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Kindle Fire - Full Color Kindle with 7" Multi-Touch Display, Wi-Fi
- philbarr 15y agoYou'd think they'd mention which version of Android it uses.
- deleted 15y ago[deleted]
- lpolovets 15y agoI'm guessing it's intentional that they don't mention it. Given how much time and effort Amazon spent customizing Android to their needs, what would the advantage be of saying it's based off of 2.1? Most people would not care, and a minority would complain that it's not 2.2 or 2.3 or something else. Just like Apple, Amazon is trying to sell a complete experience, not a version number.
- runjake 15y agoThat'd be important if they were positioning this as an Android device, but other than a brief one-word mention, they're not. Amazon is clearly trying to create their own Apple-esque eco-system around this. And they'll probably do rather well.
- tvon 15y agoIIRC it was forked from 2.1, but you'll have to look around to confirm that.
- radley 15y agoThis article mentions 2.3 (but it's a tech blog, so who knows): http://thisismynext.com/2011/09/28/amazon-kindle-tablet-pictures-videohands-on/ http://thisismynext.com/2011/09/28/amazon-kindle-tablet-pict...
- mikeash 15y agoI wouldn't think so, any more than Apple mentions how fast their iOS processors are clocked or how much RAM they have. It's an implementation detail and their target audience doesn't care.
- bradleyland 15y agoWhy wouldn't they mention the RAM it has? Why wouldn't they mention what wireless chipset it has? Why wouldn't they mention the amount of internal storage? I can answer all these questions, as well as the hundred other ones that geeks will ask: Because none of this matters to the millions of people who will buy them. To understand the difference between a company that "gets it" and your average geek who wonders why they don't publish these detailed specs, just have a look at the bullet points Amazon chose to lead with on the Kindle Fire page: * 18 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, and books * Amazon Appstore - thousands of popular apps and games * Ultra-fast web browsing - Amazon Silk * Free cloud storage for all your Amazon content * Vibrant color touchscreen with extra-wide viewing angle * Fast, powerful dual-core processor * Amazon Prime members enjoy unlimited, instant streaming of over 10,000 popular movies and TV shows Notice what makes the top of the list: content. Notice what makes-up the bottom (with the exception of the last one): Specs. * Customers don't want a tablet, they want to watch/read their favorite TV show, movie, magazine, or book. (18 million content items) * Customers don't want an Android tablet, they want to to play that cool game they saw in a commercial (curated Amazon Appstore) * Customers don't want a Javascript rendering engine, they want access to their favorite websites, and fast. (ultra-fast Amazon Silk) * Customers don't want to worry about how much space they have left on their device, they want easy access to everything they've purchased. (Cloud storage) * Customers want to feel secure that the device they're purchasing will look good to their eye. (Vibrant display; iPad is referenced later in the copy, so they can identify with something they know) * Customers want to feel confident that the device will be responsive. (apt use of the "dual-core" buzzword) This is how you take on the iPad.
- darrenkopp 15y agoWell actually they don't mention what version of Android because they have modified it so much it probably doesn't matter. On the other hand, they DO mention how much ram and internal storage it has.
- stonemetal 15y agoWhere do they call out the amount of ram?
- ck2 15y agomicro/SD slot? I guess after xmas they wil introduce the 3G version with other subtle improvements - surprised they aren't going to use their whispernet.
- johnpaulett 15y agoUp to this point, Whispernet gets relatively little traffic per-device (initial book download being the biggest bandwidth use). While there is the experimental browser in the Kindle, it had limited functionality and is fairly well hidden. With the introduction of Video on Demand and full web browsing in the Fire, I'm sure Amazon's 3G provider is hesitant to allow lifetime access to their network for a one time fee of $50.
- lliiffee 15y agoDoes anyone have much experience with the browser? I've been thinking about buying a kindle 3 3G, with one of the major motivations being the free worldwide web access. I know it is limited and slow, but it would at least allow for email access / chatting / google voice.
- herge 15y agoIt's an alright browser that will do in a pinch. It's fine for google mail, hacker news and simple sites like that. What's great is that you don't need to recharge it every night with moderate use, so it's great while travelling.
- georgieporgie 15y agoI have a Kindle 2 with cellular access. I used it for GMail communication while bicycling down the Pacific Coast last year. Rendering glitches aside, it's tolerable for reading email, though writing takes a ridiculously long time due to screen redraws. Also, it absolutely sucks battery life down if you do much writing. I can't imagine using it for chatting, and I don't know how GVoice could be used at all. Unless the Kindle 3 is radically different, I can't see how it would be a significantly different experience.
- joshaidan 15y agoI can't help but think of the Kindle commercial on the beach where the iPad owner asks the Kindle owner, "It works in sunlight?"
- runjake 15y agoFunny tip: It was only last weekend I discovered than an iPad works with polarized sunglasses on, IF you use it in landscape mode. That was a major d'oh realization. I hope for Amazon's sake, the Fire works in sunlight.
- kenjackson 15y agoGreat tip. Does that work in general (switching a device to landscape)? If so, this is something that should be more widely known.
- runjake 15y agoI'm not sure. I was told that it has to do with the polarization inside the IPS display, so this tip may work the same for other devices with an IPS display. Supposedly, it's polarized in landscape orientation, but not landscape. That said, I don't know if this explanation is factual as I don't understand modern display technologies to a deep level.
- mikeash 15y agoIn my experience, the polarization angle varies a great deal. Some devices are polarized vertically, some horizontally, and some at about a 45-degree angle. So, there's no set angle that works for everything, but what will work for everything is rotating until you find the right spot. At that point you may end up with your head at a weird angle and decide it's not worth the trouble, of course.
- yesbabyyes 15y agoIn my experience, displays are usually polarized diagonally, so portrait and landscape both works. My current (Galaxy S2) and previous (Desire) both do this. I'm surprised the iPad doesn't.
- colinprince 15y ago8 hours reading :( (vs 3 weeks for e-ink)
- bradleyland 15y agoThis is not a replacement for an e-ink device. It's not even a competitor.
- twodayslate 15y agoWhich is why I am excited for color e-ink.
- Steko 15y agoDon't forget: 7+ hours video (vs 0 for e-ink)
- skeletonjelly 15y agoNonsense! The e-ink does video. http://gigaom.com/2011/07/08/how-do-you-get-video-on-kindle-turn-it-into-a-comic/ http://gigaom.com/2011/07/08/how-do-you-get-video-on-kindle-... It just has a very low frame rate. And no sound ;)
- StavrosK 15y agoWhat do you mean "no sound"? Displays don't play sound either.
- skeletonjelly 15y agoGood point! I wonder if there's a way to play an mp3 in sync with page turns. I know there's TTS that turns the page for you, and also independent mp3 play but both...not sure.
- oal 15y agoUnlike the other Kindles, the Fire is not available outside the U.S. I had decided to one, but sadly it looks like that won't happen (at least not as soon as I hoped).
- diamondhead 15y agosame situation counts for the other kindles, too. I bought one last year, using an extra shipping service.
- riffraff 15y agoI don't get it: I bought a kindle from amazon US and they shipped to europe in two days.
- diamondhead 15y agowhen? it was being shipped to only usa last january.
- joshhart 15y agoDarn, the Kindle DX is still $379. Everything else got a nice price drop. I've been waiting for a hardware/software update to the Kindle DX and a possible price drop for quite a while now, but I'm not sure I'll ever get it at this point.
- xxpor 15y agoFrom what I've heard, it's incredibly difficult to manufacture the screen at that size.
- pw 15y agoWhy do you want a Kindle DX? Reading PDFs in the sunlight? I've always wonder who's buying the DX, because at price, you might as well get an iPad.
- joshhart 15y agoI'd like to be able to read outside or on the bus next to a window comfortably. I don't really want an iPad since I'd rather have a device optimized for reading documents than watching youtube. As for Kindle DX vs regular Kindle - I don't have the best eyes so I usually prefer bigger screens. I have a Droid X rather than an iPhone or another Droid because the screen is easier for me to use. I'm also very tall and have large hands. Bigger products are usually more comfortable for me to use.
- jbondeson 15y agoAs a Kindle DX owner, it's all about the form factor and readability. Back lit screens cause eyestrain for those of us who read quite a bit. With my DX I can read for hours on end in any environment I could read a dead tree version in. And with the battery life measured in page turns, even when reading at a crazy clip I can go more than a week without charging. Form factor was the other huge sell. If I want the ability to read my collection of technical PDFs without a microscope (or awkward panning) the large size is needed. Even with non-PDFs I like the hardback size font and character count on lines. The DX is the only game in town to get both of those right.
- axiomotion 15y agoI'll definitely pick one up once it runs CyanogenMod. My NookColor has quickly become my bedside tablet of choice.
- digitalpig 15y agoI think the battery will be a big drawback of Fire compared to E-ink "traditional" kindle.
- diamondhead 15y agoI think it's not a good move for Amazon. E-Ink kindles are much more useful and friendly for book readers. They would choose to improve it with an html5 application platform (check this out; http://www.flickr.com/photos/azer/5966867029/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/azer/5966867029/)
- bostonpete 15y ago> E-Ink kindles are much more useful and friendly for book readers. In some sense, you could use that same rationale to discount the possibility of the Kindle succeeding against books. E-ink is arguably nicer for reading, but on the flip side, access to video, apps, and the web is a big selling point. I think it's up against the iPad, not the Kindle, and I think it stands up pretty well.
- adulau 15y agoOn the other hand, they announced new e-ink version of the standard Kindle (Kindle, Kindle Touch). It seems they understood that the e-ink is a must to keep. http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Touch-Wi-Fi-Ink-Display/dp/B005890G8Y/ http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Touch-Wi-Fi-Ink-Display/dp/B005...
- r00fus 15y agoKindle is a book device. Fire is a movies/pictures/web device. Neither really compare directly to an iPad.
- funkah 15y agoJust the other day there was a discussion on HN about how the biggest uses of time on the iPad are email and web browsing. This doesn't have email and it remains to be seen how well the "cloud web browser" thing works in practice.
- obiefernandez 15y agoActually it does have built in email.
- funkah 15y agoSo it does! My bad.
- kin 15y agoThis has such a competitive price point that I think it'll do relatively well. I know it can watch movies, play music, browse, etc., do all these tablet things, but I'd definitely like to see it A) execute on those things (especially the browser) and B) have the apps so I don't feel left out for owning a non-iOS device all the time. I'm hoping this gets a high enough market share that Android developers start porting more iOS-only apps over.
- viscanti 15y agoThe issue with the Android platform, and these new low cost devices perpetuate, is that Android users spend significantly less on apps. Android is getting good traction in the low end smart phone market, but those people just aren't buying apps. The Amazon product seems to be centered around Amazon's offerings, making it more of a media device than an app device. If having access to lots of high quality apps is important to you, iOS is the platform for you.
- joenathan 15y agoI don't believe your statement is true, do you have any stats?
- viscanti 15y agohttp://www.bgr.com/2011/04/05/mlb-com-ceo-android-users-less-like-to-buy-more-likely-to-pirate-apps/ http://www.bgr.com/2011/04/05/mlb-com-ceo-android-users-less... The Android platform offers a broad range of possible devices. There's a plethora of low end devices that account for almost no purchases. If you're looking anecdotally, more developers are likely to have high-end androids (i.e. people you're likely to see). Those aren't representative of the android demographic as a whole, which is less likely to pay for apps.
- joenathan 15y agoPretty weak stuff, here is a counter example http://blogs.computerworld.com/17941/android_ios_app_profit http://blogs.computerworld.com/17941/android_ios_app_profit
- perfunctory 15y agoWhat a confusing name. Why do they have "Kindle" in it. For a second I thought it was a coloured E Ink display.
- neovive 15y agoI'm assuming it will be available in retail outlets shortly after release. Hopefully the reading experience is decent, since I've been holding off on a Kindle purchase until this update. I didn't see any mention of ePub support ... any news on that?
- nfriedly 15y ago> does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks. That struck me as a little odd at first, but after considering it for a minute, I think it's probably a smart move.
- cincinnatus 15y agoQuite, there is no situation where a muggle isn't about to get pwned that involves an ad-hoc network.
- exit 15y agowhy?
- nfriedly 15y agoThe majority of the time I've seen people connected to ad-hoc wifi, they thought they were getting free internet access and didn't understand why it didn't work. Also, as I understand it, to only plays local content and internet content - nothing from the local network.
- exit 15y agowait, where did you read that about not playing local network content? how can it really know the difference?
- ezy 15y ago"Supports Adobe® Flash® Player."
- cincinnatus 15y agoI wish they would put out info on the development situation for it quicker. Clearly they've given access to large publishers early, giving first mover advantage to the incumbents.
- blinkingled 15y agoWell at $199 with that kind of integrated experience there is little room for complaints! ($300 would be a different story.) Plus it supports Flash and most Android games/apps from Amazon app store. If people put up a better email client on Amazon store for decent price it would be even better. For someone who already has Prime but no tablet - this is a no brainer. Thinking of all this - I think this will eat into the iPad sales. There are going to be many people buying this instead of the iPad - price, weight, integration etc. Q4 iPad sales would be worth watching. The new Kindles also seem to be blazing the new trail - high quality low price. $79 is just an awesome price and so is $99 for the touch Kindle. (Bezos took a jab at Apple in two ways - cabled sync/backup and companies that work hard to make customers pay more vs. companies that work hard to make customers pay less!)
- there 15y agoIf people put up a better email client on Amazon store for decent price it would be even better. k9 mail (free, open source) is already available on amazon's android appstore, and it's a much better client than the stock android email app.
- StavrosK 15y agoK9 is much better than anything I've seen. It's all I use, all the time.
- deleted 15y ago[deleted]
- nakedslavin 15y agoSorry Tim, but looks like Bezos is the new Steve Jobs
- sidwyn 15y agoInteresting. They said that the Kindle Fire will be pre-registered with your Amazon account out of the box. How do they do that?
- spleeyah 15y agoMaybe it associates the Serial Number (or a UUID) of the device with your account when you buy it, and then when it first boots, it asks Amazon for the account attached to the device's UUID.