely impact sales of the iPad a great deal. Anybody who thinks its a different market and won't have an effect is lyng to themselves. There were no real alternatives before the kindle came out. It's not as nice as an iPad, but at $200 it's going to sell like crazy. Before it existed I was going to buy an iPad for my wife and mom. Now they're getting fires. They don't care about the apple ecosystem and your verge consumer doesn't eIther.
Click to expand...
I was talking to my stepdaughter and her bf tonight and they both want Kindle Fires now instead of an iPad. I also told them that to me the iPad is priced so close to an MBA that for the money I would much rather have an MBA (even a refurb base model). And I have owned and iPad 1, iPad 2, and now a Kindle Fire, as well as quite a few Macs and PCs.
 
I played with a demo Fire in Target yesterday. It is very sturdy for being made of plastic. I guess it is the soft touch back. It does not want to flex or slip out of your hands. I was very hard pressed to any traces of Android that would be visible to the consumer. The only instance that I did find was the "blip" noise when changing the volume. After I left it someone else walked up to try it out.
 
For what it's worth - and I know this is a very limited observation - but three people (different family/friends) I spent time with over the Thanksgiving holiday who are in their 50s/60s all bought the Fire - and all for the same reason. While they would have bought the iPad - they decided that it was too expensive for what they wanted it for (email, media consumption) and thought the 199 Fire was fantastic. All three seem to be enjoying it very much so far.
 
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