Kindle Fire... Or not?

[OklahomaTourist]

IN all honesty, if someone's looking at any of the readers, I'd encourage them to give a good, hard look at a good quality Android tablet and just put the Kindle/Nook software on it. Nooks, sadly, aren't likely long for this world with B&N hemorrhaging cash and Microsoft circling Nook like a bloodthirsty vulture, but either way, I'd avoid an environment-specific device like a Kindle and just get a nice tablet.

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

You've got several assumptions in here that aren't necessarily true...

My original Fire works just fine in sunlight, even bright sunlight, I just spent $3.00 on an anti-glare screen protector, which I was going to do anyway. I'm still using the same screen protector 1 1/2 years later.

Also, if you change the book display from black on white to dark borwn on sepia, that takes care of eye strain, probably not for everyone, but I can read for hours on my Fire with no eye strain.

Others have addressed the battery life, for me, I just charge it overnight on my nightstand, and it's good to go.

I don't use it for watching purchased movies, I do have Amazon Prime so have done plenty of streaming, which isn't affected by memory size, so can't really comment beyond noting that I have hundreds of books on my Fire, along with lots of games and am nowhere near the memory limit. Now if you're looking at putting large amounts of video on your device, yes, the memory is a limiting factor, but with the latest HD having 32GB, that's comparable in sizing to iPads which run hundreds of dollars more.

I absolutely LOVE my Kindle, and I think my iPad's handy; however, I am not a fan of the Kindle Fire. I had considered buying them for my teens for Christmas, but once I did some research, I didn't go through with the purchase: The Fire embodies the worst of the Kindle's features and fails to live up to the iPad's abilities. The Fire's one big positive is its price in comparison to the iPad.

Since you say you want this product mainly to serve as a reader, I suggest you pick any of the other Kindles. Reasons:

- The "we're just e-readers" Kindle products all have superior screens that can be used in full sunlight. In contrast, the sun produces a glare on the Fire's screen, making it essentially unusable outside. Also, the Fire's screen causes eye-fatigue just like a computer screen, where as the other Kindles' screens do not; if you read for fifteen minutes every night, you won't mind . . . but if you read for hours at a time, it will be a factor.

- Because it runs color and pictures, the Fire's battery life is similar to that of the iPad; that is, it can run a couple hours before it needs to be recharged. My Kindle Touch goes 3-4 weeks between charges, depending upon how heavily it's being used (of course, this assumes that the WiFi is turned off except when purchasing or downloading new books).

- The reader Kindles are much lighter than the Fire, though they aren't as heavy as the iPad. This does matter if, like me, you like to lie on your back and read.

- Although the Fire has the capability to play movies, etc., its memory capacity is sadly lacking. It might satisfy a kid (and because of its low price, it makes sense for a kid), but I'm sure I'd be frustrated with its shortcomings, and I doubt I'm alone in the adult world.

 

[mom2my3kids]

I loved my Kindle Fire until recently. There is a problem with the USB connection and it will no longer charge. And since it is outside the warranty time frame, there is nothing Amazon can do. I just looked online and can sell it for around $36 (which is better than nothing) and I am looking into a replacement, most likely a Samsung.

Amazon will replace or fix one time if its a charging issue..call them..

 

[Mandy_in_NC]

My family bought me a Kindle Fire HD for Mother's Day and once I figured out how to get the flash player on it I am in love with it.