"Would you even say the BMW and the toyota are in comparable categories?" I would. They both get you from point A to point B. And for most people, that's what

"Would you even say the BMW and the toyota are in comparable categories?" I would. They both get you from point A to point B. And for most people, that's what matters. You are missing the real point here. Most people aren't making a choice between the Kindle Fire and the iPad. Most people are making a choice between a Kindle Fire and some other non-essential purchase (like an extra couple pairs of shoes.) The Kindle Fire will blow open the market for tablets. It will appeal to an entire set of the population that could not previously afford or justify a tablet. It will be very interesting to watch development in this space. You have Amazon hitting Apple on the low end, and Microsoft gearing up to hit Apple on the high end with Windows 8 tablets that run regular Windows programs. The iPad is getting some stiff competition.