Tablets Questions for those who own or have used a Kindle Fire HD

HarryWarden said:

So I'm thinking about getting a tablet for my Dad as a Christmas present but can't really justify the price of an iPad since he will likely never use any app outside of Amazon Prime Instant Video, Kindle for reading, and a web browser.*

Obviously, the subscription to Prime he already has leads me to consider the Kindle Fire HD, specifically the upcoming 8.9-inch model as he thinks the 7-inch tablets are too small.*

My question is then: how is the Amazon Silk browser for those who have the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD? How do you like it compared to the iPad Safari browser if you've used both? Is it frustration-free to use a term Amazon itself uses?

Is the modified Android environment easy to use/learn compared to iOS? How is the screen responsiveness compared to that of the iPad, considering it runs $200 less than Apple's iDevice? I would also ask about the image/screen quality but not sure anyone could answer since the 8.9-inch model isn't out yet.

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Lucky you, I happen to own both an iPad and KD-HD. I haven't encountered any issues with the Silk browser. I do find the Safari browser to be a little more intuitive but the Silk browser is also easy to use.

Screen response, hands down iPad. The modified OS that Amazon uses is incredibly easy. Some even find it annoying because it's so easy to use. Image quality is fantastic on the 7" Kindle HD, should be equally as good if not better on the 8.9" tablet. Battery life is much better on the iPad.

HarryWarden said:

Thanks for your helpful response. Are you overall happy with your Kindle Fire HD? What do you find are your primary uses for it, especially considering you also own an iPad? You mentioned battery life. What kind of battery life does the Kindle Fire HD get in real world use based on your experience? Does it take long to charge? Can it be used while plugged in and charging or does it need to be off in order to charge?

Thanks again

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I am very happy with the Fire HD as a media device (movies, music, reading). I am OK with it as a web browsing device (not bad, not amazing, totally usable).

My prime use (I also own other tablets) is as a media device - books look great on it, and movies/shows/songs sound absolutely amazing for a tablet of that size (any tablet, really).

Battery life is fine but not stellar. It'll make it through the day in almost all cases, charges fairly quickly (never really noticed it taking too long) and can be used when plugged in (note: charging port is on the side (or top/bottom in landscape mode - this makes it a bit awkward to use while charging, and you absolutely want to get a case that accommodates that charger location so you can charge it with the case closed).

The larger Kindle will likely have all the same benefits, just with a larger screen.

Depending on what he'd use it for, I'd also look into the Nook and Nexus larger tablets. If sound isn't a concern (he wouldn't watch shows or movies), an iPad 2 might serve him just as well, and it costs in the ballpark of the other 9"-10" tablets. Check the weights, though.

If he'd be buying media of any sort, the Kindle Fire makes it almost too easy, and shopping on Amazon is also way, way too easy. That's a double-edged sword.

HarryWarden said:

Concerning the ease of buying stuff via Amazon, is it too easy to the point that it could be done accidentally with one errant press of a stylus while on the OS main screen or the web browser? Does it use the 1-click settings set up in an Amazon user's account? I just don't want him accidentally buying items he had no intention of purchasing.

Thanks for your help

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You can turn off 1-click in the settings.

HarryWarden said:

Is that done on the website or on the Kindle itself or both?

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It's done on the website, IIRC (don't have the Fire HD here now); also, I'm pretty sure you need to enable it, as opposed to needing to disable it (i.e., by default, it's not enabled). Note, though, that there is always a grace period of, I think, 30 minutes minimum, during which you can easily find and cancel your order, and that it's always very clear that you've ordered something, so even if he enables one-click buying, and then accidentally clicks something, he'll know he did it and can cancel the order (note: here, I'm speaking of ordering physical objects off the Amazon store).

I believe this is also true for unused media (streaming movies, books) as long as you haven't watched/read them, but the cancellation window is much shorter.

I bought my mother a Kindle Fire last year and she loves it. Had no problem using it at all. She mainly reads books, emails and plays games on it. I thought about getting her the Fire HD and taking the Fire off her hands this christmas, but I'm trying to get her the Nexus 4 instead. If I can't get her the Nexus 4, then the Fire HD will have to do for now.

I think your Dad will enjoy the Fire HD a lot.

HarryWarden said:

Thanks for your helpful response. Are you overall happy with your Kindle Fire HD? What do you find are your primary uses for it, especially considering you also own an iPad? You mentioned battery life. What kind of battery life does the Kindle Fire HD get in real world use based on your experience? Does it take long to charge? Can it be used while plugged in and charging or does it need to be off in order to charge?

Thanks again

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Yeah i'm very happy with the KF-HD. I returned it because I want the 8.9" version. I'm very much into the Amazon ecosystem. I have Amazon Prime and use it for free books/TV shows/movies. I also love the Amazon free app of the day.

I know others have mentioned that you can get Amazon Prime and Apps on Android device but I love how the KF is integrated with Prime. I also take my KF-HD with me. I buy lots of stuff from Amazon, so if I need to look up or buy something my Fire is already tied to my tablet. It takes away several steps if I accessed Amazon from a device other than my KF.

I was getting poor battery life even while just streaming iHeart or TuneIn radio (8 hrs vs 48hrs on my iPad). Someone mentioned calibrating the battery with a free app (Battery HD) on the Amazon store. It did the trick. I could now listen to internet radio, surf the web and watch videos. I now was getting around 36 hrs combining all three.

Yes you can use your KF-HD while charging. You can use any AC/USB adapter which I have many of those. It usually takes about 4 hours from when i'm at around 35% battery level.

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Here's the Battery app I mentioned. In order to maximize battery life you need to calibrate the battery which has 3 phases and takes 1.5 hrs. Make sure to turn off screen timeout so it calibrates it with the screen on at all times.

Like I said my battery life nearly tripled.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B007VUA7VO/ref=mas_ya?_encoding=UTF8&v=glance