Wow, I just got back from a short vacation and not only is it rip-roaring busy in library land today but additionally Amazon has introduced multiple new tablets. The new tablets consist of three new Kindle Fires and a new e-ink Kindle with a built-in lighting system called the Kindle Paperwhite.
The new Kindles are:
1. The Kindle Fire: This is the new entry-level Kindle Fire. It features a 7” screen, is Wi-Fi only, features 1024×600 pixel screen resolution (a higher screen resolution than the 1st generation Kindle Fire), has stereo speakers and 8 GB of storage. Price: $159.
2. The Kindle Fire HD: This version features a 7” screen, is Wi-Fi only, has a front facing video camera for video calls, offers 1280×800 pixel screen resolution, has Dolby Audio dual-driver stereo speakers and either 16 or 32 GB of storage. The 16 GB model costs $299 and the 32 GB model is $369.
3. The Kindle Fire HD 4G: This Kindle features an 8.9” screen, a front facing camera for video calls, 1920×1200 pixel screen resolution, has Dolby Audio dual-driver stereo speakers and either 32 or 64 GB of storage. The 32 GB version costs $499 and the 64 GB version is $599. Additionally of note regarding the 4G cellular connectivity Amazon states that “Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ offers the most affordable 4G tablet data package. Amazon’s 12 month 4G data package includes 250 MB a month of blazing fast 4G data, 20 GB of additional Cloud Drive storage, and $10 Amazon Appstore promotional credit, all for a one-time payment of only $49.99, no monthly payments required. If you need more data, additional 3 GB and 5 GB data plans are also available for purchase. You can sign up for a data plan right from your device.” So you can in essence tack another $49.95 onto the price of whichever of the two Kindle Fire HD 4G model you pick if you decide to purchase the Kindle Fire HD 4G.
4. The Kindle Paperwhite: And the e-ink Kindle Paperwhite is Wi-Fi only, features a built in lighting system (like the Barnes & Noble Glowlight) and a higher screen resolution than previous e-ink Kindle models. In fact, Amazon says of the screen resolution of the Paperwhite that it offers: “62% more pixels for unsurpassed resolution.” Additionally of note, this Kindle costs $139 for the add free version or $119 for the “Special Offers” version that features screen saver adds.
And you can find more information on all the new Kindle models at the Amazon website located at WWW.AMAZON.COM
And the Gizmodo tech site has a nice overview of the new models in the aptly named article Amazon’s New Kindle Avalanche Everything You Need to Know:
http://gizmodo.com/5941083/amazons-new-kindle-avalanche-everything-you-need-to-know
And if you’re in the market to buy a new tablet – or even your first tablet you may want to wait a bit despite Amazon’s new offerings as there are other new tablets forthcoming that may be even better than the ones Amazon introduced today. Google has, of course, already introduced its Nexus 7 tablet which has gained good reviews for its features and $199 price tag. Microsoft is coming out with its Surface tablet in October and Apple is likely to introduce a 7 or 8” Apple Mini iPad also in October. And just to add my two cents worth – I’m sure the Amazon’s HD 4G tablet is quite nice, and granted I haven’t seen it yet; however, if you’re spending more than $499 on tablet – I would still suggest you check out an iPad. You can come to the library and sit down with one of ours to test drive it before you buy it!
Have a great evening everyone!
Linda R.
Tech & Book Talk at SSCL 