Kindle Fire – The affordable tablet?

I woke up this morning, the first morning in a week that I’ve had network television, to the buzz about the Kindle Fire, Amazon’s entry into the battle of the tablets.  So far, it seems that none have been able to truly stand up to the iPad in terms of popularity and functionality, but this one sounds like it has promise!

Areas where Kindle Fire “loses” to iPad2

• Smaller screen – at 7″ it’s not as big as the iPad2.  Sure, a bigger screen would be nice, but if it’s meant to be portable, I’d almost rather have the smaller, more compact screen.  And it’s still bigger than the other Kindle models.
• Wifi-only streaming – Well, in the spirit of trying to live a more frugal life, paying for a 3G plan for a tablet isn’t really in the budget, so I’m not too concerned about this.  Also, having 3G would require a completely separate plan since it’s only available for AT&T and Verizon.
• Camera – Well, I’m not sure about you, but I don’t see the convenience in holding up a tablet to take a picture when I can just use my phone or, I don’t know, maybe my camera!!  Again, not a big deal in my mind.

Areas where Kindle Fire “beats” iPad2

• Weight – again, we’re talking about a portable device, so weight is an issue.  The Kindle Fire is about 7 ounces lighter than the iPad2.  That may not seem like much, but ask anyone who has held a baby and they will tell you that, over time, that’s a HUGE difference!
• Price – Seriously, the Kindle Fire is less than half of the iPad2 starting price! Personally, I don’t see enough of a difference to warrant the price gap between the two.
• Content – For me, it’ll be nice to be able to use the movies and music I already have on my Amazon account.  And because I’m a Swagbucks fiend, I could keep up with the no-cash policy I have implemented for a long time when it comes to digital content!