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Launching the Kindle Fire was a mistake

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Re: Launching the Kindle Fire was a mistake

#41

Post by budu3 »

tghw wrote: post #11

Many of his main points are vacuous at best. "Adding insult to injury, it’s an extremely simple and ugly unlock-gesture, just the sweep of a mono-color bar from right to left." Since when is a function being simple a problem? And he's comparing it to a Windows phone, where the entire interface is based on "mono-color" tiles. The Fire is a $200 tablet, and aside from a misplaced On/Off button (not sure how that got pa…

> it’s an extremely simple and ugly unlock-gesture, just the sweep of a mono-color bar from right to left

I often wondered why a tablet would need such an unlock gesture. It makes sense on a cellphone because you don't want to accidentally unlock while your phone is in your pocket but can't we come up with a different gesture for the tablet form factor?

Re: Launching the Kindle Fire was a mistake

#42

Post by dotBen »

brudgers wrote: post #22

I read the criticisms of the Fire's OS and think, "why wouldn't the next version run Windows 8?" It is not as if Amazon has much shared interest with Google or a bunch of reasons to love Android and certainly Android doesn't give their tablets a marketing advantage.

Have you played with a Fire?

Amazon totally forked Android and ripped out all of the google bits, all of the default UI and made it into their own OS.

It's Android in that it will run Android apps but that's it.

In all other ways, Amazon's Android is competing with Google's Android, which is one of the reasons Amazon don't describe it as an Android tablet unless they are talking to developers.

It's actually a really interesting strategy, although from an Open Source perspective it's always a shame when companies fork successful projects for their own goals.

Re: Launching the Kindle Fire was a mistake

#43

Post by z92 »

freehunter wrote: post #13
extension wrote: post #10

Funny that anybody can think there is a first mover advantage in this market when tablets have been shipping and failing for about 30 years now, the idea itself is over 50 years old, and some directly related patents are over 100 years old! The secret to Apple's success is obviously their zen-like patience and restraint. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_tablet_computers

Tablets could hardly be considered consumer appliances before the iPad. They're not even in the same league, and this is coming from someone who owns zero Apple hardware.

Don't forgetting that there were touch devices prior to it, but those needed a stylus. Of course you could touch the screen for response, but those were not designed for such use.

Jobs success was in understanding that the first thing you needed to do to make tablets popular was to throw out the stylus.

Re: Launching the Kindle Fire was a mistake

#44

Post by __float »

tghw wrote: post #20
kristofferR wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My mother or any other normal non-geeky people in my family doesn't care whether the problem lies in software or hardware. They care about the experience. The Kindle Fire experience is terrible right now. That terrible experience is what they'll remember and associate the brand with.

"Terrible" is hyperbole at best. And while they may not care, my point is, Amazon can (and, I hope, will) improve it. All of these complaints about a $200 tablet remind me of Louis CK's bit on airplanes and cellphones, "Everything's amazing, and nobody's happy."

I really do have to agree. I got a Kindle Fire and I love it. I haven't really noticed any "terrible" aspects. It's not perfect but my experience has been good far more often than it has been bad.

Re: Launching the Kindle Fire was a mistake

#45

Post by RandallBrown »

seattlejet wrote: post #40
Evgeny wrote: post #39

I was contemplating on buying the Kindle Fire, but now I just have to buy it ... The voices "pro" and "contra" have split into almost precise 50/50 - now I just need to have the device so I can make a decision myself. I don't have any book reader yet at all - I have to start somewhere.

If you mainly want an e-reader, I recommend one of the other Kindles that has an E Ink display, which is wonderful. The Fire doesn't have an E Ink display.

e-ink is wonderful, until you turn the page or you turn off the lamp that's next to you.

Everyone tells me you get used to the e-ink flash, and I hear it's gotten much better, but it still kinda stinks. Most of my reading is done in bed or on my couch, neither of which has great reading light. The LCD is perfect for this.

Maybe it's the years I've spent in front of a computer, but staring at a screen in the dark doesn't bother me at all. Maybe I'll regret it someday.

Re: Launching the Kindle Fire was a mistake

#46

Post by beatle »

tghw wrote: post #20
kristofferR wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My mother or any other normal non-geeky people in my family doesn't care whether the problem lies in software or hardware. They care about the experience. The Kindle Fire experience is terrible right now. That terrible experience is what they'll remember and associate the brand with.

"Terrible" is hyperbole at best. And while they may not care, my point is, Amazon can (and, I hope, will) improve it. All of these complaints about a $200 tablet remind me of Louis CK's bit on airplanes and cellphones, "Everything's amazing, and nobody's happy."

You keep mentioning the price. The price is not an excuse to ship a crappy product.

The iPod Touch starts at $200 and it's a great product.

Re: Launching the Kindle Fire was a mistake

#47

Post by beatle »

Evgeny wrote: post #39

I was contemplating on buying the Kindle Fire, but now I just have to buy it ... The voices "pro" and "contra" have split into almost precise 50/50 - now I just need to have the device so I can make a decision myself. I don't have any book reader yet at all - I have to start somewhere.

get a refurb iPad 1.

Re: Launching the Kindle Fire was a mistake

#48

Post by extension »

freehunter wrote: post #13
extension wrote: post #10

Funny that anybody can think there is a first mover advantage in this market when tablets have been shipping and failing for about 30 years now, the idea itself is over 50 years old, and some directly related patents are over 100 years old! The secret to Apple's success is obviously their zen-like patience and restraint. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_tablet_computers

Tablets could hardly be considered consumer appliances before the iPad. They're not even in the same league, and this is coming from someone who owns zero Apple hardware.

I think tablets before the iPad would have taken whatever they could get, but they couldn't make it in any market. Apple had to wait for many planets to align before they could make their move:

- It wasn't until the web that any new consumer computing platform was viable whatsoever.

- Even then, the new platform had to start as a phone, so people had an excuse to buy it (well, I need a phone anyway...) and so the carriers could subsidize it.

- All the technology needed to be there, and cheap: a responsive multitouch sensor, a GPU for smooth interface animation, a backlit color screen, gigs of solid state storage, hardware video codecs, batteries that last for days, durable glass/metal enclosure, and probably all sorts of little things that we don't even notice.

My point is that the iPad's success wasn't about being first. It was essentially about being last.

Re: Launching the Kindle Fire was a mistake

#50

Post by acknickulous »

I personally love the Kindle Fire. I'm an iPad user, but I bought a Fire to check it out. It's surprisingly powerful--and the 7 inch form factor is great for games.

But yeah--the interface is fiddly. I think the only reason why I get so much use out of my Fire is because I'm used to dealing with buggy products. I'd never give one to my parents. Maybe 2.0.

Oh--and the browser is HORRIBLE. Despite Amazon's crowing about their new tech--it seems like Skyfire repackaged. And super hard to use.

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