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Kindle Fire HD

Piff

Piff

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SWMBO has a birthday soon and has requested a Kindle Fire HD.
She is a keen book reader and also watches a lot of american tv series (CSI/detective types)

I was just about to order one when I note that Amazon have now launched a new 8.9" screen version.

I have little/no knowledge of these tablet devices, what you can & can't do with them.

Advice please:
Kindle Fire HD 7" or 8.9"?
16gb or 32gb?
Alternative devices?
 
With Kindle you seem to be tied into Amazon for everything.

After looking at the Kindles, we went down the Samsung Tab route - I'm pleased with my 10.1" and Mrs E loves her smaller one.
 
Another contender that few consider is the Blackberry Playbook 64GB.

Much more memory than it's rivals for a lot less money.

I have one with the Kindle App for books and loaded up with films and TV episodes for holiday.

It has a wifi web facility and does emails etc.

If you want to stick with Kindle - get the one with the biggest memory you can and go to Tesco to see the items in the flesh. The larger screen version may not fit her hands or her bag.
 
I wouldnt buy a playbook - it is a dead duck development wise.. The Nexus is the king of the small tablets.
 
redbaron said:
I wouldnt buy a playbook - it is a dead duck development wise.
Click to expand...

Depends entirely on the intended usage. For me, 64GB storage outweighs apps.

I just use mine for books and video when on holiday. The HD screen is ideal for the filesize I upload to it.

At £125 it was a complete no-brainer.

There is also the possibility that the micro USB may become enabled to allow a remote HDD or USB stick to be connected and read via File Manager. The playbook's physical architecture allows it but the software is not enabled as yet. The new '10' series OS might be the key to this.

... the caveat for any tablet is what you will use it for - not what it can do.
 
Originally the Kindle was a book reader - white background, black text, easy on the eye to read, long battery life.

With this Fire HD, is it the same sort of screen/display as any of the other tablets:dk:

Both of my boys have Asus Google Nexus 7" which they seem happy with.

So if the Kindle Fire HD is basically the same as Samsung/Asus/etc then there is no point being tied to Amazon:dk:
 
10 O/S isnt coming to playbook anytime soon...
 
For book reading the standard Kindle is hard to beat. I use mine for approx. 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, and charge it every couple of months. I put books on it 10 or so at a time and have never got remotely near the storage limit.
 
haggis2768 said:
+1 for the nexus.brilliant tool.cheap too
Click to expand...

Very pleased with mine plus you can use the USB port to connect a USB storage device if needed.

True it is not as good as a Kindle for reading books especially in sunlight but it has so much more it can do if that is important. Like all such devices try to get hands on experience first.
 
Just been looking at the Blackberry Playbook - CarPhoneWarehouse £128

From what I can see, if it has a book reader & can play music (presumably itunes can be loaded?) & can play videos then that fits her usage.

In the reviews I read, there is talk of being able to use some android apps. Also there is talk of being able to access the web using mobile phones other than blackberry's. She has a Sony Xperia (android) - I guess the connection would be bluetooth
 
redbaron said:
I wouldnt buy a playbook - it is a dead duck development wise.. The Nexus is the king of the small tablets.
Click to expand...

Playbook is brilliant typing on it now use it as a kobo reader music player video player and linked to my blackberry nexus is a toy in comparison very pleased with my playbook 2 years in :thumb:
 
Bought the missus a Kindle HD for Christmas, she loves it, spends all day browsing stuff from Amazon it seems to me. I never realised we needed so much stuff!!!
 
Of the 3 devices under consideration:-
Playbook
Nexus
Kindle Fire HD
Can they all connect to the interweb on the move?
I see the Playbook has a sim card slot - does this require a Blackberry card/account?
I think number one son says he can bluetooth his Nexus to his Samsung android phone to access the web on his tablet. Is the Kindle the same?
 
Piff said:
Of the 3 devices under consideration:-
Playbook
Nexus
Kindle Fire HD
Can they all connect to the interweb on the move?
I see the Playbook has a sim card slot - does this require a Blackberry card/account?
I think number one son says he can bluetooth his Nexus to his Samsung android phone to access the web on his tablet. Is the Kindle the same?
Click to expand...


If you wish to connect to the internet "on the move" you will either need a 3G enabled tablet (Nexus make one), connect via bluetooth to an internet enabled 'phone as you suggest or buy a "mifi" which is like a small mobile 'phone with a 3G card in it .

The mifi connects to the internet and your tablet connects wirelessly via that.

Some examples: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/275-8000920-4408831?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=mifi

I find the mifi option very flexible, fast and if travelling abroad you just put a local 3G SIM card in it.
 
She already has a generous unused data allowance on her phone. For her, it would make sense to be able to use this via say bluetooth to the tablet.
 
Piff said:
She already has a generous unused data allowance on her phone. For her, it would make sense to be able to use this via say bluetooth to the tablet.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a good way of going about it, not sure if Kindle has bluetooth, if so it may be only the Kindle Fire HD that has it? If it is an Iphone she has then the chances of connecting to anything non Apple via bluetooth are remote!
 
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