The Kindle Fire entered the market with forecasts by experts that it would be a direct competitor for the Apple iPad. There are also rumblings that Apple intends to answer with a smaller iPad with a comparable price. The Kindle Fire as a tablet does offer rivalry to more pricey Android tablets especially. Although the cost of the Kindle is hard to beat, there's one area where the Kindle falls terribly short.
So, what are the weak points? Connectivity! When the first generation Kindles hit the scene as an e-readers, one of the main selling points was totally free 3G service by AT&T. You purchased the Ereader and had the ability to browse Amazon's e-book market place from anywhere you were able to pick-up AT&T service which happens to be most areas within the United States. Early Kindles provided a cable that connected the unit to your computer, so you could download ebooks and transfer them manually.
This service flew out the window once the Kindle Fire arrived on the scene. Giving 3G to the Kindle Fire would mean data overload for AT&T. And of course, 3G speeds would not be able to support the capability of the Kindle Fire's dual core processor. For that reason, users are bound to wi-fi service only on the Kindle Fire. This implies to use the web on the device , you must have access to a wi-fi hotspot or your home wi-fi.
The Kindle Fire on Lockdown. Apparently Amazon is so worried that users might get access to an app market other than their own, that they've omitted all other sources of connectivity from the Fire. The Kindle has 2 ports. One is a regular earphone jack and the other is the micro USB for charging the unit. Amazon will not even include the USB cable for connecting the Fire to your computer . For you to connect the Kindle Fire to your computer, you have to buy the cable separately. Only a conventional charging cable is included.
Why the Kindle Fire might not stand up to competition. Even less expensive budget tablets ship with more connectivity compared to a Kindle Fire. These products are typically rich in options including an SD card slot, USB port and an HDMI connector. Adding in this connectivity would make the Fire unstoppable. With a USB port, users would have the choice of using a mobile broadband plan to increase connectivity. A USB port also allows expansion of the 8 gb memory space available on the Kindle as would an SD card interface.
Solutions to the connectivity issue are really limited. The only way to gain full access to the Kindle Fire's whole potential is to root the device. A procedure that's not for the rookie and is somewhat of a gamble that would void your warranty. Nevertheless, as soon as the unit is rooted, you then have the option of adding in more app markets and broadening the ways the Kindle could be used. Besides that, there's really no way currently to expand the ability to connect the unit to the Web. A large number of apps are useless without connectivity except for downloaded games and standalone productivity apps and utilities.
If rooting is not an option, then users should purchase the connector cable and sideload programs onto the device. It's not too hard to acquire app files, download them to your computer, and then drag and drop the file on to your Kindle Fire. The Fire will perform the rest.
With new tablets hitting the market regularly targeting the cheaper prices, the Kindle Fire will rapidly lose its edge. Currently you can find tablets available which are just $30 or so more than the Kindle with all the current capabilities along with the connectivity options listed above. Bear in mind Bluetooth. Bluetooth provides a whole new dimension of connectivity to your device. Consider a Fire having a real keyboard, not the virtual onscreen type. It's really a waiting game to find out if Amazon will step-up with a tablet that truly has the user in mind as opposed to their wallet.
So, what are the weak points? Connectivity! When the first generation Kindles hit the scene as an e-readers, one of the main selling points was totally free 3G service by AT&T. You purchased the Ereader and had the ability to browse Amazon's e-book market place from anywhere you were able to pick-up AT&T service which happens to be most areas within the United States. Early Kindles provided a cable that connected the unit to your computer, so you could download ebooks and transfer them manually.
This service flew out the window once the Kindle Fire arrived on the scene. Giving 3G to the Kindle Fire would mean data overload for AT&T. And of course, 3G speeds would not be able to support the capability of the Kindle Fire's dual core processor. For that reason, users are bound to wi-fi service only on the Kindle Fire. This implies to use the web on the device , you must have access to a wi-fi hotspot or your home wi-fi.
The Kindle Fire on Lockdown. Apparently Amazon is so worried that users might get access to an app market other than their own, that they've omitted all other sources of connectivity from the Fire. The Kindle has 2 ports. One is a regular earphone jack and the other is the micro USB for charging the unit. Amazon will not even include the USB cable for connecting the Fire to your computer . For you to connect the Kindle Fire to your computer, you have to buy the cable separately. Only a conventional charging cable is included.
Why the Kindle Fire might not stand up to competition. Even less expensive budget tablets ship with more connectivity compared to a Kindle Fire. These products are typically rich in options including an SD card slot, USB port and an HDMI connector. Adding in this connectivity would make the Fire unstoppable. With a USB port, users would have the choice of using a mobile broadband plan to increase connectivity. A USB port also allows expansion of the 8 gb memory space available on the Kindle as would an SD card interface.
Solutions to the connectivity issue are really limited. The only way to gain full access to the Kindle Fire's whole potential is to root the device. A procedure that's not for the rookie and is somewhat of a gamble that would void your warranty. Nevertheless, as soon as the unit is rooted, you then have the option of adding in more app markets and broadening the ways the Kindle could be used. Besides that, there's really no way currently to expand the ability to connect the unit to the Web. A large number of apps are useless without connectivity except for downloaded games and standalone productivity apps and utilities.
If rooting is not an option, then users should purchase the connector cable and sideload programs onto the device. It's not too hard to acquire app files, download them to your computer, and then drag and drop the file on to your Kindle Fire. The Fire will perform the rest.
With new tablets hitting the market regularly targeting the cheaper prices, the Kindle Fire will rapidly lose its edge. Currently you can find tablets available which are just $30 or so more than the Kindle with all the current capabilities along with the connectivity options listed above. Bear in mind Bluetooth. Bluetooth provides a whole new dimension of connectivity to your device. Consider a Fire having a real keyboard, not the virtual onscreen type. It's really a waiting game to find out if Amazon will step-up with a tablet that truly has the user in mind as opposed to their wallet.
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To find out more about the Kindle Fire and Android tablets, check out some of the many resources available on the web. Make sure you read as many Android tablet reviews as possible to make sure you are getting a device that is right for your lifestyle.
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