¼ million Kindle Fires ordered

Amazon has received 250,000 pre-orders for its new tablet, the Kindle Fire, despite the device being on its website for just five days, according to news website Cult of Android.

The device doesn’t go on sale until November 15, but at the rate of 50,000 units per day Amazon could rack up 2.5 million pre-orders by that date.

The Kindle Fire is considered the main competition for Apple’s iPad, offering similar core functionality but none of the bells and whistles, and selling for a much lower price.

Analysts are undecided over whether Amazon makes a profit or a loss on each device. What is certain is that high sales won’t equate to high revenue, and the success of the Kindle Fire won't hinge on volume, but whether buyers use the device to make more purchases from the Amazon store.