Amazon.com Back to School Kindle Fire HD Giveaway

Calling all medical students (and other types of students):

Want to win a Kindle Fire HD? Enter the Amazon.com Back to School Kindle Fire HD Giveaway

You must be 18 or over and a US resident.

3 Simple Reasons Why the Kindle Fire is So Popular

Recently, I had a chance to play around with a Kindle Fire. I don't plan to buy one (mainly because I already have enough gadgets), but I can see why this device has been such a hit. This is certainly not your average Kindle. Here are 5 reasons why the Kindle is such a hit right now:

1. Size: The device is small and portability means everything. The larger screen size of an iPad may be nice, but it's not nearly as convenient.

2. Price: At $199, the price is very hard to beat. Most other tablets still range around $300-600 on average.

3. Simplicity: The Android OS is simple to navigate. Amazon has also incorporated its own set of restrictions so the Fire will feel like an Android tablet at times, but it won't have all the capabilities of other Android tablets.

I predict that Amazon will release future models of the Fire that will include:

1. A built-in camera on the front and back
2. A built-in microSD card slot (many other Android tablets include this already)
3. A built-in WWAN radio (3G or 4G) so that you can connect when you don't have Wi-Fi

So, what's going to happen to all the other Kindles? Will the black-and-white Kindle readers still be very popular items, or will we see color screen devices everywhere? The original Kindles are very readable when you're outside sitting in the bright sun, so these will still be choice gadgets for the beaches and pools. But, will color screen technology evolve so that they overcome the popularity of the digital ink Kindles?

A few days with the Kindle Fire

The Kindle Fire is an Amazon tablet that is based on the Android operating system. Over the holidays, I had the chance to spend a few days with this small 7" tablet and enjoyed playing around with it. It has a full color screen, is capable of rich multimedia, and has Wi-Fi so that you can browse the web and check your email. Plus, if you have an Amazon Prime membership, you can view unlimited streaming videos (movies and TV shows) on this device through a Wi-Fi connection.

One of the major downsides of the Fire is that it's not a traditional Android tablet. You're limited in terms of the types of apps you can install. Plus, the device lacks other features such as a built-in card slot for micro SD or SD cards. Given that it only has 8 GB of internal memory, you may miss that expansion capability that's often found in most other Android tablets. The Kindle Fire also doesn't have a built-in camera.

But, for $199, it's a really good deal for a super-portable entry-level tablet that you can use for reading books, watching videos, checking email, browsing the web, and playing games. Don't expect this to replace your iPad or Android tablet for professional use. If you look for medical apps on the Kindle Fire, you won't find many. You won't find popular medical apps like Epocrates or Medscape in the Kindle Fire App Store.

Amazon Kindle Fire (for only $199!)

Author: Riley Alexander, MD, MBA

Despite the overall form factor and even the name being out there, Amazon still managed to sneak a few surprises into it's press conference today unveiling it's color tablet, the Kindle Fire. The biggest of these being the price: $199. This is huge. While many the list of tablets entering the fray seems to be growing by the second, essentially none have been able to get much below $400-500 for a release price. This tablet takes the low-cost approach to Apple's philosophy: deliver on experience and content, don't worry about specs--and I think it will do very well.

While many will look at this as more of a "deluxe e-reader" (and I don't think that's necessarily wrong or a bad thing), this device will offer a lot for the money, including Amazon's enticing new (flash-supporting) browser, Amazon Silk. Users will also have access to the Amazon Android app store. I can't see this not being a hit for this holiday season.