Anyone excited about the new Kindles?

The $199 price for the Kindle Fire tablet is great, but Amazon needs to get more apps in its own Android Store.

Dropping the price of the basic Kindle to $79 is smart as well. I imagine a lot of Kindles will be under the Christmas Tree this year.

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The Fire looks very cool. I'll be interested to see a comprehensive review, but it looks like a viable option, unlike every other ipad pretender before it.

 

My problem is to get what I want out of a tablet-like device, I'll have to compromise, or buy more than one. I want an iPad (or, I guess, a Fire) for net browsing (because my other two laptops and one desktop aren't enough) and various media consumption, TV shows, movies, games, even magazines. I don't, however, want to read books on it. I want to read books on an e-ink device, like the Kindle.

So, I don't buy anything, even though I highly doubt anyone is even remotely close to creating a device that is eye-easy like e-ink and useful like an iPad.

I have the same problem with other electronics, fwiw. I have a smart phone, a small digital still camera, two different small HD video cameras (a handheld one mostly for work and a GoPro mostly for me), an iPod touch and a big DSLR. Each serves a different enough role that I don't want to get rid of any of them, even though it's beyond dumb to haul them all around.

 

I am (potentially). I haven't wanted to spring for an iPad, because while it's cool and all, I don't really understand why I need it and $600+ (I'd need the 3G version, because I'd want to use it in places with no wifi) is a lot to spend for something I'm not sure about. The price for the Fire is much more palatable.

 

Well...shit. I could have sworn there was a 3G version. In that case, I will probably wait and possibly get a regular Kindle.

 

Bought a Kindle about 6 months ago and love it. I'll hold off on the upgrade. At these prices, Amazon is going right at Apple. Great products at reasonable prices, not sure Apple can say the same.

 

A Kindle Fire appeals to me more than an iPad. For one thing, I received a Kindle 2 for Christmas a few years back, so I have a lot of books tied to an Amazon account. But I could easily justify the $79 per year for the Amazon Prime streaming service. That's barely $7 per month, which is on par with Netflix streaming. Or Qwikster. Or Netflix 2: Electric Boogaloo. Whatever it's called.

As for books, yes, I could download a Kindle app for an iPad.

But, even $500 for a cheap iPad is out of my price range. I work for a newspaper, so I obviously don't have a lot of disposable income. My wallet could lighten $200 a lot easier than $500. Still, I have more important things to put money toward, so I have the luxury of waiting this out to see if it's a dud. I really hate buying the first of anything and having to send it back or have it repaired because it's littered with defects in the hardware and software.

 

Question about the Amazon Prime. Does that subscription give you access to EVERY movie and TV show on Amazon? Cause I've seen an "Amazon Prime" page where it says "Prime Member: $0"..."Rent: $3.99". Not all movies and TV shows give you both of those prices. For example, the new releases only give you an option to rent or buy. I didn't see the "Prime Member: $0" tag.

Looks like there's a limited number of Amazon Prime movies/TV shows. And not ALL are available through that subscription. Is that correct?

 

Man. If they let you watch ALL their shit on the Prime Membership, Amazon would pummel Netflix.

 

If it were as big as an ipad and had the 3G, I'd do it. Of course, with those options it'd probably be $399 instead of $199.