Kindle Fire

LINDSYRP

So I think I want one. I haven't gotten my hands on one to play with so I am unsure. I don't own an Ipad or any other tablet so I want something that can get online and all that fun stuff and this seems to be an affordable combination of tablet and kindle, do any of you ladies have one and if so do you like it?

Otterama

I do not have one, but I know some people that do and they like them. I think it really depends on if you want a tablet that you can read books on or just something to read books on. If you want a tablet, then go for it.

LINDSYRP

Thank you! I need more than just an electronic book so I think this is the product for me. I just wonder how limited the internet capablity might be

sweetpea200

I don't have one, but I strongly considered getting one.  What made me decide not to was the limited storage space--only 8 GB.  If you have a large music or video collection, this is not a lot.  "Traditional" tablets generally have much more storage space.

One Sweet Shannon

I have a Kindle Fire, and I love it.  I use it constantly.  Depending how much you want to do with it, it's either a great steal, or not your best option.  If you want to use it for reading, light web surfing, videos, then it's fantastic.  If you're looking for more, then you might want to consider going with a traditional tablet.  My musician husband, for instance, wants to be able to compose and record and mix music, so his device of choice is an iPad.  I don't need something so robust.  I use my Kindle fire for reading, watching videos, web surfing, listening to music and audiobooks, displaying and annotating knitting patters, and some games.  It meets every one of my needs. 

 

Pros:

1) Color, backlit screen.  I wanted color and backlighting, although many ereader users prefer the grayscale e-ink, so depending on your preference, this can be either a pro or a con.  For me it is a definite pro -- no additional light needed and color.  You can dim it as well.  I frequently use it dimmed in bed or while I'm a passenger in a car, and it never bothers DH in the slightest.  

2) Kindle Store -- I like the Kindle store much more than Nook or the other options.  I think the selection of free and cheap books is much better, and for other books the pricing generally the same.  Also, Kindle customer service is fantastic -- for both purchases and device issues.

3) Kindle vs Nook or other ereading software -- Once again I prefer the kindle.  I've used all of the different reading apps (Nook, Kindle, iBooks, Overdrive, etc) on my iPod and tested them on devices in-store as well, and I just simply prefer Kindle.  But everyone is different, so try them out in a store like Best Buy or someplace, to get a feel and decide where your preference may lie.

4) Size -- Sure, an iPad is awesome, but I much prefer the Kindle Fire for reading.  It's a perfect size.  It's heavier than other ereaders, but the weight doesn't bother me at all.  A larger tables can be too unwieldy for reading.

5) Video quality -- I've watched Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu+ and Youtube, and all look very good on the Fire.  (I've actually seen a couple reviews that said while the iPad video specs are better, the smaller screen actually provides a better picture.  I believe the Nook tablet was rated highest, a slight margin over Kindle Fire and then the iPad.)  My husband is always stealing my Fire to watch video game walkthroughs on Youtube because the picture is so good.

6) Sturdiness -- between the rubberized back and the gorilla glass, I haven't even put a screen protector or cover on mine.  No scratches at all.  I didn't want any added weight, so I'm glad I can live without these.  I do have a sleeve (DIY'd) for keeping it in when not in use.  I dropped it while in my sleeve and all was okay.  I just put it in the sleeve and toss it in my bag when I'm running around.

7) Amazon Cloud - so simple to use, and when wifi connected it expands your storage space by a lot.  You get 5GB free and any amazon purchases (books, video, mp3s) do not count toward that 5GB.  You can also purchase more.  (I actually have 20 because of a promotion they ran last year where you got 20 for free when you bought an mp3 or something.  I've barely used any of my 20GB despite having uploaded numerous .pdfs, audiobooks, mp3s, pictures and other documents.)

8) Web browsing -- surfing is easy with no real problems.  Websites look great on the Kindle Fire, with all the same navigation as the internet on a PC.  Maybe things won't load as fast as on a PC, but it's still pretty quick.

9) Battery Life -- If you're not watching a lot of videos or using certain apps that drain batter, it can last for days.  I only charge mine when the battery is pretty much fully depleted and I only charge it every few days, going as long as 8 days, despite it being in near constant use and the wifi always on.  If DH would stop stealing my Fire to watch videos, the battery charge would last even longer.   Just reading books and listening to audiofiles uses very little power.  You can also turn off wifi if not needed and dim the brightness to make your battery last longer.

 

Cons:

1) Device and App backup -- there is no way to back up app data.  I use many apps on my iPod that get backed up in iTunes (as well as in the cloud for some) but there is no data backup for apps for the Kindle Fire.  This is not a problem if you use things that can sync to the cloud or another PC in your home, but if this is your only device, I wouldn't use standalone apps for storing important information.  I don't use many apps because anything important is on my iPod, so this is a non-issue for me, but it could be of concern to others.

2) Storage space -- As mentioned above, the Kindle only has 8GB storage space (slightly less due to system items that use memory, but very little.)  I have many books, some music and audiobooks, and a bunch of apps including games, but I still have about half of my storage space available.  This really is a non-issue for me again, though, because it is so easy to move items to and from the Amazon Cloud.  I don't imagine that anyone would have tons of music on their Kindle Fire at all times, but if you do, you can store it in the Amazon Cloud and stream it over wifi without using any of your device storage (same goes for video and books.)  If you're not going to be wifi connected you may not be able to have as much music downloaded to your device, but you can easily switch around what you store on the device.

 

I can't really think of other cons, and even the two I listed don't really affect me. Essentially the Kindle Fire can do about 80% of what an iPad can do (and it does those things well), for about 33% of the price.  So depending on whether that 80% covers your needs, the Fire can be an excellent device.

 

 

starswilldiexxx

i just bought one at walmart last night because they are offering a $50 walmart gc when you purchase one till feb 14th. so it was 210 with tax then i got the 50 walmart gc. it was a pretty good deal. i like it so far. 

 my boyfriend has an ipad and while it's neat i really think it is too big for me. i like that this is a smaller tablet. i love reading books on it. i've already read a whole book. i like that it comes with a free one month trial of amazon prime. and i can't wait till my cases come so that i feel more comfortable with taking it around *i can be a little klumsy*

LINDSYRP

Thank you ladies for your input, it is always nice to hear these things from "real" people as opposed to an online review or a sales clerk (who is trying to sell me the more expensive tablet that is WAY too big for my small hands). Looks to me like this chick here will be purchasing a new toy next week...YAY : )

Passanie

This is really helpful! Thank you. We're considering getting a Kindle Fire too. Husband wants an iPad, but since he only wants it for surfing the web and watching YouTube, I don't see the point in spending $500 on that. Especially when I want an ereader and we can get a Kindle Fire for all those purposes for $300 less. I need to go try it out in the store though.

You can't borrow from most libraries with the Nook Tablet, right? That seems like a big drawback.