Amazon Kindle Fire, Are You Ready to Upgrade?

Chances are, if you are reading this article, you're thinking about purchasing the Kindle Fire. You are likely a Kindle owner wanting to upgrade, or maybe you are looking into the Fire as an e-reader and tablet. In terms of pricing, it doesn't get better than the Kindle Fire. Amazon introduced their custom Android tablet in Nov of 2011 at a cost just under $200. It truly was a calculated move before Christmas. Before you knew it, it was on Amazon's top sellers list.

The very first Kindle was released in 2007. The device was about the size of a medium paperback book created specifically for reading. When Amazon released the third generation of Kindle, which fundamentally mirrored the original with the same E-Ink technology for sale in black and white only, Barnes and Noble introduced the Nook Color. End users began customizing their Android powered Nooks not only to read books, but to play 3D games and run applications in color. The Nook Color totally changed the 7-inch tablet market.

It truly was a no-brainer for Amazon to reply to Barnes and Noble with the Kindle Fire. The Kindle Fire runs a customized version of Google's Android Gingerbread os. The very useful and user-friendly interface, known as Carousel, makes it a straight forward gadget for anyone. The Kindle Fire is the 1st Kindle which has a fully functional Internet browser. It's not just any browser either. It's called Silk and offers users a very computer-like Internet experience.

Since Amazon happens to be an internet retailer of books and music, they've utilized the Kindle Fire to monopolize entertainment. Together with the Fire, they offered a free month of membership of their Prime program allowing users a chance to access well over 20,000 videos and television shows. Users can get just about any kind of content for the Kindle Fire among them Android apps. There is a large selection of this content that's available totally free, consequently it fits any budget.

The Kindle Fire downloads content within seconds using a Wi-Fi connection. It includes ample storage capacity, but any limitation is quelled via free cloud storage available through Amazon. All the content downloaded to your Kindle is protected online with your Amazon account. The focus on reading hasn't faded. Kindle books are now full color, and you do not need an external light to read the display.

You may be wondering "what's wrong with the Kindle Fire?" Why is it so cheap? Amazon designed the Fire to compete with the big boys like the iPad as well as other popular tablets. The price tag alone causes it to be a competitor. The functionality is superb. The negative would have to be in the restrictions put on by Amazon. Consumers can only get apps from the Amazon App Store unless you sideload them by linking the Fire to your personal computer. Amazon conveniently does not include the cable required to do this with the Fire. The good news is, if you own a third generation Kindle, the cord provided with that device will work or you can get one separately on, that's right, Amazon's website.

The number one provider of Android apps, the Google Android Market, will not work on the Amazon Kindle Fire without some major manipulation that will void the warranty. Additionally, people who have used an iPad will see the lag in the Android Os. Then again, the performance has been drastically improved in the Android 4.0 OS. Many will determine that it makes the Kindle Fire a lesser device. Others will decide that such small things make it well worth its low price. If you're able to get around those few things, then a Kindle Fire could be the device for you.

To find out more about the Kindle Fire and Android tablets take a look at Android Tablet Reviews HQ. Get the latest Android tablet reviews of the most current devices getting released.