Now that the Amazon Kindle Fire is on store shelves, does it live up to the hype. After all, prior to its launch, just about everyone was saying that the tablet could be the kind of product that could dethrone the iPad 2, bring Android to the masses, and prove once and for all that there can be more than one company that can succeed in the tablet space. But before we get into our look at the experience of using the Kindle Fire, it’s worth noting that these are preliminary views on the device. I’ve only been using the tablet for 24 hours, and it’s quite possible that with more use, it could either become an even better mobile companion or be relegated to the back of my closet with the many other devices that, for one reason or another, fail to appeal to me any longer. So, taking that into account, take a look at these first impressions to Amazon’s new Kindle Fire tablet and the impression it provides to consumers as soon as they break it out of the box.
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1. It’s Really Small
Those who have yet to hold a tablet or are used to the iPad will quickly find that the Kindle Fire is really small. Part of that is due to its 7-inch screen, but it might also have something to do with Amazon’s desire to keep it extremely thin -- 0.45 inches, to be exact. Think of the Kindle Fire as holding a small paperback -- and the iPad 2 like holding a big hardcover.
2. The Back Is Fantastic
One of the best things about the Kindle Fire is its back. Rather than put a plastic back on the device, Amazon instead put a rubber, non-slip surface that has already come in handy: without it, the device would have slid off my desk at least a couple times by now.
3. Amazon Has All the Data Ready
Current Kindle owners know that Amazon loaded up their personal information on the device to make buying e-books easy once they started it up. With the Kindle Fire, Amazon has followed suit, loading all the content related to the owner’s account onto the device already. It’s a great idea, and makes using the Kindle Fire all the more appealing.
4. Touchscreen Responsiveness Could Be Better
Unfortunately, the Kindle Fire’s touchscreen can sometimes be less responsive than iPad owners would like. The reason for that is almost undoubtedly the device’s sluggish processor, which is rather obsolete in comparison to the dual-core options available in the Nook Tablet and iPad 2.
5. Web Surfing Is Great
Amazon’s Silk browser is a winner. The browser loads Web pages quickly, thanks to its reliance upon Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud. What’s more, zooming in on text is as simple as using the “pinch” feature or double tapping. The Kindle Fire’s Silk browser might just be on-par with mobile Safari.
6. It’s All About Mobility
The best thing about the Kindle Fire is that it’s easy to throw into a bag or purse and bring it with you on the road. As noted, the device is extremely small, and at 14.6 ounces, won’t be too heavy to carry around. Sure, a nicer screen would have been nice, but when it comes to mobility, the device holds up.
7. Prime Instant Video Is A Winner
Amazon’s Prime Instant Video is available to Kindle Fire owners as soon as they open up the device. And as long as they’re Prime customers, they’ll be able to take advantage of it for as long as they own the tablet. Prime Instant Video is a fine Netflix competitor, and for some customers, it might even make users think twice about downloading the Netflix app.
8. Don’t Expect An iBooks Experience
Amazon was really the first company to make e-readers a big deal. And on the Kindle, its e-books shined. But on the Kindle Fire, they tend to fall a bit short in one way: the experience of reading titles and flipping through pages isn’t as appealing as that on the iPad with iBooks. With Apple’s option, users can “grab” a page and flip back and forth. On the Kindle Fire, the gesture is to swipe. It’s not a big deal, but iBooks has a level of polish that Kindle e-books just don’t have.
9. Where’s the Android?
The Kindle Fire is running Android, but customers who didn’t know that would never even realize it when using the tablet. That’s mainly due to Amazon’s exquisite development of a skin on top of Android that makes it seem like a totally unique OS designed solely for the e-retail giant’s devices. Overall, using the Kindle Fire’s operating system is a treat.
10. It’s No iOS
That said, beware that it’s no iOS. Apple’s mobile operating system has polish that the Kindle Fire simply lacks. And the Kindle Fire’s middle pane, which lets users scroll through icons of all the applications or pieces of content they’ve recently opened, while nice at first, can be a pain to use. Amazon’s operating system needs a few more updates to make it a close competitor with iOS.
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