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"Amazon\u2019s Kindle Fire tablet is no Apple iPad \u2014 and it seems that most Fire owners are quite okay with that. \nIn a recent open thread on Mashable regarding the product\u2019s recent troubles, freshly minted Kindle Fire owners shared their stories \u2014 and mostly, love \u2014 for what could end up being Amazon\u2019s most successful gadget ever.\nMany users did report frustration with the poorly placed power button, lack of volume-control buttons and too-small fonts for certain features, and a few even said they returned the device. However, time and time again, the majority noted how they paid just $199 and not the near $500 you\u2019ll spend for an entry-level Apple iPad \u2014 and they declared themselves more than satisfied.\nTo date, Apple\u2019s 9.7-inch tablet has been the industry-dominating device in the market, selling at least 40 million units over nearly two years. No other tablet, Android-based or otherwise, has come close \u2013 until now. The Kindle is, reportedly, selling extremely well. One analyst thinks it could sell 6 million units before the end of the year. Those are iPad-esque numbers.\nStill, even as Amazon celebrated this success, there were naysayers. As I pointed out in my own review, this is clearly a 1.0 device, where the marriage between hardware and software is somewhat imperfect. I was unhappy with the power button, disliked the super-small fonts and ran into the same bugginess as others. Nielsen grabbed some consumers and showed the Fire to them, and they seemed unhappy too. What\u2019s important, to note, though, is that those users didn\u2019t choose the device and probably have not had the Amazon membership experience, which is key to the Kindle Fire's appeal.\nAmazon is promising a software update in a couple of weeks, which could address some of these issues.Though Amazon\u2019s statement concerning the matter never directly addressed the complaints, its timing made clear that Amazon has heard the unhappy voices.\nSo Mashable took it to the people who did buy the Amazon Kindle Fire. They likely chose it over an iPad or Barnes &amp; Noble Nook Tablet (another Android-based 7-inch tablet) and surely use it every day. What do they really think of Amazon\u2019s 7-inch content consumption device?\nRepeatedly, commenters outlined the very same problems found by me, Nielsen and others. Yet, they invariably came to the same conclusion: These are minor issues easily fixed with a software update, and the Kindle Fire's a great bargain for $199.Anthony Fontana listed almost every single Kindle Fire deficit: uncontrollable carousel, poor Amazon Prime movie selection, a sluggish OS, small text. However, he ends with this: \u201CThe good news: Most of the above can be fixed with software updates and adding better apps to the app store. \u2026As for the 5\u2033x7\u2033 size, it\u2019s the only quality of the Fire that\u2019s perfect. I can\u2019t wait for a 5x7 iPad!\u201D\nPMarks loves his Kindle Fire and added this insight, \u201CNielsen\u2019s \u2018usability\u2019 criticism is especially misleading: It really applies to 7\u2033 tablets in general, not the Fire in particular.\u201C\nHe also echoed a common theme: Kindle Fire\u2019s price. PMarks called it \u201CDirt Cheap.\u201D Dave Armstrong, for example, complained about the easy-to-hit on-off button, but still recommended, \u201CToss the Kindle in your pocket along with the 300-800 dollars you saved by not buying an iPad and off you go.\u201D\nBethReads wants Amazon to take care of \u201Cthe annoying carousel issue,\u201D but still sounds quite pleased with the device, and maybe a bit perplexed over the complaints, \u201CIt does what I needed to do, and if you paid $200 expecting an iPad, you deserve to be disappointed.\u201D\nA number of commenters extolled one of the Kindle Fire\u2019s primary benefits: The Amazon ecosystem and the near frictionless environment for consuming content. \nLoriFromPeru explained, \u201CIf I were using this as my main computer I might have different feelings but for a portal entertainment device that allows me to watch videos, read magazines and books and newspapers and do some light web surfing, it\u2019s perfect.\u201D\nCode Honor recognized one of the other oft-repeated complaints: Lack of parental controls. It\u2019s a valid concern for families. Digging in to the Kindle\u2019s settings leads you to a Security dead end with no perceivable way of setting up parental controls. On the other hand, getting around this is fairly easy for Code, a single guy who says, \u201Cnobody else will be using my tablet.\u201D \nSome users have been concerned about one-click purchases and how easily family members can rack up significant Amazon bills. Still, I saw no complaints in our open thread about one-click buy. One savvy user, Nicholas Hooper, explained he disabled it by going into the Prime settings. He added, \u201CReading books is fine and I enjoy listening to audio books on it before I go to sleep at night. Web browsing is not lightning quick but it\u2019s usable and streaming movies from Netflix or Prime look beautiful. So far it is worth every penny of the $199 price tag.\u201D\nIf these comments are any barometer, then Amazon has little to worry about. The software update should arrive within two weeks and will likely make the Kindle Fire less buggy and a bit more useable. It won\u2019t correct the hardware issues like that annoying power button or a lack of physical volume control, but that\u2019s what we can expect from the Amazon Kindle Fire 2, right?\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire -- The Review\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Main Bookshelf Interface\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: The Box\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: The Box Cover\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Inside the Box\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Power Adapter\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: What's This?\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: The Only Documentation\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Holding it, Wide\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Lock Screen\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Home Screen Bookshelf\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Home Screen Bookshelf Wide\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Main Menu\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: The Only Button\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: The Back\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Carousel\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Apps\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Tiny Buy Button\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Silk Browser\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: A Game App\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire:  App Crash\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Email Setup\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Email Accounts\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Details\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Email is Easy\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Email Has No Exchange Support\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Dig Down to Processes\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Settings\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmazon Kindle Fire: Case\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2011/12/14/kindle-fire-owners-love-their-tablet-flaws-and-all/>