I'm okay knowing that the Fire is not as great a visual/technological experience as the NC or iPad. The real benefits of the Fire to me are the lower price (fell within impulse range) and Amazon's services. The books I'd already paid for, the Amazon Prime VOD that I was under-utilizing before, the free "library" borrowing... okay, it's one per month but that's a big chunk of money in a year - like three decent martinis! As I have it rooted/configured, it does absolutely everything I'd do on an IPad, but for less money and more portable, at the sacrifice of speed and perhaps some visual quality.
It doesn't have to be the perfect car, but it does get me to better parties.
