Amazon Kindle Fire review

As we mentioned earlier, although Android pumps the blood around its veins, the Kindle Fire doesn't really feel like an Android device. Nowhere is this more evident than in the app store department.

The presence of Amazon's own Android appstore means there's no Google-supported Android Market (now the Google Play Store) on this device. What that means is a dramatic reduction in the officially available applications for an ecosystem already struggling to keep up with Apple's 140,00-strong offering of iPad optimised apps.

Amazon went out and penned deals with a host of the main players in this arena, which means Angry Birds, Words With Friends, Plants vs Zombies, Dead Space and Scrabble are all present and accounted for, while Amazon continues to offer a free Premium app every day. Once again your apps can be stored on the cloud to download as you see fit.

UPDATE: Since our initial review of the Kindle Fire, the device has stepped it up a little bit in the gaming department. Angry Birds Space, Sonic 4, Temple Run, Asphalt 7, Scrabble, Tetris, Monopoly and more give a boost to the Amazon Appstore. However, it's still nowhere near up to the Play Store or App Store level.

The gaming experience on the device is relatively pleasing. It feels like using a large phone, rather than a tablet device as the extra screen real estate on devices like the PlayStation-certified Sony S1 and iPad 2 do enhance the experience, but anyone who has played video games on an Android phone will know what to expect. The multitouch-enabled touchscreen helps in this department.

In terms of streaming media there's the all-important Netflix, Hulu+, Pandora and Rdio apps.

UPDATE: Spotify finally arrived for the Kindle Fire in July 2012 along with HBO Go a month earlier, so the entertainment options are getting better.

In terms of social networking, the built in Facebook icon simply links to the mobile site and only recently did the official Twitter for Android client hit the Kindle Appstore. There are third-party alternatives Seismic, FriendCaster and Uber Social, though.

While the Amazon Appstore is well-stocked and will offer enough to get by on, but no Google support means no official YouTube app, no Google+, no Maps, no Gmail, Earth, Voice, Translate, Navigation (there's no GPS anyway). These are top shelf apps that bolster the Android platform and Amazon has alienated them. Without them the device feels a little bare. This device needs a YouTube app at bare minimum.

Naturally, the new Google Nexus 7 has all of those and then some.

There is a way to circumnavigate this problem and root (or jailbreak) the device in order to load any app (or APK) you would like to, but this method is for seasoned tinkerers only and will void the warranty on your device.