The announcement of Amazon’s foray into the world of tablets generated buzz even before the official unveiling of the Amazon Kindle Fire. Pre-sales for the Kindle Fire reached over 95,000 on the first day alone. While Apple may not be showing signs of panic yet, consumers can look forward to a drop in price and a race for sales among tablet competitors during the holiday season.
Regardless of the tablet market shake up, the Kindle Fire may be the best tablet at the best price for the average tablet user and in many ways, the Kindle Fire is showing its superiority to the iPad.
Reasons Why the Amazon Kindle Fire May Be Better
Below are 5 reasons why the Amazon Kindle Fire may be better than Apple’s iPad.
1. Drastically Lower Cost
With cheapest iPadgoing for $499 and the Kindle Fire only $199, in terms of cost there’s no comparison. Apple has been able to justify their high cost of laptops and gadgets by offering unique and innovative must-have products. To the average consumer though, the tablet PC just isn’t a must-have accessory.
It’s nice and it’s convenient but there’s nothing that can be done on a tablet that can’t be accomplished just as efficiently on a laptop or smart phone. Amazon pinpointed the intrinsic problem with Apple’s tablet model: The cost doesn’t justify the product. At less than half the price of the cheapest iPad, the Kindle Fire is the clear choice for cost conscious consumers.
2. Superior Size
Coming in at three inches smaller than the iPad, the seven-inch display screen built for the Kindle Fire may seem like a downgrade but for consumers looking for a tablet to take on the go, the smaller screen is an vast improvement. The Kindle Fire is built for one hand play.
Slipping easily into a purse or pocket and at nearly half the weight, the Kindle Fire increases the overly tiny size of a smart phone without getting clunky and obtrusive like the iPad.
3. Addition of Flash
The perennial chink in the Apple armor has been Steve Jobs belief that Flash is archaic and unnecessary for Apple. So despite the cries of Apple lovers to incorporate Flash compatibility into their products, the answer has always been a resounding no.
Regardless of its usability and sustainability, Flash is a welcome addition to the Kindle Fire and one that the iPadcan’t compete with. For video lovers, the use of Flash with the Kindle Fire is a clear winner.
4. Lightening Fast Browsing
The Amazon Silk web browser was built specifically for the Kindle Fire and based off an Android operating system. To get faster web page loading times, Amazon Silk divides the work the Fire needs to do to load a page by relying on the tablet to load small stuff like text and leaving the harder tasks, such as Javascript, to Amazon’s EC2 cloud servers.
The Amazon Kindle Fire will also remember your preferred sites, storing those pre-loaded pages in your cloud for rapid loading. The browsing speeds shown at the unveiling of the Kindle Fire were second to none.
5. Free Amazon Prime Only on the Kindle Fire
Just to sweeten an already sweet deal, purchase of an Kindle Fire comes with a free 30 day subscription to Amazon Prime. Even if you don’t plan on making Amazon purchases, the Amazon Prime membership comes with online streaming access to over 11,000 movies and television shows that can be watched flawlessly on your new Kindle Fire.
For consumers looking for the bells and whistles offered by the iPad, settling for the Amazon Kindle Fire simply won’t be enough. The lack of memory, cameras, and other accessories make Amazon Kindle Fire a stripped down version of the iPadand unsuitable for consumers hoping to create art, music, or spreadsheets from their tablet, but for the casual consumer looking to watch video, browse the internet, and play casual games, the Amazon Kindle Fire is the clear choice.
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Tags: Amazon Kindle Fire, Apple iPad, Tablet Comparison
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on October 5, 2011 at 9:34 am
Your article just made me change my mind to get Kindle Fire instead of the iPhone 4S. I guess it would be worth it! Great Post I must say !
Mushfique recently posted…Apple Introduces iPhone 4S-World Phone
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on October 5, 2011 at 9:19 pm
Well yeah, you’re right. Kindle Fire is somehow much better than iPad in many aspects. It’s really nice!
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on October 6, 2011 at 2:13 am
I like to know if the delivery here in the Philippines is free? I like to order one but hesitant to do so since I don’t know if the delivery is free or how much it specifically cost me to get one.I’ll be happy if you can respond to me fast so I can make m order.
Richie Smith recently posted…How to win the lottery guaranteed
on October 6, 2011 at 9:40 am
That is a good question, and I’m not sure if delivery is free. I know in some countries Amazon has free shipping. It may be a question to ask Amazon.
on October 14, 2011 at 10:33 am
I’m not sure if the shipping fee will be free but I highly doubt it and you will definitely be slapped with duties if it were shipped via the post office.
Wesley recently posted…Joker & Harley Quinn Costume Idea
on October 6, 2011 at 9:24 am
We must wait until Nov 15th to get Kindle Fire. I hope this kindle available for international customers. Until now, We in Indonesia can’t buy any Kindle devices or books directly from Amazon.
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on October 6, 2011 at 9:43 am
I have the previous generation of the Kindle and I love it. While it isn’t a tablet, it makes reading books very easy. It sucks that you can’t but the Kindle devices and books in Indonesia, but it may change in the future.
on October 6, 2011 at 9:48 pm
As a former iPad owner, I am extremely excited about the Kindle Fire. Two things interest me the most — its price, and the Silk browser.
A slow web browsing experience is one of my biggest gripes with current tablets; this issue isn’t likely to change anytime soon, since even quadcore tablet CPUs will be bound by tight battery consumption and thermal limits.
Silk reminds me of Opera Mini, but should offer much more functionality, since it doesn’t ‘flatten’ webpages in the way Opera does.
When you think about it, there’s no reason (barring Apple’s decision) that Silk couldn’t be ported to iOS, much like the Kindle app. I look forward to that day, because I’m still interested in buying a premium tablet when the specs fit my needs.
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on October 6, 2011 at 9:57 pm
The Silk browser does look interesting. I have heard when it comes to mobile devices, one of the things that people complain about is slow surfing. Hopefully, Amazon will be able to correct that issue with the Silk Browser on Kindle Fire.
on October 8, 2011 at 4:16 pm
Great post!
I think that the Fire will sell like hot cakes in the run up to Christmas.
You got the advantages just right in your post. A tablet will be, for most people, a secondary device. Price is therefore very important and Amazon have really put the cat amongst the pigeons by pricing the Fire at just $ 199. It’s way cheaper than the iPad – it’s even cheaper than the Nook color.
Looks like Amazon has got another winner on their hands with this one.
Hamish recently posted…Kindle Touch vs Nook Touch
on October 8, 2011 at 10:36 pm
I think Amazon realized that in order to compete with the iPad, they would need to compete with price and not features. The iPad may contain a lot of bells and whistles, but the price is rather high for many people. With the Kindle Fire being priced reasonably well, Amazon may just get a good following, especially in today’s economy.
on October 10, 2011 at 8:48 pm
Good points. The Fire does have considerable advantages over the iPad. My main disappointment is the lack of 3G. Storage isn’t really a problem because of the Cloud. Hopefully Amazon will release a 3G model next year.
on October 11, 2011 at 8:26 am
I noticed that about the Kindle Fire as well. I guess Amazon is trying to keep the costs down as that is probably the best way to compete with the iPad. I’m sure that they will release a 3G version eventually, other Kindle models currently have 3G capability.
on October 11, 2011 at 8:45 am
As a ‘bells and whistles’ lover is love my iPad! However the Fire looks like a great product and the price is amazing!
It is sure to be a great seller for Amazon and they know that the price will be one of the key features of this product, and it is surely going to be the gift of choice for many this christmas.
Lucy recently posted…Where Can I Find an Ipad For Christmas
on October 14, 2011 at 1:34 pm
I do like the look of the Kindle Fire, but it’s not comparable to the iPad. It’s like comparing a bike and a car, bother great ways to travel, the bike is cheaper, but you wouldn’t want to make a 500 mile journey using one.
Amazon is selling the product for less than it costs to make because it will have a captive audience. It’s seen what Apple has done with the iPad / iPhone / iMac and their hugely successful app store(s). Software is the way forward to make profit, not hardware. Hardware is a means to make further money from customers by making content people want to buy.
Amazon have thought outside the box and have seen the way people really use mobile devices. I look forward to seeing one in the UK some time!
Graham
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on October 17, 2011 at 8:20 am
Hi,
For sure the new Kindle Fire will have a great success mostly because of the lower price, but I think that iPad will still be the best sold tablet PC on the market.
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on October 18, 2011 at 8:08 am
I’m sure iPad will continue to be the best tablet, however, if the Amazon Kindle Fire sells well, then competitors may start to produce cheaper tablets to get a foothold in the market.
on November 2, 2011 at 11:55 am
My fiance has been SO adamant about getting an Ipad and I keep pushing for the Kindle Fire (mostly because it would be great because I’m a book blogger and can get more reading in on the go!). I am so forwarding him this post!
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on November 2, 2011 at 2:12 pm
The iPad is great, but the price will pull many people to the Kindle Fire. I just bought the previous generation of the Kindle, so I’ll hold off on the Kindle Fire for some time. It will be interesting to see how the Kindle Fire will do this holiday season.
on November 2, 2011 at 3:20 pm
I don’t suppose anyone has heard any word on when the Amazon Kindle Fire will be released in the UK? Doesn’t even seem to be a lot of gossip about it?
Graham
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on November 3, 2011 at 8:13 am
I haven’t heard about any news of the Kindle Fire being release outside of the U.S. I’m hoping that Amazon will move beyond the U.S. quickly.
on December 1, 2011 at 2:25 am
I’m happy that iPad 2 finally got competition.It means more development, good software updates and good apps.
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on December 1, 2011 at 8:06 am
Competition is always good for the consumer.
on December 10, 2011 at 12:51 am
The iPad is great, but the price will pull many people to the Kindle Fire. Doesn’t even seem to be a lot of gossip about it?
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on December 12, 2011 at 8:28 am
The one problem with the Amazon Kindle Fire is that it is really only available in the U.S., unlike the iPad, which is available anywhere. While the price of the Kindle Fire is great, it will need to be available almost everywhere to be a real threat to the iPad.
on January 14, 2012 at 8:05 am
Hi,
i think Amazon will move beyond the U.S. very speedly…..
thanks.
on January 16, 2012 at 8:08 am
I have seen people order the Kindle Fire in my country, but they are limited by what they can do with it. Apparently the Amazon is limited in Canada because of certain laws.