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Author Topic: Amazon Kindle Fire  (Read 15931 times)

Steve Weldon

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Amazon Kindle Fire
« on: September 29, 2011, 09:13:21 am »

Everyone pre-order theirs already?  I did.  I even wrote a short piece on my reasoning here.  Shameless I know.. ;o)

Really, for $199 it looks to be incredibly useful and it has the essential features I personally need, and I think many more will need.  I think the $199 price will seriously impact Apple Ipad sales and further boost Amazon's cloud based services and their ebooks and movie streaming service..  Tie that in to their Prime membership with free 2-day shipping and it starts to look like a very effective marketing tool as well.
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feppe

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2011, 12:05:26 pm »

I'd love to get an e-reader, but only when Amazon gets rid of DRM and fixes their TOS (ie. they can and do delete your books off your device if they so desire).

As a tablet Fire has more things than just a reader going for it, though. And the price is right. How's the battery life supposed to be when watching video?

I think you could have slipped in the product name and keywords into the blog post a few more times for even more google-fu :P

John.Murray

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2011, 01:19:46 pm »

Ordered:  Despite my hesitations regarding Android in general.  As a device for photography - pretty much worthless with only 8gb storage.  Maybe for presentation, it'll be intersting to compare display quality.

I am a voracious reader - before Amazon, my book budget averaged 150-200 month, now i'm well below $50.
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Craig Lamson

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2011, 01:44:15 pm »

I'm still really really happy with my Ipad 1, even more so since I started using it with Phase One Capture Pilot.  So no, no pre-order for me :)
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Steve Weldon

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2011, 02:26:57 pm »

I'd love to get an e-reader, but only when Amazon gets rid of DRM and fixes their TOS (ie. they can and do delete your books off your device if they so desire).

As a tablet Fire has more things than just a reader going for it, though. And the price is right. How's the battery life supposed to be when watching video?

I think you could have slipped in the product name and keywords into the blog post a few more times for even more google-fu :P

a.  I agree about DRM, but so far I haven't found this a problem in my personal use.  I'll be curious to see if other ebook readers work on this which aren't DRM.. I'd assume there will be, but so far we don't know.

b.  Yes, it's got a lot going for it.  If I use it just for ebooks I'll be content, and if I can get aps that allow functionality with my photography I'll be more than content..

c.  Yes, the price is certainly right.  I think the price will turn out to be the key to the Fire's success, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it steadily drop as the Kindle Readers have done.

d.  Thank you, I was worried about this.. ;o)
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Steve Weldon

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2011, 02:33:16 pm »

Ordered:  Despite my hesitations regarding Android in general.  As a device for photography - pretty much worthless with only 8gb storage.  Maybe for presentation, it'll be intersting to compare display quality.

I am a voracious reader - before Amazon, my book budget averaged 150-200 month, now i'm well below $50.

a.  I'm wondering about this.. and how well it will sync to my home based FTP with a 20mbps upstream.. or possibly with my Amazon S3 account.  It's possible this will be my first successful foray into cloud based storage for photography.  I know I could test this out with any PC/Laptop.. but because they have their own large storage I only use the FTP for access to archived work.  With the Fire I'll be forced to use it for most, or not at all.

b.  I am as well.  I use my Lenovo x201s (a 2.4 pound 12.1" laptop) with the Kindle Reader ap now and it works out well enough.  I'm looking forward to seeing if the Fire will be an improvement.
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Steve Weldon

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2011, 02:36:03 pm »

I'm still really really happy with my Ipad 1, even more so since I started using it with Phase One Capture Pilot.  So no, no pre-order for me :)
I suspect Ipad owners will find little or no reason to 'upgrade' to a Kindle Fire.  I think their market is those who haven't yet purchased a tablet, and maybe current Ipad owners will a 2nd or 3rd tablet for family members or other uses desirable at the $199 entry price.
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jerryrock

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #7 on: September 29, 2011, 11:59:56 pm »

As an iPad2 user, the biggest fault with the Kindle Fire is the same as the original iPad, no camera. The Kindle Fire also lacks 3G mobile capability, it is WiFi only.
It is really not an iPad competitor.
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Steve Weldon

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #8 on: September 30, 2011, 02:32:53 am »

As an iPad2 user, the biggest fault with the Kindle Fire is the same as the original iPad, no camera. The Kindle Fire also lacks 3G mobile capability, it is WiFi only.
It is really not an iPad competitor.

a.  I wouldn't use a camera on my tablet.  I don't use the one on my phone either, and it's a decent one. 

b.  3g I think is a useful feature.  Still, I'll get along fine without it and I'm curious to see how many others will too.

c.  Anything people buy when their next choice would have been an Ipad.. is a competitor.  But where Amazon will really compete with Apple will be with their streaming movies/tv/music downloads and cloud based services.. Their $79 a year all you can eat price will be highly competitive with any service out there.  Especially when you consider the other benefits of the Prime program.  The initial talk is their cloud enhanced Silk browser is going to change the rules..

At equal pricing I don't think the Kindle Fire is competition for the Ipad on a hardware level.. but at equal pricing I think their media streaming and cloud services might make up for the hardware.   At $199.. I'd bet on it.
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Craig Lamson

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #9 on: September 30, 2011, 09:28:43 am »

a.  I wouldn't use a camera on my tablet.  I don't use the one on my phone either, and it's a decent one. 

b.  3g I think is a useful feature.  Still, I'll get along fine without it and I'm curious to see how many others will too.

c.  Anything people buy when their next choice would have been an Ipad.. is a competitor.  But where Amazon will really compete with Apple will be with their streaming movies/tv/music downloads and cloud based services.. Their $79 a year all you can eat price will be highly competitive with any service out there.  Especially when you consider the other benefits of the Prime program.  The initial talk is their cloud enhanced Silk browser is going to change the rules..

At equal pricing I don't think the Kindle Fire is competition for the Ipad on a hardware level.. but at equal pricing I think their media streaming and cloud services might make up for the hardware.   At $199.. I'd bet on it.

I'm really not looking forward to a "cloud" future.
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feppe

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #10 on: September 30, 2011, 12:48:42 pm »

As an iPad2 user, the biggest fault with the Kindle Fire is the same as the original iPad, no camera. The Kindle Fire also lacks 3G mobile capability, it is WiFi only.

That's the whole point of it: it's a tablet without some of the bells and whistles of the high-end models, but comes with a much lower price tag.

Besides, you can buy Fire and a camera phone for the price of an iPad2 ;)

Steve Weldon

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #11 on: September 30, 2011, 01:17:44 pm »

I'm really not looking forward to a "cloud" future.
Me either, but if anyone can pull it off with current infrastructure it will be Amazon.  I've been impressed with their Kindle Reader program, at first I didn't like the idea of my ebooks being cloud based, but after a year of using it I think they've balanced things quite well. 

Something else to consider.  Amazon is NOT taking steps to prevent rooting.  Currently B&N is selling a very similar Nook refurbished for $149.  Both can be rooted, which means you can then install a generic Android OS and have access to the complete Android library.  When I get some time I'm going to check into what programs are in the Android library we'd find useful for our cameras.  I can see a 7" tablet slipped into my camera bag with some sort of tripod mount.. where I could pull it out, tether my DSLR, and use something like DSLR Remote or Helicon while in the field. 

More, I've been talking to the guys over at Quantum about the possibility of using the mini-USB port on their Pilot to connect a tablet or laptop.. it would be great to have a 7" IPS display light controller.. better with touch screen.  Other light manufacturers are embracing computer controlled light controllers so I hope Quantum will to.  They've already got plenty of memories to store lighting setups and tons of function, but that tiny low cost LCD they use is a real hinderance.  Wouldn't it be nice if someone would make a customized version of Android just to support photo aps?
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Steve Weldon

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #12 on: September 30, 2011, 01:22:19 pm »


Besides, you can buy Fire and a camera phone for the price of an iPad2 ;)
Heck, for the price of the top Ipad you can buy a Fire, an HD web cam, and a low end DSLR kit..  I know the point of the Ipad is to have all this stuff built in but..
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feppe

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #13 on: September 30, 2011, 02:18:08 pm »

Heck, for the price of the top Ipad you can buy a Fire, an HD web cam, and a low end DSLR kit..  I know the point of the Ipad is to have all this stuff built in but..

Convergence comes into stark contrast when the battery dies on your combined phone/web browser/video conferencing device/camera/mp3 player/video player/gaming device 12,000 feet above the Atlantic with six hours to go on the flight, and you're not doing any of that.

PierreVandevenne

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #14 on: September 30, 2011, 03:49:51 pm »

Yeah, one can only be amazed by the monastic abnegation of those who, a few years ago, crossed the Atlantic without e-mail, chatroulette and angry brids. In other waters, we can only imagine how many followers would the @KonTiki twitter account have had...
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Steve Weldon

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #15 on: September 30, 2011, 05:23:01 pm »

Convergence comes into stark contrast when the battery dies on your combined phone/web browser/video conferencing device/camera/mp3 player/video player/gaming device 12,000 feet above the Atlantic with six hours to go on the flight, and you're not doing any of that.

I've always been slightly amused that 500 of us at a time pay money to sit for 20-24 hours (average flight to SEA) in poorly padded small uncomfortable seats just inches from sweaty smelly people we don't know, with the only relief coming when it's time to cram ourselves into a phone booth sized well used toilet.   Qui-Xang Caine fresh from the Shaolin temple didn't have the mental fortitude to sit in such a seat for 20+ hours with only his thoughts for entertainment.  And now we're so well trained we take off our shoes, belts, wallets, and jewelry while letting some stranger put his hands in our underwear just for the pleasure.  The only way to take our minds from what would be effective interrogation conditions at Guantanamo is through the use of some type of electronic gadget.  One can only read the 10 page Sky News so many times.  It is unthinkable such gadget should fail and render us aware of our surroundings.   There is a reason they dim the lights on these flights. 

I can't remember the last time I've seen an enclosed phone booth.. 
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Guillermo Luijk

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #16 on: September 30, 2011, 06:35:16 pm »

Will you read books on your new Kindle or on your old one? I mean, this is a colour display, so visual fatigue and battery life must be worse than in the original Kindle.

Regards

John.Murray

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #17 on: September 30, 2011, 07:41:03 pm »

Guillermo:  Good point!  I currently read using either my iPhone, or iPad.  The Kindle is wonderfull, but a single purpose device, eye fatigue for me has never been a factor and I read a *lot*.  That said, I've never read paper books in direct sunlight either ;)

Like Steve, I'm curious what this will do for the platform in general, especially for non-apple types.  I'd love to see some dSLR remote apps, as along with other capabilities - it's an exciting time!

I personally don't see much market overlap between the iPad or the Kindle Fire - although I do see the Fire pretty much devastating any other Android tablet out there......

3G on the iPad?.... meh, I use a wifi hotspot - why pay separate 3G fees these days?
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Steve Weldon

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #18 on: September 30, 2011, 07:42:57 pm »

Will you read books on your new Kindle or on your old one? I mean, this is a colour display, so visual fatigue and battery life must be worse than in the original Kindle.

Regards

I use the Kindle Reader PC ap (free ap) on my notebook and smartphone.. sometimes when I'm feeling evil I'll read on my NEC imaging monitors.. :)  So far I've never found the battery life or fatigue to be an issue on my notebook, it gets about 8-10 hours when only reading like the new Amazon Kindle is estimated to get.  I rarely read for that long and I'm rarely away from a charger for that long..  The bigger difference.. is my notebook is 2.4 pounds and of course hinged.  I'm hoping using a tablet to read is more comfortable to hold.
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jerryrock

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Re: Amazon Kindle Fire
« Reply #19 on: October 01, 2011, 12:33:07 am »

3G on the iPad?.... meh, I use a wifi hotspot - why pay separate 3G fees these days?

My iPad2 with 3G was very useful during the power outage associated with flooding from Tropical Storm Irene last month here in upstate New York. It was the only means of communication I had, as phone lines were out also. Emergency broadcasts and news reports occurred on mobile devices through Facebook. The 10 hour battery life of the iPad combined with 3G was a life saver. The mobile plan for the iPad is monthly and can be turned on or off depending on your need. I also use the camera to visually communicate through Skype with my 82 year old Dad who lives a distance away. I have used the back camera on the iPad to record Council meetings and political speeches editing the video on the iPad with iMovie and uploading directly to YouTube.

I just don't find anything redeeming about the new Kindle device. It is trying to be an iPad, but not quite making it.
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