Amazon's hot new Kindle Fire presented a tough packaging challenge to design engineers who were presumably charged with keeping the bill of materials within tight cost constraints. Via our friends at iFixit.com, we offer a quick look at the tablet's internals.
The Kindle Fire is officially identified as model number D01400. According to the power specifications listed on the back side of the Kindle Fire, an input power of 5V DC at 1.8 amps is suggested. Why is this important? A computer USB port typically puts out no more than 0.9 amps (USB 3.0), which means it'll take a looong time to fully charge the tablet through USB.
Click the image below to view a short slideshow of the Amazon Kindle Fire in various stages of disassembly:
What do the Kindle Fire and a fruit fly have in common? Thanks to the help of our Phillips #0
screwdriver, now neither has a backbone.
Image courtesy of iFixit.com
Here are more Kindle Fire technical specs:
7" multitouch display with IPS technology
Dual-core processor
512MB RAM
8GB internal storage
802.11b/g/n WiFi connectivity
Custom operating system (based on Android 2.3 Gingerbread)
(Images and content courtesy of Kyle Wiens, co-founder of iFixit, used by permission. Images originally uploaded to iFixit by Walter Galan.)
For further reading:
The complete Kindle Fire teardown, from our friends at iFixit.com, is available here.
OK, I would like someone (or all) to recommend a brand(s) to purchase. I am a consulting engineer and have not made the "leap" as yet to an e-reader. I walk through airports with a suitcase full of "necessary" items but would really love to consolidate. Three weeks ago, I traveled to Bangor, Maine and was not close to a 120 VAC outlet. Battery life seems to be critical. Any aid you can give will be greatly appreciated. I had much rather hear from a user; i.e. someone who has been there, instead of a rating agency paid by the manufacturer supplying the product. Many thanks. Bob J.
The e-ink and long battery life are the main reasons I regularly use my Kindle. I agree, it is much easier to read with less eyestrain and it feels like you are reading a regular book without all the bulk, I don't get the same results with reading from an LCD screen. Now, if I am looking to do other things than just read, then I use another device.
Wow; slammed with a One-Star Review, comparing E-Ink to LCD - - -wonder what was so offensive-? I, too, worked closely with Russ Wilcox and the team in Cambridge in 2002 developing a thinner version laminate for a Motorola product (which unfortunately never shipped). I love the technology, and can't say enough good things about it.
@JimT Re: "Funny how that enormous breakthrough was minimized and even forgotten ..."
Look closer and you'll find that several new e-Ink Kindles were introduced at the same time as the Fire. Amazon hasn't abandoned electrophoretic displays, they've simple added an additional product with different features to the product line.
@RadioGuy Re: "I predict that many will want one of each"
I'm in exactly that position -- one of each. My Fire is quite good for books, better than what I've seen on the Nook or iPad, and of course superb for media, but uses more power and is WiFi-only. The standard 3G Kindles, like mine, has incredible battery life, an excellent display, and quite importantly for me, lifetime 3G wireless access in over 100 countries. This is the Kindle that accompanies me to meetings.
The beauty of this is that one can purchase a Fire, a 3G Touch, and several years of Prime membership for well below the cost of an iPad. Admittedly the iPad can do a few things the Kindles can't, but the reverse is also true. It's also likely that very many iPad users do no more on their tablets than could be done as well or better on a Kindle.
Yes, mrmikel, extreme low power usage is a big deal to E-ink readers.
The other big advantage of E-ink over LCD is readability/eyestrain. That display is really nice to the eyes - like paper is - for those who actually read whole books on their readers.
My wife adores her Kindle for book reading and even if she gets a Fire, I believe she will continue to use the Kindle for books after reading one or two on an LCD...
As an e-reader user, I want the extended battery life and small size. I am not looking for video. I have other devices for that and I don't want them all in one place. Color is nice, but not at the expense of battery life.
But I am an old fogey with a lot of paper books too. And my cell phone is used just as a phone instead of a toy.
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