Amazon Kindle Fire Taking Edge Off Apple iPad Purchases

2,600 people responded to an October poll revealing that 5 percent of those surveyed have already pre-ordered a Kindle Fire or, according to the consumer advisory/research group Changewave, are "very likely" to buy one soon. Most important in the survey data, though, was that over a quarter said they would postpone buying an iPad . Part of this is due the hype around the new color version of the Kindle Fire, which has captured many people’s attention, the study reports. The other important factor for buyers is Kindle Fire's $199 price tag compared to entry level iPad 2's $499.

But is there enough hype around the general purpose Kindle Fire for tablet fans to abandon the iPad completely? Market analyst Mike Abramsky insists that the iPad’s unique features (3G connectivity, front and rear cameras, app store infrastructure) offer a different user experience than the Kindle Fire, even if it is in color.