Agility Loop

Several of my friends have iPads, and I have my trusty Kindle.  I do love my Kindle, and I can't travel without it (or fall asleep).  That being said, when I look at my cute little Kindle next to the iPad, I get a little bit of gadget envy.

So I think it is time that I found out what this whole tablet phenomenon is all about.

However, I am firmly rooted in the Android camp.  I bought the original Motorola Droid, and just recently grabbed the Droid Incredible 2 when my original Droid took a shower during a rainstorm (#fail).  Although I have compliants about the DINC2's network problems (fodder for another post), all in all, I am a buyer on Android and will stick with it.  Therefore, I really want to grab a tablet running Android.

Like other Android fanboys, the arrival of the Kindle Fire has created a bit of a conundrum.  Do I grab the Kindle Fire at $199 or instead shell out $400+ for a fully functional Android Tablet? 

I have spent this lovely rainy morning digging around the web, doing entirely more research then this purchase probably warrants (it's what I do).  Originally I was pretty taken with the Fire.  Smaller form factor, customized user experience for content, and that nice price tag of $199.  But as I have dug into it, the Fire seems less like a tablet and more like a Personal Media Player with a Amazon front-end.  No native Google apps (which I use a ton), no support for the Google app store which will limit the apps it will support, and no word if Netflix or Hulu will support the device. Although I would like to have a nice PMP, I also want to use a tablet for other uses such as blogging, tweeting, and even some work here and there.

But there is that damn $199 price tag, the fact that I am already an Amazon Prime subscriber which keeps adding new content, and that no one should truly count out Amazon and Bezos.

Im thinking at this point that I will preorder the Fire and give it a shot.  I can always return it, and if I get a really wild hair I might even grab a Galaxy Tab as a comparison.

And maybe I will even keep blogging where I would write a review.  Now THAT would be truly revolutionary.

Recently the five-way joystick controller on my Kindle has split down the middle.  Although it still works, this is a little disconcerting (especially considering how much I read now and how indispensable my Kindle is). I chose to call Amazon about the issue and was prepared to be told that my device was out of warranty and I was SOL.  Instead, I was quickly connected to Maddie (sp?) who informed me that my issue is always covered.  She quickly got my information, started the process to send a replacement, and let me know that I would not have to pay anything.  This was the best example of customer service I have had in a long time.  Thx so much Amazon and Maddie!  It was definitely a pleasant surprise.

So maybe this should be a Tweet, but I felt like trying out the Wordpress app on my Droid. I'm not on the metro much so why not be productive? Anyhow, since I am on the metro I am craving a Kindle app on my Droid. Come on Amazon...don't u want to piss Jobs off like Google is?