Kindle Fire Stats

As expected, Amazon announced its new tablet, the Kindle Fire. Here's a quick rundown of the major features:

• 7-inch IPS display, 1,024x600-pixel resolution, Gorilla Glass
• Dual-core processor, 8GB internal memory
• 14.6 ounces, built-in Wi-Fi
• Amazon claims "up to 8 hours of continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video playback, with wireless off"
• Tightly integrated with Amazon services like Amazon Instant Video and Cloud Drive
• Features new "cloud-accelerated" browser named Silk
• 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime
• $199, ships November 15, available for preorder today

Overall, the design and features place it between the traditional Kindle and iPad on the tablet spectrum, more like the Nook Color than anything else. Amazon's main advantage here is tight integration with its outstanding suite of cloud-based digital media services: 11,000 shows and movies streaming for free for Amazon Prime subscribers, 100,000 movies and TV shows to rent or purchase through Amazon Instant, and a full digital music store with cloud storage.

On the other hand, there are still quite a few question marks. It's unclear whether there will be offline support for Amazon's video services, which is important if you, say, want to watch a movie on a plane. Amazon also didn't mention any details about third-party video services like Netfilx, Hulu Plus, and MLB.TV--all of which are available on the iPad.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20112752-1/amazon-kindle-fire-7-inch-tablet-dual-core-processor-$199/#ixzz1Zit60U13