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! The moment the first generation Kindles hit the market as an e-readers, one of several selling points was free 3G service through AT&T. You bought the Ereader and had the capability to surf Amazon's e-book store from anywhere you were able to find AT&T service which happens to be most areas throughout United States. Earlier Kindles included a cable that connected it with your computer, so that you could download ebooks and copy them manually.
The service ceased as soon as the Amazon Kindle Fire came out. Providing 3G to the Kindle Fire would mean data overload for AT&T. Not to mention, 3G speeds wouldn't be able to support the ability of the Kindle Fire's dual core processor. Therefore, users are limited to wi-fi service only on the Kindle Fire. This implies in order to use the web with the device , you must have access to a wi-fi hotspot or your home wi-fi.
The Kindle Fire on Lockdown. It seems that Amazon is so worried that users might gain access to an app market other than their own, that they've omitted all other sources of connectivity from the Fire. The Kindle has two ports. One is a regular headphone jack and the other is a micro USB to charge the device. Amazon doesn't even include the USB cable in order to connect the Fire to your personal computer . In order to connect the Fire to your computer, you will need to purchase the cable separately. Only a standard 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 limited. The only way to gain full access to the Kindle Fire's whole potential is to root the unit. A task that is not for the newbie and is somewhat of a gamble that will void your warranty. Nonetheless, once the device is rooted, you then have the choice of installing more app markets and broadening the ways the Fire can be used. Other than that, there's no way currently to expand the ability to connect the device to the Net. Many apps are worthless without online connectivity except for downloaded games and standalone productivity apps and tools.
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 all the time targeting the cheaper prices, the Amazon Kindle Fire will quickly lose its edge. Currently you can find tablets available which are $30 or so more than the Kindle with all the current features together with the connectivity options mentioned above. Do keep in mind Bluetooth. Bluetooth adds a new dimension of connectivity to your device. Imagine a Kindle Fire which has 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 actually has the user in mind as opposed to their pocket book.
So, what are the weak points? Connectivity! The moment the first generation Kindles hit the market as an e-readers, one of several selling points was free 3G service through AT&T. You bought the Ereader and had the capability to surf Amazon's e-book store from anywhere you were able to find AT&T service which happens to be most areas throughout United States. Earlier Kindles included a cable that connected it with your computer, so that you could download ebooks and copy them manually.
The service ceased as soon as the Amazon Kindle Fire came out. Providing 3G to the Kindle Fire would mean data overload for AT&T. Not to mention, 3G speeds wouldn't be able to support the ability of the Kindle Fire's dual core processor. Therefore, users are limited to wi-fi service only on the Kindle Fire. This implies in order to use the web with the device , you must have access to a wi-fi hotspot or your home wi-fi.
The Kindle Fire on Lockdown. It seems that Amazon is so worried that users might gain access to an app market other than their own, that they've omitted all other sources of connectivity from the Fire. The Kindle has two ports. One is a regular headphone jack and the other is a micro USB to charge the device. Amazon doesn't even include the USB cable in order to connect the Fire to your personal computer . In order to connect the Fire to your computer, you will need to purchase the cable separately. Only a standard 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 limited. The only way to gain full access to the Kindle Fire's whole potential is to root the unit. A task that is not for the newbie and is somewhat of a gamble that will void your warranty. Nonetheless, once the device is rooted, you then have the choice of installing more app markets and broadening the ways the Fire can be used. Other than that, there's no way currently to expand the ability to connect the device to the Net. Many apps are worthless without online connectivity except for downloaded games and standalone productivity apps and tools.
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 all the time targeting the cheaper prices, the Amazon Kindle Fire will quickly lose its edge. Currently you can find tablets available which are $30 or so more than the Kindle with all the current features together with the connectivity options mentioned above. Do keep in mind Bluetooth. Bluetooth adds a new dimension of connectivity to your device. Imagine a Kindle Fire which has 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 actually has the user in mind as opposed to their pocket book.
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To find out more about the Kindle Fire and Android tablets, review 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 product that is right for your lifestyle.
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