While the tablet wars are still heating up, it is time to re-examine Amazon’s Kindle Fire and decide where it stands in the scheme of things. Before it was released to the public, a great many nay-sayers were convinced that it simply would not be able to compete with Apple’s iPad. However, what many people did not take into consideration was that the Kindle Fire was never meant to be the proverbial “iPad Killer.”

Keeping in mind that the Kindle Fire was never designed to take down Apple, it should be noted that there are an incredible number of benefits to the Fire that many other tablets simply do not have. While there are also shortcoming to be found in the device, many people feel that the pros far outweigh the cons.

The Good:

First and foremost, the Kindle Fire has an enviable price point. While other tablets cost hundreds of dollars more, the Kindle Fire sells for $199.00. This kind of price allows a great many people to purchase a Kindle Fire, whereas more expensive tablets might be out of the price range of many consumers. Given the state of the economy, when the Kindle Fire was released, it skyrocketed to Amazon’s top-selling spot — and stayed there for over two months.

The Kindle Fire has a display resolution of 1024 x 600 pixel, with a color base of 16 million. It has a remarkable size of 7.5 inches by 4.7 inches, and is less than half an inch thick. When its weight is factored in, coming in at under 15 ounces, the Kindle Fire shows a remarkable capacity for portability. While other tablets have a larger screen size, that size comes at the price of being portable and easily handled.

Amazon offers an amazing range of content for the Kindle Fire, including Kindle books (obviously), as well as streaming video, music, and hundreds of apps. The operating system is a modified version of Android, offering both speed and reliability. Video playback on the Fire is surprisingly good, with a screen viewing range that is both bright and smooth.

The battery life of the Kindle Fire is robust, lasting 8 hours of Kindle reading and 7.5 hours of video playback. Of course, the battery life depends upon the usage, with downloading and web browsing causing more of a drain on the battery than simply reading or viewing content.

The Bad:

Of course, there are some drawbacks, as well. For one thing, the Kindle Fire has no Bluetooth availability. Granted, for many people, this is a minor issue, since the Kindle Fire has always been designed to be a consumption device, rather than a creative one. Another disappointment is the lack of an Android Market. While the Kindle Fire is technically an Android device, it uses Android apps that have been modified by the people at Amazon. For most people, this is not a big issue, but for those individuals who like to tinker around with the Android system, it might be disappointing.

The Kindle Fire uses a Wi-Fi connection, which is both a pro and a con. For most people, there is always a nearby Wi-Fi router available, which means that they will have a reliable connection available most of the time. However, there are times when an individual might not be within range of a Wi-Fi hotspot, and the lack of 3G connectivity could prove to be a problem.

The Verdict:

When all of the issues are taken into account, however, it becomes fairly obvious that the Kindle Fire offers a tremendous bang for the buck. It is portable, reliable, efficient, and quickly becomes an invaluable addition to any home or office where it finds itself.