Amazon Announces Kindle Fire

[SifJar]

i wish the kindle had stayed a simple e-ink display e-book reader.

-another world

That Kindle is still on sale, as are updated versions which are also e-ink. This is in addition to those Kindles. IMO no one ever has a right to complain about additions to a range, it seems ridiculous to me that anyone would.

 

[Another World]

from what i've read and been told by tech support, this is not in addition, this is the 4th version of the kindle.

the kindle is one of the best ebook raders i've used. have you tried to read with a fully back lit screen at 2am? there is a reason the e-ink display is superior for book readers. i see this advancement as going in a direction i am not happy with, because i don't like multitasking applications. its fine that amazon wants to make a tablet i just don't want them to stop making new versions of the e-ink display ebook reader.

i've already contacted tech support and they stated that updates for the original kindles should last another 2 years. it isn't all bad but eventually that next bug fix or updated feature will be for their tablet and not their ebook reader.

personally, i find it ridiculous that a vast majority easily accept change and don't complain.

i also really love the kobo, it has some features the kindle does not (like directory sorting). the kobo 1 has recently been dropped from the update schedule. the kobo wifi is also on the way out. users are fighting to compile a wish-list of firmware revisions before they exclusively move onto the touch. the kobo tech support informed me (on 3 occasions) that the kobo wifi will get 1-2 more updates and then all support will be dropped. moving onto a new 'feature filled" version has brought with it more problems and less fixes. again, this is something i do not want to see happen to the kindle.

is the future so bright that e-ink displays will have no part in it? will we eventually have only two choices, a tablet or a cheap chinese knock off e-ink ebook reader?

-another world

 

[Urza]

from what i've read and been told by tech support, this is not in addition, this is the 4th version of the kindle.

Whoever said that is wrong. It makes absolutely no sense from Amazon's perspective to kill their incredibly hot-selling economy line, and Bezos isn't an idiot.

There will always be an e-ink Kindle.

 

[Sora de Eclaune]

So this means the Kindle is cheaper now? I've needed a kindle.

 

[xist]

So this means the Kindle is cheaper now? I've needed a kindle.

The cheapest one is now $79 (or £89)

 

[rehevkor]

The new Kindle e readers probably have more interest for me, finally ditched that stupid keyboard. Tempting..

All that cloud storage crap puts me off the tablet - 8 gig is nothing when it comes to movies etc. My phone has twice that. They're purposely limiting it so they have more control over what you use on it. How cheap would it have been to add a microSD card reader for memory expansion?

The $79 kindle comes with ads btw, it's $109 without. I couldn't tell from the website if the UK £89 Kindle has ads or not. I hope not.

 

[xist]

The £89 UK Kindle does NOT have ads...in part it's to make up for the fact that $79 =/= £89

 

[rehevkor]

That's not so bad then - I did wonder about the rather dramatic price difference.

 

[mysticwaterfall]

If I didn't already have a touchpad coming from HP with 4 times the storage and twice the RAM for $50 less

And running on a 100% more dead platform

They've made good progress on the android port, so I'm sure when I need to I can just switch over that. Right now the core aspects for me (web, email, ebooks, video) work and should for a while yet. Like I said, it's ultimately just something for me to mess around with, I really don't *need* a tablet for anything in particular.

 

[raulpica]

This is a great move from Amazon. I'd love to get one.

Considering that it's based on the PlayBook (or at least is from Quanta), it must sport the same 1GHz Dual-core OMAP4430, which is a really nice CPU, especially from the media perspective.

I might get a normal Kindle first, though.

 

[Urza]

If I didn't already have a touchpad coming from HP with 4 times the storage and twice the RAM for $50 less

And running on a 100% more dead platform

They've made good progress on the android port, so I'm sure when I need to I can just switch over that. Right now the core aspects for me (web, email, ebooks, video) work and should for a while yet. Like I said, it's ultimately just something for me to mess around with, I really don't *need* a tablet for anything in particular.

Touchpad android will inevitably end up a buggy piece of shit like every other port reliant on community-built drivers.

 

[Deleted_171835]

Looks pretty nice. Although, I'll still be getting a regular Kindle if only for the e-ink display.

And I have my doubts about this whole Amazon Silk thing if rendering is done completely in the cloud.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u7F_56WhHk[/youtube]

 

[Urza]

And I have my doubts about this whole Amazon Silk thing if rendering is done completely in the cloud.

Opera Mini by default (as well as desktop Opera with a toggle) already do server-side pre-rendering. It works pretty well.

 

[IBNobody]

I bet this'll get the "free app of the day" treatment, too, since it's Android. Amazon's FAOTD rocks.

EDIT: Rock on!

Angry Birds, Plants vs. Zombies, The Weather Channel and more, plus a great paid app for free every day. All apps are Amazon-tested on Kindle Fire for the best experience possible.

 

[NostalgicMillennial]

not only can it read ebooks like ANY other tablet mind you..it ALSO won't allow you to access the conventional android market! xD

oh...did i forget to mention it has no camera, microphone or 3G options??...

by the way...it's going to run you $200...no thank you

would rather spend a tiny bit more and get something I can use for more than just ebooks

 

[Urza]

not only can it read ebooks like ANY other tablet mind you..it ALSO won't allow you to access the conventional android market! xD

oh...did i forget to mention it has no camera, microphone or 3G options??...

by the way...it's going to run you $200...no thank you

would rather spend a tiny bit more and get something I can use for more than just ebooks

Except there are no tablets with comparable hardware at that price point.

If you actually think it's just for ebooks, then you've chosen to reject reality and shroud yourself in your own ignorance.

 

[Hanafuda]

I'm a lot more excited about the standard wifi Kindle at $79. That's awesome.

 

[NostalgicMillennial]

not only can it read ebooks like ANY other tablet mind you..it ALSO won't allow you to access the conventional android market! xD

oh...did i forget to mention it has no camera, microphone or 3G options??...

by the way...it's going to run you $200...no thank you

would rather spend a tiny bit more and get something I can use for more than just ebooks

Except there are no tablets with comparable hardware at that price point.

If you actually think it's just for ebooks, then you've chosen to reject reality and shroud yourself in your own ignorance.

well of course I know that..but you're pretty much limited to whats in the Amazon App store..and not all developers go through there...so you're very limited...

Reading ebooks on the Kindle Fire is what the fire does best..and I want something that does more than reading ebooks "best"

but like others have said $200 is quite low for a tablet...but if only it had more features ._.

 

[Urza]

I'm a lot more excited about the standard wifi Kindle at $79. That's awesome.

Pay 20 more for the touchscreen.

There's no reason to buy the 79USD model.

 

[Ergo]

from what i've read and been told by tech support, this is not in addition, this is the 4th version of the kindle.

the kindle is one of the best ebook raders i've used. have you tried to read with a fully back lit screen at 2am? there is a reason the e-ink display is superior for book readers. i see this advancement as going in a direction i am not happy with, because i don't like multitasking applications. its fine that amazon wants to make a tablet i just don't want them to stop making new versions of the e-ink display ebook reader.

i've already contacted tech support and they stated that updates for the original kindles should last another 2 years. it isn't all bad but eventually that next bug fix or updated feature will be for their tablet and not their ebook reader.

personally, i find it ridiculous that a vast majority easily accept change and don't complain.

i also really love the kobo, it has some features the kindle does not (like directory sorting). the kobo 1 has recently been dropped from the update schedule. the kobo wifi is also on the way out. users are fighting to compile a wish-list of firmware revisions before they exclusively move onto the touch. the kobo tech support informed me (on 3 occasions) that the kobo wifi will get 1-2 more updates and then all support will be dropped. moving onto a new 'feature filled" version has brought with it more problems and less fixes. again, this is something i do not want to see happen to the kindle.

is the future so bright that e-ink displays will have no part in it? will we eventually have only two choices, a tablet or a cheap chinese knock off e-ink ebook reader?

-another world

As a fellow, 'hardcore', reader, I share your pain and frustration at this development