!!UPDATES: Several updates posted below!!
**I spent the time writing this, so at least take a look at it! Hope you enjoy!**
I owned an iPad 1 for approximately 1 year. I absolutely loved it and strongly recommended to others, and continue to do so. Sadly, about four months ago, my cat managed to break the screen. I attempted to repair it, but have thus far been unsuccessful, due, I think, to a little bracket that I cannot seem to get back in place (it locks a connection down and appears to be necessary for the top part of the screen to respond to touch). I've not yet given up on my attempt to repair it; however, a few months ago I admitted to myself that it was most likely dead and gone.
Since accepting the unfortunate death of my beloved iPad, I've gone back and forth on whether or not I NEED to replace it. After all, I have a netbook, desktop, Windows 7 phone, and my girlfriend's iPad at my disposal. The answer was a loud and clear no. But my WANT was strong, and I managed to convince myself that a replacement was necessary.
I spent a month reading tablet reviews, in case there was a lower-priced alternative that would meet my needs (I already knew the answer, and was really just stalling). Everything in me said to give in and drop the $600 for a new iPad. But the (very slight) possibility of my broken iPad being resurrected one day kept me from doing it.
Enter Kindle Fire! (mid-November?)
When the Kindle Fire became available, I gave it "serious" consideration. I read several reviews, comparisons to the iPad (and even iPod touch!), etc. Again, I concluded that only an iPad would do. So I toyed around with repairing my broken iPad for another month.
Enter bronchitis!
Seven days ago I came down with bronchitis. I felt terrible, stayed home from work, and mostly slept for the first five days. Two days ago I started to feel a little better, and even better yesterday (though I still feel rather poor). In my excitement over being able to drive to the market and get some actual food (not just soup), everything I saw seemed to be so happy and full of life! Clearly the result of my reference point (i.e., the preceding days), as it was cold and cloudy, and the road was a little icy.
Enter email from Amazon!
Yesterday, I received an email from Amazon indicating that I could order and receive a Kindle Fire the next day (today)! With my overly positive and optimistic view of reality, I once again considered the Kindle as a replacement, and 10 minutes later ordered one.
Enter UPS (oddly using a Penske truck for deliveries)!
About 8 hours ago UPS delivered my new Kindle Fire. The packaging and package contents were underwhelming- the Kindle, a power cord, and a card-sized "getting started" information form. My first impression was not terrible... it wasn't too small, felt pretty solid, seemed well-constructed, and was somewhat sexy (sleek, slim, etc.). Turned it on and, yeah, well, it was there. Nothing impressive, and what I expected. I downloaded some apps (in addition to the ones that were pre-installed), and have been playing with it off and on throughout the day. Downloaded a book, watched about 20 minutes of a movie (documentary on the doors via Amazon), downloaded and skimmed a few academic articles (in PDF format), listened to some music via YouTube, set up my email (gmail), and downloaded issues of Details magazine (Kindle-based) and GQ (app-based).
My impression?
This thing is actually rather nice! (This is a rational impression, despite my joking about having an irrational view of reality). All that has been talked about by others (professional reviewers and otherwise) is pretty accurate- pretty quick, very responsive, easy to use, solid construction, etc. The fact that not all Android apps are available has not bothered me yet, with few exceptions (see below). The following are a few specific thoughts based on my 8 hours of use, and I imagine that I will update soon (given that I was actually motivated to write this review, which is the first review I think I've ever written on a product!).
DESIGN: Sleek and sexy. Finger print magnet, as with the iPad. The power button is small but easy enough to click. Two things I miss (compared to my iPad) are dedicated home and volume buttons. The volume buttons especially! The rubber (?) backing does not detract from the sexiness of the unit, and provides some traction for gripping. I can hold it in one hand (I'm 5 ft. 11 in. tall, and have average sized hands). It feels a little heavier than I imagined, but it's not terribly heavy. The weight is offset for me by the apparent quality of the construction... it feels like a solid unit that is not going to break easily, and the weight contributes to this perception. No camera or video connection. A front-facing camera would be nice, or even some sort way to connect a camera for video chat, etc. As for the video connection, I only want this in theory... I never connected my iPad to an external screen. Also note, no blue tooth, which is not important for me.
SIZE: I thought I would dislike the size, but I'm pretty damn happy with it. I'd like to carry it around with me in my "man bag" (a damn fine looking brown leather bag... think Indiana Jones in his academic role) for use while in meetings, during presentations (e.g., at conferences), during lunch, whenever I have to wait for someone, etc. My iPad worked fine for this, but having now experienced the Kindle, I think I like the size of the Kindle a bit more. Perhaps even a lot more. I'll have to post an update on this after using it longer, though. The size is certainly better for placing next to my keyboard while on my desktop.
OPERATION SYSTEM: It's simple. I'm not a big fan of it so far, but it's fine. Part of it I think is just getting used to it after using an iPad for a year (and WP7 OS).
!!UPDATE: After three days, I'm pretty happy with it. It really was just getting familiar with it.
APPS: No YouTube app! YouTube works fine online, but I'm used to having an app. I've not looked extensively, but I cannot find a Dropbox app. Also haven't tried accessing my Dropbox online. Otherwise, the apps I looked for were there, and work fine (I had an Andriod phone earlier this year, and am somewhat familiar with their apps).
!!UPDATE: Thanks to a comment left on my review, I found that DropBox is available, but needs to be "side-loaded." The same is true for YouTube and other Android apps, although from what I've read, not all Android apps will work well on the Fire. To side-load is pretty easy, although it would be nice to be able to just get things from the Amazon app store. You first need to allow side-loading by doing the following: Options --> More --> Device --> Allow Installation of Applications (turn on). There are then several ways to get non-Amazon Android apps, which you can find information for online. I've been searching for specific applications along with "APK", which is the file extension for Android apps. Move I've been able to download directly from my Fire, but I also sent a few from my desktop via email, opened them on my Fire, and loaded them that way. I found an application that allows you to change the interface, which essentially changed it to the typical Android interface. After using it for half a day, I went back to the Amazon interface, which I find to be a better option. But there are options, in case this is a concern.
!!UPDATE: Web browsing was incredibly slow, which bothered the hell out of me! However, I found details on how to speed it up (counter-intuitively, you want to DISABLE the "Accelerate Page Loading" option). More importantly, you can side-load other browsers. I've been trying out Firefox, Dolphin HD, and Opera. I have no clear preference yet, but each I find to be an incredible improvement over the Fire browser, both in terms of functionality and speed.
VIDEO: The video via Amazon Prime (a free trial was included with my purchase) was smooth. The sound is fine, but not great (although not worse than the iPad 1, from what I can tell). I connected it to external speakers (via the headphone connection) and it worked fine. Videos via YouTube online also worked fine. I haven't tried Netflix yet.
!!UPDATE: Netflix video works fine. I've now watched 3 movies, 1 on NetFlix and 2 through Amazon, and all have been smooth.
MAGAZINES: GQ has an application, and it works well (same as on the iPad). It's obviously smaller than on the iPad, but not too small as to bother me. Details, however, which does not have an application, could be improved greatly! The portrait view is small, and landscape view is even smaller, as it shows 2 pages by default (not sure if this can be changed). Both allow you to zoom in and out, which is especially important for Details.
!!UPDATE: I really, really, really dislike the magazines that do not have their own apps! GQ is great to read on the Fire, Details is not.
BOOKS: I downloaded a book on the history of Chess. Books are obviously a strength of the Kindle... from my perspective, nothing better or worse than the iPad.
!!UPDATE: I've read maybe 50 pages of a book (1491), and have been more than happy with the experience.
PDF FILES: Reading academic articles in PDF format worked fine. I was able to read without zooming in, but at a closer distance than I would typically read at. The zooming worked fine- no distortion of characters, formatting, etc. Reading academic articles in PDF format is one of the more important things for me, and I'm so far content with what I see.
EMAIL: Well, it's email. Basic, straight forward, email. I've not done more than check my emails, so I can't say too much on this.
KINDLE FIRE VS. IPAD: Which would I rather have? This is a difficult question, but the answer is not clearly the iPad, which I imagine says something important.
!!UPDATE: Interestingly, I'm starting to really appreciate the Kindle Fire. The size and functionality of it are much better for my specific needs/wants. I still love the iPad, but might just favor the Fire, given, again, my personal needs/wants. I would strongly encourage anyone who is considering a tablet to give serious consideration to the Fire.
That's all I have! In case it wasn't clear, I like it!
!!UPDATE: That's all I have after 3 days of owning the Fire. I'll try updating again at a later date.