Amazon Kindle Fire eyes-on [Video]

By Vincent Nguyen/Updated: March 2, 2012 10:50 am EST

Amazon has made the Kindle Fire official, and we've just grabbed some up-close time with the new touchscreen tablet at the retailer's launch event. Already up for pre-order and shipping November 15, the Kindle Fire is based on Android but hides its roots well, with Amazon more interested in pushing its multimedia credentials, super-fast surfing the with new Silk browser, and ereading of course. Check out more hands-on details after the cut.

Amazon isn't letting us get particularly hands-on with the Kindle Fire, with security at the NYC event playing over-cautious with the new slate. Still, it's definitely compact and the IPS display – though only 1024 x 600 resolution – is bright and color-rich. The Gorilla Glass, making its first appearance on a Kindle, might also mean you can drop the Kindle Fire into a bag without a case.

We'll not know for sure how Silk handles and how the rest of the heavily modified OS holds up to proper use until Amazon relaxes a little and lets us play properly. Until then, check out the demo video and live photos.

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