By Isabella Woods
The new Kindle range from Amazon doesn’t replace your iPad, but if you’re looking to make a change of eBook reader or tablet computer, your choices have been expanded. Both the Kindle Touch and the Kindle Fire are must buy gadgets.
Kindle Fire
Getting the biggest surprise out of the way first, the new Kindle Fire tablet computer isn’t up against the iPad for business. Its possibilities are very different to Apple’s offering. It’s the price that may steer many people to Amazon, whereas previously the iPad seemed the only real option for tablet computing.
You can expect further news from Amazon about a different tablet computer early in 2012. Just as soon as they learn from customer reaction to the new Fire model, they’ll bring out the models we wanted in the first place, but the cost issue may bring the 2012 10 inch models in line with Apple’s pricing structure.
At less than $200 the Kindle Fire is an easy purchase. With an iPad ranging in price from $500 to $829, recession-hit Americans are thinking twice about buying. It meets the demand for color eBook readers, with some already available in the market, and is part eBook reader and part tablet computer.
Where’s The Camera?
Starting with the bad news, the Fire doesn’t have a camera so it isn’t going to compete with the iPad in that area, although most people carry a cell phone with those facilities.
The good news is that the on board cloud accelerated Silk browser loads pages quickly especially if you want to use Amazon’s purchasing channels.
With direct access to your music and photos and with the ability to download a movie from Amazon’s own files the Fire puts the owner in control.
iPad owners will say that their apps are the best available, but market forces are quickly changing that assumption. In 2012 we are likely to see a more level playing field. Unlike the iPhone, the Fire uses the Android operating system which is gaining ground rapidly and has overtaken the iPhone in many territories.
The Kindle Fire also uses Flash, something iPad users would love to have access to, but won’t admit it. After all, if you’re an Apple lover, you simply must buy every Apple product available and ignore the rest.
Kindle Touch
EBook sales are rising so fast that no-one has real data of any use, although in April 2011 Amazon said that for every 100 printed books they sold, 105 bought a Kindle book. The abundance of free books (over 2 million at the last count and targeting 2.5 million titles) makes owning a Kindle a low cost book reading choice. Amazon’s sales of Kindle ebooks are up 66% over last year.
The Touch model turns pages similarly to the iPad is renowned for, except that on the iPad you flick or swish to the next page while on the Touch you simply touch the page to go forward, back or to a menu rather than pressing a button (as on the previous model) to go to your desired page.
Superior E-Ink Technology
The Kindle Touch uses market-leading e-ink which technology. It’s perfect indoors and out, but lacks a back light which is why the battery life between charges is so long. The iPad is brighter, but you just can’t read books in bright sunlight when you’re on vacation.
The affordable price of both new Amazon units makes them winners. They’ll sell millions in the run up to the Christmas season. The Touch will sell to new Kindle buyers, but previous buyers may not need to make the move yet. For the Kindle Fire, it’s almost too low a cost to avoid getting one. With extras like cloud storage, online movies and terrific email facilities, more people will be reading books on Kindle than ever before.
If you’re in the US, then now’s a good time to get in line for the release of the Kindle Fire on 15th November and the Kindle Touch on 21st November. If you live outside of the US then you’re going to have to wait a while before reading ebooks because Amazon hasn’t issued release dates for the rest of the world yet.
Isabella Woods is an experienced freelance writer with a passion for tech and gadgets. She writes for travel blogs, but enjoys a night in on her coaster sofa with her virtual library of classic literature.