Kindle Fire HD...What's Up With That?

The Kindle Fire HD has been out on the market for about a month now. It's the predecessor to the wildly popular Kindle Fire.  For many people, like my father, it's a great device because of the simplicity, the breath of content and the design. But simplicity does not mean intuitive and designs are always improving or changing. So what are people saying about the new Kindle Fire HD?

First, let's look at the hardware. All the details are here:
      http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Fire-HD/dp/B0083PWAPW

My personal highlights include:

• Very good Dolby Dual Stereo sound
• A thinner screen for up to 30% less glare than the New iPad (but not sure how accurate that is)
• First tablet to use MIMO dual Wi-Fi antenna technology for enhanced wireless connectivity. Basically, this allows wireless signals to be sent or received by either antenna and the signals can move on 2 different frequencies to avoid air-wave congestion....that means 40% faster media streaming.
• 7 inch (diagonal) screen 7.6" by 5.4" by 0.41"
• An 8.9 inch version (actually THINNER than the 7 inch version) with 250 MB of 4G LTE data per month for $50 for the entire year. 

These added tech specs are very useful and powerful and make the Kindle Fire HD better than its predecessor in every way. BUT it's not perfect.

This is one bug-a-boo about the Kindle Fire HD. There are ALWAYS advertisements on the lock screen and then they are relegated to one corner of the screen when you unlock your device. That really 'grinds my gears' for all you Family Guy fans out there. I see enough advertisements on my free iPhone games and on my TV. They shouldn't be on my tablet too. 

Another issue is the software. Yes,  it is maximized for instantly streaming and downloading Amazon's digital content. On the other hand, that's all it can do. There is really no freedom of customization. It makes iOS feel like Android (ha ha, I'm funny, I know).  The Amazon App Store has most of the major popular gaming apps, but many of the newest gaming and non-gaming apps are missing from this small online store. This is really a media consumption device, not a do-everything device like the iPad.

On the other....other hand, the simplicity of the software can be a selling point for older adults who refuse (or are unable) to learn the more complicated tablet and smartphone software.  That's a big reason my father loves his Kindle Fire so much, and also why he doesn't want a new one this Christmas. He has a few games he loves to play like Solitaire or...Solitaire.  Otherwise, he just surfs the web and checks and writes email. I keep telling him he also has access to my Amazon Prime Account videos and books, but let's just say he's an old dog who can't learn new tricks. 

I really haven't found a short and well filmed YouTube video reviewing the Kindle Fire HD.  The video above gives you the basic idea of the usage and feel of the device. 

It's important to note there is also a regular updated Kindle Fire for $159.   The normal Kindle Fire has the same screen size as the HD version, but is a little heavier with no front facing camera and no updated wireless antenna or speakers. And of course, the screen resolution is not.....HD. 

For anyone who just wants a device for browsing the internet and consuming Amazon's extensive media library (books, music, movies, TV shows) on a smaller device that fits in your hand or pocket, the Kindle Fire HD is your tablet. If you want something with the Google, Android or Apple selection of applications and the customization of features, get the Google Nexus 7 or the rumored iPad Mini.  

Despite the simplistic software, this device will sell very well this holiday season. Here why:

• Amazon is pushing the envelope with the hardware technology. Their new design for the wireless antenna, the screen thickness and the Dolby dual speakers are seemingly ahead of its time. No other tablet features these advancements in portable electronic devices. The million dollar question is whether these advancements are worth the loss Amazon is taking for each tablet sold. They could have easily started the Kindle Fire HD at $249, but they remained steady at $199 and LOWERED the price of the UPDATE regular Kindle Fire to $159. Not even Apple is willing to do that. 

 

Lower the price on the iPad??? NO WAY MAN! We actually like making money!

The picture below highlights what Amazon could have done to profit from the Kindle Fire HD on its own.  But they tried to play the ace up their sleeve and focus on the savings. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has gone as far as openly saying Amazon will profit from the content consumed, not the hardware sold.

• Another reason the Kindle Fire HD will be successful is because of Amazon itself, which recently acquired the contract of Epix to bring 3,000 more movies to the Amazon Instant Streaming video service, including big hits like Iron Man 2 and THE AVENGERS! 
• Amazon started as an online book selling company. But today, everyone basically buys everything from amazon.com. Heck, I even just sold old video games to Amazon and then bought some books my mother needed for her book club and they arrived in two days with Amazon Prime shipping...and they were cheap! 
• Amazon's music library and digital bookstore will also be optimized on the new tablet. 
• This is a great opportunity to point out there is one important factor many people don't realize about buying music from Amazon.  When the music files are downloaded, they are in mp3 format, which is widely compatible with almost every device that plays music.  But when you download music from iTunes to your devices or computer, the format is not mp3.  You have to manually convert each song to play music from iTunes to another non-Apple device. That's why I almost always use Amazon for downloading music, unless I'm traveling and I really want a specific song, then I use iTunes. 

In a future post, I might compare the larger 8.9 inch Kindle Fire HD to the new iPad. I only say this because I just ran across an article where Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos argues the his device is better than the iPad. To put it bluntly, "You are the weakest link. Goodbye."