When you realize that the runaway hit tablet the Amazon Kindle Fire is Amazon’s first attempt at making any electronic device other than an eReader, its cross-demographic popularity and sales success is even more impressive. At a retail price hundreds of dollars less than the average Tablet PC, the Kindle Fire 7 inch color touch screen tablet appeals to budget shoppers who don’t feel like paying more money for features they don’t care about. And that $199 price tag also appeals to parents who realize their children are going to treat the device with less than “kid gloves”, and replacing a $199 product doesn’t hurt the pocketbook nearly as much as a $500 tablet would. And finally, you have those shoppers who still are unsure whether they actually need a tablet. Their rationale is, “If I spend $199 on the Kindle Fire tablet, and don’t like the tablet technology, I still have a color, touch screen eReader at a great price.”
All the above reasons have created a beta product that has surpassed everyone’s expectations, including Amazon. Yes, you read that correct, the Amazon Kindle Fire is really a test run so the world’s largest online retailer can see what works and what doesn’t before they release their 10 inch Kindle Fire some time in the future. And while the low retail price, color screen and tablet technology all make for a wonderful combo for the first time tablet shopper, Amazon took a couple of steps to virtually ensure the device’s popularity. Any content downloaded from Amazon’s website to the Kindle Fire receives free Cloud Storage. That gives the Kindle Fire nearly unlimited storage capabilities and access, and also removes the need for a microSD slot, keeping manufacturing costs down.
And since the Kindle Fire Tablet is a color tablet, Amazon offers 30 days free Prime Membership access to all Kindle Fire purchasers. Amazon’s Prime Membership gives free shipping on any physical items ordered from the Amazon marketplace, and also delivers streaming video to the Kindle Fire. With free and unlimited Cloud Storage, 30 days free streaming video and free shipping, and a retail price $150 to $300 less than the average tablet, the Amazon Kindle Fire is understandably popular to many tablet shoppers.
And recently the IDC Group, a consumer electronics analyst firm, stated their data shows Amazon sold 4.7 million Kindle Fires in quarter four of last year. This gives Amazon 16.8% market share of the Tablet PC marketplace, and solidly entrenches the tablet newbie in second place in the tablet arena, effectively stealing substantial market share from both Apple and Android. Buy the Kindle Fire for $199.
