Amazon Unveils $199 Kindle Fire Tablet

Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, unveiled its Kindle Fire tablet computer, taking aim at Apple’s bestselling iPad with a device that’s smaller and less than half the price.

The Kindle Fire will have a 7-inch display and sell for $199, compared with $499 for Apple’s cheapest iPad, Amazon executives said. The device, a souped-up version of the Kindle electronic-book reader, will run on Google’s Android software. Amazon also introduced a touch-screen version of its e-reader, to be called Kindle Touch. While the Kindle Fire can vie with the iPad in access to media content, it lacks a camera, microphone or a connection to a 3G wireless network. It may not appeal to consumers who are drawn to the iPad’s larger screen and willing to pay a premium for added features such as video chat.