HIDDEN SECRETS OF THE AMAZON KINDLE FIRE!

Sounds like another INDIANA JONES MOVIE, doesn't it?

Not quite ... though if Cate Blanchett wanted to show up next to me dressed as a slinky Nazi spy, I wouldn't complain ...

but she might ... to her agent

"Get me a better looking co-star!!"

There are some myths floating around about the AMAZON KINDLE FIRE

that I thought I might shed the light of truth on.

I've read several reviews that seemed a bit unfair ...

1.) One review claimed the battery life was poor without even testing it (most reviews found the battery life was actually better than Amazon quotes.

2.) One review claimed it didn’t have a light sensor for automatic brightness.

That last point might look correct, but a quick inspection of the Fire turns up a light sensor at the upper-left hand corner of the screen.

However, it seems the latest version of the Kindle software does not allow for automatic brightness,

but a demo unit at Best Buy had automatic brightness enabled. So I’m assuming this is a feature that will simply be turned on in a later software upgrade.

3.) One review stated : "What isn't so impressive is the 169 ppi pixel density."

Say again?

The larger iPad has lower pixel density at 132 ppi. The Kindle Fire pixel density is identical to what's on the 7" Nook Tablet,

Both of which have this somewhat heavier density on a smaller device than the iPad, which is a good thing :-)

4.) The same review went on : "...a dual-core 1GHz TI OMAP chip, but here paired with only 512MB of RAM. Perhaps it's the step down from the standard 1GB ..."

Really? Alice Wentworth is starting to growl. Reality check time :

The iPad has only 512MB of RAM also!

A lot of the Kindle Fire’s speed depends on your wireless network, because so much of the backbone of the Fire is on Amazon’s servers.

Now to the fun stuff :

1.) Screen – The screen on the Kindle Fire is really one of the highlights of the device. It’s crystal clear, has good viewing angles, and amazing colors.

It is prone to smudges though, so I would recommend getting some screen protectors if that type of thing really bothers you.

2.) The biggest issue solved by the Kindle Fire is that you no longer have to a book light or leave a light on when you're reading at night.

Coupled this with the fact that I find it easier to hold the Kindle Fire rather than the iPad 2 I borrowed from a friend when I’m reading laying down or propped up on pillows, this is a big win. The bright, backlit screen alleviates the need for a light.

3.) The fact that you can easily check email and do some other Tablet like functionality on this device is a real plus.

It’s not that you would expect to use this as a Tablet. You don’t. But you will like the option available to do other things if they become necessary.

All in all, the Kindle Fire is FUN. It is a gorgeous 7-inch, 16-million color display beaming a custom Amazonian Android build, made specifically for Kindle's essence.

From the minute you turn it on, the device is puzzlingly simple.

You don't have to think about how to use the Fire...

Reading, watching, browsing, and listening on the Fire are all tremendous, easy fun. Books, even very long ones, spring open quickly; page turning is, most of the time, very responsive.
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