3 October 2011

Miscellaneous

Kindle Fire: what's it all about?

A new Kindle is out, but is it really a Kindle? Finally, there is a tablet on the market that is going to offer some competition to Apple’s iPad. Now a company has realised Steve Jobs’ team are so successful because they put themselves in the shoes of their customers at all times. 

Amazon haven’t gone down the route of the BlackBerry PlayBook, which decided to just focus on flashy components and clever hardware but didn’t think what their consumers will be doing with their product; hence why sales have been poor. 

Instead they have offered a affordable piece of hardware and an infinitely massive database of content, and this is why Amazon have got it right because they are concentrating on content. They’ve realised that tablets are used differently to laptops and netbooks; they’re used purely for content. Whether that’s reading books, watching videos, social networking, playing games or showcasing presentations, they are all about content.

There are a few reservations I have with this new tablet mainly because the new Kindle Fire has lost the reason why the first generation of Kindles were so successful in the first place; their electronic ink screen was unique and offered a great user experience for readers. Doing away with such a popular user experience could come back to haunt them in the future; sometimes I think it’s better to stick to what you’re good at and know works.

I am an owner of an iPad 2 and can safely say it’s been the most used bit of kit I’ve bought this year. I love its simplicity, ease and range of use. Now before you start, I like Apple products, just like I like Ferraris, but that doesn’t stop me liking other car manufacturers too. I love my Apple iPad, enjoyed using an iPhone when I had one and have never owned a Mac. Currently I use a HTC phone for work and my personal phone’s a BlackBerry so before everyone throws at me the old you’re just sucked in to the Apple bubble. No I am not, but I respect a good product when I see one regardless of the brand behind it. 

I know there is a use to an iPad, or more importantly a tablet, because after a long ten hour day in the office strumming on my laptop, it’s lovely to use something different and easy in the evenings. Whether that’s to play Angry Birds whilst the adverts are on during the programme I am watching, surfing the web or doing a spot of social media, I use it every day, and I enjoy using it every day. 

I have steered a little of target here, but to some up. If the new Kindle Fire is all it’s cracked up to be and if it only costs around £200 here in the UK then why not get one, I think it might just be the best purchase you make. On the other hand if it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be then there’s a simple option… buy an iPad.