Kindle Fire HD |OT|

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Quick question about the fire and fire HD. Are they both basically the same in terms of UI, apps availability etc - just one has a nicer screen and is faster? Looking for a cheap tablet for my parents, something I can set up for them so they can email and do puzzle apps and web browsing. Hoping kindle fire drops to £99 on Black Friday but want to check its a good option

Can you set it up so that email notifications are obvious, or is it always a big list of stuff to consume on the main screen? The other option would be a simple android tablet with big widgets for email that they can't miss
 
mrklaw said:
Quick question about the fire and fire HD. Are they both basically the same in terms of UI, apps availability etc - just one has a nicer screen and is faster? Looking for a cheap tablet for my parents, something I can set up for them so they can email and do puzzle apps and web browsing. Hoping kindle fire drops to £99 on Black Friday but want to check its a good option

Can you set it up so that email notifications are obvious, or is it always a big list of stuff to consume on the main screen? The other option would be a simple android tablet with big widgets for email that they can't miss
Click to expand...

Yes, the UI's are pretty much the same and have the same app availability, as they are both limited by the Amazon App Store's selection.

I have my OG Fire rooted to Jelly Bean and cant recall exactly, but from what I remember, there wasn't a way to setup email notifications on the home screen. It can get cluttered, so requires minimal maintenance when you want to delete books, apps, etc from cluttering it up.

If a simple android tablet is all you're wanting, then definitely look at the Fire or Nexus 7. For the love of all that's holy, do not look at ones like Pandigital etc that are cheaper. They are god-awful.

I'm loving the first impressions of the 8.9. Waiting for more unboxing vids to show up on Youtube. For some odd reason, I love the personal unboxing videos. A LOT more than the "professional" (Techno Buffalo, etc) unboxing vids.
 
And here I am still waiting for it.

So I tried to redirect the package to my work for a signature. Though I got to a confirmation screen the package wasn't redirected (and I wasn't charged), they tried to deliver it to the apartment again and failed. Yesterday there were more redirect options so today hopefully it's going to a UPS store where I can pick it up. Otherwise it's returned to the sender for too many failed attempts and I probably won't get it until next week. Seriously, fuck you UPS.
 
Re: equivalent app compatibility

Today's free app of the day from Amazon is not compatible with my 8.9" Fire HD...
 
So I've been using my Kindle 8.9" for about 2 weeks. I haven't had time to post some impressions so here they are:

The screen:
The screen is excellent. As good as any high end tablet, the only difference is the resolution doesn't exceed 1080p (but the tablet is also more than an inch smaller). The DPI is still retina and you can't see the pixels so really, it's like a smaller iPad. Excellent viewing angles and colors too.

The audio:
Amazon made a big deal about it and it's really good. Definitely the best tablet I've heard so far. You get loud, stereo sound which is rare in the tablet market market but it's actually good by reasonable standards. My sister who is not particularly tech savvy even remarked about it.

The battery:
I haven't done anything marathon with it but I'm charging it less than once a day. The battery life is very good.

The rest:
I'll echo thoughts about the buttons placement. They are very flush and hard to find. The tablet itself has no real orientation indicator save for the camera so you don't always notice which way you are holding it. It's small and solid, even more minimalistic than an iPad if that's possible. I haven't used anything that needs the camera so I can't comment on the quality. Everything else works like expected.

The software:

Probably the more interesting part. The hardware is easily the best bang for the buck but the software situation is odd. Most big apps for VOD and social networking at here and they have specific Kindle editions meaning they all work great. Outside that not all apps are available on Amazon and even if they are some aren't Kindle compatible (if you shop from the device it won't list incompatible apps). So Amazon has a Dropbox and Crunchyroll app but they don't work on Kindles it seems.

Sideloading is easy. I decided to install Chrome and Gmail because they're a little better than the stock. All you do is allow apps from unknown sources in settings, download the .apk and install using something like File Explorer ES (free in app store). No computer or rooting required (except to install Google Play proper), just remember to install the GoogleLoginServices.apk so you can log in. The hardest part is getting a hold of the apk you want.

The Kindle comes with some rudimentary software for documents, calendar, contacts, and email. They get the job done and that's about it. Silk is decent but Chrome I found had a few more features like incognito tabs and syncing to desktop that made it easier to work with. Speedwise they are similar enough but Chrome is a tad faster. Anyways you can pick your favorite and set it as the default no problem. Skype also comes loaded and it synced all my work contacts to my address book. Kinda annoying, I didn't want that.

The built in apps for video, music and books are as all excellent. They all hook into Amazon and behave much like their counterparts on Android and iOS except with added features like x-ray for movies. This is really where it shines, media experiences are great and they did a good job with the software.

The OS:

It works but it has quirks. I did not notice lagginess or strange pauses like reported so far. I'm mostly using Kindle optimized apps though so it can very well be poorly written apps that cause it. It takes a couple days to get used to the setup but as you become familiar with it you'll like it. My main problems are that there's no easy multi-task method. You need to go back to home and use the carousel to change apps which is kinda annoying. There's no quick menu you can open in an app. Also the keyboard is sometimes slow. I'm not sure I can install more languages unless I want to change language completely and there is no voice input option. Otherwise it works pretty well and categorizes your media by type. I think web should not be past the scroll edge because that's more useful but maybe people use this tablets differently.

Overall it feels like a small big tablet. While a Nexus 7 and iPad Mini are compromises for size, this feels like they took a 10" and shunk it as far as it could go. It's not small enough to really one hand but it's more manageable than a 10". Also get the case. The case is awesome, feels very nice and puts the kindle to sleep when you close it. It also holds it up in case you are watching a movie. Honestly I think this device is closer to what people need. The software needs to get a little better but it has everything it needs and/but nothing it doesn't. Very happy with it.
 
Nice review.

I'd only add that I've used Skype with my family and they commented (unprompted) that the image looked really sharp.

I'd like to have Google Play Store on my Kindle Fire HD 8.9", if for nothing else ... at least Chrome. How do I make that work? Thanks.
 
jvm said:
Nice review.

I'd only add that I've used Skype with my family and they commented (unprompted) that the image looked really sharp.

I'd like to have Google Play Store on my Kindle Fire HD 8.9", if for nothing else ... at least Chrome. How do I make that work? Thanks.
Click to expand...

To get Google Play you need to root. I'm probably not going to go that far right now so I can't help you with specifics but the xda forms seem to be good for this.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1996873

Installing Chrome without root is easy:

- Enable outside apps in settings
- Do a google search for chrome.apk (I came up with this: http://www.androiddrawer.com/6430/download-chrome-18-0-1025308-app-apk/#.ULzMVIPAcy4)
- Search for GoogleLoginService.apk (It'll work without it but you can't sync, I found it somewhere on xda).
- Get File Explorer ES in the app store.
- Open it and browse to where you put those (if you downloaded the apks via Silk it's in downloads) and tap it.
- You should get a message that it installed. Login Services needs permissions so watch for notifications.
- That's all there is. Other Google apps work the same way. Apparently I read maps doesn't use locations services correctly and won't get your current position.
 
Thanks, Somnid. I'm just always leery of getting an APK that's been tampered with. :( How can you check that that APK has Google's real key and hasn't been mucked with?
 
jvm said:
Thanks, Somnid. I'm just always leery of getting an APK that's been tampered with. :( How can you check that that APK has Google's real key and hasn't been mucked with?
Click to expand...

I'm sure somewhere has checksums you can compare though I don't know myself, I'm actually fairly new to Android and I will probably dabble in some development now that I have something that runs it. I imagine most of the stuff you find on xda should be legit though, they even have some modified apks with high res icons for the carousel I'd like to try. I'd really recommend hanging out there if your interested in rooting and what not, there's some good tutorials.
 
Somnid said:
I'm sure somewhere has checksums you can compare though I don't know myself, I'm actually fairly new to Android and I will probably dabble in some development now that I have something that runs it. I imagine most of the stuff you find on xda should be legit though, they even have some modified apks with high res icons for the carousel I'd like to try. I'd really recommend hanging out there if your interested in rooting and what not, there's some good tutorials.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I am currently looking to try this when I get home:
http://android.stackexchange.com/qu...-the-authenticity-of-an-apk-file-i-downloaded

Hopefully those commandline tools are easy to get for my Ubuntu laptop...
 
Just opened my 7'' fire hd and after a little tinkering around, i started to notice that the screen kind of looks tinted on half of it, especially noticeable when reading books with a white screen. Anyone notice that? The white background screen isn't evenly white, top is a little darker ( portrait view with power controls on top) and the right side looks whiter than the left.
 
Somnid said:
I don't understand.
Click to expand...

edited, i forgot the important parts Xp. Looking at it more closely, if held in portrait mode you can see a very slight blue line on the side of the screen and a redder line on the opposite side. The whole top left corner has a blue tint to it.
 
Heads up but I got an offer for $2 from the instant video store in my offers so if you turned them off you should check them.
 
One other minor thing i'm seeing is that the automatic brightness is ridiculously bright at all times. In normal light it's a little short of max. In darkness at night, with no lights on, it's more halfway on the slider still. It's the ign review scale of brightness Xo
 
doesnt' seem like kindle fire hd has much interest here, but the 8.9'' one is $50 off today from Amazon as a gold box deal.
 
sillymonkey321, you just made my day with the news on the $50 off promotion. I have one sitting here for my wife for Christmas. Spoke with an amazon rep, and they gave me the promotion credit.
 
Now I'm in the right thread. :D

Just received one a couple days ago.

BTW, can anyone tell me if it's normal for it to get in and out of charging when it's plugged in via USB while being used? I've noticed that but then read it might be normal.
 
Darkmakaimura said:
Now I'm in the right thread. :D

Just received one a couple days ago.

BTW, can anyone tell me if it's normal for it to get in and out of charging when it's plugged in via USB while being used? I've noticed that but then read it might be normal.
Click to expand...

Mine does that even when it's plugged into a wall outlet. Fucking thing just stops charging when I'm using the browser or Comicat usually.
 
Acid08 said:
Mine does that even when it's plugged into a wall outlet. Fucking thing just stops charging when I'm using the browser or Comicat usually.
Click to expand...
From what I read, it seems to be normal. Unless it's completely left alone and wi-fi turned off, it's gonna do that, I guess.
 
Acid08 said:
That's pretty lame.

Amazon sells a "rapid" charger and I'm guessing if you buy that perhaps this won't be a problem anymore.
Click to expand...
The old man already ordered it. Heh.

I'm not really sure if it is normal but my guess is it is from my understanding of the troubleshooting. I actually called Amazon the other night about it and the lady mentioned trying a different USB cord. But then I read the troubleshooting on Amazon's website and they mentioned turning off the wi-fi which I did. It seemed to hold the charge but of course, you can't really do anything once disconnected from the net.

Still, so far I'm happy with the Kindle HD. I would have personally gone with the Nexus 7, but this is not a bad alternative for my pops since he really wants to use the Amazon features.
 
Darkmakaimura said:
Now I'm in the right thread. :D

Just received one a couple days ago.

BTW, can anyone tell me if it's normal for it to get in and out of charging when it's plugged in via USB while being used? I've noticed that but then read it might be normal.
Click to expand...

That's normal. The reason is because your device will use more power than it can actually acquire from the USB port, if you're using the device actively, it will technically not be charging. It will still be draining battery, just not as quickly since the USB charge will offset some of it. That's what I was told at least.
 
PartlyCloudlike said:
That's normal. The reason is because your device will use more power than it can actually acquire from the USB port, if you're using the device actively, it will technically not be charging. It will still be draining battery, just not as quickly since the USB charge will offset some of it. That's what I was told at least.
Click to expand...
Makes sense. We got one of those PowerFast chargers on the way along with a USB Wall Charging Station. In fact, a ton of money has been poured into this. Fortunately, that's because my pops actually really likes it and probably exceeded his expectations. I would have to say it exceeded mine too slightly. The way I heard it was hardly any apps were available but I'm not finding that to be the issue at all.
 
The Faceless Master said:
yeah, you're gonna need one of those 2A chargers... charging at 500mA-1A just may not eb enough to offset the battery drain when in use.
Click to expand...
Yeah, the Amazon PowerFast charger arrived today in the mail. Also, got a wall charger with AC and USB charging and two of the USB slots I believe are of the 2A kind.

What's some good apps for this eh?
 
My wife's mother is looking to get their youngest a Kindle Fire. He likes to play games and watch YouTube videos in there. Is the 7" HD a good device or should they consider the iPad mini?
 
downloaded the apk for gmail and youtube for the HD 8.9" all is well in the world for now. the official case for it is very sexy. got the permission color. looks very red in my room. which is good. i like red <3

all i need is to get play store to work. it's where all my games are bought D:
 
shadyspace said:
My girlfriend got the OG fire for Christmas. Any tips for making it less a piece of shit?
Click to expand...

You can put full Jellybean on it if you really want.

DMPrince said:
Who is Kaasa Solution GmbH. let someone else be the guinea pig lol

oh. like the android one. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kaasa.gianasisters
Click to expand...

Kaasa is some European company that seems to hold licenses for some old properties. I think they did a lot of the Commodore 64 games on the Virtual Console.
 
Can someone tell me what the best free anti-virus software is available for the Kindle Fire HD?
 
Darkmakaimura said:
Can someone tell me what the best free anti-virus software is available for the Kindle Fire HD?
Click to expand...
Is this really a serious problem? I've not been worried about it before, but I guess it stands to reason that there could be driveby browser attacks targeting mobile platforms... :(
 
jvm said:
Is this really a serious problem? I've not been worried about it before, but I guess it stands to reason that there could be driveby browser attacks targeting mobile platforms... :(
Click to expand...
The pops asked me about it and I looked on the Amazon app store. There's a lot of 4 star + anti-virus apps so I'm really not sure what to go with.
 
Darkmakaimura said:
The pops asked me about it and I looked on the Amazon app store. There's a lot of 4 star + anti-virus apps so I'm really not sure what to go with.
Click to expand...

tell him that you "installed" a "hidden" app. lol. haven't heard about issues with tablet but then again there are some av apps for android.

Oh and i got Google Play Book installed. YES. and it syncs up new books too. so good. dat animated page turn also <3
 
DMPrince said:
tell him that you "installed" a "hidden" app. lol.
Click to expand...
Well, I do think it would probably be a good idea to have virus protection on there myself. I know it may be a lot less common than PC attacks, but it can't hurt.

DMPrince said:
too bad it doesn't have access to play store. the game selection on the amazon store is so shit.
Click to expand...
I don't know much about what's out there yet, but I do wish they'd bring Zenonia 5 to the app store.
 
Darkmakaimura said:
Well, I do think it would probably be a good idea to have virus protection on there myself. I know it may be a lot less common than PC attacks, but it can't hurt.


I don't know much about what's out there yet, but I do wish they'd bring Zenonia 5 to the app store.
Click to expand...

i just read what permissions the apps are trying to access before installing anything.

i kinda want to know what is different from amazon and google store besides the profit thing. i probably will look on my google play list and see what games are on amazon store.
 
DMPrince said:
i just read what permissions the apps are trying to access before installing anything.

i kinda want to know what is different from amazon and google store besides the profit thing. i probably will look on my google play list and see what games are on amazon store.
Click to expand...
I know the Zenonia games are the same. On the Amazon app store, Zenonia 1 and 2 are .99 cents each with the third and fourth games being free but with optional items to pay for in-game for real monies. From what I read, you don't need to purchase said items to finish those games which is good.

I don't know how much you like adventure/HOG games, but I'm kind of digging Theatre of the Absurd. It seems a lot of those games have a kind of middle-aged housewife romance-novel-in-the-grocery store kind of feel, but I've loved adventure games, even the all text Infocom types since I was a tot.
 
DMPrince said:
downloaded the apk for gmail and youtube for the HD 8.9" all is well in the world for now. the official case for it is very sexy. got the permission color. looks very red in my room. which is good. i like red <3

all i need is to get play store to work. it's where all my games are bought D:
Click to expand...
I have gmail and Chrome installed now. Seems nice. Not sure how I go about updating them if/when I need to. :(

What good is the Youtube app? I wish Chrome would kick out to whatever Silk uses. Not sure why it doesn't.

I picked up the Marware Vibe case in black. I like it. The auto-on/off feature doesn't always seem to work, though, which is annoying. Can't tell if it's the case's fault or the tablet's fault. I wish they'd made the button for power on like the one on the original Kindle Fire. I know people hated it, but I liked it. *grumble grumble*
 
jvm said:
I have gmail and Chrome installed now. Seems nice. Not sure how I go about updating them if/when I need to. :(

What good is the Youtube app? I wish Chrome would kick out to whatever Silk uses. Not sure why it doesn't.

I picked up the Marware Vibe case in black. I like it. The auto-on/off feature doesn't always seem to work, though, which is annoying. Can't tell if it's the case's fault or the tablet's fault. I wish they'd made the button for power on like the one on the original Kindle Fire. I know people hated it, but I liked it. *grumble grumble*
Click to expand...

i don't like the mobile site. and the desktop is too small for the screen even though i could just zoom in. i know it's just about the videos. but i like optimized stuff.

i'd check xda they probably keep more up to date on these apps anyways.
 
DMPrince said:
i don't like the mobile site. and the desktop is too small for the screen even though i could just zoom in. i know it's just about the videos. but i like optimized stuff.

i'd check xda they probably keep more up to date on these apps anyways.
Click to expand...
YouTube seems to work fine just by going to via the web browser. I heard the app wasn't that good, anyhow.
 
i have youtube 3.5.5 installed which happens to be the youtube my brother has on his transformer prime.

it's the one with the carousel style view. at least the home page ;P
 
Ugh, had a lot of problems with videos on the Kindle Fire HD today. Had to call Amazon twice today. Apparently, the license got corrupted or something for the videos but it was resolved. Amazon still kicks ass.
 
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