10-07-2019, 09:54 PM | #31 | |
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10-07-2019, 11:00 PM | #32 | |
Karma Kameleon
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I only mind when folks bash a product over hatred of the company that makes it. There are plenty of valid reasons someone might not like the iPhone....based on having one and being frustrated that it doesn't meet THEIR needs or they simply don’t like “the iPhone way”. Myself, I pay next to no attention to those that “hate Apple” and therefore think the iPhone sucks..,having never had one. Or reverse the script and hate Android instead...based on anything other than actually having experience with one. Even though I choose an iPhone as my daily driver...I think I can fairly rate Android devices. Even though I’d never pay “iPhone money” for an Android device...or none so far |
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10-07-2019, 11:52 PM | #33 |
eReader Wrangler
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My main issue with iPhones and iPads is that I think they're overpriced. Of course I don't like the company either (from the days when they sued people for violating their patent on "rectangles with round corners" or colluded with the Big 6 publishers). But I don't like Google (or Microsoft) either.
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10-08-2019, 12:11 AM | #34 | |
Karma Kameleon
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I liked what I saw in the Pixel 3 night sight photos...even if it wasn’t enough to make me switch. I loathe Samscum and their copy cat ways...but I appreciate that they ALSO innovate. Were I to buy a premium Android phone I’d be torn Between a Samsung and Pixel. Best hardware vs upgrade able Os. |
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10-08-2019, 12:53 AM | #35 |
Wizard
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I find my Fire HD8 (2017 version) to be almost perfect for what I want to use a tablet for. I do not need, or want, a high end tablet. Nor a large one.
My fire is used for watching movies on trips. For using VLC to stream RTSP output from a video camera. For reading PDF's (because my Kindle sucks at PDF's). For light use with email. For even lighter use with websites. For running simple apps (e.g., Strelok ballistics app). I used to use the Fire a lot more before I (finally!) bought myself a smartphone. It's only a midrange smartphone, but it absolutely blows the Fire out of the water in terms of speed. But for things that require a larger screen - like movies and PDF documents - the Fire wins out. For me, the Fire HD8 is the sweet spot in terms of cost and size. If you buy the thing during Black Friday or one of the other sales, it's quite the handy device for the price. You just have to realize that it is a low end device, and is not, repeat, not, a substitute for a computer. Far from it. Except for a few things - basically things that need a larger screen size - it is handily beat by even a low end smart phone. But it does fit into a niche, because it is so cheap. You also have to make sure to install Google Play Store on it, because the selection of apps you get from Amazons store is too limiting. If the newer versions of FireOS lock you out of installing Google Play Store, then that is a fatal design mistake IMHO. I would not buy this tablet if Amazon does that. For mobile electronics, I do not buy high end stuff. If I want high end, that's what my desktop computers are for. Everything else I view as a cheap substitute for that. Even my laptop is low end. Smartphone is mid range - for 1/3 to 1/4 the price of the super high end phones. Tablet ... I don't know, I always considered the Fire to be about the lowest of the low end. They don't get much cheaper, or slower, than the Fire, do they? But it works perfectly for what I use it for (I do sometimes wish it had built-in GPS though). |
10-08-2019, 12:58 AM | #36 |
Wizard
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You might want to investigate Motorola's offerings in the mid-range market if you're not wanting a premium phone. The OS is almost-stock Android. That's what I decided on myself. Specifically, a G7. I've been quite happy with it.
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10-08-2019, 01:41 AM | #37 |
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Is it possible to disable Alexa? I was tempted to buy a Fire during Prime Days but I heard/read that Alexa could not be disabled, and I do not need or want Alexa running. We have an older Fire HD 8.9 that doesn't get used much, but it is pretty limited. The new Fire HD 10 could be interesting for the price if Alexa can be shut down.
I just looked at Amazon and it's interesting... Special Offers on the Fire HD 10 can be eliminated for $15 extra instead of the $20 for Kindles. Wally |
10-08-2019, 02:30 AM | #38 |
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Actually you can't fairly rate Android devices if your experience is limited to cheap and under powered ones. Especially if you try to imagine how a mid range Android phone should work based on how your cheap Android tablet works. If you go all the way up to iPhone money on a high end Android phone, the gap in experience will be even bigger.
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10-08-2019, 03:52 AM | #39 |
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Alexa is disabled on all Fire tablets if you use parental controls. ( the alexa app still updates and opens but alexa does not respond to voice ). But you can still use other features of the app e.g. set up a different device, like an Echo
I use parental controls to set password required for all purchases, but no other restrictions. without that, everything is on a dangerous "one accidental tap and you bought it". Shop, music, videos, books there is no option to have both Alexa AND parental controls, its one or the other, unless Amazon have changed the rules for the latest tablet. Last edited by stumped; 10-08-2019 at 03:59 AM. |
10-08-2019, 05:17 AM | #40 |
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It's easy to turn off Alexa's "hands-free" feature. It's a toggle setting in the window shade. Maybe that's not technically "disabled," but she'll certainly never answer any questions or respond to any voice commands while in that mode. You can also turn off accessing Alexa by hitting the "Home" button. You'd have to manually open the Alexa app to get her to do anything after that.
I've got enough Echos in the house that my 2017 Fire tablet always runs in that mode. I've forgotten that the device is even Alexa-capable to be quite frank. The voice purchasing settings (including setting a PIN or turning the feature off entirely) are available in the standard Alexa settings. No need to use parental controls. At least that's how it works on my 2017 model. Last edited by DiapDealer; 10-08-2019 at 05:30 AM. |
10-08-2019, 07:14 AM | #41 | |
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10-08-2019, 07:15 AM | #42 |
Grand Sorcerer
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Sure. That's because you didn't say the magic phrase "actively dislike Android." Which I took to mean: "won't buy or use Android." If something else was meant by that phrase, then @Deskisamess has my apologies. But I don't think it's a stretch, by any means, to suggest that a negative review of Restaurant X's baba ganoush by someone on the record as "actively disliking eggplant" might not be very objective (or very useful to someone who likes baba ganoush). YMMV.
Last edited by DiapDealer; 10-08-2019 at 07:27 AM. |
10-08-2019, 07:31 AM | #43 | |
o saeclum infacetum
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I'll follow on to the other Fire fans here. My HD has gotten heavy daily use since I got it last Black Friday. Google Play is running smoothly and was trivial to install; I've paired it with an ancient Anker keyboard that was lying around the house, and I find that I usually can't be bothered with my laptop for typical web browsing and email. Yeah, it's not the fastest kid on the block, but it does everything I need it to and it's fast enough. I also agree that for me, it's the sweet spot between the underperforming HD 7 and the pricier HD 10. |
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10-08-2019, 09:25 AM | #44 |
Connoisseur
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This new Fire leaves me underwhelmed. The resolution still is not as good as the 2013 Fire HDX. Drat! I was hoping to replace my HDX, but not for a lesser resolution. Oh, well, it will be better for my budget.
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10-08-2019, 09:28 AM | #45 | |
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