The new Amazon Kindle Fire: Size does matter

As a gadget twitch, and a writer, I like to have my digital devices with me at all times. I want to be able to work anytime, any place, anywhere, when the inspiration takes me. And I want to be able to read my e-books. So device size is an issue for me. It made me plump for the Lenovo A7-10 as my preferred device, because that was so much smaller and neater than my Google Nexus 7 2012.

Since my new Kindle Fire 7 tablet arrived, though, I’ve become increasingly fond of it, and impressed with how compact and convenient it is. Yes, it is heavy for its size, at at 313 g (11 oz), versus my Lenovo A7-10 at 269 g (9.49 oz). But the design makes that weight comfortable. More to the point, although it’s also wider than the A7-10 (see picture) it fits every jacket pocket that the Lenovo device does, even ones which the old Nexus 7 was too big for.

What’s more, in some ways its even better designed for slinging in a pocket than the Lenovo. The power button, volume rockers and headphone socket are all along the top rim, which means much less chance of pressing the power switch or changing the volume accidentally when it’s in your pocket. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was part of Amazon’s design strategy. After all, Amazon wants you consuming content everywhere, whenever you can, so it has an incentive to produce a device that is as convenient as possible for carrying around.

I’m one of the most demanding users I know for portability. And Amazon exceeded my expectations with the new $50 Kindle Fire. I’ll definitely be sticking it in my jacket pocket often in future.