Next Amazon Kindle Fire tablet could come in a few months. Should you really buy the first version?

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Are you sure you want to rush out and buy that Kindle Fire tablet that Amazon is announcing tomorrow? According to some sleuthing by Ryan Block, co-founder of gdgt.com, you may be getting a slate that’s being rushed out to make the upcoming holiday shopping season — and that will be soon be replaced by a better version.

By now, you may know that the Kindle Fire appears to be based on the RIM PlayBook, which hasn’t exactly set the world on, er, fire. While that fact alone may not be big problem for Amazon shoppers — after all, it won’t be burdened with the idiosyncrasies Research in Motion baked into the PlayBook user experience — early adopters might want to know a few other things about how Kindle Fire v1.0 came to be.

According to Block, there were a few hiccups along the road. Amazon’s own Kindle product team wanted no part in developing the Fire, and some hardware issues have forced the company to use a slower processor than it would have liked to. His sources conclude that it’s “supposed to be pretty poor.”

Nonetheless, the Kindle Fire could work fine for many tablet buyers if the hardware performs decently, and the interface is usable enough (more on that here). But Block is now reporting that Amazon will be releasing another Kindle Fire in the first quarter of next year, and it’s the one about which the company is really excited. Why that is, we’re not sure, but it apparently is.

In other words, you just might want to save your tablet dollars for Kindle Fire 2 if you really desire Amazon’s best. That is, if you can bear the wait.

Sean Portnoy is a freelance technology journalist.

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Acer's new A100 is first 7-inch tablet to run Android Honeycomb

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Summary: Despite its top exec arguing that tablets were a fad, Acer has introduced a new 7-inch slate that is also the first to run the latest, more tablet-friendly version of Android (a.k.a. Honeycomb). The Iconia Tab A100 is available now starting at $329.99. Specs-wise, the A100 is pretty typical of Android tablets these days: Nvidia Tegra [...]

Despite its top exec arguing that tablets were a fad, Acer has introduced a new 7-inch slate that is also the first to run the latest, more tablet-friendly version of Android (a.k.a. Honeycomb). The Iconia Tab A100 is available now starting at $329.99.

Specs-wise, the A100 is pretty typical of Android tablets these days: Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, front-facing Webcam, HDMI output, and MicroSD slot. It features built-in Wi-Fi, but not a 3G cellular option. The 7-inch tablet weighs 0.92 pounds and sports a 1,024×600 resolution screen.

But what’s notable in Acer’s press release is the fact that it emphasizes how well-suited the A100 is for “moms and families,” as if 10-inch tablets are the masculine domain. Does size matter so much that men need bigger tablets and women naturally want a more petite option?

In any event, Acer keeps the A100’s price low by offering only 8GB of storage for its $329.99 model. If you want to double that capacity, you can pay an additional $20. No 32GB or 64GB flavors appear available.

Sean Portnoy is a freelance technology journalist.

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Dell officially introduces Latitude ST Windows 7 tablet for enterprise, healthcare, education markets

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Summary: Dell hopes you keep that iPad at home when you come to work and instead use its new Latitude ST tablet to get your productivity on. The company has just launched the Windows 7 slate with an eye to the corporate market, as well as healthcare and education workers. Dell says the Latitude ST is ideal [...]

Dell hopes you keep that iPad at home when you come to work and instead use its new Latitude ST tablet to get your productivity on. The company has just launched the Windows 7 slate with an eye to the corporate market, as well as healthcare and education workers.

Dell says the Latitude ST is ideal for these settings, combining Windows 7 Professional with the company’s Electronic Medical Records and Connected Classroom services. Dell is also collaborating with a slew of business partners to get the tablet certified for their apps.

We don’t know much about specs at this point, other than the Latitude ST uses Intel Atom processors, sports a 10-inch screen, offers stylus support, and includes front and rear cameras, USB and HDMI ports, and an SD memory card slot. As Engadget points out, the link to the product page on Dell’s blog post isn’t working, so other details are scarce.

The Dell Latitude ST will launch on November 1, with pricing yet to be announced. Can it provide a viable alternative to the iPad in an enterprise setting? Let us know your thoughts in the Talkback section.

Sean Portnoy is a freelance technology journalist.

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