Amazon’s launch today of the 7-inch Kindle Fire was much anticipated, with some touting it as a possible iPad killer. The simple truth is that it can’t compete with such a complete device as the iPad. And it doesn’t have to. The iPad is an HDMI port and Flash-support away from general purpose tablet perfection. But the Kindle Fire is purpose-built for one thing: consuming Amazon content.
When it comes to MP3’s, you’d be hard pressed to find a more complete ecosystem than the combination of iTunes and an iOS device of your choosing. Amazon’s entry into the tablet market is the same beast, replacing iTunes with Amazon’s cloud service and MP3’s with every form of digital media imaginable. When it comes to multimedia consumption, the iPad can’t come close to the Fire without getting burned. But the Kindle tablet can’t be anywhere near as productive or flexible as the iPad. These are clearly two distinctly different devices and two separate markets.
If there is any doubt that Amazon has no intentions of competing with the iPad head-to-head, just consider the Kindle Fire’s lack of ports, cameras, and microphone. The design is a clear indication that Amazon wants no part of the general-purpose tablet world. The Fire is designed to deliver Amazon content to the user as quickly and as seamlessly as possible, making the consumer more likely to purchase more stuff.
As for the tablet itself, the 7-inch device is similar enough to the Blackberry Playbook to make a clear comparison. Though the Playbook hasn’t fared well, the fact is that the hardware platform is excellent. The specs are top-notch, the speed excellent, and the screen beautiful. Amazon has done an outstanding job repurposing what was a failed device from another company and shown what its potential really was. Though RIM may feel a bit of shame for not fully realizing what they had, they can also feel a bit vindicated by the idea that their platform wasn’t a complete failure.
In the end, Amazon will sell millions of the Kindle Fire devices, and they should. They have clearly embraced the future of cloud-based computing and have now delivered to the masses the first commercially viable application that will prove the concept once and for all.