I Chickened Out!!!

[SCION]

I decided to bail on you folks. I canceled my Fire order while it was in the Shipping Soon phase (surprised that option was available).

I really need to know what the reading app looks like, and it bothers me that it wasn't shown in the demonstration at the press event. I'm thinking it's basically the Kindle Android App which is totally lackluster with little formatting options. I don't care about collections/tags on this device. B&N's Android app and NOOKcolor/tablet stock reader app are very good. Really surprised Amazon hasn't done more in this area, but hey, maybe they did!

I also need to know if you can download movie rentals.

So, if it's just the Amazon Android app and strictly streaming of videos, I can do that already on my Sony Tablet. I'm really anxious to see hands-on video of the reading app. I know I can use other reading apps on the Fire, and I plan to (if I buy). But I'm buying this device because of the Amazon ecosystem.

I still have the Touch on order. Anxious for that as well!

[HarryT]

If you already have an Android tablet, there's probably little if anything that you'd gain from the Fire, is there?

[CRussel]

Now see, given Amazon's excellent return policy, I'd have definitely let the order go through. Nothing like having it in your own hands to decide if you like it and if it does what you want. If it doesn't? Send it back, and tell them why. MUCH more compelling to them, and they have a better chance of understanding what you want/expect and where they fell down.

[SCION]

Yeah, but I have specific reasons why I'm buying it. I can get my answers from you folks here in a few days. If I didn't have an Android tablet it would be a different story.

[SCION]

Originally Posted by HarryT

If you already have an Android tablet, there's probably little if anything that you'd gain from the Fire, is there?

I'm buying it for the Amazon ecosystem and the size. It'll be a complement to the Kindle Touch as well, which is why the reading app is important to me. I want to be able to buy books from Amazon and sync across devices, but I don't like the reading experience with the Android app. Today I get my magazines through the Barnes and Noble Android app, but I would like to be able to give that up, and go through Amazon for all my reading content. Magazines in the Kindle Android app are terrible compared to B&N. Also, you can only download rented movies (for offline play) to certain devices. I'm hoping their own tablet is one of them.

[Barbara1955]

Congrats...for making a wise choice LOL

[gweminence]

Originally Posted by SCION

I sync across devices,

But you HAVE to use Amazon's app to sync, afaik. Syncing is done on their servers, and they're not about to do it for 3rd party reading apps.

Originally Posted by SCION

I decided to bail on you folks. I canceled my Fire order while it was in the Shipping Soon phase (surprised that option was available).

I really need to know what the reading app looks like, and it bothers me that it wasn't shown in the demonstration at the press event. I'm thinking it's basically the Kindle Android App which is totally lackluster with little formatting options. I don't care about collections/tags on this device. B&N's Android app and NOOKcolor/tablet stock reader app are very good. Really surprised Amazon hasn't done more in this area, but hey, maybe they did!

I also need to know if you can download movie rentals.

So, if it's just the Amazon Android app and strictly streaming of videos, I can do that already on my Sony Tablet. I'm really anxious to see hands-on video of the reading app. I know I can use other reading apps on the Fire, and I plan to (if I buy). But I'm buying this device because of the Amazon ecosystem.

I still have the Touch on order. Anxious for that as well!

I think as long as it hasn't actually shipped they will allow cancellation.

So did you cancel both Fire orders? I think you said you ordered two for your kids, but I might be thinking of someone else. I'll be happy to answer any questions you have once I get mine in a few days.

I'm actually very excited about the Kindle system now that they have Personal Documents that can sync farthest page read, highlighting, notes, etc. It was always a total PITA to have to maintain books separately on multiple devices if I was reading a modified book. Now I don't have to deal with that, and I'm also excited about the latest edition of K4PC which helps me tie it all together if I want to use my highlights and notes for research. I cannot get all that with Sony, B&N, Kobo, etc.

[friktion]

Hi Scion:

Better check to make sure it's not off your credit card/bank account because mine was charged yesterday ...

Originally Posted by SCION

I decided to bail on you folks. I canceled my Fire order while it was in the Shipping Soon phase (surprised that option was available).

I really need to know what the reading app looks like, and it bothers me that it wasn't shown in the demonstration at the press event. I'm thinking it's basically the Kindle Android App which is totally lackluster with little formatting options. I don't care about collections/tags on this device. B&N's Android app and NOOKcolor/tablet stock reader app are very good. Really surprised Amazon hasn't done more in this area, but hey, maybe they did!

I also need to know if you can download movie rentals.

So, if it's just the Amazon Android app and strictly streaming of videos, I can do that already on my Sony Tablet. I'm really anxious to see hands-on video of the reading app. I know I can use other reading apps on the Fire, and I plan to (if I buy). But I'm buying this device because of the Amazon ecosystem.

I still have the Touch on order. Anxious for that as well!

[sirmaru]

Originally Posted by jswinden

I'm actually very excited about the Kindle system now that they have Personal Documents that can sync farthest page read, highlighting, notes, etc. It was always a total PITA to have to maintain books separately on multiple devices if I was reading a modified book. Now I don't have to deal with that, and I'm also excited about the latest edition of K4PC which helps me tie it all together if I want to use my highlights and notes for research. I cannot get all that with Sony, B&N, Kobo, etc.

Amazon also offers this resource for memorization of your highlights and notes:

https://kindle.amazon.com/your_reading

I do my highlights on the 3rd Generation Kindle and type my notes in there from my PC. I go to the Daily Review Pane to review highlights and notes from books already read. They automatically show a different book every day.

If you borrow books from Kindle, you must click to Display All Books, not just Kindle purchased books. There you will see the highlights and notes from the borrowed books and pBooks as well.

I doubt if any other eBook publisher has a site like this.

[nickinev]

After the Nook Tablet was announced I was very tempted to cancel, but decided to try it out the Fire first. I am also on the waiting list at Barnes and Noble, so if I do decide to go that route there will be one there for me. I've been going back and forth, so I think for me the only way I'll know is to try them for myself.

Nicole

[SCION]

Originally Posted by gweminence

But you HAVE to use Amazon's app to sync, afaik. Syncing is done on their servers, and they're not about to do it for 3rd party reading apps.

I'm not sure why you bring this up. I'm aware of that. I said I don't like the Android app, so I'm hoping that the Fire is a better reading experience. The bottom line is I won't be syncing anything if the Fire is basically the Kindle app because I won't buy it and I won't use the Kindle Android app on my current tablet. I'll still use the Touch regardless because I need an eInk device.

I really enjoyed reading on the stock NOOKcolor reading app, so I have high expectations. Barnes and Noble did very well in this area.

[gweminence]

Originally Posted by SCION

I'm not sure why you bring this up. I'm aware of that.

Well it's just that you go out of your way to say that you dislike amazon's reader apps...but you HAVE to use them for the sync'n, which you say you do. I was just a little confoozled, is all. :P

[SCION]

Originally Posted by gweminence

Well it's just that you go out of your way to say that you dislike amazon's reader apps...but you HAVE to use them for the sync'n, which you say you do. I was just a little confoozled, is all. :P

Right, I don't like the Android app. That doesn't mean that the Fire is using that, does it? No one knows. Have you seen the reading app? I've looked at the YouTube video of the gentleman doing the demonstration. He never opens a book.

The NOOKcolor/tablet doesn't make use of the Android app. There are similarities, but there are differences as well.

Originally Posted by SCION

Right, I don't like the Android app. That doesn't mean that the Fire is using that, does it? No one knows. Have you seen the reading app? I've looked at the YouTube video of the gentleman doing the demonstration. He never opens a book.

The NOOKcolor/tablet doesn't make use of the Android app. There are similarities, but there are differences as well.

I don't recall seeing the reading app demonstrated either. I hope we are pleasantly surprised with a great app! However, I'm realistically thinking it won't be much better than what the Android and iPad apps are, but we can hope. After all, I think the reader app on the KFire is supposed to support KF8 formatting from the get go, so it probably isn't the standard Android app. Once again, who knows though as any thing can happen here.