THAT’S EARLY: According to Amazon, the Kindle Fire is expected to ship in 3 to 5 days. I’ve already pre-ordered mine.

UPDATE: Charlie Martin emails: “I notice that the Fire is already showing up in my Manage your Kindle page; I could apparently send books there now.”

ANOTHER UPDATE: Reader Thomas Prewitt writes:

I followed your lead and pre-ordered the Fire. And just like Charlie Martin, my Fire is already listed in my Amazon account online. Simply
amazing.

Amazon provides me with the best customer service and user experience of any retailer with whom I have done business, online or otherwise.
And I have never spoken with a single Amazon employee.

And this makes we wonder about Apple as they move to unionized employees. Do you think that “people” will be a competitive disadvantage for Apple?

I don’t know. Good question.