Auberge Akilisso Technology

The world’s largest online retailer, Amazon.com Inc., unveiled its all-new tablet on September 28, 2011. The tablet is called the Amazon Kindle Fire and will be available in the US market on November 15, 2011. A lot of buzz has been generated since Amazon’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, made the announcement.

Apple’s iPad has single-handedly dominated the tablet PC landscape since its launch in early 2010. With so many tablets being launched since 2010, the question always arises as to how these new tablets stack up against the market leader, the Apple iPad 2.

We have seen many top tech companies launch their own version of tablet PCs like the Samsung Galaxy, Motorola Xoom and RIM’s Blackberry Playbook, to name a few. However, none of these competitors have been able to significantly impact Apple’s domination in the tablet PC arena so far.

At first glance, looks like the Amazon’s all-new tablet will pose a significant challenge to the iPad 2, especially that it’s priced at $199 compared to Apple’s iPad 2 price of $499. However, a closer look at the specifications and features is required to help determine which tablet is right for you. Having said so, let’s take a close look at the pros and cons of the Amazon Kindle Fire.

Operating System: the Amazon Kindle Fire runs on a customized version of Android 2.3 OS, whereas, the Apple iPad 2 runs Apple’s iOS 4.3.1. Without getting too technical, these two operating systems are comparable, with a few differences. However, with the combination of the new cloud-accelerated split browser, Amazon Silk, the web experience on the Kindle is expected to have an advantage in terms of speed and performance.

Amazon Silk Browser: as briefly mentioned above, Silk is a cloud-accelerated internet browser that is exclusive to Amazon’s Kindle Fire. In simple terms, this innovative web browser does all the heavy lifting through Amazon’s remote servers, thereby using less resources of the Kindle Fire device. This not only helps in the tablets speed and performance, but also conserves battery life.

Processor: the Kindle Fire uses the TI OMAP 4 dual-core processor, whereas, the iPad 2 uses Apple’s A5 dual-core processor. Both the processors have a speed of 1 GHz, therefore, they are quite comparable in terms of speed.

With the flood of new technology that has hit the market, it can be overwhelming trying to pick out a new computer. But the good news is that depending on your lifestyle and how you use your computer, these new technologies can be more convenient as well as cheaper than the tradition laptop or PC.

The two biggest technologies that have come out in the last few years are netbooks and slate tablets. It’s important to know the difference to determine which one is best for you. The netbooks are streamlined laptops that are designed to surf the internet, use email and operate with a handful of different computer programs. Tablets are the computers that look like over sized cell phones that have a flat screen and no noticeable keyboard.

So which one is right for you?
When it comes to picking out a tablet or a netbook, the primary factor is going to be how you plan to use it or how versatile it needs to be. For instance, if you are looking for a lightweight computer that is good for surfing the internet or watching movies you may prefer a tablet, such as the iPad or the upcoming Amazon Kindle Fire. However, if you are looking for something that is going to look and feel like a laptop, such as the propped up screen and keyboard, you would probably prefer a netbook. For instance, if you have to travel for business and you are going to need to write emails, work on PowerPoint presentations, etc., the netbook would be preferable as it’s much like a laptop but more portable.

Another bonus to using tablets is that there are numerous different apps that are specialized for the unique way in which you use a tablet. In fact it is the Apps that have made the tablets what they are. These small, cheap software packages allow you to do everything from play games, gather your news or stock information, read books, teach kids just about anything, and a whole lot more. Plus, for a nominal fee, you can have an app custom created for a special purpose such as keeping track of inventory, taking credit card purchases or running a business. Tablets certainly have a lot more flexibility.