Amazon Makes $199 Android-based Kindle Fire Tablet

Does this thing have a nice non-glare screen?

Content is king, that Amazon content easily bests iTunes, even if the hardware doesn't.

But we aint folding for cancer research, just how much hardware do you need to listen to music and watch movies?

Engadget has a photo up, and it looks like the screen is glossy, but that may just be the super bright flash (which even a matte screen will reflect).

Movies needs some beef at even 720p.

I may have to order one just for the price.

Agreed, but the resolution of thgis screen is 1024x600 and I haven't seen any indication that it needs to output by HDMI to an external display, so I reckon it will be OK.

Might be nice if it can be rooted. What's the point in being railroaded into Amazon's own Android App store instead of the general Android market? I guess if you want to use nothing but Amazon apps/services this would accomplish that.

7-inch color IPS display, dual core, It doesn't look like any Apple COPY, is 7 inch, 14.6 ounces, Android and for $199. This is the first tablet I really find interesting in price, features and because it comes from Amazon I expect this device not to feel or be a cheap build. Hopefully it comes with an antiglare treatment. This may be the reason for the Apple's 25% cut.

I surely want to read a good review first, but way to go Amazon!

The real questions is... if it can run Android Apps, can it run the NOOK app?

What about the rumors that claim this is nothing more than a Blackberry Playbook?

Finally no home button! Was that so hard???

Except it seems that the bottom edge is thicker than the top... They must've really used the BlackBerry template after all.

I'm not sure the problem is matte vs gloss, but more about how the original kindles didn't get washed out in sunlight like most lcd screens do. They used a special type of screen that didn't get washed out in the sun.

I read Kindle then I read fire than I though libricide and I clicked the link.

Bye Bye RIM - It's the same hardware for half the price... Shhh don't tell anyone!

IMO, i's game over for Android 3 tablets and RIM... Apple still has a hold on $500 and up market but anything below is now Amazon's lunch... Considering what I've seen first hand honeycomb was half baked already... Google needs to drop Ice Cream Sandwich, land it properly and make sure it gets pushed to existing customers, not just new tablets.

I know you all love Android, but they need to do better - less fragmentation, and do a better job with the Flavor of Android installed so rooting isn't a necessity.

Thus far, I like iPad and I've had my hands on a few Honeycomb tablets to compare. The thing is competition is paramount and they are not doing enough... Apple will turn into the old M$ if there's no competition to keep it in check- sigh

How easy will the Fire be to jailbreak? Amazon looks to want to lock it down pretty hard core (no Hulu, Netflix, Nook, etc., only Amazon Prime streaming).

Locked down that tight won't satisfy me. Open it up so I can run any and all Android Apps and I might bite, though I still want a 10" screen since 7" doesn't feel like a big enough jump over my 4.3" phone.

I'm in the market for a tablet, but the locked down nature gives me pause above all else on the fire. I'd like to avoid Apple if at all possible. I'm starting to think waiting for a Windows 8 tablet might be the way to go if Microsoft can keep its act together like it seems to be trying to do. But then again, it is Microsoft. Here's to hoping I guess

So, how long til Apple sues them?

"Your honor, the iPad has a color screen and can be used to read books as well. Clearly our patents have been violated."

Gene Roddenberry would be rolling in his grave if Apple did that...

I think its time to finally get a Kindle. A KF that is.

issues: it relies too much on the cloud, meaning like with the prime service, Amazon can lock you into paying a monthly/ yearly fee for the cloud services, and who knows, they may even require you to purchase the prime service to use your web browser since it is designed around using amazon servers to handle some of the processing (may be like skyfire or opera mini)

Has anyone questioned how much amazon links to their prime service? Their various other features use the cloud and require amazon prime. What if the web browser also requires amazon prime and without it it wont have access to the cloud, and just like skyfire, it wont be able to surf the web, and if they limit your ability to download other browsers then you have a device that now cost you $80 a year to run.

Kinda like how a $200 iphone ends up costing you $2400 within 2 years.

This looks like a promising product, maybe a low cost alternative to iPad and Galaxy Tab.

Hi - interesting point, I have a few questions:

Where are you coming up with $80?
Why would Amazon start charging for something and kill their business?
Their current price has profit coming from consumption of their current ecosystem built into it - So unless the business model flops and people don't use Amazon services there is no reason to start charging.

It sure looks like it but with a richer support ecosystem hopefand at $200 compared to ~$350for the base RIM tablet with almost no native apps...

the device comes with amazon prime (1 month trial) which gives you access to their cloud services (eg storing music and other files on their servers)

their browser also uses their servers to handle the CPU intensive parts of loading a webpage (this makes loading websites faster, similar to what was done with skyfire http://www.skyfire.com/)

It is not clear if the browser requires amazon prime to maintain access to their servers. if it requires it then you will have a device that requires you to spend $80 a year for amazon prime.

Also in the demo videos, most of the features that they showed off were cloud based features (meaning if the selling point is what they showed off mostly, then you will have to pay $80 a year to continue using those features).

It looks nice enough, even if it's stopgap hardware.

So now I can not only buy an ebook for more than paperback inc. postage to my door, but also pay for wathching movies on tiny 7" screen.

Yay!

Call me stupid but I still don't see the utility of a tablet unless you travel a lot or you walk around with it all day to do a job (like a doctor or engineer).

I mean, I have a smartphone and a pc and a laptop and a bookshelf full of books.

I'd rather have $199 worth of food, gas, or clothing. Sorry Amazon, cuz I do loves you.

Just found more info, in the absence of amazon cloud access (which you pay for) the browser will handle all processing locally and still work without amazon prime. So even without amazon prime you can get most of the functionality of the device.

well, you can root it - Amazon says they aren't going to do anything to stop you and RIM just dropped the price of the Playbook $200 and are exiting the tablet market - Amazon's lunch is served.