I Got Lucky with a Cheap Kindle Fire Last Night! So I Thought : (

[kdarling]

KF ad on Amazon: Enjoying your content should be simple and easy. Ultra Fast Web Browsing.

So, the OP has their valid points. Neither the web browsing is ultra fast, nor the enjoyment of their content is simple and easy. Misleading ad?

That's the trouble with reading the maker's own pages. In a similar vein, there's Apple's Newsstand page for the iPad:

"Newsstand automatically downloads whatever’s new for each of your app subscriptions. And it all happens in the background, so you never have to interrupt what you’re doing."

Not doing background downloads, and in fact requiring the user to babysit to make sure the iPad doesn't turn off and require a restart of the download, is a major complaint about many of the Newsstand apps.

Buyers must always beware. Or just aware. So it's good to have an occasional review posted.

 

[jsh1120]

So the thread starter didn't like the Kindle Fire. What exactly in his critique isn't justified? ...

On the other hand, when the Kindle Fire was announced, there were plenty of posts how a $199 tablet meant Apple was doomed...

Well, for starters, the claim that "1 Click" purchases for an "$8000 Playset" cannot be turned off is incorrect. All one has to do is turn off "1 Click" ordering on the Amazon account via a computer. That disables 1 Click ordering for non-digitial purchases. So, unless your kid is buying an "$8000 (virtual) playset," that solves that particular problem.

It's true that anyone who has a Kindle Fire's password can purchase digital content (i.e. apps, books, music) with "1 click." Of course, the same is true of the iPad since the iPad supports only a single 4 digit security code. The difference is that on the iPad one can give someone an iPad after turning it on with a security code and set the iPad to require that code to be re-entered before purchasing digital content. Of course, if any app is actually purchased using the code, other content can be purchased immediately after without re-entering the code. (How anyone could use an iPad with such a security weakness is beyond me. )

The relatively weak security for purchasing apps on the Fire is a problem. One I suspect Amazon will remedy in fairly short order, much as Apple corrected the original iPad's absence of multi-tasking support when it was introduced. But the claim that non-digital content can be purchased with "1 click" and cannot be managed is simply ridiculous.

As far as "plenty of posts" about the "doomed" iPad. You must have been poking around in some pretty obscure corners of the internet. I recall very few such comments and the few that emerged were about as reliable as those that claimed the Amazon Fire was "doomed."

 

[416049]

Sounds like you got a bargain...

haha nice.

To the OP: sometimes so things just don't fit our needs or maybe your expectations are just a tad too high.

 

[urkel]

I said it before and I will say it again, this thing is just a handheld portal to amazon, nothing more, nothing less.

You shouldnt be bragging because every time you say that then you're wrong.

Amazon Services:
-Lending Library
-Amazon.com
-Video on Demand
-Kindle Store
-Amazon store

Non Amazon Services:
-Internet browsing
-Netflix
-Hulu
-User music
-User video
-User Books
-PDF
-Pandora, Google Music
-Web Services
-Thousands of Apps

So claiming "The Fire is just a portal to Amazon" is as inaccurate as saying "The iPad is just a portal to iTunes Store". They both offer the easiest access to those stores but both are capable of so much more to be classified as "just" anything. So the question boils down to "How much capability does an individual actually need" because when talking about just the basics then the Fire isn't as crippled as some people make it out to be.

 

[racer1441]

Dude,

Just put a password lock on the kindle so your kids can't use it. Problem solved.

I'm the biggest Apple fan out there, and the Kindle Fire is pretty good.

 

[matt90036]

First of all the OP isn't average techie user who read 10,000 reviews before purchasing the device. Secondly, as someone else before mentioned and citied, there were plenty of misleading commercials that put KF and iPad in the same light.
And no it is not acceptable to have jerky, laggy experience on any tablet. There is no excuse whether it's just a portal to Amazon store or not.
I got myself a droid tablet few months back and I have made the same mistake as the OP except that I wasted $400. I think the issue in here is just poorly coded android OS and the apps made for it. As much as I didn't like apple and their closed OS, I have to give them kudos for developing iOS and being able to tightly control the apps that are submitted to it.
IMO Amazon is trying to catch up too fast to Apple instead on taking slow steps and concentrating on quality. They could have stabilized the Android OS that they use as a platform, reward developers who specifically design apps for KF. I think HP started off well with their touchpad but failed to see the importances of getting app developers on their side and lowering the price of the touchpad to the price would be attractive to customers. RIM similarly to HP got way too greedy on their tablet and also faild to attract the developers.

 

[Buildbright]

If you are happy with the Kindle Fire then great. I am not after to change your mind I am only trying to inform others by sharing my educated experience with the Kindle Fire. I know Amazon has a great return policy but I am not one to use a return policy as a scape goat. I know how bad returned items hurt a company. I know taking returns are a cost of doing business but a lot of consumers abuse the policies.

To address the Ipad comparison comments ok you want to the truth.

The iPod Touch $199:
Better than the Fire in every way except in size.

The Nook Color $199 The Nook Tablet $249:
If you want a color e-reader that also browses the web this a better choice. Even though I hate the clip hook.

The Blackberry Playbook Seeing prices around $200 popping up:
Soon will use Android Apps and has a much smoother UI

I think waiting will yield the best results. I sence something better on the horizon. I know everyone says its only $200 dollars but really its $279 and I know better things to spend my money on. You may disagree and thats great because If you are happy with your purchase that all that matters!

 

[*LTD*]

A rather hypocritical "review" laced with lots of misleading statements which reveal that it was an impulse purchase. That it was roundly bashed before being used for a reasonable amount of time speaks volumes.

Maybe it was so bad he didn't want to use it any longer. Not the fault of the user. It's the product.

You expect the average consumer to give it a "fair chance" with extended testing and comparison? Not a ****ing chance. If there's something wrong with it, it's going back faster than you can say Playbook.

The Kindle Fire is turning out to be a major disappointment, for the simple reason that everyone and their dog is comparing it to the iPad, which was INEVITABLE. It was, after all, even before the release, dubbed as a prospective "real" competitor to the iPad. Uh Oh. That's a big role to fill. It seems Amazon didn't quite take that into account - either that, or they were incredibly naive in thinking such a deficient product would look great up against the iPad. Folks are considering the Kindle Fire a tablet, not an e-reader. Tablets get compared to the iPad. From there, it's usually an uphill battle.

The quarterly holiday numbers will tell the tale. That is, if Amazon actually feels it's safe to release them this time.

 

[matt90036]

It seems Amazon didn't quite take that into account - either that, or they were incredibly naive in thinking such a deficient product would look great up against the iPad.

There is nothing wrong with having a "deficient" product. KF would sell extremely well and people would be happy if it did the few things but did it WELL. The problem is that its not even very good at basic tasks. I hope amazon will quickly polish out laggy UI, unresponsive touchscreen and other bugs. They also need to make sure that 3rd party apps are properly screened and designed from ground up and not nearly compatible.

 

[Gregintosh]

I bought a Kindle Fire for the wife so she can lay off my iPad. In the mean time, a friend of ours gave her an HP TouchPad. So now she had two tablets. Needless to say, the iPad is the one she still wants to use, the TouchPad is a close 2nd (it "fulfills" the basic needs but not as good -- it will hold her over until I get an iPad 3 and she inherits my iPad 2) and the Fire was garbage.

It crashed a lot on the browser, had trouble inputting onto forms via the web, and ran pretty sluggishly. I sent it back today to get my money back. It was complete garbage.

First, 7" is really too small for a tablet. After putting this thing side by side with the iPad and the TouchPad, it looked more like an iPod Touch with a magnifying glass than a true tablet. Second, with crappy software and sluggish performance, its not scoring points on usability.

Then all the little things. Battery life is about 3.5-4 hours with Wi-Fi on and real world usage (i.e. browsing, reading books, watching a few videos on youtube, etc.) and thats being generous. The 8 hours they claim is with wifi off, and probably with the brightness down while reading a kindle book.

This is amazing too that they keep noting its with wi-fi off because who the heck would want to buy a CLOUD tablet (the big selling point is the cloud storage and streaming) and then use it with the internet OFF? I guess they figured that announcing the FIre with 3.5 hours of battery would have demolished their sales and they are hoping most people don't notice the "Wi-Fi off" thing in their ads.

Also, the lack of camera and microphone means it can never be a Skype machine like the iPad. You can also not record personal voice memos or take picture with it (shame too, because 7" is almost small enough to be a camera without looking as ridiculous as the iPad).

No GPS/Location Services means you can't look up directions on it or use any location-based apps.

Just thought I'd share my $0.02. I also notice from some threads that Fire owners are bashing it while people who don't own one are defending it. Not all people, but an interesting thing anyway. Quite the opposite of what happens en masse with Apple products (owners defending, and people who never saw one that wasn't on display or in a gadget blog gallery bashing)

 

[Buildbright]

Thank you for sharing your experiences. I agree with you on many levels. In our house we switch off from using the Ipad and the Macbook Air. My loving wife "needed" a cheap laptop for school, so I bought her a nice one. Guess what? She does not want to use it. She always wants to use the iPad at school.

But I wanted to like the Kindle Fire but its built on hype. I think the 6" to 7" form factor would be good for the car but it then needs to be 3G and have GPS. Also we want apps that are native not stretched phone apps.

 

[Abazigal]

I don't think the OP's review of the kindle fire was any more hypocritical than if someone were to diss the ipad2 as an overpriced e-reader. You are right in that perhaps the fire deserves to lag for what you are paying for, but that does not dismiss the fact that it does lag, and the buyer needs to be aware and prepared for this still.

He tried it, and is simply giving an honest (as far as I can tell) summary of his experiences to date. This is the internet, expect a bit of exaggeration, creative license and trash-talking.

 

[taipan61]

my .02...
i too bought the fire thinking "hey this would be a good travel companion while on the plane, hotel, etc etc" it was smaller than my MBP and iPad and looked promising...
i like the format, i like the size, i really don't use it for surfing...i read and check emails and while it lasts use my free prime
it's already had software issues, for some reason it decided on it's own to blank out all my sideloaded book covers and after reading the amazon forums it is an issue with no answers from amazon yet.
(on a quick sidenote...i had to reformat the thing twice, reload my content (using calibre), and the only thing i noticed was that i had wifi on the second time so it could "see" the cloud then viola! everything was normal)
don't like the amazon app store, it shows apps that you cannot download
the laggy page turning is annoying beyond belief, and battery life is not 8 hours with wifi on

but on the bright side the text is clear (not e-ink but good), the size is good for reading on the plane and in bed, doesn't need extra lighing, movies look good on it, and email works.
for now i'm keeping it and we will see how amazon supports it in the future,
it'll never replace the iPad but i didn't get it for that, it's a content consumer only not a content producer

 

[Night Spring]

it'll never replace the iPad but i didn't get it for that, it's a content consumer only not a content producer

I find it amusing how quickly iPad has become the "contene producer." Until the Fire was released, everyone was saying iPad is for consumption, if you want to create content, get a laptop!

 

[Blakjack]

Im with the OP. Even at 200 bucks, this thing still sucks. I can understand not being able to afford an iPad, but that doesn't mean u settle. Be a mature adult and save for a couple of months. Then you could buy an iPad.

The fire is horrible and I feel like my dad just got swindled. It's everything the OP said. It's crap. Being cheap should never be an excuse to buy anything of this magnitude when you have a decent job and are able to save. So what it takes you three months. In three months you will appreciate your patience. Trust

 

[taipan61]

I find it amusing how quickly iPad has become the "contene producer." Until the Fire was released, everyone was saying iPad is for consumption, if you want to create content, get a laptop!

why? i have a laptop, i can do what i need to on the iPad, so it produces, and i've been using this way since day one on the first iPad; cannot do that on the kindle (as of now) so it's for reading and watching
to each his own...my $$$ my choice

 

[Night Spring]

why? i have a laptop, i can do what i need to on the iPad, so it produces, and i've been using this way since day one on the first iPad; cannot do that on the kindle (as of now) so it's for reading and watching
to each his own...my $$$ my choice

I'm not saying that the iPad can't be a productivity device -- I also use mine to get some work done from time to time. I'm just saying it's funny how a lot of comments used to be made that the iPad isn't a content creation device (whether or not it's true), and now that the Fire is here, all of a sudden it seems everyone is calling the iPad a content creation device.

 

[matt90036]

. I think the 6" to 7" form factor would be good for the car but it then needs to be 3G and have GPS. Also we want apps that are native not stretched phone apps.

exactly, amazon got it all wrong. either you release a 7 inch tablet with GPS for the car and your mobile needs or you release a 10 inch tablet without GPS for the home use. and yes I can't stand android tablets mainly because of so many so called HD apps being simply stretched out phone ups. I was hoping touchpad and playbook would take off but the companies behind each tablet were too arrogant, too greedy and also released unfinished products. Apple so far seems to be the only one getting it right.

 

[taipan61]

ah, misunderstood your post, i agree totally
and while i like my lil kindle fire i do see, understand, and agree with most of the issues it has, but it is more comfortable to read with than the iPad

 

[heyloo]

I jumped in on the same deal, OP I ended up picking up the Kindle Fire from the Trumbull Target, like the OP in Slickdeals.

My impressions with the KF was pretty much the same - I was quite disappointed. What the OP wrote pretty much mirrored my initial reactions and have seriously considered returning it. I could be wrong about Target's return policy but my excuse for not returning were because the KF was a pretty decent deal and Target won't accept open-boxed returns (I could be seriously wrong here, but again, this was my 'excuse').

I already have a MBA, iPhone 4S and an iPad2 so really had no reason to keep my KF. However I decided to give KF another chance and played around with it.

I think Amazon seriously crippled the device with their own version of market place and modifying the OS. It sure makes the Kindle experience streamlined for, well Kindle, but that was it. I got bored playing around with just my books and browsing with Silk. One thing that resolved a good number of my problems was rooting the KF and installing Google's MarketPlace. The process was simple enough and I was able to install apps that Amazon Appstore wouldn't allow. In addition, Google's MarketPlace recently implemented a mechanism to check for compatibility and I wasn't able to install a number of apps that I knew worked on the Kindle. For example, I couldn't install Dolphin HD app from either Amazon or Google MarketPlace. I ended up downloading the apk from SlideMe marketplace. Inconvenient, I know, but it worked out in the end.

What I like about the Kindle overlaps with what I don't like about it really. I like that it does what it's designed to do - to read books and handle media contents. I like the 7" screen for more casual outings and how I don't get distracted with the hundreds of apps I have on my iPad. (Well, I could download the equivalent apps on my Kindle but...I already paid for the same apps on the AppStore, why would I spend money on the same content on Android?) I already had Amazon Prime before I got the KF so that wasn't an issue either.

In the end, for the $123 price point, I think KF is a decent gadget to play around with. That said, I'd argue that it won't ever reach the potentials of an iPad and would strongly advise against it if someone I knew considered buying a Kindle Fire instead of an iPad. As with the price point, regardless of the manufacturing costs, $199 is just about the maximum I'd pay for a KF. If it wasn't for the 'deal', I probably wouldn't have considered to even play around with it.

Bottom line, it's a decent device to read books and carry around a 'smaller pseudo-alternative to an iPad', but it lacks in so many departments that it wouldn't ever replace my iPad.

 

[lilkangster]

You can always root the device and install another build of android on it. It might become more useful to you once your 1 month free amazon services run out.

 

[glen e]

A rather hypocritical "review" laced with lots of misleading statements which reveal that it was an impulse purchase. That it was roundly bashed before being used for a reasonable amount of time speaks volumes.

To be surprised that it's purpose is to sell Amazon content is akin to saying iPads are not tied into iTunes.

I happen to have a new Fire myself. Having researched it before making the purchase, I'm very satisfied. It's a terrific companion to my iPad 2.

Especially since it's different and not meant to go head to head with Apples tablet.

I've been a frequent Amazon customer for years and trust them completely. Customer service has always been stellar.

For me, the two tablets are a great deal of fun.

I agree - own both..and the fire will do nicely on a long flight to watch content rather than the ipad...too many people are trying to make the fire a cheap ipad...it is not....

 

[Buildbright]

I have to disagree. The iPad is the Ultimate Airport Entertainment/Work Tool. I stand it on the try which it fits perfectly, put on my head phones and zone out.

On long plane trips you would be tight for space because you are going to want to download your content. As planes have no wifi or very slow wifi. Also true battery life is almost half that of the iPad.

But the iPad is in a totally different league. I have to say I am really liking the Nook Tablet I am using one next to the Fire this week and will post an update. The Nook makes the Fire laughable so far and worth the $50 dollars extra.

 

[macking104]

Aren't we whining about 1st generation software (Fire/Nook) and 5th generation software (iPad)?... Isn't Safari w/iOS5 faster & no checkerboxes, than Safari w/ios3...?

Didn't one of the TV shopping channels sell 60000 Nooks in 24hours at full price...

 

[Buildbright]

Aren't we whining about 1st generation software (Fire/Nook) and 5th generation software (iPad)?... Isn't Safari w/iOS5 faster & no checkerboxes, than Safari w/ios3...?

Didn't one of the TV shopping channels sell 60000 Nooks in 24 hours at full price...

Well by that logic Android is in its 4th generation. The iPad launched with third generation software and worked perfectly. As in smooth scrolling and stable UI. But we aren't comparing it to the iPad because some people don't think its fair.

I am sorry this don't compare it to the iPad is crap. People compare $400 laptops to Macbooks all day long and you could make the same argument with that comparison. It all comes down to quality of product and user preference.