The iPad might be Oprah’s favorite thing, but the Amazon Kindle Fire ain’t bad.

{Updated December 22, 2011 to incorporate comments after new Kindle 6.2.1 update. A ✓ indicates update}I feel that many bloggers and journalists jumped on the review the Amazon Kindle Fire bandwagon a bit early. I understand their need to get their reviews out there, but often it seemed as if their analysis was written, posted and online even before the device had a chance to fully complete a first battery charge.

I’ve been using the $199 Amazon Kindle Fire daily since its release (I preordered). Along the way, I’ve shared a couple of posts and a list of apps to consider (and I’ve been through a bunch of ’em), but have yet to post a full review. I felt the device needed a bit of a shakedown cruise before I drew any conclusions.

After about a month of use and an OS update, it is now time to share a realistic long-term use review. I’ll try to keep the review succinct and along the way present some important points and highlights that might help users on the fence make a decision on whether they want to find a Amazon Kindle Fire under their Christmas tree. Hit the link below for the Doc’s Tech Notes review of the Amazon Kindle Fire.

I will begin with a public statement. I am an Apple Fanboy. I own an iPhone, iPad and several Macs. When a new Apple product is released, I’m regularly the first in the family to purchase it. Safe to say that I come into this review with a large bias towards iOS devices. I wasn’t sure how I would warm up to this new Android based device. I was excited about the Amazon eco-system (more below), but could Amazon, “the online retailer,” really handle the OS and hardware requirements necessary to make the Kindle Fire a pleasant consumer experience? In short, I think they did. Let’s take a look and see why. I’m going to organize this review by breaking my comments down in the following order: “Da Bad,” “Da Okay,” and “Da Good.”

Da Bad:
Below is a list of items that need improvement and generally affect the user’s overall experience.

• Amazon Appstore for Android – I put the big one up front. This is the device’s Achilles’ heel. While Amazon’s attempt to create an app store is admirable, it is just missing too many important and popular apps, which leads me to my next bullet.
• No Google apps – The Google Marketplace is THE spot for Android devices that are Google approved. Unfortunately, the Kindle is not one of those devices, so no Google apps are available for the Kindle Fire. I’m sure a hack will come soon that will make it easy to add the Google Android Market (I’ve actually hacked an Archos 43 to do this), but it will always be a hack and something the majority of Kindle Fire users will not attempt.
• Lack of accessories – Currently there are very few accessories and cases for the device. More will come with time, but I have yet to make a case purchase. I’m looking for that perfect, simple and elegant case. If you have a suggestion, drop a comment and let me know what you are using.
• No Bluetooth – We’ve learned that the Kindle Fire includes the Bluetooth hardware; however, Amazon has chosen not to activate it. Should they decide to do so, this would open up some interesting hardware accessory opportunities such as headphones and keyboards. Hey, Amazon! Why wouldn’t you want to up-sale the Kindle Fire owners?
• No active light sensor – Another one of those “the hardware is in there, why ain’t it working?” questions. You can see the sensor in the upper-left corner of the tablet. If and when activated, it should adjust the brightness automatically.
• Period/space bar relationship – The keyboard layout is a bit strange with regard to spacebar/period relationship. I often find myself hitting the period rather than the space bar. I’ve even seen this online from other Kindle users.
• ✓ Touch experience – Kindle Fire update 6.2.1 clears up all issues I had. The device now registers 99% of all my touches. Very nice improvement. Sometimes touches just don’t register. This is bit…scratch that…VERY annoying. The new Kindle 6.2 update (released November 30th, 2011) is a significant improvement; however, the OS still needs a bit more tweaking as do many of the individual apps.

Da Okay:

The list below contains quirks that other reviewers and users find annoying; however, they don’t really bother me.

• Task Switching – The move between applications should be fast and efficient. Most Android devices provide excellent task switching options. The Kindle Fire does not. You have to press a few buttons and almost always have to go back the home screen and then hit the app icon again. It works and isn’t a huge nuisance, but a more streamlined approach is needed.
• Bland design – It’s a big black slab; nothing more, nothing less. I still think the device is nice to hold and has good weight distribution despite the bland design. That to me is more important in a $200 device.
• No home button – It’s a software home button. I have no issues with it. Sure it takes two presses to get to the home screen, but it is not difficult.
• No hardware volume keys – Same as the previous bullet. I would like to see consistency regarding the software volume controls though. Some apps make the volume controls available without an additional tap beyond the home button, others require one.
• No 3G – I am not interested in another device that requires a monthly fee. I am also on a college campus where free Wi-Fi is available. Lastly, if I do need to connect the Kindle Fire, I can use the hotspot feature on my iPhone.
• Battery life – Many reviews compare the battery life to the iPad. That’s unfair. This device is smaller and cannot possibly contain the same amount of battery power. It always lasts at least a full day or two for me and that’s good enough.
• ✓ Carousel – Prior to the Kindle 6.2.1 update, items that appeared in the carousel remained there. That’s okay if you are the sole user and never share the device with anyone. If you use the device to browse online shopping or banking and pass this to a friend, you basically pass them the keys to the kingdom. 6.2.1 now allows items to be removed. This is handy and more secure, but we still need a way to organize items in the carousel.

Da Good:
The items below place the Amazon Kindle Fire above and beyond other tablets in, and possibly out of, its class.

• Price – At just $199, with no tax or shipping when purchased from Amazon, the Kindle Fire is a bargain in the tablet world. At this price point I was comfortable with my pre-order. I’m a gadget nut and I could justify $199. Had the device been even $100 more, it would not have been an option.
• Send to Kindle E-mail Address – This is one of my favorite features from my original Kindle (yep the one with the goofy industrial design). I can send documents to the Kindle Fire by simply e-mailing them. I use this frequently when I receive an e-mail that contains a document I need for a meeting. I simply forward the e-mail to my personal Kindle e-mail address, sync the Kindle fire and lo and behold, it appears in the Kindle Fire Docs area. This feature gets me that much closer to the paperless office.
• Size – I love the size of the Kindle Fire. It fits in almost any bag and can easily be carried on top of a stack of books without worry. Heck, I’ve even found that it fits in my sport coat and suit pockets. I picked up the old first generation iPad and have to say, that thing weighs a ton when you have been using the Kindle Fire for awhile.
• Screen – I like the 7 inch screen. I wasn’t sure I would. There are times when I wish I had a bit more screen real estate, but in general the size works well 95% of the time. I have to admit that videos look amazing and there is no black banding thanks to the high def 16:9 screen aspect ratio.
• Gorilla Glass – You have to love the name, especially if you are a Gorilla Glue fan like me (wonder if there’s a connection…surely there is). And, so far the glass has proven to be pretty durable.  Despite the lack of case, I have not seen a single scratch.
• Out of the box experience – Unlike iOS devices, all Kindle devices are delivered and preconfigured with your Amazon account information. As soon as you fire up the device, you are ready to begin downloading previously purchased books, documents, audio and video. This significantly streamlines the “from box to operation” process.
• Amazon ecosystem – This really is where the Kindle Fire shines. If you use Amazon to purchase media, you will find an excellent selection of electronic content. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can also access thousands of free movies, television shows and books. I have found the Amazon ecosystem more robust and affordable than Apple’s offering.
• No camera – You are probably asking yourself, “how can the lack of a feature be a good thing?” I really have no use for a camera on my tablet. Let’s be honest with ourselves, if Amazon did include a camera, how happy would we be with it given the $199 price point. By not including a camera, I don’t have to list “horrible camera” in the Da Bad section.
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi – A device this inexpensive could have just thrown in b/g. The Kindle Fire also includes n. While I wish it was based on the 5kHz radio frequency (to get it out of the congested wireless phone/microwave space), the extra speed has come in handy during large file transfers. ✓ Kindle update 6.2.1 allows Wi-Fi passwords to be ignored. In other words, you have to enter the Wi-Fi password each time you connect. This is Amazon’s attempt to provide some child-proofing. Not the perfect solution, but a step in the right direction.
• No-slip back – The Kindle Fire’s back has a rubbery feel that provides a very secure grip. I’ve never thought I was going to drop it as I do with iOS devices whose backs are either glass or metal.

Getting There:

If you take my list and count the items in Da Bad and Da Good, you may ask me, “why would you purchase this device?” It is a simple answer. I can create a similar list for iOS devices. I can be critical. I am not an Apple fan boy to the extent that I cannot see the flaws in Apple products and services (I’m speaking to you Mobile Me and iCloud).

However, a review of the Kindle Fire must take the device at face value. “It is what it is.” You cannot compare it to an iPad. It is not an iPad and I don’t believe it to be an iPad competitor. It is also a first generation device with what we can assume will be several OS updates along the way to clear up the annoying issues and add additional features. Ask yourself before you make an Amazon Kindle Fire  purchase, will this device do the things a $200 tablet should do. I think it does. My wife and I were discussing the Kindle Fire (she uses an original iPad) and I likened the comparison to a Kia versus Lexus discussion. Both will get you there, but which can you truly afford? For a large portion of the population the Kindle Fire will “get them there” just fine.

So Amazon Kindle Fire owners, how’d I do? Do you object to my review or a portion thereof? Drop a comment. Do you want to add to the review? Drop a comment. Are you still on the fence about a purchase? Drop a comment and ask away.