Yeah we sure do! I mean, look at all of those cheap ass Apple computers and iDevices! ****ing Americans and our cheap crap!
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some Kindle Fire reviews are already in
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Yeah we sure do! I mean, look at all of those cheap ass Apple computers and iDevices! ****ing Americans and our cheap crap!
Personally, I don't expect it to offer the same functionality or performance of a full tablet, but I do expect that it will do a good job of performing the functions that Amazon put thought into limiting it to.
IMO, if they're going to go out of their way to add a flashy UI, it needs to keep up with the user, and look decent doing it. Otherwise, why bother?
If Pogue's experience below turns out to be typical, I think that reflects poorly upon Amazon. I'd rather have static graphics than sluggish/jerky animations. The UI missing key presses completely is inexcusable. Not having a wait indicator to indicate "Hey, I got your key press, but I'm busy, so hang on for just a second" also seems like a huge usability oversight.
Pogue:
"Animations are sluggish and jerky — even the page turns that you'd think would be the pride of the Kindle team. Taps sometimes don't register. There are no progress or "wait" indicators, so you frequently don't know if the machine has even registered your touch commands. The momentum of the animations hasn't been calculated right, so the whole thing feels ornery."
I think you give the average American consumer far too much credit.
This is the American public where only 42% can name all three branches of government and only 24% knew more than one member of the Supreme Court (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1684423/posts). It's the same American public where only 39% believe in evolution (http://www.gallup.com/poll/114544/Darwin-Birthday-Believe-Evolution.aspx) while 26% don't even know who America fought to win its independence (http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Mari-97694414.html).
People are generally stupid, often willfully ignorant of facts, and believe whatever their friends, the media, or advertisements tell them to believe. Many electronics buyers don't do research on what something actually does, so I guarantee you a large portion of buyers is going to see this tablet, think "Wow! What an inexpensive iPad!," buy it, be disappointed, and return it.
Fair enough. I agree. That's why I noted in my first post on this thread that if the Silk browser didn't live up to Amazon's claims (as the Wired review indicated it did not), it would be a major blow in acceptance of the Fire.
I'm not inclined to take the initial reviews of any device as gospel. David Pogue is a reputable source but he's also a dedicated Apple fan and that sometimes comes across in his views (as is the case of Wired magazine.) And to be fair, there are other sources out there who would praise a 7" blackboard with a piece of chalk if it didn't have "Apple" on it.
There is going to be an avalanche of reviews in the next few weeks. And out of those a consensus will emerge about the Fire's performance. If there are major problems (or even minor ones) I strongly suspect that Amazon will remedy them. That's because Amazon has much invested in its Kindle product line. I doubt they will risk the brand with a poorly performing product. What Amazon will not do, at least not with this device, is worry that the functions they have NOT included will kill the Fire.
Amazon apologists who swallow Bezos's bezoars without any thought will tell you "Oh, that's okay, I'm sure they'll fix that in a software update." The problem with this thinking is two-fold:
1) We don't know for sure that it will be updated, or even that it can be. It may be a hardware issue.
2) How many everyday, non-tech users are going to know to expect an update or care? Most people expect the major features to work seamlessly (or at least fairly so) right out of the box. That's why so many were bummed about the Playbook not having a built-in email app, despite the promise of one coming in an update.
But facts get in the way of their Amazon-induced boners, so good luck arguing it.
Hmmm...Interesting perspective. Doesn't say much for the average IQ of tens of millions of iPad purchasers, does it? Or are they, like all the kids at Lake Wobegone, "above average?"
Then why even release a product that, based on just about every review, has a combination of minor annoyances (browser speed, stuttering, interface clunkiness) and major hiccups (apps causing hard crashes that required a device restart). It seems the device isn't quite ready for prime time, yet they released it anyway.
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People are stupid, no matter what they buy. But when the debate point was that people who buy this aren't expecting more than a cheap media consumption device and not a full iPad experience, the question of their stupidity is valid.
When you buy a Kindle Fire and expect an iPad, you're going to be bummed. When buying an iPad, stupid or not, you get an iPad.
I find it amusing to see someone on an Apple board throw stones at "Amazon apologists." That new glass cube in Manhattan better have some stone proof glass.
In any event, the comment by David Pogue, an Apple fan if ever there was one, is instructive.
"...Then again, Amazon tends to keep chipping away at the clunkiness of its 1.0 creations until it sculptures a hit. Or, as they say in the technology business: If you dont like the current crop of e-readers, just wait a minute. "
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/t...ons-lower-priced-kindles-also-shine.html?_r=1
I find it amusing that you go to an Apple board expecting anything other than stone-throwing at anything other than Apple. Go to Amazon if you want to slather Amazon butter on yourself.
As for Pogue's comment, that's all well and good, but it ignores the same two points from my post you were quoting.
1) These may be hardware issues.
2) How many non-tech buyers are going to care that Amazon updates their stuff? If someone is stupid enough to buy this thing thinking it'll be just like an iPad but for $200 (and believe me, those people exist), their idiot rage will know no bounds when they find out it's nothing like what they thought they were getting.
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And we all know Apple has never done that.
Yeah, pretty much. Even if one or two features isn't perfect in an Apple release, the general usefulness of the product and its interface are always top notch. The Fire has a clunky interface and general-use apps like browsing are slow and jump like Michael J. Fox in a paint shaker. There's no comparison.
Actually, I come to this board hoping to see relatively objective perspectives from those who use iPads. Often I'm rewarded. Other times it's just amusing to see adolescence at work.
Is Amazon in Germany promoting the Fire differently than Amazon in the US is?
Because to me, when they list "apps" and "games" as the second and third things it does, and compare some of it qualities directly to an iPad, Amazon is promoting it as being more than a media consumption device (i.e. video view/book reader).
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That's similar to why I come here, but I'm usually just amused by the false air of superiority of those who just don't have a clue how small and pretentious they sound.
Look around and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Edit: Before you point it out, I'm also talking about my own actions in this thread. My inner fanboy popped out, though I generally hate fanboyism.
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I've dumped more than $10,000 into Apple products and I loathe Apple circlejerking and fanboyism. Apple is often better, but there are plenty headaches within the walled-garden.
I'm typically the same way, but I loathe apologists. It brings the fanboy in me out.
Anyway, i have **** to do so I'll leave it at what I've said.
BTW, I'm not into ripping the Fire. Check my posting history, I've defended it a number of times in the past. But my whole thing has always been to call a spade a spade, and to put people in their place when they call this thing an iPad-killer or something on the same level as an iPad.
It just isn't.
That's not something to be ashamed of, but it's something that needs to be addressed so the idiots among us don't get false hopes, then raise a stink when their disappointment sets in.
This! Things like this and the little things like having the volume control software only will make this a frustrating user experience
Why do people gloss over this when defending the fire?
Uhh, you were the one claiming the Fire was almost as good as the iPad, giving exclaimations that it did 80% of what the iPad does. YOU were the one making direct comparisons. We tried to tell you that you were wrong, and even in this very thread you made the same claims. Now you are reversing your position? I guess you realized that this thing isn't exactly what you thought it was, so now we're seeing the tap dancing.
Hypocritical is a word coming to mind right now.
Don't worry though. People that buy this thing are going to come to the same realizations and return this pos in droves. They'll then turn to the 7" semi-tablet/ereader they should have bought all along. The Nook.
You are the weakest link. Good bye.
Actually, the word that comes to mind is illiterate.
Hint: What I said was 80% of the functionality at 40% of the price. The phrase almost as good" is yours, not mine. It's not the sort of vague, largely worthless comparison I'd make.
Nor am I "reversing my position." Since I never claimed (nor would have claimed) that the two devices are equally functional or capable, the fact that I noted the Fire was not equal to the iPad is not a "reversal" in any sense.
But when the time comes that Fire purchasers return them "in droves," feel free to point it out. Until then, I'll just assume it's your insecurity talking.
I don't think anyone has "glossed over" anything. Today is the first day there have been any hands on reviews of the Fire. And along with comments about jerkiness and lag other reviewers have found the Fire to be "smooth." Time will tell.
As for software only volume control, puhleeze. I'd say I use a software control for the volume on my iPad about 99.9% of the time. I've had to remind myself that there is even a hardware volume control. And if one uses the switch to lock the iPad's orientation, one has to change that before the volume control even works. A nit by any standard.
The question is not why people are "defending" the Fire, a device that is only today becoming available to consumers. The question is why iPad owners feel it's necessary to search reviews for every possible weakness in a device that is a self-proclaimed budget alternative to the iPad, not an equivalent device. It's as if owners of BMW's felt it necessary to attack the Ford Focus in order to justify spending three times more for their cars.
(And yes, a Ford Focus provides about 80% of the functionality of a BMW for about a third of the price.)
Let's take a look back at one of your previous posts from the other Fire thread, shall we? And let's notice how your tone and wording has changed. And let's remember, you were the one vehimently comparing the Fire to the iPad. I find this comical when someone tries to tap dance out of looking like a complete idiot.
This was in response to me telling you that the Fire does not provide 80-90% of what an iPad does. I also underlined some claims you made about the Fire that are now showing to be completely and utterly wrong or way off base. The browser and keyboard comments you made, for instance. We now know the keyboard sucks (to small, improper period placement screwing up the spacebar placement, Fire having a crappy touch sensitivity issue) and the web browser is laggy and stuttery.
This was in response to me telling you that the Fire does not provide 80-90% of what an iPad does. I also underlined some claims you made about the Fire that are now showing to be completely and utterly wrong or way off base. The browser and keyboard comments you made, for instance. We now know the keyboard sucks (to small, improper period placement screwing up the spacebar placement, Fire having a crappy touch sensitivity issue) and the web browser is laggy and stuttery.
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From reading some of the reviews I'm worried, well not that worried, but if amazon can't even get the android os right, then who can....other than apple.
I did order the fire. I do have an iPad 2 & an iPad 1. I love them, but I also love amazons ecosystem & I do love reading. I wanted to try out the smaller device & see how it works out. Worse comes to worse I put kids apps & books on it & let the kids have at it. Lol.
I did order the fire. I do have an iPad 2 & an iPad 1. I love them, but I also love amazons ecosystem & I do love reading. I wanted to try out the smaller device & see how it works out. Worse comes to worse I put kids apps & books on it & let the kids have at it. Lol.
Browser support for Flash. Yup.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=200775440
Alternate Keyboards. Yup.
http://www.amazon.com/TouchType-Ltd...3VS2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1321303515&sr=8-3
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Browser support for Flash is dead. 1. It was killed off and 2. The iPad displays Flash too with Photon Web Browser.
Alternate keyboards are fine, except when they don't work! This is because the touch sensitivity of the device sucks and you get no indication if you have actually hit what you wanted to hit.
Again, this = Fail. Jsh, you have no ground left to stand on. Just admit the Fire is nothing like th iPad, it does not do 80-90% of what the iPad does and that it is a poor excuse for a tablet. It is an excellent ereader for books and access to Amazon's store as a catalog. To call it anything else, is pure crap. Just be a man, and call it for what it is.
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