Kindle Fire 7" HD Review

[robertc88]

Maybe I missed it here or elsewhere in discussion on this forum but perhaps this device cannot be rooted?

Something about a key checker lock and messing around with the loader will brick it? I guess time will tell.

[afv011]

Originally Posted by robertc88

Maybe I missed it here or elsewhere in discussion on this forum but perhaps this device cannot be rooted?

Something about a key checker lock and messing around with the loader will brick it? I guess time will tell.

The OMAP4 family of CPUs can be locked (the NookTablet with an OMAP4430 was bootloader locked), but the XDA folks found a way around. I would expect that, if the KF is locked, a way around will be found.

Also, although Amazon spoke about the virtues of the OMAP4470 SoC, only the 8.9" come with that one, the 7" comes with OMAP4460, the same you have on the Galaxy Nexus.

[andrys]

Originally Posted by wizwor

I'm not terribly impressed by the review. For starters, "the best tablet at any price" is their 4g, 8.9 inch, 64g model. Was anyone else confused by Bezos' claim?

To answer your question, yes. Almost every reviewer that was negative (and even some that were positive) led with this alleged claim and then put it down. It's almost as if they took that as a personal challenge, not paying attention to the context. He said they were presenting a tablet that would be the best at any price but he didn't mean both the 7" and the 8.9" tablets.

In the video and screenshots from it, you see that his statement is, as you say, for the 8.9" HD 4G LTE model.

And in his 20-minute interview with AllThingsD right after the launch that day, he ends the interview with this:

"Last year, we wanted to build the best tablet at a certain price. And, this year, we wanted to build the best tablet at any price. Take away the price and it’s still the best tablet. It also happens to be only $499."

But David Pogue, Mossberg, Consumer Reports, and countless others open by saying something like "Nah, it isn't," applying the claim to the 7" HD.

The positive ones are often begrudgingly so, maybe because it isn't "cool" to be too positive toward any device that isn't totally devoid of ads but this comes at us from their own webpages filled with ads so they can be paid to write these.

Hyperbole much? I don't have a FireHD, but my Kindle/SO doesn't 'assault' me. Occasionally, I take advantage of an SO. Still, it's not like the $15 discount is what makes the Fire less expensive than the iPad, right?

I was going to pay the $15 to not have them (I don't even notice the text one said to be on the bottom left of the Home page) but am mulling that, as I saw some interesting things in the lock-screen ads, for me. Their $5 credits toward mp3's or mp3 albums are frequent and they had one yesterday.

I guess we know that Walt has never used a Fire.

That was embarrassing and, really, sort of dishonest of him. He should delegate it to someone interested in taking the time to actually see what the features are and if making comparisons base it on some reality.

Pogue's calling the KFire HD more 'soot' than sparks' set the atmosphere for his review, complaining about things like no GPS etc.

He actually says some nice things about the Fire if you read to the end...

- I found the screen to be crisp, clear and vivid
- I found its speakers far better than those on the iPad and Nexus

Yes. Its speakers are unusually clear and loud, using Dolby Digital Plus and having good stereo separation, while both the Nexus and the iPad 3 have just a mono speaker. I really like not needing to use even a little speaker or headphones as I had to do with the original KFire.

- Andrys

[wizwor]

I think part of the problem is that the reviewers all use iPads everyday. Someone hands them another tab for a review on a deadline and it's difficult to overcome the fact that it's different from the one they use. To be fair, I am the same way with an iPad after using a Fire for a year and I hate all smart phones even after having one for a year.

But that's kind of my point -- find a Fire user to review the Fire HD. I would have done it for them. Anyway, I'm enjoying the reviews coming from Fire users that are dribbling out now.

[WillysJeepMan]

Originally Posted by wizwor

I think part of the problem is that the reviewers all use iPads everyday. Someone hands them another tab for a review on a deadline and it's difficult to overcome the fact that it's different from the one they use. To be fair, I am the same way with an iPad after using a Fire for a year and I hate all smart phones even after having one for a year.

But that's kind of my point -- find a Fire user to review the Fire HD. I would have done it for them. Anyway, I'm enjoying the reviews coming from Fire users that are dribbling out now.

The deficiencies of the HD are present whether or not a person is a Fire user. What a Fire user reviewing the HD will do, is offer a softer criticism of the deficiency because they are accustomed to it and learned to "live with it".

[wizwor]

Some 'deficiencies' are in the eye of the beholder. Others are the result of not understanding how to use the device properly -- trying to use a Fire the way you have learned to use an iPad over the years.

[TallMomof2]

I really like mine! For the money it's a good tablet. I tried the Nexus and thought it was okay but not enough to purchase it.

What I like about the Kindle Fire HD:

Awesome wifi. I can easily watch HD video at the far end of my house where the signal is pretty weak. This is the first device that I've been able to stream any type of video at that end of the house.

The screen is definitely HD and is easy on my eyes and HD video is crisp and blacks are black.

The speakers are actually worth using! Very good sound reproduction for tiny speakers.

Games are a lot snappier.

The reading app has more fonts and all are rendered well.

The favorite (star) icon on the home page.

What I don't like:

The recommendations on the home page.

The on/off button and the volume buttons are difficult for me to use (I have arthritis).

All in all I like it better than the iPads I've fiddled around with as the Kindle HD is smaller and more portable. No proprietary cables. IMO, the Kindle HD is faster. I abhor iTunes so any device locked into that is a no starter for me. Plus, I can buy a couple of Fire HDs for the price of one iPad.

The comment about the number of apps is a bit crazy. As long as the apps you want are available why does the quantity matter?

Just be glad that is choice in the marketplace. It's good to see competition spurring improvements.

I'll keep my Fire HD as it is a big improvement over the original Fire and it does what I want it to do.

[obsessed2]

I found this great review which includes several Benchmark tests. The Fire HD held up fairly well against the Nexus 7 on most tests:

http://www.laptopmag.com/review/tabl...fire_hd_7.aspx


Although, the Nexus 7 did better then the Fire HD when it comes to CPU tests.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by Jessica Lares

You click the little star at the bottom. It's always there, so even better IMO. The KF doesn't have multitasking, so that was a good move by them.

I think 'task switching' would be more accurate. Limited multitasking is possible (e.g. playing music while reading a book, downloading file in background) just as it is on any Android device.

Some initial reports seem to indicate that things like Go Launcher, which work on the original Fire, don't work on Fire HD. Hope that is not true, or that a workaround emerges. I think Amazon would do well to allow or enable this, as more advanced users may tire of Kindle HD's default Home screen experience, yet be unwilling to root.

Is it possible to install additional TTS voices? I think I read that Fire HD is using Ivona.

[voracious71]

Lol, I've been going back and forth. First, I ordered the KFHD, then canceled it. I just reordered it today.

I'm not expecting an iPad replacement. I have an iPad. I liked my original KF for reading in the dark, games, video and light web browsing. It fits in some of my purses better than the iPad, was a nice size and it was good to take places where I didn't want to risk the iPad.

I believe that 1) there are plenty of people like me that already have an iPad,2) some who don't have a tablet already will be just fine with what the KF offers and 3) perfect device for kids, older people and/or those who are heavily invested in the Amazon system.