On September 28th, Amazon.com announced their long-anticipated color Kindle reader called the Amazon Kindle Fire. Get it? Kindle. Fire. This article talks about the 2011 version of the Kindle Fire. For more information on the Kindle Fire HD, please see updated articles.
This new Wi-Fi tablet starts at $199. That's a better price than the the Barnes & Noble Nook Color. The Nook Color will probably drop in price at the news, but right now it's selling for $249 and doesn't offer the same media deals or processing power.
Verdict
Is it worth it? If you've already got a large Kindle book library and were waiting for a nice color tablet, I'd say this would make a great stocking stuffer come Christmas time.
There are a few caveats. Be warned that you're giving up a lot of battery life to go with this. Amazon says that there's power for 8 hours of continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video watching - with Wi-Fi off. The black and white Kindles give you weeks of reading time between charges. It's also not that great of a battery life compared to some current offerings in the tablet world. Other Android tablets and the Apple iPad have a 10 hour battery life. That may not matter in most situations, but it will make a big difference on a long business trip.
