Amazon's Kindle Fire hits shelves

Amazon releases its new tablet Kindle Fire Monday, six days after the release of Barnes and Noble's Nook Tablet, according to a Reuters report. As Apple's iPad dominates tablet markets, the two e-book companies are flooding the market almost simultaneously, attempting to compete with iPad by virtue of their lower price. The 7-inch Kindle Fire is priced at 199 US dollars and the Nook Tablet is 249 US dollars, much cheaper than iPad, which costs 499 to 829 US dollars. Analysts said Amazon's shipping into the tablet market may give Apple's iPad some competition, but it aims more directly at competing with the Nook Tablet. As the holiday consumption season is coming, the Fire is expected to be a hot item. The Fire tablet was the best-selling item on Amazon.com after the release, said the e-book giant Monday in a statement. Analysts estimate Amazon may sell 3 million to 5 million Fire tablets this quarter around the world, Reuters reported.