Amazon to Apple: You're Fired! (Updated)

This morning Amazon announced a refresh of its Kindle line. New models include the Kindle Fire for $199, Kindle Touch for $99, Kindle Touch 3G for $149, and a new low priced Kindle reader for $79.

The most anticipated model is arguably the Kindle Fire so that's the one we'll focus on. Running Android and Linux under the hood, the Fire is an all-Amazon experience with nary a Google app in sight. Aimed squarely at the Apple iPad for its all-purpose tablet and multi-media capabilities and the Barnes and Noble Nook for its color e-reader capabilities, the Fire will be out on November 15.

Amazon enters a crowded tablet market dominated by the iPad but filled with dozens of Android-based offerings from companies as varied as Samsung, Asus, HTC, Motorola, and ZTE. To stand out in the crowd, Amazon will rely on its unique content and partners.

There are e-books of course, but Amazon believes if all you want is an e-book reader then one of the e-ink black-and-white models might be better for you. The higher powered (and higher priced) Fire tablet brings you full color magazines (New York Times, Wired, and more), video streaming (through Amazon Prime, Netflix, CBS, NBC, Universal, Fox, and others), comic books, games (Angry Birds of course), and other applications.

Here's a look at the Kindle Fire specifications revealed so far, and how they stack up against the competition:

	Amazon Kindle Fire	Apple iPad2	Color Nook
Operating System	Android 2.3	iOS 5	Android 2.2
Screen Size & Technology	7.0" IPS	9.7" IPS	7.0" IPS
Screen Resolution	1024x600	1024x768	1024x600
Screen Density	169 dpi	132 dpi	169 dpi
Thickness	0.45 in.	0.34 in.	0.48 in.
Weight	14.6 oz.	21.3 oz.	15.8 oz.
Storage space	8GB	16GB, 32GB, or 64GB	8GB + SD card
RAM	512MB?	512MB	512MB
Processor	ARM Cortex A9-based TI OMAP 4430 dual core @1.0GHz, PowerVR SGX540 GPU ?	Apple A5 dual core@1.0GHz, PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU	ARM Cortex A8-based TI OMAP 3621 @ 800 MHz
Communication	WiFi b/g/n	WiFi a/b/g/n, BT2.1+EDR, optional 3G	WiFi b/g/n, optional 3G
Battery life	8 hours	10 hours	8 hours
App store	Amazon	Apple	Nook
Charger	Micro USB	Proprietary	Micro USB
Cameras	No	2	No
Email	No (there's an app for that)	Native client (Exchange, Gmail, IMAP, POP)	Native client (IMAP, POP)
Web Browser	Amazon Silk split browser	Safari (WebKit based)	WebKit based
Multi-touch	2 finger	10 finger	2 finger
Sync to TV	Yes, Whispersync	Yes, AirPlay	No
Price	$199	$499 and up	$249

Updated: New specs from Amazon web site and statements from Amazon. Anything unconfirmed is marked with a question mark (?).

What do you think? iPad and Nook killer? Or is this something else entirely?