Kindle Fire – Good for Apple?

November 3, 2011 By 1 Comment

As we have mentioned before in many of our Kindle reviews, Amazon has been working to model Apple when it comes to the way they implement their technology. They are hoping to build an infrastructure around the Kindle Fire and their other Kindle devices to allow for you, the end user, to use their products for almost all of your media and technology needs. About the only thing they lack right now is their own computers.

However, it is not Amazon that Apple i worried about – it’s Android. Since the Android operating system for phones has hit the market these phones in total have now outsold the iPhone, and their share continues to grow.

If that’s the case, then why would Apple come out this week and say that the Kindle Fire is actually a good thing for their company? According to them, it’s about fragmentation. Since the Kindle Fire runs on a form of Android that does not support the usual setup – the Android Market, etc., while it runs on Android, it will not be like other devices that run the system and will not be familiar to customers who currently have the platform on their phones.

An example – if you use the iPone and you go get an iPad, the interface will be very familiar to you. However, An Android phone and a tablet with the operating system might be completely different.

This makes it difficult for developers as well. App creators will have to make sure their app works on Android in all its forms plus on the Kindle Fire as well. This can be difficult and could move some developers to focus more or primarily on iPhone.

At this point, it is all nothing but speculation, as the market is not yet flooded with the many Kindle Fire units that have been sold already. I don’t think it will have the effect that Apple thinks it will, at least not on a strong level, but only time will tell!

Click here to read our Kindle Fire review.

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Filed Under: Kindle News, Kindle Reader

The New Kindle Fire Commercial

October 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Here’s the new Kindle Fire commercial. Are you excited yet?! I am working on a full video review of the device coming soon, hopefully this week.

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Kindle Coming To China?

October 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

It appears that China will have it’s own version of the Amazon Kindle soon.

Amazon has long had a presence in China, going under the name Joyo.com, which was recently changed simply to Amazon China, a move that seems to signal that Amazon wants to expand their existing sales base in the ever-growing consumer market that is China.

The Kindle is no exception. Kindles have been avaiable in China for quite some time on the “black” and/or “gray” markets, but Amazon is now actively seeking out the best channels to sell the device.

While many of the Kindle accessories that we use, including the Kindle covers many of us purchase, are manufactured in China, the device has never been officially marketed there. Right now, it is not assembled there, either. That will likely change soon.

Interestingly enough, it seems that it is possible that the Kindle in China might be different than the current versions that e enjoy now. The statements from Amazon seem to indicate that they plan to do some research on what would make for the best user experience for a Kindle in China and may end up redesigning the product if it better suited to the country’s needs.

While Amazon has publicly stated that the Kindle will be available in China in the near future, they have not set a timeline yet. My guess is it will be at least 2012 before we see them on the market there, as the company has not at this point even contracted with manufacturers to create the device.

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Filed Under: Kindle Reader

Kindle Fire Hurting Amazon’s Profits?

October 26, 2011 By 1 Comment

While the Kindle Fire seem to be taking off like crazy, the Kindle Fire may actually really hurt Amazon in the long run.

Amazon, like many other tablet and cell phone manufacturers, will often sell the actual product itself at a loss in order to get it in people’s hand and hopefully make the money back on the content that folks purchase on the devices. This has worked quite well for many businesses in the past, Apple being one of them (think iPhone plus iTunes).

The Kindle Fire is no exception for Amazon, but now it seems that Amazon may end up struggling, at least until the revenue from purchased content catches up. Amazon is having to create millions more Kindle Fire models than they expected due to the overwhelming volume of pre-orders. Each once sold constitutes a loss for the company, and ith more selling than expected, this could really hurt them over the next couple of quarters, especially with Christmas coming up.

However, I predict that Amazon will have no problem recovering. With all of these folks buying the Kindle Fire, most of them will be buying all kinds of content on the device through Amazon, meaning they will get their revenue back in spades once all is said and done!

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Kobo Vox vs Kindle Fire

October 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Kobo Vox vs Kindle Fire – Who will win the newest ereader war?

Kindle Covers

Kobo has recently announced the launch of their Kobo Vox, which is going to compete head-to-head with the new Kindle Fire come the holiday system. It is, like the Fire, as much a tablet as it is an ebook reader, and is also based on Android. However, there are some major differences -

Platforms

The Kindle Fire does not have access to the full Android Market. However, it does have access to all the Amazon Marketplace and all of the Amazon content, including the video on demand service and mp3 system (which has effectively replaced iTunes for me. I can’t tell you the last time I bought any music on iTunes. I buy everything on my cell phone through Amazon mp3).

So, if you really want the access to the full market, the Kindle Fire might not be your choice. However, I will say this – there are so many apps on the Amazon Marketplace, you won’t be missing much. Many of the popular apps are on both, and for me, having access to all the other Amazon stuff will make it worth it for me. If you want all the Amazon Marketplace apps like I do, go with the Kindle Fire instead.

Hardware

The Kindle Fire has stouter hardware overall. The processor in the Fire is much faster than in the Vox. The Fire has a dual-core processor that screams, while the Vox has a bit slower processor at 800 megahertz. As far as storage goes, The Vox and the Fire both start with 8 gigs, but the Vox allows you to expand the storage with a memory card up to 40 gigs. Of course, you have unlimited storage with the Amazon Cloud storage on the Fire, so that’s pretty much a wash.

Reading

Both devices have about the same same screen at around 7 inches, and the are both color screens as well. On the Kobo you can read book in the epub format, and on the Kindle you can read all the books available on Amazon. Amazon clearly has the largest selection of books available!

The Verdict

Personally, and this should be no surprise since this is a Kindle blog, I am still all for the Kindle Fire over the Kobo Vox. All the access to the content on the Amazon platform makes it worth it to me, even though I don’t get the full Android Market. As I mentioned in my last post, Amazon is moving more and more toward an Apple-like experience for its users, and I want to be a part of that. However, if not having the Android Market is a no-go for you, the Vox might be a perfect fit.

Click here to learn more about the Kindle Fire

Click here to learn more about the Kobo Vox

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Filed Under: Featured, Kindle Reader

5 Million Kindle Fire Units Expected to Sell This Year

October 14, 2011 By 1 Comment

Analysts have now seriously ramped up how much they expect the Kindle Fire to sell this year. Bigtime.

They now expect them to sell more than 5 million units in the first quarter alone!

This is great news for Amazon, obviously, and I think it reflects that people are really starting to come over to the “Amazon brand.” Amazon has begun to adopt an Apple-esque strategy, in that they are looking to brand their own Marketplace for apps, their own marketplace for books, their own marketplace for music, etc.

Soon, Amazon may have the type of cross-platform abilities that Apple has. They are missing a few elements, such as a smartphone, although they do sell them but they don’t have their own brand, but it seems to me that the Kindle Fire could easily be adapted to a phone operating system.

I know I personally love my Kindle in the way that some people love their iPads. Do you agree? Do you think people will be as excited about Amazon in the future (or maybe even now) as they are about Apple products?

I think it can happen – if they keep developing their platform. They may need their own computers as well to pull it off, and they will definitely need to break into the smartphone market.

And 5 million units of the Kindle Fire? I think they will do that easily, and they will probably beat it. I wouldn’t be surprised if they have to up that number before Christmas comes around.

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Filed Under: Kindle News, Kindle Reader

The Kindle Fire and Kindle Touch Are Here!

September 28, 2011 By 6 Comments

Well, finally the dayKindle Fire we have all been waiting for is here! Amazon just announced the Kindle Fire and the Kindle Touch today!

Let’s break down all four new Kindle offerings and what it means for all of us.

Kindle Fire

The Kindle Fire is going to be an amazing device and something different from all the previous Kindles out there! Here are a few of the specs of the device -

  • 7 inch device
  • Android-based system
  • Access to Amazon app store
  • Color touchscreen
  • 14 ounces (about)
  • Free storage via Amazon Cloud Storage
  • Access to Kindle store and Amazon Video on Demand
  • Free month of Amazon Prime
  • 8GB Storage
  • WiFi only (no 3G for this model)

So far, I love what I see! You can pre-order now if you want to get one, and if you want it by Christmas, I would suggest buying one now!

For more details or to pre-order the Kindle Fire, click here!

Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G

The Kindle Touch is very similar to the current Kindle, except, of course, it has a touchscreen. There is the 3G and wifi model, with a $50 price difference between the two. Here are the specs -

  • 7 inch screen
  • 2 month battery life
  • Eink screen
  • faster page turns – one complaint about the current
  • All the other stuff your like about the current Kindle

For more details on the Kindle Touch, click here!

Original Kindle

Finally, there is the plain ole’ Kindle! Haha! It is now just $79 (with ads)! It is the same as the current unit, except it is lighter and faster. Find out more about that by clicking here!

You can also get the older versions of the Kindle, at least for  right now. They are calling it the “Kindle Keyboard.”

The only bad news I know of is that the Kindle DX appears to be getting phased out. There is no definitive information on that right now, but it is not listed in the other “new Kindle family” so I am assuming that is what is happening. I will let everyone know when I know more on that.

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Filed Under: Featured, Kindle Reader

Amazon Kindle Tablet Unveiled Wednesday

September 26, 2011 By 2 Comments

We have been talking up the Kindle tablet for some time now, and it appears that we will finally get a full look at it on Wednesday!

Amazon has scheduled a press conference in New York on Wednesday to unveil the new device to the public and let everyone finally get a peek at it.

There is a lot of buzz around this device, and it is pretty obvious that Amazon is gearing up for big sales around the holiday season! I think this is a very smart move by the company, and I guarantee they will move a bunch of these units as holiday gifts. The initial offering, unless they change something at the last minute, will be a 7 inch tablet built on the Android framework. Right now, in early 2012, they plan to unveil a 10 inch model as well.

In addition, as we have mentioned before, the current Kindle models will hang around. This is good news for those of you who like having the advantages that the e-ink screen offers, such as little to no glare and no eye strain.

We will cover everything here on Wednesday and let you know what comes out of the press conference.

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