Amazon's Kindle Fire; At $199, finally a viable college tablet
Summary: Amazon's next-generation Kindle, the "Fire" has been announced and demonstrated this morning. Finally, college students have a cheaper iPad alternative.
Finally -- at long last, something to appease the student market. Priced at $199, the Android-powered tablet is the next-generation Kindle, boasting a 7-inch, colour display with Wi-Fi connectivity -- but without a camera, microphone, or a 3G connection.
Amazon Kindle 'Fire' (Image via Bloomberg)
The last three points alone -- if anything -- bolsters the impending relationship between the upcoming tablet and college students.
Though 3G is not a necessity for a college-focused laptop, Wi-Fi functionality often designated to campus and the college library is a must.
But the killer feature here is the price: at $199, it is a viable competitor to the iPad in at least student circles.
Focusing on what students do the most -- downloading books, reading, using social media and more reading, the Kindle Fire will have the best of both worlds. But the absence of 3G should come as a blessing. Not only do students not need yet another mobile contract to contend with on a monthly basis, it offers a connection to social media on the move that can allow certain distractions to not get in the way of productivity.
Calling it an 'iPad competitor' can be fair; but 'killer', perhaps not.
Though students have taken to the iPad particularly well, with many wealthy schools offering the tablet as part of the schooling year, less wealthy schools have also been given the chance to access the technologies the iPad gives.
Still, the iPad is for an elite students with the available funds, but offers little in terms of 'at the desk' productivity'. While the iPad is a valid and reasonable device for browsing and socialisation, meaningful tasks are still taken to the desktop or laptop for -- essay writing and research as a prime focus.
For reading, however, many younger people as previously discussed may not find the iPad a viable reading resource. iBooks are still expensive, PDFs have to be manually loaded to the tablet.
Amazon's Fire, however, could break the mould. It won't kill the iPad, but will offer a bridge between tablets -- just as the iPad was meant to bridge the desktop with the laptop.
Related:
- Amazon's Bezos unveils Kindle Touch, $99; Kindle, $79
- Is Amazon's tablet really the 'Kindle Fire'?
- Amazon's Kindle Fire could be death blow to RIM's PlayBook
- Amazon Kindle Fire tablet: Should you really buy the first version?
- 12 reasons you might not want to buy a Kindle Fire
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Talkback
What do you think of the new 'Fire'?
I don't see this as an iPad competitor
Nothing about this screams "tablet" to be any more than the Color Nook does. Just because it has a touch screen and can be used as one does not make it one.
This is a color e-reader.
The iPad does everything this does and more. Yes, it costs more. You get what you pay for, though, and in the end I'd think a college student would want something of quality for their money.
You make no mention of what a student might need....
Nor do Iknow what they need by the way. BUT if this does what they need it's a pointless statement to say the ipad does more. My desktop does more than my ipad but that's irrellevant too.
I have an Aus transformer and an ipad. If I want something for the kids in the back of the car will I buy another one? NO... but I might buy the amazon gadget if it plays video etc. As for 3G? Do I want to pay individual service contracts or get one on a myfi... no brainer. It's not as simple as 3g in the pad but for 4 of us sharing its ideal, and its way cheaper than 4 contracts.
I'll be having a look at it. Obviously no self respecting Apple owner will; because they've just spent 500 notes on theirs irrespective of how much functionality they actually use. (mine came from work, I bought the Asus) Early days.... lets see how it performs.
Here are some things a student might need
This will be running a modified version of Android, which limits what it will do. As I said, this really isn't a tablet when you look at it. This is a color e-reader.
iPads problem is...
There is no way to get what your paying for. Your paying at least $500 and what you can get in the computer world for $500 should be more then what the iPad is. And there is no question of that. The iPad is a device that is largely for people with more money then brains.
Wrong
The iPad is for people who need what an iPad delivers. If they can get 500$ worth of use out of it, and not all things are better done on a full computer, then it was worth it. Stop being a hater.
RE: Amazon's Kindle Fire; At $199, finally a viable college tablet
This is a tablet for the masses.
How many people are actually creating content on an iPad? How many people are even creating documents on an iPad?
I just watched a CNET video earlier today that was mentioning that the majority of tablet users use their devices for content consumption and e-mail. That's reading books, watching videos, browsing the web, and playing casual games.
The iPad does everything this does and more?
Doesn't give me access to 950,000 books and magazines. Doesn't give me access to free HD videos.
The Fire is going to directly attract people to Amazon Prime, and for those of us who have been loyal Prime customers since 2005, we're just getting even more stuff with our subscription.
You're right about one thing though. You *do* get what you pay for.
With an iPad, you're paying to look cool and for a "lifestyle". When my Amazon Fire arrives on November 16th, I will have paid for a useful device to read my PDF journal articles from Science and Nature, to have quick and easy access to all the content on my 5GB Amazon Cloud Drive, to have access to my purchased textbooks - now in color, and access to all my music.
All in something that weighs less than a pound and will see me through an entire day on campus.
So you're right... this college student *did* want something of quality for his money. And Amazon delivered.
RE: Amazon's Kindle Fire; At $199, finally a viable college tablet
It doesn't just give you 950k books. You can get the Kindle app. Does Kindle not have what you want? How about the Nook app? How about the iBooks app?
Not sure about the free HD movies. Must be an Amazon prime thing, which.... iPad users can take advantage of.
If the Fire does what you need it to do, fine. But don't proclaim your uses and needs as that of the majority. A lot of people, college students should really be in this group, should be doing more than content devouring. College students should be doing some content creation.
RE: Amazon's Kindle Fire; At $199, finally a viable college tablet
A stripped down Kindle Fire is no match for the Playbook, which you can now get at Staples B&M for $250.
Playbook specs:
Starts at 16GB ($250 at Staples B&M stores)
Front camera, 3 Mega Pixels
Rear camera, 5 Mega Pixels
HD video recording
Built-in Video Chat
Full Flash playback so you can watch videos on Amazon.com, Crackle.com and Youtube.com/shows, etc.
HDMI out and can play full 1080p standard profile on high-end flat panels
Also, the CPU/GPU combo in the playbook is the best of the field right now, see the Anandtech.com review.
Within weeks we'll have QNX OS 2.0, which will have an Android virtual machine to run android apps, quite possibly including Netflix, which just opened up its app to almost all Android devices in the last week or so.
RE: Amazon's Kindle Fire; At $199, finally a viable college tablet
I just checked the Staples web site and find the Playbook for $299 after rebates. Where is it available for $250?
RE: Amazon's Kindle Fire; At $199, finally a viable college tablet
Eventhough the bad publicity around it, actual users I know with both iPad2 and Playbook tend to leave behind their larger Apple device and use more often their portable 7" device.
Price is the killer feature. For sure.
RE: Amazon's Kindle Fire; At $199, finally a viable college tablet
> The price point of the iPad has always been its downfall
You haven't seen the sales figures then, have you?
RE: Amazon's Kindle Fire; At $199, finally a viable college tablet
Really nice point! I have always admired Cayble's comments over the years but his bias does tend to get in the way of objective reality sometimes.
Because
To many they are carrying around all their maagazines, newspapers, music, web, games, books and yes, even work in a very small package.
So what is "useful" would seem to depend on the definition. You go on and on about it but don't bother to tell us how it's not useful... to you. Big grand statements ain't gonna get it done.
As for the article, I'm not so sure. The cost is attractive but there are limitations. The $99 touch would seem to offer all one would need for reading if that's the big selling point.
We'll have to wait for hands on to see how much of the Fire is a big Amazon store in your pocket and how much one can do outside of it.
RE: Amazon's Kindle Fire; At $199, finally a viable college tablet
"The iPad is a rather perplexing quandary in many respects because its not that its useless, its that its not really $500 worth of useful to the average consumer."
Have you actually seen what an "average consumer" does with their bargain basement PC? Surf the web, write an email or two, visit social media sites, handle some pictures or video, watch YouTube videos and maybe write a letter they need to look a little more professional than something handwritten. All things the iPad does and does in very mobile convenient form factor. Cloud storage and 3g or a wireless connection virtually eliminates any storage issues.
The iPad price factor covers, simplicity, mobility, functionality, durability and versatility something the other tablet producers simply have not been able to copy.
Now we've got another device a kind of quasi tablet reader thing that has yet to find its way into consumer hands and we already know its been hobbled. Perhaps the Fire will have enough functionality and versatility (amazon tablets have already proven their simplicity, mobility and durability so I doubt those attributes will change) to make up the fact that what you've basically got is a one stop amazon shop right in your hands. Kind of like walmart only you don't have to go out side and fight the trafic.
RE: Amazon's Kindle Fire; At $199, finally a viable college tablet
For an e-reader, I'll take the $79 kindle (longer life, better reading)
For other functions you mention, my smartphone does most, and...
For real college tasks, my laptop is still indespensible.
Now, why am I spending another $200?
Lack of 3G? Not a problem-- find a friend with...
Now watch for Amazon to start leasing them to universities by the thousands-- one for every student (future customer). With a price point this low, they could do it.
For reading,
Color eInk. Where are you?
I love it... never seen it but a true expert responds none the less.
Why bother commenting such biased nonsense? Why not at least wait till you can make an educated judgement? I doubt Amazon would risk their reputation on junk, and I reckon we need to wait on some decent reports on the device.