Why Kindle Fire sucks - and what to do about it

The Kindle Fire from Amazon has been one of the most anticipated product launches in the past few years. People are crazy about it, and Amazon claims it is a bestseller.

We do not understand. The only explanation is that people are broke and/or stingy. This cheapish something is neither a decent ebook reader, nor a real tablet. And it has a whole bunch of flaws.

Display: 7" is simply too small and too low-res, unless you focus on text like the original Kindles. The resolution is 1024x600, which already sucked on netbooks, because 600 pixels are not enough to show many dialog windows or websites without constant scrolling. And at 169 dots per inch it is not crisp enough for small print, making it far inferior to the e-ink displays of the regular Kindles.

Connectivity: no 3G option so far, just wireless. Well, not everyone needs 3G, but not even having the option just sucks.

Storage: 8 Gigabyte. About 6 of them can actually be used. That is 2-4 movies at HD resolution. Sorry guys, but you are 2 or 3 years late to impress anyone with that amount of memory... and of course it can not be expanded with memory cards, but you are forced to rely on the Amazon cloud service. Storing your stuff on some big companies servers who-knows-where is never a great idea, and for non-Amazon content it is not even free. Plus you can not access your stuff when you are somewhere without WIFI coverage (yeah, that 3G would have been nice, eh?)

Add a weakish processor and mediocre battery life, and you know why this unit comes at 199 bucks...

199 wasted bucks, we would say.

You want a decent tablet?

Stick with Apple's iPad or the Asus Eee Transformer Prime TF201. Yes, those are more expensive.

But the Kindle Fire does not provide "more for less", as Amazon boldly claimed, but it is just cheap.

 

You want an ebook reader for actual reading?

Stick with the non-Fire Kindle product line. Kindle Touch 3G
and his brethren are good at what they do, really good.

Want the perfect all-in-one solution?

You will have to wait a little. Even the better pads/tablets have a resolution of 1200x800 or similar these days. Which is pretty decent for most uses - except reading. Plus their displays all suck in direct sunlight.
The next generation (iPad 3 etc.) is expected to have displays that have about the same pixel density as the "Retina Display" in iPhone and iPod Touch, where the eye can't distinguish the pixels anymore even when looking very closely. 10 inch displays at that pixel density would be appropriate for reading books and magazines without hurting your eyes.

Until then we recommend buying an "old fashioned" Kindle with e-ink display for reading purposes - cheaper, better, and you can still use it in a couple of years in addition to the shiny new tablet you purchase next year... ;-)

P.S.: Prefer to read our extensive review in German: Kindle Fire Review auf Deutsch

Waking up - again!

Yeah, kindlebooks.blogspot.com was dormant for quite some time. When we started the site over 2 years ago, it was still a bit early. Kindle was an "early adoptor" product, not very mainstream. And Kindle and the like were available only on the US market. So interest in the site and our articles was limited - and as a result we abandoned the project, for the time being.

In the meantime things have developed. A lot.

Kindle itself has grown from a somewhat clumsy ugly something into a reasonably well designed (considering it is not from Apple...) sleek ebook reader.

The technology behind it has also trememdously evolved - from the displays to cloud-storage.

And last but not least the market has become pretty mainstream, and Kindle and other eBook-reader platforms are available internationally, the userbase has grown a lot.

Sooooo - guess what?

Exactly!

We will continue where we left off.

Expect updated Kindle product reviews and a lot of Kindle book reviews (both for the US/English-speaking world and for the German-speaking countries).

And of course there will be some spring cleaning, removing old clutter, outdated design, dead links, etcetera...

We are back.

Consider bookmarking us and/or adding kindlebooks.blogspot.com to your feedreader, so you don't miss anything.

See you around!

Six Inches of ... Kindle!

OK - we are a bit late with this one. But - actually it is better to wait some time when a new gadget comes out. Wait for the first reviews, have a close look yourself, then decide, if you would like to promote it or not.

So - DO we want to promote the all - errr, almost - new Kindle, that 6" baby where actually less is more, in regards to price and size?

You bet!

Yes, we could copy/paste all those technical specs and mumbojumbo from the Amazon website. And add some high-pitched noise of ourselves.

But: the new smaller Kindle is just the best so far. Period. Believe it, and click the product image to go to Amazon and see and compare for yourself. Or believe not. And get lost. ;-)

Or just click the textlink: Kindle: Amazon's 6" Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation)

Genuine Leather Messenger Bag for Kindle 2

Messenger Bag for Amazon Kindle 2

The stylish Italian leather messanger bag has been designed aound the special Kindle pocket inside.

But this is a all-round useful and stylish everyday bag. You will find yourself using this all the time.


Customer Review: Great bag

I love this bag I just recieved it for my kindle i had been thinking about purchasing it for a while because it would be perfect for taking my kindle with me. I don't know what other reviewers are talking about how the kindle only fits in the kindle slot out of the case my kindle slides right in perfectly and easily in its m-edge cover the strap is adjustable to allow for various ways of carrying the kindle I am able to put my kindle in it and all of the kindles accessories like the charger and link cable and my book light and have plenty of room to spare for my ipods and phone and all their accessories. I am very impressed and very happy with my purchase. the bags quality is also very sturdy and excellent. great product!


Customer Review: Love it!!!

Great bag, not only for my kindle, but cell phone, small journal, and extra stuff I carry. Works for me!

Click here to read more and order it on Amazon.com !

Barrack Obama: Dreams from my Father

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a black African father and a white American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a black American.

It begins in New York, where Barack Obama learns that his father—a figure he knows more as a myth than as a man—has been killed in a car accident.

This sudden death inspires an emotional odyssey—first to a small town in Kansas, from which he retraces the migration of his mother’s family to Hawaii, and then to Kenya, where he meets the African side of his family, confronts the bitter truth of his father’s life, and at last reconciles his divided inheritance.



Customer Review: Kenyan view

I read this book with great interest. First, from a curiousity standpoint; how does he see Kenya and does he understand it's complexity. Another perspective that i looked into was his obsession to find himself in his father. I'm Kenyan and know what a father means to one if absent. My dad died when i was eleven and i explored him alot-still do. My mother kept him fresh in our minds and i've concluded that the absent parent becomes the focal point of a young boy. Men,as many may disagree, will seek their father to relate to and will yearn and seek that figure,if they don't find him appealing when they find him, they become what they hope he was. I was enthralled that he is able to explain Kenyan issues i'm familiar with and places i've trod with such precision. Very titillating.


Customer Review: Dreams from my Father

It was excellently written and quite inspiring. It gave insights into the personality of our current President.

Verdict: must read. No matter if you like the man or not, no matter if you see him as messiah or just as another con man (which is more likely, btw.). This guy will have a major impact on our not-so-bright future. He is the friendly face that serves (voluntarily or as a "Manchurian Candidate") as a perfect fassade for the same old ugly bloodsuckers that run the US and most of the world. If this book is "true" and honest or mostly deception - it will tell you a few things about "the man".

Click here to read more and order it on Amazon.com !