MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Next version of KFire needs to have better USB charging

jocampo · 01-19-2012, 05:05 PM

Hi Jessica

I respect your opinion, but don't share it or see it as a big deal.

1st, we have the technical factor, which I believe was explained here by others users. The Kindle Fire demands too much current to be charged via USB. This is a "typical" issue found in most tablets and the main reason is because the power consumption due the main screen. Nook Color had same behavior I think, and iPad.

The 2nd thing is the USB port itself. While USB has some standards, some laptops provide less output than others, so there is a chance that the device won't get the current it actually needs to be fully charged (remember, the voltage should be the same)

And last but not least, the user's factor. I guess that for Amazon, it is not a critical thing to allow customers to use the Kindle Fire while is being charged. It would imply serious engineering changes on that regard (see #1 and #2) where the power consumption needs to be tweaked to a level that charging via USB only could be a reliable and quick option. That's kind of difficult at this moment with a tablet, not with eink readers. Again, because the amount of current needed to charge a device with LCD type screens.

01-19-2012, 05:05 PM	#20
jocampo Layback feline Posts: 3,034 Karma: 6980745 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: USA Device: Oasis 2nd gen, Sony DPTS1, iPad Pro 10.5"	Hi Jessica I respect your opinion, but don't share it or see it as a big deal. 1st, we have the technical factor, which I believe was explained here by others users. The Kindle Fire demands too much current to be charged via USB. This is a "typical" issue found in most tablets and the main reason is because the power consumption due the main screen. Nook Color had same behavior I think, and iPad. The 2nd thing is the USB port itself. While USB has some standards, some laptops provide less output than others, so there is a chance that the device won't get the current it actually needs to be fully charged (remember, the voltage should be the same) And last but not least, the user's factor. I guess that for Amazon, it is not a critical thing to allow customers to use the Kindle Fire while is being charged. It would imply serious engineering changes on that regard (see #1 and #2) where the power consumption needs to be tweaked to a level that charging via USB only could be a reliable and quick option. That's kind of difficult at this moment with a tablet, not with eink readers. Again, because the amount of current needed to charge a device with LCD type screens. Last edited by jocampo; 01-19-2012 at 05:07 PM.