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The Kindle Fire hit the market with forecasts by experts that it would be a direct competitor to the Apple iPad. There are also rumblings that Apple intends to answer with a smaller iPad with a similar cost. The Kindle Fire as a tablet does offer competition to more pricey Android tablets in particular. Even though the cost of the Kindle is tough to beat, there's one area in which the Fire falls horribly short.
So, what are the weak points? Connectivity! When the first generation Kindles hit the scene as an e-readers, one of the main selling points was totally free 3G service by AT&T. You purchased the Ereader and had the ability to browse Amazon's e-book market place from anywhere you were able to pick-up AT&T service which happens to be most areas within the United States. Early Kindles provided a cable that connected the unit to your computer, so you could download ebooks and transfer 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.
The reason the Kindle Fire may well not stand up to the competition. Actually less expensive budget tablets ship with a lot more connectivity than the Kindle Fire. These products are typically filled with options including an SD card slot, USB port and an HDMI interface. Adding in this connectivity would make the Kindle Fire unbeatable. Having a USB port, users would have the option for using a mobile broadband plan to increase connectivity. A USB port additionally allows expansion of the 8GB memory available on the Fire as would an SD card slot.
Answers to the connectivity issue are really limited. The only method to gain full access to the Kindle Fire's whole potential is usually to root the device. An operation that's not for the novice and is somewhat of a gamble that would void your warranty. Having said that, once the device is rooted, you then have the option of adding in more app stores and expanding the ways the Fire can be utilized. Aside from that, there's really no way at the moment to expand the ability to connect the device to the Net. A lot of apps are worthless without online connectivity except for downloaded games and stand-alone productivity apps and tools.
If rooting is out of the question, then users can purchase the connection cable and sideload apps onto the gadget. It isn't really too difficult to locate app files, download them to your computer, after which you can drag and drop the file on to your Kindle Fire. The Fire will do the rest.
With new tablets hitting the market regularly targeting the cheaper prices, the Kindle Fire will rapidly lose its edge. Currently you can find tablets available which are just $30 or so more than the Kindle with all the current capabilities along with the connectivity options listed above. Bear in mind Bluetooth. Bluetooth provides a whole new dimension of connectivity to your device. Consider a Fire having 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 truly has the user in mind as opposed to their wallet.
So, what are the weak points? Connectivity! When the first generation Kindles hit the scene as an e-readers, one of the main selling points was totally free 3G service by AT&T. You purchased the Ereader and had the ability to browse Amazon's e-book market place from anywhere you were able to pick-up AT&T service which happens to be most areas within the United States. Early Kindles provided a cable that connected the unit to your computer, so you could download ebooks and transfer 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.
The reason the Kindle Fire may well not stand up to the competition. Actually less expensive budget tablets ship with a lot more connectivity than the Kindle Fire. These products are typically filled with options including an SD card slot, USB port and an HDMI interface. Adding in this connectivity would make the Kindle Fire unbeatable. Having a USB port, users would have the option for using a mobile broadband plan to increase connectivity. A USB port additionally allows expansion of the 8GB memory available on the Fire as would an SD card slot.
Answers to the connectivity issue are really limited. The only method to gain full access to the Kindle Fire's whole potential is usually to root the device. An operation that's not for the novice and is somewhat of a gamble that would void your warranty. Having said that, once the device is rooted, you then have the option of adding in more app stores and expanding the ways the Fire can be utilized. Aside from that, there's really no way at the moment to expand the ability to connect the device to the Net. A lot of apps are worthless without online connectivity except for downloaded games and stand-alone productivity apps and tools.
If rooting is out of the question, then users can purchase the connection cable and sideload apps onto the gadget. It isn't really too difficult to locate app files, download them to your computer, after which you can drag and drop the file on to your Kindle Fire. The Fire will do the rest.
With new tablets hitting the market regularly targeting the cheaper prices, the Kindle Fire will rapidly lose its edge. Currently you can find tablets available which are just $30 or so more than the Kindle with all the current capabilities along with the connectivity options listed above. Bear in mind Bluetooth. Bluetooth provides a whole new dimension of connectivity to your device. Consider a Fire having 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 truly has the user in mind as opposed to their wallet.
About the Author:
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 certain you are getting a unit that is right for your lifestyle.
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