The Kindle Fire: is it the greatest invention since the crock pot, or is it more like 3D usage at the movie theater? Of course, that all depends on who you ask, and even then, most of those people get it wrong.

Kindle Fire reviews usually fall into one of two categories: 1.) technology critique, 2.) iPad fanboys bitching about how it's not more like an iPad. Unfortunately for the consumer public, most reviews fall into the second category.

Let's start with some basic information. How about: why did I buy a Kindle Fire? For an extended period of time, I was allotted an iPad for development purposes. The iPad is a great piece of technology. I'm not discounted that. As the days wore on, however, I found myself using it less and less. Eventually I needed to return it to my company, but did get it back a few month later. This second go-round resulted in neither me nor my wife using it in any capacity. Why? It was just as easy to use a smartphone, or if a larger screen was required, we could open the Mac in a few seconds and get a full computing experience. I had no real purpose for using the iPad.

Let's add a small caveat. I'm one of those people (apparently in the minority) that wanted a smaller screen. The iPad looks great at ten inches, but when your primary usage is as a "quick grab" device sitting next to you on the couch, a ten inch screen causes issues. I couldn't comfortably lounge around with the iPad. My hands aren't large enough to successfully thumb-type and be able to reach all keys without some uncomfortable stretching, and I shouldn't have to re-adjust my comfortable position in order to find something (such as my lap) to lean the iPad onto for a better typing experience. This small gripe was enough for me to discontinue using the iPad, and I didn't miss it one bit when I returned it to work.

None of this says that the iPad is a bad device. I think it's a great device, but considering my interests, my work and my usage, I didn't use the device enough - or in enough ways - to justify the purchase.

What about the Kindle Fire? I own a second generation Kindle, and I anxiously await the days of color e-Ink where magazines will look like print on such devices. A Kindle tablet really wasn't on the tops of my list, and I prefer to read books on e-Ink technology rather than back-lit screens. I'm also one that still believes in dedicated devices. I have an MP3 player. I have an eBook reader. I have a phone. I don't necessarily need them to be the same device.

The Kindle Fire caught my attention for a few reasons. Being an Amazon Prime member, I have access to their streaming content. I also travel a few days out of the month for work. In addition, I purchase most of my music from Amazon. Although I like having dedicated devices, sometimes travel is easier with only one. In that event, I can keep the MP3 player hooked up to my car, while using only a dedicated device for reading, videos and Internet while staying wherever I happen to be staying. I consume Amazon content, so an Amazon consumption device sounds like a good idea.

The seven inch screen was also a selling point for me, as you might have guessed from my critique of the iPad. It's big enough to be better than a phone screen, but small enough to be comfortable and portable.

Consider my primary uses of the Kindle Fire: quick Internet access while lounging around, streaming video, streaming music, magazines, comic books, color books on occasion, sports scores, Facebook and Twitter. Add to that the fact that I'm an Amazon Prime member, buy much of my content from Amazon, and the device only costs $199.00 and it's not a hard decision to make. If I was a tablet power-user and was looking for a potential laptop replacement, I would buy an iPad, but I'm only looking for something that enables the activities I mentioned above. The Kindle Fire is the obvious choice.

The Kindle Fire does exactly what it says it does, and it's very success at doing it. I don't need it to have a front and back-facing camera for pictures and videos. I don't need it to discover my location. The exclusion of those features aren't a limitation; they show focus.

There are a few cons to the product, however. The device is occasionally sluggish - not bothersome, but noticeable. This is often attributed to its Android roots and not necessarily the Amazon skin. Furthermore, I attribute much of that to the fact that Android is Java-based. Java UI applications have always been a bit sluggish.

Although the screen size is perfect for me, it does get annoying to have to either zoom in for magazines or use the guided mode on comic books. This is less a limitation of the device and more a notice to content producers and publishers that, in the future, layouts will need to be more fluid to account for different consumption devices.

Another annoying drawback is the Amazon AppStore. I don't mind that the AppStore is limited, and I understand that Amazon takes care to ensure a good user-experience on their devices, but when I go to an Android Marketplace link, I shouldn't be redirected to the Amazon AppStore and told that the item can't be found. If you want to warn people about non-AppStore content, pop up a warning, but then let us decide what we want to do. Side-loading apps shouldn't be this painful.

There are a few other annoyances that Amazon should address in the future. The first deals with WiFi lag. When turning the screen on, it takes several seconds for the WiFi to connect to your router. This is a bit too long for a device that is WiFi-only, yet primarily uses the Amazon cloud. The second complaint deals with device accessories. I'm extremely disappointed that Amazon packaged the Kindle Fire with an AC charger, but didn't give us the USB-cord/AC adapter. Instead, if you want to connect to your computer, you have to hijack a cord from a different device. Not cool Amazon.

To summarize, the Kindle Fire does have its drawbacks, but for a first generation device, you can't beat the quality or the price. Amazon will get better with successive generations, but as an early-adopter, I'm very happy with the current Kindle Fire offering.