I received mine around noon (FedEx) and have been playing with it on and off since. I agree that it feels like a very solid unit. I had no trouble downloading updated software. My kindle books were preloaded along with some apps. I was easily able to download some additional apps, most of which were free.
I gave it a quick trial run of a Netflix streaming video. Seemed to stream just fine. I also rented a new release from Amazon videos (haven't watched it yet). I was surprised that new release video rentals were $3.99 even for Prime members. There are some free ones for Prime members but the selection is limited.
I have an iPad 2 and my DH owns a Nook color. That being said, I find the Fire very responsive and quick. Apps loaded quickly as did the Netflix video. The touch screen is very responsive. I found it a little awkward to hold without a cover (my Fire cover is on the UPS delivery truck and will hopefully be here soon). It is too wide for me to hold in the palm of my hand, although I would expect that most men could do so comfortably. That leaves me with having to hold it on the left edge and try not to interfere with the touch portion of the screen. I found that my hand cramped up in this position after a few minutes. Thankfully, I have my CoylCushion to help with that.
And I would expect that my cover will help with holding it too.
Reading on the web seemed much easier on the Fire as opposed to the Nook Color. Print on the Nook Color's web always seemed so microscopic. Also, selecting text was often problematic on the Nook Color. I always seemed to hit the wrong text by mistake. The sensor always seemed slightly off and it was annoying. Fire's touch seems a little more precise.
I am very pleased with the Fire so far. I am not a techie, so this is not much of a "review," but more of a first impression. Hope it helps.
