Amazon has caused quite a stir with its expanded line of Kindle Fire tablets. The base 7-incher, for instance, delivers a much improved spec over the current model yet somehow manages to come in significantly cheaper.
Impressive stuff considering it was already cheap to begin with. So how has Amazon done it? In a word, adverts. Whether you want them or not.
Just like the bottom-end Kindle e-reader, all three new Amazon tablets – the Kindle Fire, the Kindle Fire HD 7 and the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 – will use the lock screen as a direct portal to bombard you with the online retailer's Special Offers promotions and other advertising content.
That shouldn't necessarily be a deal-breaker, though. Pretty much all of Google's online apps and services already do the same thing – albeit more subtly than is likely to be the case on the Kindle Fire.
And if it means Amazon can price its entry-level tablet at a ridiculously low £129, we suspect most people will accept the trade-off, albeit with a bit of grumbling out of principle.
Unlike with the Kindle e-reader, however, there's no pricier ad-free option available, and you can't opt out by paying a fee either.
But does it really matter? Does it really compromise your ability to use the Kindle Fire to its full potential, or is it simply the cost of doing business? What do you think?
