By Margaret Rock | Wed Dec 14, 2011 4:41 pm |
Amazon confirmed it will roll out a software update to its Kindle Fire tablet, an early effort to quell criticism of the fast-selling device.
The Seattle, Wash.-based company's spokeswoman said the update would be available in less than two weeks and would improve performance, touch navigation, and give customers the option to edit what items display on their carousels, which is a page displaying user activity on the tablet.Currently, all recent activity, including books read, games played, television shows watched and websites visited, are shown on the carousel. "Kindle Fire is the most successful product we've ever launched -- we've already sold millions of units and we're building more to meet the strong demand," Amazon spokeswoman Kinley Pearsall said earlier this week. "As with all of our products, we continue to make them better for customers with regular software updates." The Amazon Kindle Fire, introduced in September, was hailed as a potential "iPad killer." After its release, Amazon declared the tablet to be its best-selling product since its debut, even outselling the iPad 2 at Black Friday shoppers at Target, and zooming to the top of the bestsellers list at Best Buy. But early reviews of the 7-inch tablet continue to be mixed. Many users complained about the small screen size, lack of external volume controls, tricky touch screen and lack of privacy, prompting Amazon to announce the tablet's over-the-air update. Amazon is not alone in experiencing glitches in a newly released product. Apple's iPhone 4S, which also launched this fall, was plagued with pesky problems like muted audio on some outgoing calls, a yellow tinge , outages of voice-activated assistant Siri, and poor battery life. Like Amazon, Apple released a software update to correct some of the problems. Apple has been the dominant force in the tablet market since the launch of the original iPad in 2010, and owns nearly 70 percent of the market. Competitors like the Motorola Xoom, BlackBerry PlayBook and even the successful Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 have failed to come close to the sales of Apple's tablet. The main reason analysts cite for the competition's inability to grab a bigger slice of the Apple-dominated tablet market is price. But Amazon's Fire and its $200 price tag brings a different approach, along with a trusted name, thanks to the success of its Kindle e-readers. In order to maintain this early edge, the giant retailer is moving quickly to address these early concerns, betting a remedy will allay concerns about the tablet device and hoping the company won't miss a beat in its brisk sales. If Amazon can quiet some early complaints, the company may take another step closer to fulfilling its goal of setting the tablet market ablaze with its Fire.
|
|
Mon Feb 13, 2012 3:58 pm | By
Samsung today unveiled its Galaxy Tab 2, an Android 4.0 tablet, getting a jumpstart on Apple's iPad 3, competing in the increasingly-fierce market with cheaper products.
|
|
|
|
Tue Jan 24, 2012 4:10 pm | By
More Americans made the move to mobile entertainment devices over the holidays, signalling room for both tablets and e-readers in a changing entertainment landscape.
|
|
|
|
Fri Jan 20, 2012 3:21 pm | By
More users are doing online shopping on their tablets than any other device, leading retailers to adjust their advertising and e-commerce strategy.
|
|
|
|
Thu Jan 05, 2012 2:32 pm | By
Acer is considering Microsoft's upcoming Window 8 platform for its next tablet device, marking a shift in strategy for the company.
|
|
|
|
Thu Dec 08, 2011 4:14 pm | By
Novo7, the world's first tablet to run Android's Ice Cream Sandwich software, is expected to be available in U.S. markets soon at the low price of $100, much to Google's satisfaction.
|
|
|
|
] |
CellReception.com |
CellRisk.com |
Appedia.com |
Tabletedia.com
[