MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - So, on a scale of 1 to 10

jswinden · 11-17-2011, 11:48 AM

I give it 8 or 9 overall.

Reading

I primarily bought it for reading, and I give that a solid 9. Amazon definitely needs to refine the reader app a bit, but they are closer on the Fire than ever before, and compared to stock reader apps from other manufacturers it is pretty darn good. But they need to offer things like:

Two-page landscape mode
Bottom status bar needs to show chapter/section divisions
Posting book quotes to Facebook and Twitter

Apps

I give it a 7 or 8 because it is somewhat limited. For example, I would like to be able to sync with my Google Calendars but this is problematic due to the inability to set up Google accounts/services.

Interface

I give it a 6 or 7. The Carousel is the absolute most useless feature they could have, at least as it is currently implemented. This need to be modified or perhaps completely deleted. I cannot imagine how cluttered and useless it will be when you have thousands of books, songs, videos, et cetera. At the very least, allow it to be toggled on/off and give it categories (collections).

I understand why they dumbed down the interface so people could learn it more quickly, but it would be nice to have fuller access to the Android settings.

Web Browsing

I give it a 7. It is a small screen device so I understand there will be limitations. However I had to turn off the browsing acceleration as the Amazon servers seemed to drag down performance, often causing pages to refuse to load. With acceleration off, ironically, the browser works much better but it is still not great by any means. Opera Mini loaded and works a bit better in some cases.

Music, Video, Games

No comment as I don't do these on my Fire, at least not yet.

Build Quality

I give it a 10 as this is a solidly built, well designed device. And it is priced below what it is worth.

Overall

It has a few faults, but nothing that cannot be overcome with time. Since it works out well for all the tasks I use it for, I give it a 9 overall. I hope to sell my iPad as the Fire is much more to my liking as far as size and weight, but time will tell. If after a few weeks I realize I no longer pick up the iPad much, then I will sell it. I do think the Fire has a good chance of filling in for everything I use my iPad for, but again only time will tell.

11-17-2011, 11:48 AM	#10
jswinden Nameless Being	I give it 8 or 9 overall. Reading I primarily bought it for reading, and I give that a solid 9. Amazon definitely needs to refine the reader app a bit, but they are closer on the Fire than ever before, and compared to stock reader apps from other manufacturers it is pretty darn good. But they need to offer things like: Two-page landscape mode Bottom status bar needs to show chapter/section divisions Posting book quotes to Facebook and Twitter Apps I give it a 7 or 8 because it is somewhat limited. For example, I would like to be able to sync with my Google Calendars but this is problematic due to the inability to set up Google accounts/services. Interface I give it a 6 or 7. The Carousel is the absolute most useless feature they could have, at least as it is currently implemented. This need to be modified or perhaps completely deleted. I cannot imagine how cluttered and useless it will be when you have thousands of books, songs, videos, et cetera. At the very least, allow it to be toggled on/off and give it categories (collections). I understand why they dumbed down the interface so people could learn it more quickly, but it would be nice to have fuller access to the Android settings. Web Browsing I give it a 7. It is a small screen device so I understand there will be limitations. However I had to turn off the browsing acceleration as the Amazon servers seemed to drag down performance, often causing pages to refuse to load. With acceleration off, ironically, the browser works much better but it is still not great by any means. Opera Mini loaded and works a bit better in some cases. Music, Video, Games No comment as I don't do these on my Fire, at least not yet. Build Quality I give it a 10 as this is a solidly built, well designed device. And it is priced below what it is worth. Overall It has a few faults, but nothing that cannot be overcome with time. Since it works out well for all the tasks I use it for, I give it a 9 overall. I hope to sell my iPad as the Fire is much more to my liking as far as size and weight, but time will tell. If after a few weeks I realize I no longer pick up the iPad much, then I will sell it. I do think the Fire has a good chance of filling in for everything I use my iPad for, but again only time will tell.