For my birthday my parents got me a [amazon asin=B0051VVOB2&text=Kindle Fire&chan=default]. After a few days of use though, I opted to return it for a [amazon asin=B005890G8Y&text=Kindle Touch&chan=default].
The Fire is a good tablet, but its no competition for the the Touch, as its not an e-reader. I wanted a Kindle for one thing – reading books – and the Fire is not great for that. I found that the Fire’s screen was hard to read in the sun, and I was often distracted while reading from all the other features of the Fire.
I question Amazon’s branding strategy for the Fire. Its a good product, but branding it as a Kindle weakens the e-reader’s image. My parents assumed that as a Kindle it would be great for reading, though that isn’t the case. Amazon produces the best e-reader in the business. I’ve used the iPad on several occasions, and the Fire just doesn’t hold up. Conversely, the iPad is no match for the Kindle Touch when it comes to reading books. The main distinction here is the e-ink screen, which makes reading on a digital device as easy as a printed paper. There have been some great projects around the Kindle, take a look at The Domino Project for more information.
Amazon needs to reevaluate their strengths, and consider their e-book branding. The iPad has a Kindle App, why shouldn’t the Fire? Why is Amazon cannibalizing e-reader sales for the fire? Now that the Kindle is branded as a tablet they’ll have to compete with Google’s Nexus.
[amazon asin=B005890G8Y&template=image&chan=default]