Amazon Kindle Fire Clocking Up 50,000 Pre-Orders Per Day

Sales of the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet look set to outstrip any of the firm's Kindle e-readers, as the Fire has clocked up 250,000 pre-orders in just five days—95,000 of which were placed on the first day orders opened on Amazon's US website, the tablet's only point of sale.

The Kindle Fire is available for pre-order in the US for $199 and is starting to look like a runaway success. A recent Sodahead opinion poll showed that while 61% of consumers expected Apple's iPad to remain the market leader, 39% of those surveyed thought that the Kindle Fire would steal the top spot. Note that the Fire's most attractive selling point is its price, as Amazon's tablet costs 60% less than the iPad.

Potential buyers seem ready to compromise on technical prowess for a tablet that's much more affordable. Amazon's Kindle Fire is mainly intended for reading online or digital content, web browsing, and watching films and TV shows. Unlike Apple's tablet, it doesn't offer 3G connectivity and has no photo or video camera.

The Amazon Kindle Fire is due to start shipping in the US on 15 November. 

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