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Kindle’s New Fire—Perfect for Long Trips
October 18, 2011 | Permalink
Some people like road trips; some can only withstand them if they’re unconscious the entire drive. Some prefer enjoying the vast scenery of the landscape from their car’s window, while others prefer a book, movie or any alternative to the world outside of their car. For people who are the latter, having an e-reader, music player and/or tablet is not just an alternative; it’s essential for staying sane on the road.
Kindle’s newest e-reader, the Fire, is a perfect companion piece for anyone on a road trip. It’s light, durable and made for long-time use between charges. Recently unveiled by Amazon, the Fire is a strong rival to Apple’s iPad and the other tablets on the market. So what’s the big buzz on this new product?
Finally, It’s Here
The Internet has been abuzz with rumors that Amazon was going to launch a tablet for months, and the hope was that it would offer solid competition against Android and Apple products.
This tablet has a seven-inch multi-touch display with in-plane switching (IPS) and anti-reflective treatment. Unlike some of the first e-readers launched by Amazon, the Fire has high resolution and brilliant colors.
Documents can be read from Word or PDF, and e-books and magazines are displayed with a startling clarity. These vivid images jump out at the user—something that isn’t expected from a “simple” Amazon toy.
Fire vs. iPad
The question begs to be asked: which tablet is right for you? There are some obvious differences between the products, such as screen size (the iPad has a 9.7-inch screen, as opposed to the 7-inch screen on the Fire). The Fire is a fraction of the cost of even the least expensive iPad, which makes it a better purchase for a child who wants to play online but cannot handle expensive products.
Experts enjoy the fact that iPads can be either 3G or Wi-Fi, whereas the Fire is only Wi-Fi, leaving users only able to go online when they have a connection. There is also no speaker or camera on the Fire, meaning that it is not meant for face-to-face communication, either.
However, what the Fire does, it does well. There are several thousands of apps available on the Fire, and the tablet is optimized to stream content. Plus, users can try out Amazon Prime, which allows free streaming of over 11,000 movies and television shows. Movies or shows can be watched on the Fire, or it can be watched on TV, right from where it left off.
The Fire is made for one thing: for users to download content from Amazon’s website. It’s easy, accessible and uncomplicated.
Runs on Silk
For those who absolutely need online access, the new Silk browser allows them access to the Amazon Web Services cloud (AWS). Silk can work more and faster through what Amazon calls the split browser architecture.
Plus, Silk computes power in the cloud, something not traditional with tablets. The server fleet is used to retrieve website components simultaneously in an efficient stream. This also helps extend the battery life of the Fire, since the intense tasks are done in cloud.
More to Come?
There are already rumors that this version of the Fire is merely a teaser to something bigger and better, but this multipurpose tablet is already blowing its competition out of the market. With the release of the Fire, other Kindles are a greater bargain, so parents looking for a way to entertain their children on long road trips may have a practical and affordable solution in the Kindle products.
The 7-inch Fire will be released on Nov. 15, and pre-orders are available on Amazon now.
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