Uh huh, I had that thought for a bit.
If Amazon crashes then the Fire is useless.
If Amazon wants they can track your habits.
If the Feds want they can track you through Amazon...
But otherwise what else? I know some people disagree with Amazon, I could but ever since they started they have never really disappointed me, shipping is fast even by Alaska standards, they are much better than Ebay as far as security I think.
And somebody probably from Samsung will have a clone in the next month even cheaper. I skipped on the Kindle because I simply waited to see it mature a bit, it did and it has improved and is cheaper still. I agree Amazon should indeed offer this device with a contract just like a cellphone, of which I prefer to use a Tracfone.
I don’t like contracts and because Amazon did stand up against some internet taxation I am beginning to have some limited faith in them.
Books from library for iPad and kindle are free, great. Sometimes you have to wait for them but beats paying 14.99. And there are very easy ways to pass them around but won’t go into that.
I have run out of room for dead treenbooks, seriously and like to read two or three at a time so carrying them around is impossible. The only downside is waiting during takeoff on a plane and not being able to read. And not seeing the details of maps, etc.
I don’t disagree with Amazon’s services, but I do disagree with a lock-in system where any purchases one makes, has to be through their POS Kindle Fire.
If Samsung does come out with a similar item, I’m pretty sure that it won’t be to lock people into their shopping ecosystem, and it will be a general purpose tablet for anything that can be done in the “open” and not in a closed system like the Fire/Amazon.