As 2011 draws to a close, I’ve been thinking about my role here at KAppReview and about Kindle Apps and Kindle Fire Apps in general – and what has happened with them in 2011.
Kindle Apps
At the start of 2011 – I was in love with my Kindle 2nd Generation. It was the best thing in the world for carrying around lots of books in a little bit of space. In 2010 – I had gone on a couple of vacations and eight business trips and loved not having to drag along a suitcase full of books. I had played a few of the earlier Kindle game apps by Amazon Digital Services and thought they were pretty good and I played Sudoku on my Kindle on a regular basis.
Then one day I read a blog post from Abhi Singh asking for some beta testers and that testing opportunity soon transformed itself into testing opportunities and later into blogging responsibilities here at KAppReview. Little did I know how that one blog post would change my life.
In the past 3 1/2 months, I have purchased and tested close to 150 apps on my Kindle. Now that Kindle 2nd Generation has been joined by a favored big brother Kindle 3 (sometimes referred to by the Amazon powers that be as Kindle Keyboard) and by the less loved but interesting sidekicks of Kindle [4] (also known by me as Kindle for Kids) and Kindle Touch.
What started out as a way to play games on a Kindle (which many Kindle owners out there still scoff at) has expanded to not only included games, but serious functionality for the Kindle in the palm of your hands.
When 7 Dragons released Notepad and later Calendar (as well as other apps) - it was incredible to hear from users that were thrilled to have additional functionality added to their Kindle. There are a wide range of functionality apps that are now available as well as a growing variety of games and educational apps. As part of a development team for Kindle apps and games, I can tell you that my hat is off to anyone who successfully gets an app published through the Amazon Kindle store. It is painful – not unlike running a gauntlet or undergoing initiation through hazing.
It will be interesting to see what 2012 brings. Many developers are producing holiday themed variations of their games. My guess is that this trend will continue to grow in the next year. With the release of Kindle and Kindle Touch – Amazon is no longer requiring that the apps work on all versions of the Kindle. It will be interesting to see what decisions are made by each developer on their apps and what the users think of this.
One thing I am hoping for – it would be terrific if Amazon allowed apps to be purchased by International customers with the understanding that they were developed for a U.S. based audience and in English and that they may not function optimally. We have heard from many people who want access to all apps and I think it would be a good move on Amazon’s part.
Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire Apps
Kindle Fire is the new kid on the block and has been both welcomed and rejected by different users. The trend toward tablets is here to stay and I am hoping the Kindle Fire will soon have a bigger and better version of what is good and remove what is bad. I still favor my Nook Color a little over my Kindle Fire – but love having my books from other Kindle purchases also available on this device – so it is here to stay.
I am just starting to review Kindle Fire Apps. There are a lot of android apps in the Amazon Android App store – but all do not work well on the Kindle Fire and it is tricky to find out what is good, what is not so good, and what is garbage. You may have noticed I posted a few free Kindle Fire Apps of the Day earlier in the week and then none for the last few days. I have been reading reviews and when there is a vocal group of Kindle Fire owners stating that they are not happy with the app – I don’t think it worthy to mention those free apps.
I would be interested to hear what types of Kindle Fire Apps and Games you would like me to review. Please leave a comment on this post with your suggestions. I am still learning a lot about Kindle Fire and am happy to research topics that are of interest to our readers. I think we are going to see massive growth in Kindle Fire Apps in 2012. This will probably be both good and bad. It will be up to the more discerning users to spend their money wisely and I hope that I can help in that venture.
Here’s wising you a hAPPy new year!
Maurine (aka Tarzanphan60)
Filed under: 7 Dragons, Kindle Apps, Kindle Fire Apps
