HD Potential Kindle Fire HD Owner

[iPatty]

Originally Posted by eSheri

Hello I am leaning towards buying a KFHD but have a few questions. I have no interest in rooting nor having a "pure" android experience. This is what I want in a tablet:
1. Web surfing, YouTube vids ***Yes
2. View MS Word docs ***Yes
3. Very little book reading
4. Light gaming, mostly Puzzles ****Yes
5. Occasional video chat & pics ****Yes
Therefore, in your professional opinions, is the KFHD right for me?
Also what is EXTREMELY important is the ability to communicate with others. Does Amazon's app store have texting apps like Text+ or TextNow? Is Instagram & Google+ accessible on the KFHD?
Thank you in advance!

***Text plus is available. I'm not sure about Instagram. Most Google stuff doesn't work.

I totally understand the getting bored thing. When I got my KFHD, I had a Nexus 7 in my hands several times. But--I have a Samsung Galaxy with plain vanilla android (well,Jelly bean). I have an iPhone, so I see that system all the time. I decided I would get the KFHD because it's different and great for consuming all that Amazon content. I got annoyed with the plain black background for the carousel but I'm over it. You can always root it if there is something you absolutely have to put on there that doesn't normally work.

[eSheri]

Thanks for all your help guys!
I have 4 other tablet devices... Instead of a Kindle, maybe I need therapy! Lol. Well, kids have their toys, who says adults can't have theirs!
Glad to hear about Text+! I saw a guy on youytube with instagram in his KF, so by the end of the week, I will join the crowd!

[robertc88]

Originally Posted by eSheri

Thanks for all your help guys!
I have 4 other tablet devices... Instead of a Kindle, maybe I need therapy! Lol. Well, kids have their toys, who says adults can't have theirs!
Glad to hear about Text+! I saw a guy on youytube with instagram in his KF, so by the end of the week, I will join the crowd!

Yep, I have Andriod tablets including the Nexus 7. Of those tablets I own, nothing beats the kfhd for amazon prime video playing. The detail and color is outstanding AND the sound is fab. My recent watch was "Lawless" which I enjoyed immensely. Netflix streaming is excellent also.

I also have adw launcher installed which opens up a whole new ball game for side loading apps.

I also installed Dolphin Browser and have access to Flash Player with it.

Fool around with Google Now on your Nexus. It is a feature I like alot so the N7 will not leave me until I have an alternate for that resource.

[eSheri]

After much consideration I've just placed my order! I had a $50 gift card so I opted for the 32GB. (Its best to have too much space than not enough!) My only regret is that I ordered a case from eBay. I didn't notice the sleekness of the Amazon cases. Oh well, maybe next week!
Does the calendar app sync with Google's calendar?

[KimberlyFDR]

Originally Posted by eSheri

Does the calendar app sync with Google's calendar?

Yes, and it seems like it supports multiple calendars now since my appt reminders from my two frequently used ones are showing up. Prior the main calendar is the only one that would sync.

[booklover6]

Congrats, it's a great toy.

Maybe you can find a slim case like Amazon's from China (on ebay).

[eSheri]

Originally Posted by KimberlyFDR

Yes, and it seems like it supports multiple calendars now since my appt reminders from my two frequently used ones are showing up. Prior the main calendar is the only one that would sync.

Really! Wow I wasn't expecting a yes! that will be great. I won't have to keep up with multiple calendars on multiple devices. today is Sunday and it says I will receive it Thursday. That's going to be rough. Why the wait??

[eSheri]

Kindle arrives tomorrow!...

[eSheri]

Got it..... and its greattttt! beautiful screen! fast! very responsive! got my Text+ so that i can communicate without reaching for my cell phone! i'm happy!

[eSheri]

Originally Posted by booklover6

Congrats, it's a great toy.
Maybe you can find a slim case like Amazon's from China (on ebay).

Thank you for your advise.

[iReaderReview]

Here are my thoughts


1. Web surfing, YouTube vids

* This is fine. Web surfing is fine. You can get something like the Dolphin browser. YouTube experience is not as good. The YouTube App is hard to find and doesn't work that well.

2. View MS Word docs

* You'll have to get something like OfficeSuite to do this properly. And that will allow some edits too.

3. Very little book reading

* Well, then Kindle Fire might not be a good choice because it's optimized for reading, movies and music.

4. Light gaming, mostly Puzzles

* Not as much quality as iPad store, not as many free apps as Google Play.

Kindle Fire store is good but not great.

5. Occasional video chat & pics

* Skype and Camera are decent. Pics - there's no in-built camera app so you'll have to get an external one. A few decent paid ones and a few cheap free ones.

* Lack of a dedicated camera app is an issue.

Therefore, in your professional opinions, is the KFHD right for me?

No. Not in my professional opinion. As an owner of pretty much every tablet except the newest iPads, it seems to me that iPad Mini or Nexus 7 are much better for you.

Also what is EXTREMELY important is the ability to communicate with others. Does Amazon's app store have texting apps like Text+ or TextNow? Is Instagram & Google+ accessible on the KFHD?


* There are some texting apps available. Kindle Fire is not optimized for communicating with others. IT's a consumption device as opposed to a communication device.

[eSheri]

iReaderReview, wow. Your responses are right on par with my conclusions. After spending 4 days with my KFHD I'm not enthused. Great for surfing the web. Listening to music, dolby sound is just ok. Its not what I imagined. With an app called ES File Explorer you can access the stock camera app which takes stills and vids. There are even a few video effects built in! As for communicating with others, it does an ok job. Luckily Instagram is now accessable via the web. Otherwise I'd be out of luck. So I am on the fence as to whether or not to keep it. Its a great device, no bones about it! I just don't think its right for me. *sigh*

[tubemonkey]

I have a Fire HD 8.9 and a Nexus 7. The Nexus is my primary tablet and the one I use most often. But; when I want to watch videos and read magazines, the Fire HD is my go to tablet. The larger and sharper display has a distinct advantage.

However, the Fire HD has two problems that are easily fixed. The first one is that stupid carousel. It annoys me to no end! So to solve that problem, I downloaded ADW Launcher and now have a very familiar Android desktop where I can organize my apps in folders.

The second problem concerns the apps Amazon won't allow from competing content providers - YouTube, Zinio, Nook, Kobo, Google Maps, etc. This is also an easy fix. Just install 1Mobile Market and those apps become readily available.

With these two easy fixes, the Fire HD gets greater functionality without having to root it. All in all, I'm very pleased with it. It's a premium tablet with budget pricing. Can't beat that combo. Oh, and the apps I use most on it are - Netflix, Zinio, Pulse, and YouTube.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by iReaderReview

1. Web surfing, YouTube vids

* This is fine. Web surfing is fine. You can get something like the Dolphin browser. YouTube experience is not as good. The YouTube App is hard to find and doesn't work that well.

I have the YouTube app on my Fire HD and had no problem finding it in 1Mobile Market. It's working great for me and so far, no problems.

[74Cuda]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I have the YouTube app on my Fire HD and had no problem finding it in 1Mobile Market. It's working great for me and so far, no problems.

I also have textnow and text+ on mine.