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! 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 flew out the window when the Kindle Fire was launched. Delivering 3G to the Kindle Fire means data overload for AT&T. In addition, 3G speeds wouldn't begin to support the ability of the Kindle Fire's dual core chip. For that reason, users are limited to wi-fi service only on the Fire. Therefore to use the Internet on the device at all, you will need access to a wi-fi hotspot or your home wi-fi.
The Amazon Kindle Fire on Lockdown. It seems that Amazon is so concerned 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 2 ports. One is a typical earphone jack and the other is a micro USB to charge the unit. Amazon does not even include the USB cable in order to connect the Fire to your computer like with their earlier Kindles. In order to connect the Fire to your computer, you will need to buy the cable separately. Only a conventional 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.
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 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 flew out the window when the Kindle Fire was launched. Delivering 3G to the Kindle Fire means data overload for AT&T. In addition, 3G speeds wouldn't begin to support the ability of the Kindle Fire's dual core chip. For that reason, users are limited to wi-fi service only on the Fire. Therefore to use the Internet on the device at all, you will need access to a wi-fi hotspot or your home wi-fi.
The Amazon Kindle Fire on Lockdown. It seems that Amazon is so concerned 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 2 ports. One is a typical earphone jack and the other is a micro USB to charge the unit. Amazon does not even include the USB cable in order to connect the Fire to your computer like with their earlier Kindles. In order to connect the Fire to your computer, you will need to buy the cable separately. Only a conventional 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.
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 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 unit that is right for your lifestyle.
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