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Kindle Fire usability study shows 'disappointing' user experience - Page 2

post #41 of 102
12/6/11 at 5:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 'Apple

As for the 5 star reviews, basic human psychology explains those. People will go through all sorts of mental gymnastics and self rationalizing to convince themselves that they made a good purchase.

Record this on your iphone, and play it back to yourself. Hello Pot, have you met Kettle?
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post #42 of 102
12/6/11 at 5:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by djdj View Post

Of course the article here at AppleInciter doesn't say anything about how the same guy had roughly the same things to say about the iPad and its apps too. Selective reporting for the win.

Your point doesn't hold any validity until you post a link.

W. Pauli, winner of the Nobel prize in physics, said that all scientific methods fail when questions of origin are involved.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v7/n4/ten-best-evidences

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W. Pauli, winner of the Nobel prize in physics, said that all scientific methods fail when questions of origin are involved.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v7/n4/ten-best-evidences

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post #43 of 102
12/6/11 at 5:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bryanl View Post

Record this on your iphone, and play it back to yourself. Hello Pot, have you met Kettle?

It's the same thing for the HP TouchPad, and that thing blows bigtime.

It has 4 stars on Amazon and 647 reviews.

Crazy, fanatical people will convince themselves of anything.

I don't care if something has 6 stars on Amazon (yeah, I know 5 is the limit). I have 2 perfectly functioning eyes, and when I see evidence of a stuttering, jerky, laggy tablet in action, I am going to declare that it is garbage, simple as that. And the Kindle Fire fits that definition based on what I saw.
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post #44 of 102
12/6/11 at 5:50am
Quote:
I'm rolling out of my chair over here. Perhaps for the faithful here at AI, a "4 man study", of which I'm sure at least 3 are i-Fans, is scientific and meaningful. For the rest of the world with any type of objective reasoning ability, this is just another run of the mill hate piece. I haven't seen or touched a Kindle Fire in person, but the bias of the pro-Apple reviewers is beyond blatant. With nearly 4000 reviews and an average of 4 stars on Amazon, I can't do much more than laugh at anyone who claims the thing is 'junk'

Quote:
Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post

Justin Bieber has 4.5 stars on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Justin-Bieber-...3177775&sr=1-3

As for the Kindle Fire, out of 3,970 reviews, 869 are two stars and below, that's about 22% of all reviews. 523 reviews are rock bottom, 1 star. That's a lot of unsatisfied people. I'm assuming that most of those people are returning theirs. That's a pretty big return rate.

As for the 5 star reviews, basic human psychology explains those. People will go through all sorts of mental gymnastics and self rationalizing to convince themselves that they made a good purchase.

As pointed out, averages can be misleading and can 'hide' the true results of the data. A break down of the average shows the real story.

W. Pauli, winner of the Nobel prize in physics, said that all scientific methods fail when questions of origin are involved.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v7/n4/ten-best-evidences

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W. Pauli, winner of the Nobel prize in physics, said that all scientific methods fail when questions of origin are involved.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v7/n4/ten-best-evidences

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post #45 of 102
12/6/11 at 5:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post

Justin Bieber has 4.5 stars on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Justin-Bieber-...3177775&sr=1-3

As for the Kindle Fire, out of 3,970 reviews, 869 are two stars and below, that's about 22% of all reviews. 523 reviews are rock bottom, 1 star. That's a lot of unsatisfied people. I'm assuming that most of those people are returning theirs. That's a pretty big return rate.

As for the 5 star reviews, basic human psychology explains those. People will go through all sorts of mental gymnastics and self rationalizing to convince themselves that they made a good purchase.

Yep, Amazon employees, their families, their neighbors, paid shills, etc...
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post #46 of 102
12/6/11 at 6:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by caliminius View Post

Why do you even bother commenting on stuff? It's always the same: "[insert non-Apple product here] sucks!" Thanks for that great insight...never mind that you've never actually used most of these products. Do Apple fans have to act like such douches?

You obviously never used a Kindle Fire. Care to point out why it is so great? In your experience why would one part with 200 USD for it? What faults do you see with it? Or is it perfect?
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post #47 of 102
12/6/11 at 6:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bryanl View Post

The Kindle Fire isn't the fastest tablet. That being said, I don't have nearly the amount of problems that the author of this article has. I'm able to read books, surf the web, and play quite a few games. Is it all perfect? No. Has any mobile device really been perfect? No. It is pretty usable, and sometimes I think we, as a group, just like to complain.

I wouldn't like this to be my only tablet. It isn't the fastest thing in the world. The lack of the Google ecosystem, means I don't get the cooler Reader, Docs, and Calendar apps. As a reference device when coding, or something to slip in a jacket pocket, or something to read while laying in bed, this device is way more than adequate.

So, in other words, it could be worse. And there's no good reason to buy one.
To save time, assume I know everything.
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To save time, assume I know everything.
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post #48 of 102
12/6/11 at 6:10am
There goes 7-inch iPad rumor.
Apple had me at scrolling
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Apple had me at scrolling
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post #49 of 102
12/6/11 at 6:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post

Justin Bieber has 4.5 stars on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Justin-Bieber-...3177775&sr=1-3

As for the Kindle Fire, out of 3,970 reviews, 869 are two stars and below, that's about 22% of all reviews. 523 reviews are rock bottom, 1 star. That's a lot of unsatisfied people. I'm assuming that most of those people are returning theirs. That's a pretty big return rate.

As for the 5 star reviews, basic human psychology explains those. People will go through all sorts of mental gymnastics and self rationalizing to convince themselves that they made a good purchase.

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post #50 of 102
12/6/11 at 6:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ErosLWS View Post

I'll admit, the usability blows, but I think people are trying to make this out to be more than what it is. It's more of a PMP than a tablet.

I guess you didn't read the article. Even for things that are more PMP-like, the Fire didn't do well.

Quote:
Originally Posted by EmperorsNewClothes View Post

The Kindle Fire is a budget device that offers a budget experience.

And that's the bottom line. I really don't see this study as being a death-knell for the Fire. Some people don't have $500 to spend but can afford $200. Some people just like to buy the cheapest product, even if it's not as good. Some people have such basic needs that the difference in usability isn't a big deal.

There is a market for a $200 crappy tablet. Just like there's a market for cheap cars as well as great cars.
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post #51 of 102
12/6/11 at 7:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta View Post

<snip>

There is a market for a $200 crappy tablet. Just like there's a market for cheap cars as well as great cars.

That's true... but if 8 year olds start returning the Fire they got for Xmas then Amazon is in trouble...
We know where you are. We know where youve been. We can more or less know what youre thinking about. - Eric Schmidt
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post #52 of 102
12/6/11 at 7:09am
Recently I was in a store and found a Kindle Fire standing there just looking at me. After all the fuzz about it I had to try it.

The experience was... at best... frustrating.

I tried to open a web page and couldn't, the device would not load it. One could say it was an internet connection problem, but if that was the case, why the laptops connected to the same wifi did just 5 feet away?

Then I tried to open some applications. They all crashed. Angry Birds and two others I don't remember.

Then I tried to open a book with that last thin line of hope... The screen got blank and nothing showed up.

So, in 3 minutes, my Kindle Fire experience was:
- it would NOT load a web page
- it would NOT load applications
- it would NOT open a book

Not to mention all the struggle to find how to go "home" or basic simple navigation.

One may say it was a demo unit and thus could be damaged. My question would be: have you ever found a "damaged" demo iPad?

I wanted it to be good, competition is good, and the more the better products we would have. But the Kindle... I would stick with the first one for the e-ink.
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post #53 of 102
12/6/11 at 7:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cash907 View Post


Kinda curious how so many of you seem threatened by a cheaper alternative to the iPad, that isn't really designed to compete with the iPad. If Amazon is able to pick up business from folks who consider the iPad out of their budgets anyway, what do any of you care?



They are the same kind of people who get all pissed off if their neighbor buys a nice new sports car and leaves it in the driveway for everyone to see.
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post #54 of 102
12/6/11 at 7:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post

As for the 5 star reviews, basic human psychology explains those. People will go through all sorts of mental gymnastics and self rationalizing to convince themselves that they made a good purchase.


Apple fans never do that. Especially considering that they decided to pay higher than average prices for their notebooks etc.

You cannot put a price on Magical.
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post #55 of 102
12/6/11 at 8:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by irnchriz View Post

Its a perfect example of "you get what you pay for". In this case you get a re-purposed RIM Playbook.

no, you don't. For all of the Playbook's faults (real and perceived) it's a very nice unit. Especially at the "fire" sale price of $200. I quite like mine.

If the Kindle Fire is anything like the Kobo Vox experience (which I bought and returned in 3 days) I had, then the criticisms are understandable; the Playbook is much much better experience.
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post #56 of 102
12/6/11 at 8:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post

It's the same thing for the HP TouchPad, and that thing blows bigtime.

It has 4 stars on Amazon and 647 reviews.

Crazy, fanatical people will convince themselves of anything.

I don't care if something has 6 stars on Amazon (yeah, I know 5 is the limit). I have 2 perfectly functioning eyes, and when I see evidence of a stuttering, jerky, laggy tablet in action, I am going to declare that it is garbage, simple as that. And the Kindle Fire fits that definition based on what I saw.

And the point that YOU don't get is that you don't get to dictate other people's needs. We have a Touchpad and it's actually not bad for the way we use it. It was cheap and does everything that we ask of it. Granted, we don't expect it to do as much as an iPad, but I made a conscious decision that I was willing to pay $100 for a device with limited functionality. That should be my right - and if I'm happy with the choice, who are you to say that it's garbage?

Similarly, we understand that you don't like the Kindle Fire. But that doesn't mean that it's necessarily garbage. It simply means that you don't like it. Some people will be happy to pay $200 for a markedly inferior product and you have no right to say that they're wrong.

In the end, the market will decide if there are ENOUGH people willing to pay $200 for an inferior product for that product to remain on the shelves. You don't get to decide.
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post #57 of 102
12/6/11 at 8:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta View Post

And the point that YOU don't get is that you don't get to dictate other people's needs. We have a Touchpad and it's actually not bad for the way we use it. It was cheap and does everything that we ask of it. Granted, we don't expect it to do as much as an iPad, but I made a conscious decision that I was willing to pay $100 for a device with limited functionality. That should be my right - and if I'm happy with the choice, who are you to say that it's garbage?

Similarly, we understand that you don't like the Kindle Fire. But that doesn't mean that it's necessarily garbage. It simply means that you don't like it. Some people will be happy to pay $200 for a markedly inferior product and you have no right to say that they're wrong.

In the end, the market will decide if there are ENOUGH people willing to pay $200 for an inferior product for that product to remain on the shelves. You don't get to decide.

Hmmm... I seem to recall that the Touchpad wasn't originally priced at $200 and the market did decide that it was garbage at the original price.

I could be wrong.
We know where you are. We know where youve been. We can more or less know what youre thinking about. - Eric Schmidt
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post #58 of 102
12/6/11 at 8:29am
I'm reading and typing this on a 7" BB Playbook, and I like the 7" screen. It fits in my coat pocket. My iPad never leaves home. If I need to take a bag, I take my MBP with me.
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post #59 of 102
12/6/11 at 8:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neo42 View Post

With nearly 4000 reviews and an average of 4 stars on Amazon, I can't do much more than laugh at anyone who claims the thing is 'junk'


Just last week 77.9% of all Kindle Fire reviews were either 1 or 2 stars. Now it suddenly rockets up to a 4 star rating. This seems kind of curious to me.
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post #60 of 102
12/6/11 at 8:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SSquirrel View Post

Just last week 77.9% of all Kindle Fire reviews were either 1 or 2 stars. Now it suddenly rockets up to a 4 star rating. This seems kind of curious to me.

If actual buyers were given a one time pin for reviewing then I think we'd get a more honest opinion.

Until then... reviews on websites mean nothing to me.
We know where you are. We know where youve been. We can more or less know what youre thinking about. - Eric Schmidt
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We know where you are. We know where youve been. We can more or less know what youre thinking about. - Eric Schmidt
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post #61 of 102
12/6/11 at 8:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ErosLWS View Post

It's more of a PMP than a tablet.

Sure, but this review says it does a poor job of the PMP functionality (did you read it?). It's not complaining that it can't run Garage Band or other apps, it's saying it does a poor job of reading magazines and surfing the web.

Quote:
Originally Posted by talksense101 View Post

Sales of Kindle fire > review from a "expert" via Daring Fireball.

Well, sales minus returns. And while it sounds like initial sales are solid, continued sales are going to depend on how well people like it and continue to use it. People love to get something cheap, but if it ends up sitting in a drawer they're not going to recommend it to other people or consider getting a newer version in a couple years.

The return policy is great for impulse buys...but it's also great for a high rate of returns.
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post #62 of 102
12/6/11 at 8:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nht View Post

You two should actually read the article. The statement was on mobile sites the 7" form factor was very nice. On FULL sites it didn't work very well.

Do you surf using full sites on your phone? I don't even on the iPhone unless I don't need to do more than click a link or two. Even then there's a lot of pinch zooming going on. If there's any login or forms entry to do I let it default to the mobile version.

Even just for content consumption, well designed mobile sites largely work better than full sites.

Yes I do surf full sites on my phone. A quick zoom and even the smallest print is readable. I only use it occassionally and for only a few sites. Its great to have in my pocket when I need it but otherwise I would use something bigger.
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post #63 of 102
12/6/11 at 8:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bryanl View Post

The Kindle Fire isn't the fastest tablet. That being said, I don't have nearly the amount of problems that the author of this article has. I'm able to read books, surf the web, and play quite a few games. Is it all perfect? No. Has any mobile device really been perfect? No. It is pretty usable, and sometimes I think we, as a group, just like to complain.

I wouldn't like this to be my only tablet. It isn't the fastest thing in the world. The lack of the Google ecosystem, means I don't get the cooler Reader, Docs, and Calendar apps. As a reference device when coding, or something to slip in a jacket pocket, or something to read while laying in bed, this device is way more than adequate.

The problem is that you have a high-end tablet that delivers solid performance across a wide delivery envelope, being comparing to a next generation ereader with additional capacity and abilities. But, to use the whole argument "Is it perfect? No. - but then nothing is" is very silly. Of course nothing is perfect, and nothing will be - so the argument is null. You spent upwards of 80 words to say "it doesn't suck". We all can agree it's better than nothing. Or better than the previous Kindle model. It's not better than an iPad, it may not even be better than a Galaxy Tab, Acer Iconium, or Sony Tablet S. It most likely IS good enough for the money spent on it.
If you are going to insist on being an ass, at least demonstrate the intelligence to be a smart one
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post #64 of 102
12/6/11 at 8:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post

It's the same thing for the HP TouchPad, and that thing blows bigtime.

It has 4 stars on Amazon and 647 reviews.

Crazy, fanatical people will convince themselves of anything.

I don't care if something has 6 stars on Amazon (yeah, I know 5 is the limit). I have 2 perfectly functioning eyes, and when I see evidence of a stuttering, jerky, laggy tablet in action, I am going to declare that it is garbage, simple as that. And the Kindle Fire fits that definition based on what I saw.

I own an iPad 2 and the HP Touchpad. The Touchpad doesn't suck and in fact it is pretty good, IF you "jailbreak" it with preware and install the latest patches for the advanced browser, touch sensitivity and increase the cpu to 1.5 - 1.8ghz. Having done this, the TP is a real joy to use. Only downside is lack of apps, which is why it is relegated to the minor leagues behind my ipad.
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post #65 of 102
12/6/11 at 9:00am
I own two iPhone 4's. My wife has an iPhone 4 as well. My daughters use our iPod Touch 4g. All are running the latest public build of iOS 5. We also have a Kindle Fire.

Here's what I can say about the iPhones/iPod:

* Apps never ever crash.

* Apple designed apps especially never ever crash (*cough* Safari *cough*).

* They never lockup or crash system-wide.

* They never "brick" during a routine update, which would force techie users to Google how to boot the device to DFU mode, and would force non-techie users to call Apple support (thankfully this never ever happens).

* I have never, ever, not once, clicked on the wrong thing.

* I have never, ever ran into a bad UI design.

* I have never, ever played with a demo iOS device in the store that was not working properly, even though hundreds of people have been using and abusing it before me.

Compared to my family's perfect iOS devices, the Kindle Fire is complete crap!

(Yes this is sarcasm.)
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post #66 of 102
12/6/11 at 9:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by island hermit View Post

If actual buyers were given a one time pin for reviewing then I think we'd get a more honest opinion.

Until then... reviews on websites mean nothing to me.

I never trust product review's by users. And this is why:
http://www.freelancer.com/search/product+reviews/
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post #67 of 102
12/6/11 at 9:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nht View Post

You two should actually read the article. The statement was on mobile sites the 7" form factor was very nice. On FULL sites it didn't work very well.

Do you surf using full sites on your phone? I don't even on the iPhone unless I don't need to do more than click a link or two. Even then there's a lot of pinch zooming going on. If there's any login or forms entry to do I let it default to the mobile version.

Even just for content consumption, well designed mobile sites largely work better than full sites.

Ahh yes I do! Full sites or nothing for me. I hate those dreaded mobile sites I can't change back to a full site. Talk about half the experience. Pinch to zoom works so well why wouldn't I use the full site.

ok, so I bought a Kindle Fire and a basic new Kindle e-reader at Walmart. I found the Fire to be fine for bookreading which is supposed to be it's primary use but funny how the article mostly talks about everything else on it. As for web page viewing it sucked. The font for one was just not right and it was slow zooming in on pages. I wouldn't use it for web page viewing that much. I love my new Kindle e-reader though (my first one I ever bought) so I returned the Fire since I already have an iPad2 and kept the new Kindle e-reader.

My mom on the other-hand prefers to read her books on a tablet over an e-reader. She's older and prefers the backlit display so, really trying to consider either getting her the Fire (again) or the iPad. She probably won't do too much with it other than book read so I gearing towards rebuying the Fire again for that reason alone for her. She thought the e-reader was too dull for her. hahaha
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post #68 of 102
12/6/11 at 9:15am
Eventually word will get out about what exactly the Fire is good for. Then people who expect to get an iPad on the cheap will no longer buy the product and people who buy exactly for what it's good for will post sterling reviews. So the Fire's average reviews will creep upwards.

Any parent though who thinks little Katie will be perfectly happy with the Fire thus freeing up mom's iPad will have to deal with a very disappointed child.

It's ironic that the cheaper device is actually more suited to an adult's needs. (Well the subset of adult's who mainly want to purchase & read e-books, and occasionally surf the web or run an app.)
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post #69 of 102
12/6/11 at 9:22am
The HW is powerful enough to warrant a better UX. Amazon can hid behind the holiday but I hope they have a major update coming by January or this could be another flash in the pan tablet trying to compete with Apple.

I don't see how the other vendors don't realize that releasing a half finished device doesn't help your product. The iPad was a hit because all the features it did include worked well.

What's with the Fire browser? Does Apple has a patent on the tap to zoom that makes reading a large website very easy and natural?

"Blank! BLANK! You're not looking at the big picture!"

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"Blank! BLANK! You're not looking at the big picture!"

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post #70 of 102
12/6/11 at 9:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by igorleandro View Post


So, in 3 minutes, my Kindle Fire experience was:
- it would NOT load a web page
- it would NOT load applications
- it would NOT open a book

Not to mention all the struggle to find how to go "home" or basic simple navigation.

One may say it was a demo unit and thus could be damaged. My question would be: have you ever found a "damaged" demo iPad?

I wanted it to be good, competition is good, and the more the better products we would have. But the Kindle... I would stick with the first one for the e-ink.

I don't think you even gave it a chance! I agree that's a bad store presentation of a demo. They probably didn't have it connected to WiFi. Yes, I know the laptops were but did you see any WiFi bars at the top to see if it was connected? I think you were just looking for a quick reason to not like it so you could feel confident in your iPad purchase.

Come back when you have actually purchased and played with it for more than an hour.
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post #71 of 102
12/6/11 at 9:39am
Well, yea, but it's only $199.00!

...At least, unlike Windows, people aren't pretending that the user experience is great.
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post #72 of 102
12/6/11 at 9:44am
Wow, some of you really need a life. And by some of you, I mean Apple ][.
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post #73 of 102
12/6/11 at 9:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mytdave View Post

Well, yea, but it's only $199.00!

...At least, unlike Windows, people aren't pretending that the user experience is great.

Most Windows users don't/didn't have anything else to gauge their experience by. Now with Apple Stores people can test out Macs, and before that many Windows users had iPods and then iPhones, and now iPads.

By now I'd think many getting a Kindle Fire have at least owned or played with someone's iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad so they have a very comparable method to see if it's good or bad.

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post #74 of 102
12/6/11 at 9:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by serkol View Post

I'm reading and typing this on a 7" BB Playbook, and I like the 7" screen. It fits in my coat pocket. My iPad never leaves home. If I need to take a bag, I take my MBP with me.

Not to get too personal, but are you old enough to need reading glasses? Do you also enjoy the web on a smartphone?

I've heard that the web can be too small to be enjoyable on a 7" device, and I've heard that with most default mobile websites, the experience is fine. I haven't played with a 7 incher long enough to form my own opinion. The Galaxy tab 8.9 seems to be the perfect size to me, but I don't have a strong opinion on the subject.

Do you use regular websites or mobile websites for the most part? Other than portability, do you recommend the 7" size? Is the keyboard too small to be useful?
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post #75 of 102
12/6/11 at 10:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by skolvikings View Post

I own two iPhone 4's. My wife has an iPhone 4 as well. My daughters use our iPod Touch 4g. All are running the latest public build of iOS 5. We also have a Kindle Fire.

Traitor!
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post #76 of 102
12/6/11 at 10:10am
I have not used a Fire, so I can't really comment on the review myself, but some of Jakob Nielsen's past reviews leave me suspicious. Here is what he thought about the ipad after a similar study when it first came out link

Quote:
iPad apps are inconsistent and have low feature discoverability, with frequent user errors due to accidental gestures. An overly strong print metaphor and weird interaction styles cause further usability problems.

a year later:

Quote:
iPad apps are much improved, but new usability problems have emerged, such as swipe ambiguity and navigation overload.

Maybe his test audience has unusually large fingers? :-)
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post #77 of 102
12/6/11 at 10:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jd_in_sb View Post

It's amazing that nearly 5 years after Apple raised the bar and showed the world quality touch interfaces and hardware, other companies continue to make touch products that they know are junk.

Reminds me of the scene in the move "Crazy People" where the ad execs try to recreate the wildly successful ad copy that the crazy people did, but they can't.
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post #78 of 102
12/6/11 at 11:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nairb View Post

4 people! As a study it is pretty much useless ...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Neo42 View Post

I'm rolling out of my chair over here. Perhaps for the faithful here at AI, a "4 man study", of which I'm sure at least 3 are i-Fans ...

A small study like this is statistically insignificant or insignificant in terms of determining sales trends, big numbers etc., but it isn't "useless." It's a review of usability based on the experiences of a carefully selected, unbiased group of users familiar wih the technology.

It's pretty clear that if the study were done with a wider group of people, some of whom aren't familiar with the devices at all, and some who have experience but are hopelessly biased, the result would have been worse for the Fire.

I also think that most everyone here, including the authors of the study seem to be ignoring the fact that the Fire is really a modified "Playbook" and as such is a classic "placeholder device" which exists primarily for market driven reasons. Of course it's going to be awful. That's a given with manoeuvres of this sort. The real competition heats up with Kindle Fire 2.0 next year (not that I'm holding my breath for a quality product even then).

The part of the study where they extrapolate from the results (based on the user feedback no doubt), that 7" form factors as a whole are problematic and always will be, is the only part (given that its a rather sweeping conclusion based on statistically insignificant data), that is really unsupported, and to their credit the authors don't push this conclusion very hard.
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post #79 of 102
12/6/11 at 11:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SSquirrel View Post

Just last week 77.9% of all Kindle Fire reviews were either 1 or 2 stars. Now it suddenly rockets up to a 4 star rating. This seems kind of curious to me.

"Stars" are a pretty useless way to rate anything though. There is a built in ambiguity in regards how many stars equals "good" or "bad," no requirement to think about your decision, and nothing to stop people (including large corporations like Amazon itself), from 'gaming' the results.

The star system could easily be replaced by two 'love it' and 'hate it' buttons in terms of the accuracy of what it portrays, and most of the time is just made up anyway. Anyone who follows this kind of purchase advice, is likely still under the impression that 'best seller' lists actually tell you what people have been reading lately.
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post #80 of 102
12/6/11 at 11:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by afrodri View Post

I have not used a Fire, so I can't really comment on the review myself, but some of Jakob Nielsen's past reviews leave me suspicious. Here is what he thought about the ipad after a similar study when it first came out link



a year later:



Maybe his test audience has unusually large fingers? :-)

Is he talking about iPads or iPad apps?
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