Amazon Kindle Fire Review

The Amazon Kindle Fire tablet has been perhaps the most hotly anticipated device since the Apple iPad. For the most part, experts are very impressed, according to Kindle Fire reviews, but none of them are prepared to declare the iPad dethroned. The Kindle Fire has a few shortcomings. First, as The New York Times' David Pogue points out, it lacks several features common to tablets, such as Bluetooth support, cameras, a mic, and even an external memory slot. Also, the Fire can be a little sluggish at times, a problem echoed in Kindle Fire reviews by PCMag and Gizmodo, as well as many users on Amazon. Users complain in Kindle Fire reviews that the web browser is too slow and the screen doesn't always register touches correctly. Some also wish the Fire had an external volume control button and privacy controls, two features the current version lacks. But the Fire does have a lot in its favor. The display is sharp and the device is easy to use, according to PCMag. CNET editors also appreciate how simple the Amazon tablet is to use and praise its excellent screen quality in a Kindle Fire review.

The Kindle Fire runs a 1 GHz dual-core CPU and has 8 GB of internal memory. There's no microSD slot to expand the memory on the device, but Amazon lets users store all of their Amazon content in its cloud storage service, where they can access everything wirelessly as long as they have an internet connection. The Fire supports 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi connections and also has a USB 2.0 port. It has a 7-inch display with a resolution of 1024x600.

The first incarnation of the Kindle Fire may not be perfect, but it's good -- very good. Add Amazon Prime service ($79 per year) and for no additional charge you can stream TV shows and movies to the Fire instantly and borrow one ebook per month, as well as other perks. Amazon's content library is the Fire's real strength. Ultimately, the Kindle Fire is a conduit for accessing Amazon content. Considering how much Amazon.com has to offer (books, movies, video, music, games, apps), that's a strong selling point. As for the lack of tablet features such as cameras or GPS, that's by design. Amazon wanted to make the Kindle Fire affordable, and it certainly is. The features the Fire lacks are things most tablet users can live without most of the time, and axing those features keeps the device at $200. The Fire's occasional pokiness is something that needs to be addressed, and we're confident it will be. In the meantime, the Kindle Fire is a bargain.