We’ve written about the Kingston Wi-Drive before, and our Editor in Chief April L. Hamilton has spent some time bench testing the device specifically to see how well it works with the Kindle Fire.
Her findings are that the device works just as advertised with the Kindle Fire and iPad where non-DRM content is concerned: it can stream content live to three different devices simultaneously, without any buffering delays or hiccups.
It can stream iTunes content that does have DRM to the iPad via the iPad’s Safari browser, again with no buffering delays or hiccups.
I can also stream Amazon MP3 content, which does not have DRM, to multiple Kindle Fire devices smoothly.
However, it cannot stream content purchased from Amazon that does have DRM, such as Amazon Instant Videos. Given that in this situation, an Amazon customer is attempting to access Amazon content via an Amazon-manufactured device (the Kindle Fire), it seemed to Hamilton that it should not be very difficult or objectionable in any way for Amazon to provide support for its digital media with DRM to be streamed to a Kindle Fire from a Wi-Drive or other external, wifi storage device.
Hamilton contacted Amazon Kindle Fire tech support about this issue and made a plea for Amazon to either create an app or work with Kingston tech employees (as Apple did) to include this functionality in the next Wi-Drive firmware release.
The response from Amazon was prompt and agreeable, stating that Amazon is always on the lookout for ways to maximize value to their customers and improve their customers’ experience with Amazon’s digital media offerings. Hamilton’s request has been forwarded to the Digital Media Development Team at Amazon, and we’ll keep you posted on any new developments in this area.