User reviews of the Kindle Fire have begun to roll into Amazon, and the verdict hedges towards thumbs down. While it has over 2,200 five-star ratings, a little over one-third of the reviews are three stars or below. Major complaints, according to the New York Times: “there is no external volume control. The off switch is easy to hit by accident. Web pages take a long time to load. There is no privacy on the device; a spouse or child who picks it up will instantly know everything you have been doing. The touch screen is frequently hesitant and sometimes downright balky.” Amazon will be releasing a software update within the next couple weeks that should address touch screen sensitivity privacy issues, and rumors are spreading of the next iteration of the Fire coming out in spring of 2012.
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