Specifications

YOUR UNOFFICIAL KINDLE FIRE MANUAL

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excited by its Internet access, provision of emails and apps and games.

Of course, this is nothing new – a Kindle application is available on Android phones and tablets that does essentially

the same thing – but with the Kindle Fire, you get the focus on the library, rather than the apps, and this makes a con-

siderable difference.

And of course, the relatively low price point of the Kindle Fire helps as well!

1.2 Differences Between the Kindle Fire and Kindle

So how does the Kindle Fire really differ from a standard Kindle device?

Currently there are three Kindle eBook readers available; the Kindle Fire, the fourth generation of the basic Kindle and

the Kindle Touch, a touch-screen variant of the latter. These devices both have Wi-Fi connectivity, while the Kindle

Touch also has a 3G variant although web browsing isn’t available without Wi-Fi.

These devices lack the high specication of the Kindle Fire. They’re not optimised for playing music and video, they

don’t have as much storage space or a fast processor and they don’t have all the colour displays.

On the other hand, standard Kindle readers are small, light and can easily slip into a pocket. With millions of fans, the

Kindle is a popular eBook reader, recognisable by its striking graphite frame.

What really sets the traditional Kindle and Kindle Fire tablets apart, however, is the differences between the displays.

1.3 LCD vs E Ink

One key difference between the two main versions of the Kindle is the way in which content is displayed.

A traditional Kindle e-reader uses E Ink, a proprietary electronic ink solution that looks like paper, meaning it can dis-

play books on a screen without the use of a backlight. If you’re familiar with LCD display, you might have noticed that

these can produce negative effects such as headaches – this is due in part to the backlight. E Ink devices don’t have

this issue, allowing the user to enjoy hours of comfortable reading.

Conversely, the Kindle Fire uses a touchscreen LCD display, similar to that seen on any mobile phone or tablet. While

this can result in some discomfort while reading, it also enables the device to be used as a portable media delivery

device, as intended by Amazon.