Kindle Fire: good reviews, but some complaints

While many early users are happy with their Kindle Fire experience, some have complained about glitches in the Amazon tablet, and the bookselling giant has already promised an over-the-air update to the software to address some of the problems.

The Kindle Fire made headlines in late September when Amazon announced that it would be debuting its own tablet device, which the company seemed to hope would be an iPad competitor. The tablet drew attention for its low price, selling at $199. Apple’s popular iPad currently starts at $499.

Many of the reviews of the device on Amazon’s website seem to be positive. Typical is one by a user named Michael P. Gallagher, who wrote, “Overall I think it is a great tool /toy when you factor in the cost of ownership and what you get… this is an extremely great value to me and well worth it: Amazon has hit a home run with this one." He adds, "If you haven't grabbed one now, get one before they run out before Christmas!”

Gallagher noted that the screen size was slightly smaller than he would like, but that this didn’t bother him much.

Another user who went by the name DubStep said the connection to WiFi was hassle-free.

“I read all about this device before buying it, so I knew exactly what I was getting for $199 dollars,” the user wrote. “It has met all of my expectations of a small form factor tablet that is intuitive, media friendly, and has great processing capabilities.”

Most reviews submitted on Amazon's site to date give it five stars, with 2,236 five-star reviews at last count. The Kindle Fire has also drawn 907 four-star reviews – and 610 one-star reviews.