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Kindle Fire |OT|

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T

T.M. MacReady

NO ONE DENIES MEMBER
dr3upmushroom said:
You can also get storage at Amazon, just like for Apple. I think you can get 5GB for music for free as long as you have an Amazon account, and then you can pay monthly for more.

But yeah, you get free cloud storage for anything you buy on Amazon, and that's kind of the big draw of the device.
Click to expand...

You pay yearly for more, not monthly
 
K

Kaladin

Member
Snaku said:
They've ordered millions more to compensate for the high demand. There shouldn't be too long of a wait, if any at all.
Click to expand...

That's good to know, I plan on having this for December which is a slow month where I work.
 
U

upandaway

Member
I pre-ordered one too. Something insane happened and I was able to do it for $218 (an iPad 2 sells for ~$700 lowest here, I don't doubt the Fire would go for ~$350-400).

Getting something which was originally cheap for nearly its US price makes it even cheaper in context. Couldn't pass it up (and I only had 1 day to decide so I sorta panicked). I can't get any of the competitors for less than like 1.5x their US price anyway.
 
M

Material541

Member
Curious to see how reading is going to be on this thing. I have never had a tablet, and I love my Kindle Keyboard, but I can't imagine it would be easier to read on this thing. But I went ahead and preordered it already.
 
D

dLMN8R

Member
I preordered this the day it was announced to reserve my slot, with a 50% expectation that I would just cancel the preorder, but at this time it looks like I'll be happily keeping it :-D

Have there been any hands-on impressions at all in recent weeks since the initial reveal? Any indication when reviews from tech sites might start going live? Still time to cancel the preorder...
 
T

The Friendly Monster

Member
upandaway said:
I pre-ordered one too. Something insane happened and I was able to do it for $218 (an iPad 2 sells for ~$700 lowest here, I don't doubt the Fire would go for ~$350-400).

Getting something which was originally cheap for nearly its US price makes it even cheaper in context. Couldn't pass it up (and I only had 1 day to decide so I sorta panicked). I can't get any of the competitors for less than like 1.5x their US price anyway.
Click to expand...
Where do you live? Can you access the amazon app store?
 
B

border

Member
Snaku said:
Recommended Amazon Instant Video Movies $8 or less
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Or you could just throw your money in the garbage *shrug*

Given how cheap DVDs are, I'm not sure why anyone would want to bite on "buying" a far less versatile format. I didn't bother looking up all those films, but several of them can be bought on DVD for LESS than you pay to have it streamed.

I guess Amazon is a victim of its own low DVD prices in this case, but it seems like a ripoff to pay $7.99 for a movie-only downloadable Dark Knight when they are selling an extras-loaded two disc set for $6.
 
O

outunderthestars

Banned
border said:
Or you could just throw your money in the garbage *shrug*

Given how cheap DVDs are, I'm not sure why anyone would want to bite on "buying" a far less versatile format. I didn't bother looking up all those films, but several of them can be bought on DVD for LESS than you pay to have it streamed.

I guess Amazon is a victim of its own low DVD prices in this case, but it seems like a ripoff to pay $7.99 for a movie-only downloadable Dark Knight when they are selling an extras-loaded two disc set for $6.
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I'd rather pay a buck or two more to not have to rip the dvd. I have no desire to ever buy another dvd. My free time is worth more than that to me.
 
C

Chesskid1

Banned
is reading on an IPS screen really that bad?

i mean i have an HP Touchpad and read on it all the time. I also never used an eink display before.

Right now i'm reading an 800 page book and i don't really get any eye strain at all. I'm not sure if i have eye strain or if i'm just tired, so i can't really comment if it strains my eyes, but i've read on mine for hours at a time when i'm wide awake and it was great.

Still considering getting an eink kindle since it's so damn cheap, but i don't get why people rag reading on an IPS display. doesn't bother me at all.

I imagine if you read it black font/white background it's rather hard on your eyes but white font/black bg is great and really easy on the eyes. I spend all day looking at a computer screen as well.
 
M

Marty Chinn

Member
outunderthestars said:
I'd rather pay a buck or two more to not have to rip the dvd. I have no desire to ever buy another dvd. My free time is worth more than that to me.
Click to expand...

Eh? It takes almost no time at all. You pop the disc in and tell it to rip and convert. It'll take you 30 seconds at most to get it going. Then you paid less and have a DRM free version compared to being stuck with how you access your movie with Amazon. How is cheaper and more flexible worse?
 
O

outunderthestars

Banned
Marty Chinn said:
Eh? It takes almost no time at all. You pop the disc in and tell it to rip and convert. It'll take you 30 seconds at most to get it going. Then you paid less and have a DRM free version compared to being stuck with how you access your movie with Amazon. How is cheaper and more flexible worse?
Click to expand...


I have to wait several days for the disc to arrive. Then I have to go find a dvd ripping program, configure it, then I have to wait 2 hours for it to make a copy of the files. Then I have to load it onto my devices.

Or I click one button on Amazon and am instantly watching it. Totally worth a couple of dollars for me.

convenience offers me more value than a minuscule amount of money for me.
 
P

patrickthehedgehog

Member
outunderthestars said:
I have to wait several days for the disc to arrive. Then I have to go find a dvd ripping program, configure it, then I have to wait 2 hours for it to make a copy of the files. Then I have to load it onto my devices.

Or I click one button on Amazon and am instantly watching it. Totally worth a couple of dollars for me.

convenience offers me more value than a minuscule amount of money for me.
Click to expand...

I agree. And how many times a week do you get to sit down and watch a full movie anyway? I just chalk it up to my weekly entertainment budget.
 
B

border

Member
outunderthestars said:
I'd rather pay a buck or two more to not have to rip the dvd. I have no desire to ever buy another dvd. My free time is worth more than that to me.
Click to expand...
I understand the convenience factor with something like Netflix, where you are paying a very low flat monthly rate for instant access.

But paying a more-than-retail price per movie? And even Amazon's page says that it takes roughly an hour for most movies to watch, unless you're on a PC.

Even Amazon undercuts the whole "You have to wait days to watch it" thing with BluRay. Some of their BluRays come with a free 2-day OnDemand rental...so you buy the actual product, watch it instantly, then have it to own permanently. It's a brilliant way to prop up disc sales, but it doesn't really help them sell movies OnDemand.
 
M

Marty Chinn

Member
outunderthestars said:
I have to wait several days for the disc to arrive.
Click to expand...

If you're in the Amazon eco system, you likely have Prime to which in turn it likely will arrive the next day if you live in a major area. Not several days.

Then I have to go find a dvd ripping program, configure it,
Click to expand...

You don't do this every time you want a movie. You do it once at the most if you don't have one already.

then I have to wait 2 hours for it to make a copy of the files.
Click to expand...

You still have to download the movie....

Then I have to load it onto my devices.
Click to expand...

But you'll be locked to that device or whatever limitations the DRM allows you to use. Not to mention if there is streaming you'd have to always have an Internet connection.
 
D

dr3upmushroom

Banned
TeethMummy said:
You pay yearly for more, not monthly
Click to expand...
Wow, you're right, don't know why I thought it was per month.

That's a pretty awesome deal. $20 isn't much at all, and then you get 20GB of storage you can access from the Fire plus on anything else with internet access.
 
L

LCfiner

Member
Chesskid1 said:
is reading on an IPS screen really that bad?

i mean i have an HP Touchpad and read on it all the time. I also never used an eink display before.

Right now i'm reading an 800 page book and i don't really get any eye strain at all. I'm not sure if i have eye strain or if i'm just tired, so i can't really comment if it strains my eyes, but i've read on mine for hours at a time when i'm wide awake and it was great.

Still considering getting an eink kindle since it's so damn cheap, but i don't get why people rag reading on an IPS display. doesn't bother me at all.

I imagine if you read it black font/white background it's rather hard on your eyes but white font/black bg is great and really easy on the eyes. I spend all day looking at a computer screen as well.
Click to expand...

no, not for everyone.

But e-ink is still better. objectively, the quality of text rendering is better at current resolutions on tablets. I can notice it, especially at the larger text sizes used by books on the iPad. So I prefer reading novels on e-ink.

And I find that there's a different mode my brain goes in when I'm reading something on a paper like screen vs a traditional LCD - but that might just be me. The e-ink screen just feels more familiar for reading books. less like using technology and more like a simple printed page.
 
T

The Friendly Monster

Member
Chesskid1 said:
is reading on an IPS screen really that bad?

i mean i have an HP Touchpad and read on it all the time. I also never used an eink display before.

Right now i'm reading an 800 page book and i don't really get any eye strain at all. I'm not sure if i have eye strain or if i'm just tired, so i can't really comment if it strains my eyes, but i've read on mine for hours at a time when i'm wide awake and it was great.

Still considering getting an eink kindle since it's so damn cheap, but i don't get why people rag reading on an IPS display. doesn't bother me at all.

I imagine if you read it black font/white background it's rather hard on your eyes but white font/black bg is great and really easy on the eyes. I spend all day looking at a computer screen as well.
Click to expand...
If you're happy reading on an LCD screen then don't try e-ink. You'll never want to go back it's so much better.
 
B

bangai-o

Banned
there is a digital vs physical argument happening in a tablet thread. What if your house burns down? then what happens to your precious dvd collection hmmm?
 
K

kurtrussell

Banned
nemss said:
I'm sure quantities will be available by a large margin. With them using the same chassis as the BB Playbook, I'm pretty sure these are being pumped out of the plant at rapid speed.
Click to expand...

Are they not essentially using the same internals as the Playbook too?
 
BFIB

BFIB

Member
Not sure on the actual specs, but it would make sense.

I'm wondering when we'll start seeing reviews hit. I would have thought Amazon would have wanted reviews out before the weekend, for the last weekend push before the device is released.
 
X

x-Lundz-x

Member
Just upgraded to prime so I could get the two day shipping. I hope it ends up being worth it! (The instant video and free books.)
 
S

Snaku

Banned
Amazon Buys Siri Rival to Compete With Apple

Amazon is purchasing speech-to-text startup Yap, hinting at plans to incorporate voice recognition in its Kindle e-readers and tablets and boost their competitive power against the iPad.

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Amazon completed the acquisition in September, but neither company announced the sale. The SEC filing does not mention Amazon by name, but says Yap merged with “Dion Acquisition Sub,” which is housed in an Amazon.com building in Seattle, Wash.

Amazon’s purchase of Yap may be a step toward adding voice-recognition technology to its Kindle products, including its e-readers and the upcoming Kindle Fire tablet. Inclusion of sophisticated voice-activated controls may give Amazon an edge against competitors like Barnes and Noble’s Nook and Apple’s iPad.

Competition in the tablet market is fierce, with Barnes & Noble unveiling its $250 Nook Tablet this week. It has twice the storage and speed of Amazon’s $200 Kindle Fire, which is expected to sell five million units this quarter as holiday purchases skyrocket.

These lower-priced offerings both chase after the leading iPad, which accounts for over 80 percent of the tablet market, a position no Android-powered offering has yet been able to touch.

Yap’s technology may give Amazon the ability to add voice controls to its tablets capable of understanding far more than the rudimentary commands currently supported by Android software, potentially allowing the company to erode Apple’s dominance.

Five-year-old startup Yap has beta tested a voicemail-to-text service, but the intellectual property Amazon is expected to gain from the sale reportedly extends far beyond that simple application.

“Yap is truly a leader in freeform speech recognition and driving innovation in the mobile user experience,” said Paul Grim, general partner at SunBridge Partners, which funded Yap back in 2008.

He further described Yap’s voice recognition technology as “intuitive,” calling to mind the voice-activated assistant Siri, included in Apple’s iPhone 4S.

Apple hasn’t said whether or not it will include Siri in future iPad releases, but Amazon’s Yap acquisition may give its tablets a head start if and when that possibility occurs.

If Amazon puts Yap’s technology to good use and releases tablets with intuitive voice recognition in the near future, it may give Android-powered tablets a stronger handhold in the market.
Click to expand...

I don't see any way the current Fire could take advantage of this, but it'll be interesting to see it in future upgrades.
 
K

Kai Dracon

Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
x-Lundz-x said:
Just upgraded to prime so I could get the two day shipping. I hope it ends up being worth it! (The instant video and free books.)
Click to expand...

In the long run the perks from Prime really add up.

You know that free 2 day shipping stuff? Since we've had Prime we're always shocked by how much is covered by it. We've bought goddamn furniture and it still qualified for free 2 day shipping.
 
X

x-Lundz-x

Member
Kaijima said:
In the long run the perks from Prime really add up.

You know that free 2 day shipping stuff? Since we've had Prime we're always shocked by how much is covered by it. We've bought goddamn furniture and it still qualified for free 2 day shipping.
Click to expand...

I buy a lot from amazon but I usually just live with the free super saver shipping. But it's good to know I can even buy a new couch and get it!

This Yap tech sounds like it might have promise. But something tells me it will not be on first generation Kindle Fire's.
 
C

cvxfreak

Member
Got mine pre-ordered, but I have to get it shipped to my family in SF first before they send it off to Tokyo.

I used to have both iPad and iPad 2, but all I did on those was check mail and view the net, so I sold them awhile back. The Kindle Fire sounds perfect for the above tasks with the smaller size too.
 
A

Awesome Animals

Member
I can't justify one for myself since I already have a Kindle, but the girlfriend could use a tablet/kindle and that means I get to play around with it on the plane to Florida. Happy holidays to me and her!
 
E

Evil Benius

Member
Kaijima said:
In the long run the perks from Prime really add up.

You know that free 2 day shipping stuff? Since we've had Prime we're always shocked by how much is covered by it. We've bought goddamn furniture and it still qualified for free 2 day shipping.
Click to expand...

Getting my 64" Plasma hand delivered and brought in the house for free with Prime was great. The guy even offered to help me get it out of the box and on the stand, but I let him go since my wife was there to help me and I could tell he was behind schedule.
 
D

dskillzhtown

keep your strippers out of my American football
Just got charged by Amazon for my Fires. Kind of surprised me as I expected to be charged on the day it shipped or the day before as usual with Amazon, but no biggie.
 
M

mAcOdIn

Member
dskillzhtown said:
Just got charged by Amazon for my Fires. Kind of surprised me as I expected to be charged on the day it shipped or the day before as usual with Amazon, but no biggie.
Click to expand...
If they charged it they're probably going to ship it, since it's already "launched" per-se, always felt like the expected release date was a soft date from the wording.

Also, I was charged too! Keeping my fingers crossed. would be nice to have something to play with on my day off Tuesday.
 
J

jogarrr

Member
I also got charged already. Delivery estimate is still the 16th but the status says "Shipping Soon" so hopefully I get it sooner.

Since they don't typically charge until they ship I'm hoping it'll ship out today. Fingers crossed for a Monday delivery.
 
S

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
outunderthestars said:
I have to wait several days for the disc to arrive. Then I have to go find a dvd ripping program, configure it, then I have to wait 2 hours for it to make a copy of the files. Then I have to load it onto my devices.

Or I click one button on Amazon and am instantly watching it. Totally worth a couple of dollars for me.

convenience offers me more value than a minuscule amount of money for me.
Click to expand...


And that is if your DVD actually rips successfully. The idea that you can pop one in and press a button is ludicrous. That works like, less than 50% of the time. Usually I have to do crazy configurations, reorder tracks to get English, etc. I quit doing it.
 
B

border

Member
OuterWorldVoice said:
And that is if your DVD actually rips successfully. The idea that you can pop one in and press a button is ludicrous. That works like, less than 50% of the time. Usually I have to do crazy configurations, reorder tracks to get English, etc. I quit doing it.
Click to expand...
If you just rip it straight up as an ISO it's not a big deal at all. Trying to re-format it would probably be a hassle - you might as well download it. Yes you lose some versatility with an image file, but it's not as if you don't lose a lot of versatility with Amazon's service.
 
J

jvm

Gamasutra.
Is there not an official Amazon case? I'm just waiting until the thing arrives so I can see how I'm going to use it and what would best work as a case.
 
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