By Porter Anderson | @Porter_Anderson
From November 17, 2011
Part of my series of columns on publishing, Writing on the Ether, appearing each Thursday at JaneFriedman.com
Prometheus unboxed
Actually, he had pants on when he brought Fire to my door. Those brown shorts the UPS guys wear. And while Amazon started shipping the new Kindle tablet a day earlier than planned, critics flew in to start pecking out the Bezosian liver.
“CNET complained that it was too slow,” Diana Dilworth told us in eBookNewser’s review roundup. “It isn’t a perfect experience,” Dilworth quoted Endgadget’s review, “but if nothing else, it’s a promising look into the future of retail commerce.” (Tim Stevens, smart guy.)
PC World, Dilworth wrote, said “the Fire may not meet your expectations if you’re looking for an Apple iPad-like tablet.” Uh-huh. USA Today, she reported, “gave the Fire the advantage only by a nose” over the Nook.
Me, I like it. Why? Two words: back light. I appreciate E Ink, but I like mine glowing in the dark. I’ve been yelling at Seattle’s Mt. Olympus about back light ever since I got my Kindle Alpha. Boy, did I learn to love those clip-on Mighty Brights. But now I have glowy, brightness-adjustable luminosity. I could roast a chestnut on this open Fire. Also, films to distract me from reading what I’m supposed to read. And cloudly music. I mean really.
I’m giving the Kindle Fire the #PorterEndorsed seal of approval. I’ve unchained the UPS man and I’m feeding my lunch leftovers to the buzzards so he can get away in that big brown truck.
Honk if you love back-lighting, and here’s the rest of the post at JaneFriedman.com