Amazon targets the iPad: Ready, aim, Fire

All I want to know is if it will support Flash Player. I bought a phone, the Samsung Admire and they said it supported Flash. But come to find out it supports Flash menus but not Flash Player. So if this supports Flash Player then it's worth it.

If "What will happen is people will buy both. Because they're really for different purposes..." and "...the camera would be superfluous, since practically everyone has one in their phone anyway..." are true, then aren't we talking about a $500-$600 gaggle of devices competing with the iPad?

2 inches smaller is not half the size. It's also slightly thicker but lighter.
While some comments talk about this not being a competitor to the iPad, in a way it is. By carving a new, less expensive market, it will erode sales of iPads as not everyone wants, needs or can afford the iPad.

Another aspect of this is technology turnover. Anyone who has had portable devices like this know that after about 3-4 years, you won't be using it as much and the "next big thing" will be in the crosshairs of your wallet. With a device like the Fire priced at a third of the iPad, people can afford to get the "next big thing" - in that device class - once every 12-18 months.

If successful, it won't be long before Apple offers a "cut-down" version of the Ipad. When playing with the big boys, you have to be prepared for all the competition. We'll see if the loss of Steve Jobs will affect the future of Apple.

Disappointing, to say the least, since those important features such as integrated cameras are standard and people have become accustomed to having them in their electronic devices such as tablets and phones. Besides, the technology to incorporate these features are cheap and affordable. I'm surprised to see Amazon pooh-pooh-ing things which have become part of our daily lives here in the US, however extravagant they may be in other cultures. Failing to meet the expectations of the American consumer does excite this kind of response and the proof is all around us. Good luck to Amazon on coming up short.

Is there any such thing as "nuanced" tech industry analysis? Like the fact that this tablet serves fundamentally different purposes than the iPad, even though there is some functionality overlap? That they are marketed at different types of people for different reasons? That they can co-exist, even amongst the belongings of a single individual? Just because the "blender" was invented doesn't mean the hand mixer or even the wire whisk is obsolete or that they are in direct competition?

I guess provocative over-simplified articles is what gets clicks and readers don't have the intelligence or patience to read anything deeper "oooo! It's a THROWDOWN! FIGHT FIGHT!"

One thing companies with tablets coming out don't realize that they have become lifestyle gadgets. Apple has successfully managed to target the right consumer segment with their premium pricing. That segment also buys more apps and content.

my wife has a color nook, its a great reader, but when you acess the internet with it, its kind of like having old dial up 56k. extreamly slow and a pain to use, (but good in a pinch) Amazon has developed its own browser techn. that is going to be lightening fast, and feature rich. the fire is a tablet that has a reader, the nook is a reader that has some tablet features

Does this bit of kit have an e-ink screen?,so that it can be read in bright sun.I know it has colour but I like black and white for reading.

"By PETER SVENSSON - AP Technology Writer" do you even know about tech? This is NOT a direct competitor to the IPad. It's a completely different market. This is, at best, a competitor to the Nook and other similar basement tablets. Not sure why you AP types keep positioning this as an IPad competitor. I suppose it gets readers. I don't even like the IPad (don't own one either, it's over priced...and other things), but it's a much better product than this thing. This is an entry level 7 inch tablet.

I can already have extra storage and move from computer to Nook Color via mini SD card.

There's something for everyone. All the debates mean nothing. If you are happy with your device, it makes no difference. It seems people just love to debate to show is more intelligent in the matter. It's a lot of hot air!

In my view, the Fire is about half way between the old Kindle and the bottom of the line iPad. It’s priced about right for what it is. It will kill off the iPad on the same day that KIA kills off BMW.

In fact, there is a very good chance that this will actually increase Apple’s iPad sales. The flood of tablets hitting the market, including the Fire, Nook, Playbook, and all the Android tablets, is creating a huge amount of publicity. The tablet “chatter level” is getting so high now that many consumers are being awakened. Someone who didn’t think they wanted or needed a tablet just a few months ago may be swept up in the global wave of tablet enthusiasm. The idea that a tablet is something you really need and ought to have is being validated.

So once you and your spouse decide that perhaps you ought to get a tablet, the next step is to check them out and see what’s available. After a few trips to BestBuy and the Apple Store, there is a very strong possibility that you will opt for the market leader and best tablet out there. That would, of course, be Apple and the iPad.

I think the biggest mistake that many tablet purchasers make is to get one with WiFi only connectivity. Many of the very best and most useful apps make use of GPS location services and availability anywhere. Pricing for 3G connectivity is much better for tablets than for smart phones (no contracts, low cost plans that can be started and stopped and upgraded or downgraded on the fly). It’s a joy to be able to use an iPad wherever you happen to be regardless of whether or not WiFi is available.

Android = No Thanx.....

Just like cars, this will create two different markets for tablets. The Fire for a low cost entertainment tablet on one end and the ipad as the high priced full featured tablet at the other end.

I think this will play out very well for Amazon and Apple. However the rest of the tablets will have problems as they keep charging high prices for low value items.

No access to the Android store, only to Amazon's current Android offerings? $200 for only 8GB internal storage versus 16/32/64GB for iPad & the rest. Current prices of SSD internal storage put any tablet over the $250 mark.

The screen is too small for the Amazon model to even remotely compete with iPad. My Nook Color does all that, has storage and already play games movies, etc. and I have my laptop for more intense computing. amazon's item is nothing new and certainly comes out WAY after the popular Nook Color. My Nook Color also has access to many Android apps and can sync with my computer so Amazon, you're too late

you can tell from the post, that most of the neg ones come from people that have not taken the time to go check out all the info on this. The cheap made in china clones are going to take a beating, Fire vs Ipad $200 vs $500 or more, free wi-fi vs 2 year contract @ $100 a month. no phone, no camera, unlimited cloud storage of amazon stuff and 8 gig on board (more that enough for most people) and since developers design apps to make $$$ you are going to see a big surge in apps available at Amazon. They have tapped in to a very large and neglected market, people who don't have, want or are not willing to pay for smart phone, ipad, 2 year contract. Just the amount of made in china android tablet clones on the market today, ought to give you some idea of how big this market is.

Saying that this is the only real competition for the iPad is ridiculous. What's the fastest tablet on the market right now? The Archos G9 series which outspecs the iPad for half the price? This article contains less research than 10 minutes on Google.

what a bunch of CRAP