The Kindle Fire is the Best-Selling iPad Alternative

Sales of the new Kindle Fire tablet from Amazon are literally on fire, according to new retail statistics. New numbers from IHS iSuppli show that nearly 4 million Kindle Fires will ship during this quarter, making it the number 1 Google Android-based tablet and the number 2 selling tablet overall.

 The Apple iPad 2 still dominates the tablet market. But some experts are predicting that the Kindle Fire will emerge as the top iPad-alternative and steal a large percentage of Apple's market share over the next few quarters. The popular Samsung Galaxy Tab, another Android device, is more powerful than the "Fire" but it's also a lot more expensive... which is probably only 1.4 million are expected to sell his quarter.

 It's interesting to note that the original iPad only sold 3.3 million in its first quarter (Q3 2010) on the market. Kindle Fire sales will easily beat that. As we've already seen, consumers love cheap-but-powerful tablet computers. Plus the 7-inch Kindle Fire is significantly lighter, smaller, and more "portable" than the iPad, allowing it to be more of a go-anywhere content consumption/personal entertainment center device. The question analysts are already asking is this: could the Amazon Kindle Fire outsell the iPad in the near future? We'll just have to wait and see.

 We say: We got our hands on a Kindle Fire and we really like it. Just the right size and weight, plus it's great for watching movies/videos. The only serious problem so far: it doesn't allow you to download all the Android apps yet! What's up with that Amazon??

 Learn some mo': The Kindle Fire Is On Fire