The chances are, if you are reading this article, you are thinking about getting the Kindle Fire. You're probably a Kindle owner interested in upgrade, or else you are considering the Fire being an e-reader and tablet. As far as pricing, it will not get better than the Kindle Fire. Amazon revealed their custom Android tablet in Nov of 2011 at a cost just below $200. It truly was a calculated move right before Christmas. In no time, it was on Amazon's top sellers list.

The very first Kindle was introduced in 2007. The system was around the size of a medium paperback book developed specifically for reading. When Amazon made available the 3rd generation of Kindle, which mainly mirrored the 1st with the same E-Ink technology found in black and white only, Barnes and Noble launched the Nook Color. Consumers started customizing their Android powered Nooks to not only read books, but to play 3D games and run apps in color. The Nook Color completely revolutionised the 7-inch tablet market.

It absolutely was a no-brainer for Amazon to answer Barnes and Noble with the Kindle Fire. The Kindle Fire uses a custom version of Google's Android Gingerbread os. The highly well-designed and user-friendly interface, known as the Carousel, makes it a straight forward unit for everyone. The Kindle Fire is the 1st Kindle which has a completely functional web browser. It isn't just any old browser either. It's name is Silk and offers users a very computer-like Internet experience.

Since Amazon has been a web-based retailer of books and music, they've used the Kindle Fire to monopolize entertainment. With the Fire, they rolled out a free month of membership for their Prime program allowing users ability to access well over 20,000 videos and TV shows. Users can purchase virtually every type of content for the Kindle Fire including Android apps. There's a large library of this content which can be found for free, consequently it fits any budget.

The Amazon Kindle Fire downloads content in just seconds through a Wi-Fi connection. It has a lot of storage capacity, but any constraint is quelled via free cloud storage currently offered through Amazon. The content delivered electronically to your Kindle is duplicated online with your Amazon account. The focus on reading hasn't faded. Kindle books are now in full color, and you no longer need an external light to read the display.

You may be wondering "what's wrong with the Kindle Fire?" Why so inexpensive? Amazon engineered the Fire to compete with the big boys like the iPad as well as other popular tablets. The retail price alone causes it to be a competitor. The functionality is fabulous. The downfall would have to be in the restrictions put on the Kindle Fire by Amazon. Customers can only download and install apps from the Amazon App Store unless you sideload them by linking the Fire to your personal computer. Amazon conveniently does not include the cable needed to do this with the Fire. Thankfully, if you own a 3rd generation Kindle, the cord provided with that device works or you can get one separately on, that's right, Amazon's website.

The largest supplier of Android apps, the Google Android Market, will not work for the Amazon Kindle Fire without major manipulation which will void the warranty. Additionally, those who have used an iPad will spot the lag in the Android Operating System. Then again, the overall performance has been significantly improved in the Android 4.0 OS. A few will determine that it makes the Kindle Fire a lesser device. Others will decide that such small things make it well worth its low price. If you're able to get around those few things, then a Kindle Fire could be the device for you.