Companies do the craziest things. Take Amazon for example. They have created an awesome new tablet, given it an uber-sexy name, priced it lower even than my wildest dreams, and then refused to sell it to me.

I’m not kidding. I tried to buy the damn thing and got fobbed off with some rubbish about living on the wrong side of the Atlantic.

Excuse me? This is me you’re talking to. ME! Have you checked my order history lately Amazon? I think it only fair that you make an exception in my case. Either that, or start selling the damn thing here in the UK.

Here’s why I want a Kindle Fire

It’s lighter and smaller than an iPad. The iPad is too big and clunky for the use I have in mind. I need something I can use comfortably while on the tube. I get a lot of use out of an iPhone App called QuickOffice Pro. It has the ability read, write and edit both Word and Excel documents. I use it to…

• Review notes on the tube while traveling to meetings
• Make notes when heading back from meetings
• Write Proposals when heading to and/or from meetings
• Create, edit and/or review financial projections

QuickOffice Pro syncs with Dropbox. This means my notes, proposal, and/or spreadsheet are on my laptop when I arrive at or get back from meetings. The work I’ve done while on the tube is ready and waiting.

In other words, QuickOffice Pro and an iPhone allow me to be productive while on the tube. This time is no longer lost. And it’s especially valuable if there are delays on the tube.

An iPhone does an adequate job but I’ve been looking for something bigger. I want more screen real-estate and a larger virtual keyboard. I’d use this device to run presentations too, and leave my laptop in the office.

I looked long and hard at the iPad, and almost pulled the trigger. In the end I decided it’s just too big and heavy. The Kindle Fire is a far better fit for me.

Other tablet makers offer a 7″ device, but none of them can replace Apple’s App and support infrastructure. Amazon can. And now they have (what looks like) the very product I’ve been looking for.

I have already tried to place an order through my Amazon US account. No such luck. They won’t ship it to my UK address. The question is, why won’t the buggers sell it to me?

amazon, ipad, kindle fire, tablet