And to think, just 2,000 years ago, we were using stone tablets. For further proof of mankind’s progress, behold the Amazon Kindle Fire, a 7″, 14.6 ounce, multi-touch, Android-running tablet that may not pack all of the size or punch of the iPad, but its $199 price tag makes it a true head-turner. Inside the Fire you’ll find a dual-core 1GHz TI OMAP processor, with 512MB of RAM and 8GB of storage space, plus free Cloud storage for all Amazon content. You’ll be browsing the Web with Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n), and listening to fancy rock-n-roll music through the 3.5 mm stereo audio jack and top-mounted stereo speakers. The Fire’s battery life is rated up to 8 hours for continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video playback with wireless off. Charge it up fully in approximately 4 hours via the included U.S. power adapter, or through the USB 2.0 port.