Year: 2011

from engadget-

Amazon adds Hulu Plus, ESPN ScoreCenter to Kindle’s Android apps, Nook Tablet loses its edge

By Joseph Volpe posted Nov 11th 2011 7:04PM

Not sufficiently amped up for the impending release of Amazon’s first tablet? That could very well change as the Seattle-based company’s just made its thousands-strong app pot a little sweeter. After reminding the product-buying populace a few days ago that the newly birthed Kindle Fire is, indeed, atablet with access to a boatload of Android apps, Bezos and co. are now upping the slate’s ante by announcing the availability of Hulu Plus and ESPN ScoreCenter. It’s an obvious swat at the Nook Tablet’s two greatest lures and could sway indecisive customers back from the brink of Barnes & Noble’s beguiling clutches.

It’s becoming more and more apparent that the Kindle Fire Color Tablet is going to sell like hotcakes.

The Amazon Fire Tablet is going to be this year’s Zhu Zhu Pet and past year’s Cabbage Patch Doll.  

It’s brilliantly priced for people who don’t have to do everything an iPad can do or as seamlessly.  Also there are more pixels than the already fantastic iPad screen?
This will sell well, really well for all those folks who can’t justify an iPad at the same price of a decently spec’d laptop.

You can and should pre-order one for Christmas presents if you don’t want to spring ALL the money for an iPad.

get on the list here

Technical Details:

Display
7″ multi-touch display with IPS (in-plane switching) technology and anti-reflective treatment, 1024 x 600 pixel resolution at 169 ppi, 16 million colors.

Size (in inches)
7.5″ x 4.7″ x 0.45″ (190 mm x 120 mm x 11.4 mm).

Weight
14.6 ounces (413 grams).

System Requirements
None, because it’s wireless and doesn’t require a computer.

On-device Storage
8GB internal. That’s enough for 80 apps, plus either 10 movies or 800 songs or 6,000 books.

Cloud Storage
Free cloud storage for all Amazon content

Battery Life
Up to 8 hours of continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video playback, with wireless off. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as web browsing and downloading content.

Charge Time
Fully charges in approximately 4 hours via included U.S. power adapter. Also supports charging from your computer via USB.

Wi-Fi Connectivity
Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, or 802.1X standard with support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks.

USB Port
USB 2.0 (micro-B connector)

Audio
3.5 mm stereo audio jack, top-mounted stereo speakers.

Content Formats Supported
Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, Audible (Audible Enhanced (AA, AAX)), DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, OGG, WAV, MP4, VP8.

Documentation
Quick Start Guide(included in box); Kindle User’s Guide (pre-installed on device)

Warranty and Service
1-year limited warranty and service included. Optional 2-year Extended Warrantyavailable for U.S. customers sold separately. Use of Kindle is subject to the Kindle License Agreement and Terms of Use.

Included in the Box
Kindle Fire tablet, U.S. power adapter (supports 100-240V), and Quick Start Guide.

$199.00 Free Super Saver Shipping

Pre-order now to reserve your place in line

Our all-new Kindle Fire will be released on November 15, 2011. Orders are prioritized on a first come, first served basis.

Ships from and sold by Amazon Digital Services. U.S. only.

Movies, apps, games, music, reading and more, plus Amazon’s revolutionary, cloud-accelerated web browser

• 18 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, and books
• Amazon Appstore – thousands of popular apps and games
• Ultra-fast web browsing – Amazon Silk

• Free cloud storage for all your Amazon content
• Vibrant color touchscreen with extra-wide viewing angle
• Fast, powerful dual-core processor
• Amazon Prime members enjoy unlimited, instant streaming of over 10,000 popular movies and TV shows

This thing has more pixels than the iPad at less than half the price?  If anyone has seen the iPads gorgeous screen you know that’s a big deal.   The thing will play windows videos as well as mac videos and best of all it supports Flash, so all those flash based sites you can’t access on an iPad, you can on the kindle Fire.

If they were both the same price I’d buy the iPad all day long but when you take that $200 price into account it’s tough to beat for value.

Best move is to put in a pre-order for one ASAP and even if you change your mind you can cancel the order before November but best case scenario is you sell it for double on eBay to someone who desperately needs one to give as a Christmas present.

A laptop and/or pc replacement for $200 and will do everything that 90% of people need it to do.

Is it a replacement for a power user?   Obviously not, but power users only make up 10% or less of the marketplace IMO and the  Kindle Fire will capture the other 90% of the marketplace’s needs.  This would be PERFECT for my mom, my wife, my nephew or niece, my sister, just about anyone whose computing use is 90% Facebook and 10% web browsing.

No-Brainer as my boy Patrick Ryan said to me.