HD Fire HD 8" Tablet (2015)

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by crane3

I should have been more explicit. The Aldiko library has more ebooks than the Calibre; it's a long story.

I started with Calibre & donated; then got Aldiko & found the libraries are setup similar eve tho Calibre dosen't have collections & decided just to use Aldiko. Then the "crash" came as I tried out MoonReader; no go even tho my "device"/Aldiko had registered for DRM use. The file is in the same place on the same tablet; what do you mean I cannot use another reader when the "device" is supposed to be able to read DRM books?

Then I did as much of running ebooks thru Calibre to remove the DRM for the ebooks that had DRM. This step had Calibre not having all the books installed into its library & so it is "out of sync" with Aldiko.

I just finished the "Ds"; may take the rest of the month to finish but most like less as what is left were PD books without DRM.

THANK YOU for letting me know that CC has hierarchical grouping. Am now anxious to finish syncing before buying anymore books.

You're welcome. It does only support two level hierarchy if that's important to you.

[booklover6]

I use Calibre Companion and Moon + Reader Pro on my HD8. Make sure to go into the CC settings (while not connected to Calibre), and change the default folder to your SD card, if you are going to load a lot of books.

My issue of Kindle books not opening in the app is no more. I'm so happy I can read my KU books in that now, instead of having to "fix" them--unless they have bad formatting. I had one that had no paragraph indents. Just a space. I couldn't stand it, so I had to reformat it to read it.

[crane3]

A 2 level hierarchical grouping is OK. For the Sci-Fi & Fantasy collection, I can then add grouping by author for those with "many" books like Weber, Bujold, Modesitt & Brittain; much better than a sort by author within the collection &/or a separate collection with the author's name. It would help for books with different author name registration like with/without middle initial/names or/and suffix or/and just first initial.

Also thanks to booklover6 for the tip on setting the CC default to SD prior to adding books; cannot do that with the Fire HDX & Nexus 7 tho. Will have to check if the library format is "exactly" the same as Calibre so I can just add the books to the SD via the card reader on the PC.

Found that win10 doesn't lock out the directory with the directory is being viewed & updated by another app. So, now up to "L"s (after grocery shopping) & expect to complete the "sync" this weekend. Easier than had thought but only because I don't have as many books as all else on this Forum.

[Kaysclie]

Originally Posted by booklover6

I use Calibre Companion and Moon + Reader Pro

My issue of Kindle books not opening in the app is no more. I'm so happy I can read my KU books in that now, instead of having to "fix" them--unless they have bad formatting. I had one that had no paragraph indents. Just a space. I couldn't stand it, so I had to reformat it to read it.

booklover6, I am confused. Are you saying that you can use Calibre Companion to read kindle books with Moon+ Reader Pro without converting them to epub? Or did I misunderstand?

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by Kaysclie

booklover6, I am confused. Are you saying that you can use Calibre Companion to read kindle books with Moon+ Reader Pro without converting them to epub? Or did I misunderstand?

No. I read the Kindle books in the Kindle app.

[mystika1]

I would like some opinions on this, please.
My hdx 7 has a cracked screen and is out of warranty by only a few weeks. �� The Amazon customer service rep said that they could give me a $20 discount on a fire hd 8. I originally thought to just purchase an nvidia shield k1 since the specs are close to my hdx, but .... I have a bunch of gift cards which would make the 8gb version only $68. I read a little, check mail, Facebook, and watch video on my tablet before bed. My husband has let me use his 2014 fire hd, so I don't technically need to buy right now.(but his hd seems really heavy compared to the 8 and the idea of sd card slot and faster processor speed of the 8 is calling to me) I have not used his hd much yet.

Can you download Amazon video onto the sd card on the 8?

Do you think I would be disappointed by going from hdx to the fire hd 8?

And...

Is the hd 8 considerably better than the older 2014 hd?

Thanks,

Penny

[CWatkinsNash]

Penny,

As of the most recent software update, I think the only Amazon content that can't be loaded onto the SD card is books. Amazon video content, music and audiobooks can all be stored on the SD. There are settings under Storage for turning that on.

I haven't used an HDX so I can't comment on that, but I do have a 2014 HD 7 and I do like the new HD 8 more. I like the display better, I like the extra bit of screen room, and I like how it feels in my hands. The weight is about the same, I think? But it's thinner than the 2014 HD and I find it more comfortable to hold.

Hope that helps!

[mystika1]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

Penny,

As of the most recent software update, I think the only Amazon content that can't be loaded onto the SD card is books. Amazon video content, music and audiobooks can all be stored on the SD. There are settings under Storage for turning that on.

I haven't used an HDX so I can't comment on that, but I do have a 2014 HD 7 and I do like the new HD 8 more. I like the display better, I like the extra bit of screen room, and I like how it feels in my hands. The weight is about the same, I think? But it's thinner than the 2014 HD and I find it more comfortable to hold.

Hope that helps!

Yes it does help. Thank you. Do you have the "official" case? If so, how is the quality?

Are apps able to be stored to the SD card?

I guess I am hesitant because I have been googling "best budget tablets for 2016" and reading reviews that say "the fire 8 is good, but there are better tablets out there for the price."
I can also install google play on it as I have also installed it on the older hd7, and two hd 6 tablets as well, so I don't feel confined to Amazon App Store.

Thanks,

Penny

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by mystika1

Yes it does help. Thank you. Do you have the "official" case? If so, how is the quality?

Are apps able to be stored to the SD card?

I have the "official" leather case that came with the Reader's Edition bundle. It's really nice, IMO, seems well made. (Some don't like the finish of the leather because it's subject to scratches, etc, but I just wipe it down with leather conditioner once a week and it takes on a nice aged patina.) I think the non-leather versions are made the same, just different material.

Most apps can be stored in SD, but there are two caveats (and this is an Android thing, not a Fire thing): Not all apps can be moved (the app dev has to allow it), and it doesn't move the whole app. There will always be at least a small bit of the app on the main storage and, for some apps, the largest part of the app is still there. It can vary quite a bit.

Many apps also don't offer the ability to store their own content on SD. Zinio, for example, which annoys me to no end because magazines can be huge.

It's all definitely stuff to consider. I really enjoy using Fire OS, and most of my tablet use is either within or related to the Amazon ecosystem, or books sideloaded with Calibre. It's mostly for reading and a few apps that I use. I'm more of a laptop than a tablet person, so for anything else I go to my laptop. If I was seeking to do more tasks on a tablet, I'd probably look beyond the Fire.

[booklover6]

I've never used a Fire HDX, either. But I have had a lot of Fires. Currently the HD 8 is my favorite of all I have or have had. I used to love my HD 6 but this HD 8 is really nice, the size, the screen, the weight, I just love it. I like it better than my Nexus 7.

I got the 16 GB size, and added a 32 GB SD card. I don't like to get tablets with less than 16 GB if I can help it.

I have side loaded various apps, but don't have Google Play running on it. I also don't have a case. I just got a flexible plastic shell to put on the back. If I was to take it out of the house I would probably get a case that protected the front.

The 2014 HD 7 came out at the same time as the HD 6, yes? I got one for my MIL. She likes it, but I would say the HD 8 is much better. I love how thin it is. I think you should go for it. I am very pleased that I did. I even like reading in the Kindle app on this device, whereas I don't like the app on the 6.

[issybird]

I got a Fintie case for about $10 on ebay. The case is the typical tri-fold, lightweight and slim; the only caveat is that the colors don't match the pretty Fire 8 colors. But I can never justify spending a big percentage of the device price on a case, so it's fine for me.

[Barbara1955]

On the Amazon Threads they are complaining that the Fire 8" are Deleting & Deregistering themselves. QUESTION Has it happened to you? And are they also Deleting Side loaded Items?

[booklover6]

Nope, hasn't happened to any of ours.

[CWatkinsNash]

No, hasn't happened here either.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by Katie1

On the Amazon Threads they are complaining that the Fire 8" are Deleting & Deregistering themselves. QUESTION Has it happened to you? And are they also Deleting Side loaded Items?

No, it's the Fire HD 8.9 that is having the problem.