Good point. Interesting how the very same size kings and queens that are hating on the Fire's 7 inches were the very same proclaiming that 3.5 inches was more than enough back in August.
I don't know as I haven't used a 7 inch iPad knock off but perhaps Apple make an iPhone with a far higher precission UI than these cheap 7 inch tablet makers do. Thus the accuracy of the touch interface maybe be far superior on an iPhone than these things.
Sales of Kindle fire > review from a "expert" via Daring Fireball. The Kindle Fire has a limited set of use cases. It is reasonable for the pricing and the functionality. No point in comparing it with iPad.
Sales mean nothing. Sales does not necessarily mean that a product is good. And nobody knows the sales figures, since Amazon hasn't released any. And since they're selling at a loss, initially, the more they sell, the more money they're losing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by talksense101
No point in comparing it with iPad.
Tell that to Amazon, who happens to mention the iPad numerous times on their Kindle Fire sales page.
So they're allowed to mention the iPad, but here on an Apple site, nobody else is allowed to compare the two?
Every tablet that gets released is going to be compared to the iPad, whether people like it or not, as none of them would have ever existed if it were not for the iPad to begin with.
Sales of Kindle fire > review from a "expert" via Daring Fireball. The Kindle Fire has a limited set of use cases. It is reasonable for the pricing and the functionality. No point in comparing it with iPad.
In every single use case, general usability of the device will be a factor. And it blows.
Back to Amazon it went, and I'll stick to my ipad2, which, even tho three times more expensive, is worth every can't more. It's, by comparison, a pleasure to use.
My regular Kindle is also great for reading. The Fire, tho, is a bust IMHO.
This Nielsen Norman's Kindle Fire study was a "small" study - with only four users. One complaint was "The Fire is a heavy object. It's unpleasant to hold for extended periods of time. Unless you have forearm muscles like Popeye."
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.
Besides the fact that this has nothing to do with Apple (until we see some deformed iPod 7", highly unlikely), the study itself is qualitative and N=4. It's garbage. I can do a qualitative N=4 study on the Macbook Pro and find that it has terrible usability and low ratings, despite the fact that it's arguably the best laptop out there.
I think they know how to run small qualitative studies and not report dubious information. Nielsen essentially wrote the book on usability studies.
The study shows what it shows within the clearly delineated constraints. It's not garbage. There are many ways for Amazon to improve their product. Tog also had a piece on usability design failures for iOS.
The lack of hardware buttons to save a few more cents is going to come back and bite them in the ass. Also, even as a glorified PMP the thing has to be able to surf the web effectively. This is now a common expectation given that phones can do a good job with mobile sites.
Good point. Interesting how the very same size kings and queens that are hating on the Fire's 7 inches were the very same proclaiming that 3.5 inches was more than enough back in August.
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.
I messed around with the fire at Staples( insert the sounds of crickets) and the user experience is trash just like the Galaxy tab. Once you're on the iPad all hell breaks loose. The ability to go from online to buying music to movies and books is as smooth a freaking silk sheets. Damn.
I have never tried the Kindle Fire and probably never will (give me a real, open android device), but I question the thinking behind this study.
PS On the Amazon site about 33% of people gave the device a three or below. About 15% gave it a one. As Amazon are probably scared of the backlash of removing a negative post, this may be a better indication.
I saw videos of people using them when it was first released. It operated like pure garbage and the usability was extremely poor, with the interface being very non responsive and inaccurate.
I don't care if it costs ten dollars. If something is bad, then it's bad, regardless of how little it costs. It also doesn't matter how many they may happen to sell. That is not going to magically transform garbage into something good. Garbage X 3 million is 3 million pieces of garbage.
People who say that they like it, clearly have very low technical standards, as to what they expect from their devices.
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?
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?
I provide great analysis, informative criticism and I even know a thing or two about the Kindle Fire that I bet that most people who own one doesn't even know - It's dual touch only, as opposed to 11 touch on the iPad. People would never know that from just reading the description of the Kindle Fire on Amazon. Luckily, technically minded people like me are around to set the facts straight.
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'
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.
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.
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?
Comments
It's a toy! When people buy a 200 dollar electronic toy and expect it to perform like a iPad they are bound to get upset.
Where's your Kindle Fire? Oh I think it's in my desk. How do you like it? Um it's OK.
I keep waiting for Mattel to come out with a tablet for kids, they'd be in good company with the other toys!
Good point. Interesting how the very same size kings and queens that are hating on the Fire's 7 inches were the very same proclaiming that 3.5 inches was more than enough back in August.
I don't know as I haven't used a 7 inch iPad knock off but perhaps Apple make an iPhone with a far higher precission UI than these cheap 7 inch tablet makers do. Thus the accuracy of the touch interface maybe be far superior on an iPhone than these things.
Sales of Kindle fire > review from a "expert" via Daring Fireball. The Kindle Fire has a limited set of use cases. It is reasonable for the pricing and the functionality. No point in comparing it with iPad.
Sales mean nothing. Sales does not necessarily mean that a product is good. And nobody knows the sales figures, since Amazon hasn't released any. And since they're selling at a loss, initially, the more they sell, the more money they're losing.
No point in comparing it with iPad.
Tell that to Amazon, who happens to mention the iPad numerous times on their Kindle Fire sales page.
So they're allowed to mention the iPad, but here on an Apple site, nobody else is allowed to compare the two?
Every tablet that gets released is going to be compared to the iPad, whether people like it or not, as none of them would have ever existed if it were not for the iPad to begin with.
Sales of Kindle fire > review from a "expert" via Daring Fireball. The Kindle Fire has a limited set of use cases. It is reasonable for the pricing and the functionality. No point in comparing it with iPad.
In every single use case, general usability of the device will be a factor. And it blows.
Yep, there's always something new on the horizon that the Fandroids have to look forward to.
"Just wait until Honeycomb comes out, that will fix those issues!"
Then that quickly turned into "Just wait until Ice Cream Sandwich comes out, that will fix those issues!"
By the time Android gets to "Z", the shit will still suck.
Dude, just wait until "Just Another Burger" comes out. You'll see, THAT will fix those issues.
Yep, there's always something new on the horizon that the Fandroids have to look forward to.
"Just wait until Honeycomb comes out, that will fix those issues!"
Then that quickly turned into "Just wait until Ice Cream Sandwich comes out, that will fix those issues!"
By the time Android gets to "Z", the shit will still suck.
The macalope has a very good quote
"Which, at the rate we?re going, should be some time after squid make their way onto land and evolve into vicious arboreal predators.
"
Used it once.
Difficult to navigate and use the web
Slow response time
Back to Amazon it went, and I'll stick to my ipad2, which, even tho three times more expensive, is worth every can't more. It's, by comparison, a pleasure to use.
My regular Kindle is also great for reading. The Fire, tho, is a bust IMHO.
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.
Besides the fact that this has nothing to do with Apple (until we see some deformed iPod 7", highly unlikely), the study itself is qualitative and N=4. It's garbage. I can do a qualitative N=4 study on the Macbook Pro and find that it has terrible usability and low ratings, despite the fact that it's arguably the best laptop out there.
I think they know how to run small qualitative studies and not report dubious information. Nielsen essentially wrote the book on usability studies.
The study shows what it shows within the clearly delineated constraints. It's not garbage. There are many ways for Amazon to improve their product. Tog also had a piece on usability design failures for iOS.
The lack of hardware buttons to save a few more cents is going to come back and bite them in the ass. Also, even as a glorified PMP the thing has to be able to surf the web effectively. This is now a common expectation given that phones can do a good job with mobile sites.
Good point. Interesting how the very same size kings and queens that are hating on the Fire's 7 inches were the very same proclaiming that 3.5 inches was more than enough back in August.
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.
I have never tried the Kindle Fire and probably never will (give me a real, open android device), but I question the thinking behind this study.
PS On the Amazon site about 33% of people gave the device a three or below. About 15% gave it a one. As Amazon are probably scared of the backlash of removing a negative post, this may be a better indication.
I saw videos of people using them when it was first released. It operated like pure garbage and the usability was extremely poor, with the interface being very non responsive and inaccurate.
I don't care if it costs ten dollars. If something is bad, then it's bad, regardless of how little it costs. It also doesn't matter how many they may happen to sell. That is not going to magically transform garbage into something good. Garbage X 3 million is 3 million pieces of garbage.
People who say that they like it, clearly have very low technical standards, as to what they expect from their devices.
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?
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?
I provide great analysis, informative criticism and I even know a thing or two about the Kindle Fire that I bet that most people who own one doesn't even know - It's dual touch only, as opposed to 11 touch on the iPad. People would never know that from just reading the description of the Kindle Fire on Amazon. Luckily, technically minded people like me are around to set the facts straight.
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'
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.
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.
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?