Kindle Fire: Tempting In An Imperfect World

Like King Gillette and the safety razor Amazon realizes the advantage a loss leader can sometimes bring.

The big news today in geekdom is Amazon’s announcement of the new Kindle Fire. It’s a seven inch tablet computer running on Google’s Android operating system. At the moment Apple is king of the tablet domain, but the Fire has a secret weapon. It costs $199!

The digital landscape is littered with iPad wannabes. Pretty much they’re all failures. Motorola, RIM (aka BlackBerry), HP — no one gets away unscathed.

Anyone who wants a tablet wants the iPad experience. Since Apple fully controls the hardware and software no one else gets a taste.

Amazon has done a few interesting things. Specifically they’ve moved some of the computing from the tablet back to their servers. What’s sent to your Fire will be specially formatted for it. It will be smaller bitewise, meaning it will be faster than the hardware implies.

What I still don’t understand is why there’s no camera or microphone. A tablet is the perfect comms device. Until you’ve videochatted you don’t understand the power unleashed. It’s my understanding this functionality costs around $1 additional at the OEM level. This is probably the deal breaker for me… but $199… we’re approaching stocking stuffer purchase.

There’s no way this thing’s being sold for a profit at $199.

Like King Gillette and the safety razor Amazon realizes the advantage a loss leader can sometimes bring. Every person who owns a Kindle Fire will have instant, easy, favored access to buy things through Amazon. That’s where they’ll make their money.

For the geekiest of you, a little about Kindle Fire’s Silk browser and how it leverages Amazon’s cloud computing expertise.

iPad2–Just What I Didn’t Think I Wanted

Truth is Apple took a product which is incredibly loved and by all outward appearances made it more lovable.

I traded tweets with Darren Kramer this evening. We were talking about the new iPad2, a device I find surprisingly alluring.

“I am so impressed with how that company relentlessly innovates. Go ahead, confess your love for Jobs.”

Darren is such a Steve Jobs fanboy, but he’s right!

Truth is Apple took a product which is already incredibly loved and by all outward appearances made it more lovable.

Apple has slimmed the iPad2 by a full third. At the same time it added a speedier cpu and graphics processor. On the outside are two video cameras (front and back) to facilitate video chatting and movie making. On the inside there’s Garage Band for audio and iMovie for video.

It’s got a ten hour battery! This is going to supplant laptops on airplanes, vacations and Metro North.

To paraphrase Wallis Simpson, the American-born Duchess of Windsor, a tablet computer can never be too rich in features or too thin!

I wanted a tablet which would run the Android operating system and be comparable to the original iPad in its capacity. Not anymore. The bar has been raised. Nothing outside Apple is even close.

I don’t want to like Apple products. I have it out for them. To me Apple stands for smug self righteousness. Apple is the rich kid who got into college because of his father’s influence.

On the other hand they deliver!

Where Is My Tablet?

Nothing against the iPad, but I chafe at the thought of owning another device which needs Steve Jobs’ approval for me to use as I wish.

I want a tablet computer. Please don’t ask why. I’m not sure I can explain why. Must I?

Think of it as an obsession. I’m talking to you shoe lovers!

The whole tablet genre has been around for awhile, but it wasn’t until Apple produced the iPad that anyone really cared.

Sorry Microsoft. Earlier Windows based tablets were pretty much non-starters. That’s gotta sting in Redmond!

As CNBC reported last fall:

Big news for Apple and Apple investors: The iPad is the highest-scoring product that a leading consumer satisfaction index has ever tracked.

It’s just I don’t want an iPad!

Nothing against the iPad, but I chafe at the thought of owning another device which needs Steve Jobs’ approval for me to use as I wish. That’s why I already have a love/hate relationship with my iPhone. It’s the geek in me pushing back.

After the Consumer Electronics Show I expected a boatload of new non-Apple tablets running Android, the Google produced operating system. Over 100 were introduced at the show. Few have appeared.

Motorola is unveiling it’s new Xoom tablet tomorrow. It’s too pricey.

There are tablets from Huawei and eLocity that look promising (though a friend from PCMag.com said of the Huawei, “Looks like another lousy low-end tablet to me.”).

Here’s what I’m looking for:

  • Capacitive touch screen
  • SDHC card slot
  • Front facing camera for video chatting
  • Android operating system
  • Wifi and Bluetooth. Cell connectivity not necessary
  • USB connectivity

I’d like to use a tablet computer with my camera, but at the moment there are no Android apps which recognize the RAW formats my Canon delivers. I expect that itch will soon be scratched. The same goes with apps to play poker online.

When a tablet that fills my needs comes out and costs less than $400 I’ll be ready to buy. It hasn’t happened yet. It will.

What’s taking so long?