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Although Google would probably like you to believe that the Android tablet market didn't really begin until the arrival of the best-selling Nexus 7, the truth is that the original Amazon Kindle Fire was the first slate featuring Google's mobile OS to achieve genuine mainstream commercial success. Launched stateside in 2011, it quickly became a million-seller, taking a considerable bite out of the iPad's share of the nascent tablet market in the process.With the Nexus 7 - and its big brother, the Nexus 10 - now firmly ensconced at the top of the pile, the Amazon Kindle Fire HD has a tougher fight on its hands, despite its improved specs and pin-sharp 7-inch display. In its favour it has a low price point, intuitive interface and - possibly most important of all - comprehensive access to Amazon's digital store, which encompasses countless books, movies, songs, magazines, apps and games.
However, you have to ask yourself if there's room for another challenger in what is fast becoming a two-horse tablet race. Does the market really need a third ecosystem, especially when it's built atop one of its major rivals: Android? The Kindle Fire HD may look unique, but underneath Amazon's user interface lies Android 4.0 - albeit in a heavily customised form.
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