Amazon has just launched its first real tablet called the Amazon Kindle Fire — a 7-inch device that runs Google’s Android OS, selling for just $200. A torrent of speculation in the months prior to its unveiling suggested the device would be the first to really compete with the iPad, so how does it compare to Apple’s iPad 2?

We take an in-depth look at the specifications for the Amazon Kindle Fire vs. the iPad 2 to see whether Amazon’s new device really has what it takes to worry the iPad.

Early analyst reaction to Amazon’s just-unveiled Kindle Fire tablet is underwhelming. The price is the key feature and as for pressuring Apple, the device may boomerang, coming back to haunt already stressed-out Android tablets.

Amazon just announced its long anticipated tablet, the Kindle Fire. And while the hardware doesn’t compete with iPad, the price certainly is: it’s a fully-featured tablet with access to millions of apps, games, songs, movies, TV shows and books, all for just $199.

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There’s intriguing news from the world of technology patents. Samsung has just agreed to pay royalties to Microsoft, just the latest Android phone and tablet maker to seek shelter as Google evolves into a potential hardware rival. Samsung joins HTC and other manufacturers in what one patent watcher Wednesday called “the most important Android-related intellectual property deal in its own right.”

Three publishers will likely take part in Amazon’s expected tablet launch Wednesday. Although the titles are tailored for the smaller 7-inch screen, publishers reportedly are drawn to Amazon’s marketing muscle and the potential for an Android-based iPad alternative.