Kindle Fire

Kindle sales: The devil is in the details

Written by

Marco Arment:

In fact, all Amazon has said is:

  • They’ve sold at least 4 million Kindles, total, this month.
  • The Kindle Fire is the top-selling model.

But the Kindle has between 5 and 10 models, depending on how Amazon counts them.

The devil is in the details.

More Kindle Fire bashing

Written by

USA Today:

These early adopters are running into an experience that is often clunky, a touchscreen that isn’t super responsive, a Web browser that struggles on many websites and head-scratching hardware omissions. (There are no volume buttons.)

Kindle Fire is the new Edsel

Written by

David Streitfeld for the New York Times:

A few of their many complaints: there is no external volume control. The off switch is easy to hit by accident. Web pages take a long time to load. There is no privacy on the device; a spouse or child who picks it up will instantly know everything you have been doing. The touch screen is frequently hesitant and sometimes downright balky.

I haven’t seen a completely positive review of the Kindle Fire yet. Most people are having problems with it and Amazon needs to get that fixed. The company says they have an update coming and many expect a new device next year, but I don’t know if that will be enough.

The tablet market has mercilessly chewed up everything except the iPad.

Kids charging up a storm on Kindle Fire

Written by

Reuters: What happens is that when you order a Kindle Fire [...] it comes with your Amazon account information preloaded, along with “1-Click” ordering. That means anyone who is holding that device can place an order, whether it’s their account … Continued

Usability expert hates the Kindle Fire

Written by

Part of making a successful product is making it usable for your target audience. That, apparently, is something that Amazon completely missed with its new Kindle Fire. “Amazon.com’s new Kindle Fire offers a disappointingly poor user experience,” said usability expert … Continued

∞ Kindle Fire 'fails at almost everything'

Written by

Peter Ha at The Daily: Like most convergence devices before it, the Kindle Fire doesn’t do anything exceptionally well (except for buying things via Amazon) but the price is right at $200. Buyer beware. Perhaps the rumors of this model … Continued

∞ Amazon Kindle Fire screenshots

Written by

At the top you’ll notice categories for Newsstand, Books, Music, Video, Docs, Apps, and the Web browser. With the exception of Docs and the Browser, each of those menus also include direct links into Amazon’s digital store for that content.

∞ Apple is not worried about the Kindle Fire

Written by

BGR:

Following a meeting with the pair of Apple chief officers, Reitzes delivered a note to investors suggesting that the company sees Amazon’s forthcoming tablet as good news for the iPad. The Kindle Fire’s low price point makes it accessible, but Apple believes it further fragments the Android ecosystem, which may cause consumers to flee to the iPad.

This is just what I said back in September. Kindle Fire will be successful, but it’s not an iPad killer.

∞ This is just all kinds of stupid

Written by

Molly Wood for CNET: Amazon, not Apple, just mainstreamed the tablet market. And I’d argue that it’s an iPad killer all the same. Remember how I said earlier today that product launches drive some writers to the brink of stupidity. … Continued