HDX Delivery date on KFHDX-7-32-WiFi-2013

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by WillysJeepMan

I wonder if those are just isolated incidents. I bought the Amazon case for the KFHD and although it bordered on being obscenely expensive I found it to be the best case/cover that I've had for ANY tablet ereader.

Have you see the new case? It's got the weird puzzle to it that makes it a stand. That part is the where it is breaking. Just looking at it I could tell it would have issues.

I agree the HD from last year's case is really nice!

[sirmaru]

Originally Posted by booklover6

You can still cancel it.

I'll try it and then return it if I discover any problems.

[WillysJeepMan]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Have you see the new case? It's got the weird puzzle to it that makes it a stand. That part is the where it is breaking. Just looking at it I could tell it would have issues.

I agree the HD from last year's case is really nice!

Yeah I saw that. You're right, just by the looks you can tell that it would have issues, but... being Amazon, and the quality in which they've shown with the entire Kindle Fire line from the beginning, I had to assume they figured a way to make it work.

They simply tried to make the case do too much.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by WillysJeepMan

Yeah I saw that. You're right, just by the looks you can tell that it would have issues, but... being Amazon, and the quality in which they've shown with the entire Kindle Fire line from the beginning, I had to assume they figured a way to make it work.

They simply tried to make the case do too much.

I have no idea what they were thinking. I can't imagine one hand reading with a case like that.

[sirmaru]

Its supposed to replace the stand. I have a separate stand for my KFHD 2012. Supposedly I won't need it for the KFHDX 2013.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

Its supposed to replace the stand. I have a separate stand for my KFHD 2012. Supposedly I won't need it for the KFHDX 2013.

I don't need a stand with my KF I hold it when using it.

[WillysJeepMan]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

Its supposed to replace the stand. I have a separate stand for my KFHD 2012. Supposedly I won't need it for the KFHDX 2013.

The smart cover for the KFHD 2012 itself is a stand. They had the foresight to add a rubberized rectangular nub with "kindle" embossed on it that, when the cover is folded back, the cover acts as a stand with virtually limitless viewing angles and the nub helps keep it from slipping.

[sirmaru]

Originally Posted by WillysJeepMan

The smart cover for the KFHD 2012 itself is a stand. They had the foresight to add a rubberized rectangular nub with "kindle" embossed on it that, when the cover is folded back, the cover acts as a stand with virtually limitless viewing angles and the nub helps keep it from slipping.

I tried to use the KFHD 2012 cover for reading at a desk. It kept slipping. I purchased a separate folding cover from Amazon and have used that when I read at a desk for my KFHD 2012 and my PW 2012.

Most of the time I read in a chair by a window so I do not use any stand there.

I'm hoping the KFHDX 2013 cover works as a better stand than the prior one. If not, I'll use my separate folding stand again.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

I tried to use the KFHD 2012 cover for reading at a desk. It kept slipping. I purchased a separate folding cover from Amazon and have used that when I read at a desk for my KFHD 2012 and my PW 2012.

Most of the time I read in a chair by a window so I do not use any stand there.

I'm hoping the KFHDX 2013 cover works as a better stand than the prior one. If not, I'll use my separate folding stand again.

I have a 3Feet Stand for my desk and a Book cushion for reading in my bed. I hardly ever use them.

[andrys]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Google Play is overrated. I own two devices with Google Play and it seem with every update it takes up more space or they add additional crap to install on my devices.

Besides, since Amazon ENABLED the Android setting that lets users choose whether to "allow installation of apps from unknown sources" or not, we can directly download from a curated selection of 300,000+ of the most popular GooglePlay apps at 1mobile and other Android appstores that don't shut out Kindle Fire owners.

It's so easy. You just get the other market apps and browse and download from them just as you do at Amazon or Google app stores.

Large tech-site's writers remain wed to the myth that Amazon users are tied to its store. The Amazon Kindle Forums are filled with people and designated 'Forum pros' (chosen by Amazon) who give advice on getting non-Amazon apps from other sites, via mere direct downloading. No need to copy a back-up'd app and transfer it, etc.

Google's general conditions for allowing devices access, according to reports, is they are to be made first choice for their services (apps, music etc) which would not exactly fly with Amazon, whose money is made from purchases of their content using tablets that are produced pretty much at cost.
It did fly with B&N (who did not allow its users to download from 'unknown sources' as Amazon does and probably as a result had weak sales and will no longer produce Nook tablets), as B&N had nothing to lose. Weak ecosystem, weak apps store, weak tablets sale.

To see how easily non-Amazon apps are put on a Kindle Fire HD (no rooting, no mods needed), see:

http://kindleworld.blogspot.com/2012...ndle-fire.html

(I don't emphasize HD's, as the new HD that replaces last year's non-HD basic model, and which has only 8GB of storage to start at the budget price, wouldn't be able to even store these apps, much less run them.)

[mewmartigan]

The main problem for me is that Google Apps don't work....all I really want is Google Hangouts for video chat and Gmail and maybe Google Maps. I tried on my old Fire HD with the googleservices.apk and everything but the Google apps only worked sometimes.

Having said that, my Android phone does everything I want it to do so not having these on my tablet is not a deal breaker. I am a prime member and my HDX is really to take advantage of that...videos, games for my kids, occassional reading.

[andrys]

Originally Posted by mewmartigan

The main problem for me is that Google Apps don't work....all I really want is Google Hangouts for video chat and Gmail and maybe Google Maps. I tried on my old Fire HD with the googleservices.apk and everything but the Google apps only worked sometimes.

Having said that, my Android phone does everything I want it to do so not having these on my tablet is not a deal breaker. I am a prime member and my HDX is really to take advantage of that...videos, games for my kids, occassional reading.

"Google Apps don't work" ? Why do they work on mine and for others who have just gone through the simple routine? On Kindle Fire HDs ?

What else besides Google Hangouts for video chat (which I've not installed) worked only sometimes?

Google Earth had one new update which was horrendously slow for both Kindle Fire and normal Android tablet users in the Satellite view. I found the prior version and recommended that one be installed as a step-back from the version that followed it, but that's the only prob I've found. Google Maps and Streetview have worked 100% on mine.
So does Google Voice Search.

However, I did buy a 32GB Kindle Fire HD. But others have written in to say that the steps made all the difference for them. That they could use the apps from other stores. It may be a matter of how much storage and cache space there is remaining... (Even my Samsung smartphone has 32 GB as graphics apps take so much room and of course so does the running of them.)

[mewmartigan]

Well I hope the ability to sideload and "install apps from unknown sources" is continued and maybe i will have better luck with Google apps on my HDX.

[WillysJeepMan]

Originally Posted by mewmartigan

Well I hope the ability to sideload and "install apps from unknown sources" is continued and maybe i will have better luck with Google apps on my HDX.

Perhaps.

What concerns me about the HDX is Amazon's statement that they run "Fire OS". That's an indication (to me at least) that they are moving further away from stock Android. The further away they move, the greater the incompatibility with Android software. Given that there are already incompatibilities with the KF and KFHD I can't see how compatibility will improve with the HDX.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by WillysJeepMan

Perhaps.

What concerns me about the HDX is Amazon's statement that they run "Fire OS". That's an indication (to me at least) that they are moving further away from stock Android. The further away they move, the greater the incompatibility with Android software. Given that there are already incompatibilities with the KF and KFHD I can't see how compatibility will improve with the HDX.

I'm sure it will always be Android base just look at the apps in their store. However adding things like Mayday and other features you couldn't call it Android anymore. It's a hybrid and so you will find apps that wont work but majority of apps like games and stuff should work fine.