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AZ Nerdz: Kindle Fire

Glenn

Active member
Joined
Oct 1, 2008
Messages
7,691
Points
38
Location
CT & VT
I picked up a Kindle Fire, refurb, from Amazon a few weeks back for $139 delivered, 1 year warranty. It looks brand new.

Solid device! For $139, you can't beat it. It's a pretty basic tablet; wifi only, no bluetooth or GPS. But again...$139.

The Amazonized Andriod OS isn't that bad. The home screen has a carousel that takes up some realestate; under that you can add favorite apps. There's an app screen, then other screens for your e-books and other links to shoping on amazon, app store ect.

The Silk browser isn't bad at all. The native e-mail, while a bit basic supports push mail and is easy to naviate. The Amazon Appstore has a decent amount of apps for free, or purchase. It's nothing like Google Play, but you can get most of what you'll need.

If you used this out of the box, as is, I think you'd be a pretty happy camper.

Now, if you really want to nerd it up, you can root it. But that's beyond my abilities. I had a buddy help me with sideloading apps. The nice thing about this device, if you can find the APK file for an app, there's a good chance it'll work on the Kindle. A few that won't; Google stuff---gmail, play. That doesn't play nice with the amazonized version of Andriod.

My buddy was able to upload the APK files to his dropbox, send me the links, and I was off and running. I was able to install Dropbox, squeezebox wifi radio controler, wifi thermostat app, a file explorer, wallpaper changer and ADW launcher. (And a few others I can't recall offhand.)

The launcher is cool.Instead of using Amazon stock interface, it's more like an Andriod device. Sure, you can't use every feature, but I was able to plop some weather widgets on the homescreen, a few apps and everything else is neatly stashed in the app drawer.

All in all, really cool little tablet. If you're looking into getting a tablet, but don't want to drop close to $500 for a base iPad, this will fit the bill. Or, if you already have an iPad or higher end Andriod, this is a great second unit to have around the house.
 

ctenidae

Active member
Joined
Nov 11, 2004
Messages
8,959
Points
38
Location
SW Connecticut
I've been using a Fire for about 6 months now, and I really like it. Big enough to be useable, small enough to be portable. It is a good reader, an adequate web browser, and, well, that's about all I use it for. A couple of basic games, but nothing taxing.

I've bounced off the apps a bit, mostly because there's very little I find useful in app land. The only one I use regulalry, and the only bit of customization I've done, is a utility to dim the backlight further than the settings slider allows- great for reading in bed since even the dimmest native setting is bright enough to land aircraft on a foggy night.

I got the Fire for 2 reasons- 1) to have an extra tablet or reader available for when my wife is using the iPad, and 2) because I really just don't like the iPad.The iPad is too big to be a book (and requires the app), and it doesn't do Flash, so is useless on half the web.

For $200, I couldn't come up with any compelling reason to get any other tablet, and I've been happy so far.
 

drjeff

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
19,183
Points
113
Location
Brooklyn, CT
I picked up a Kindle Fire, refurb, from Amazon a few weeks back for $139 delivered, 1 year warranty. It looks brand new.

Solid device! For $139, you can't beat it. It's a pretty basic tablet; wifi only, no bluetooth or GPS. But again...$139.

The Amazonized Andriod OS isn't that bad. The home screen has a carousel that takes up some realestate; under that you can add favorite apps. There's an app screen, then other screens for your e-books and other links to shoping on amazon, app store ect.

The Silk browser isn't bad at all. The native e-mail, while a bit basic supports push mail and is easy to naviate. The Amazon Appstore has a decent amount of apps for free, or purchase. It's nothing like Google Play, but you can get most of what you'll need.

If you used this out of the box, as is, I think you'd be a pretty happy camper.

Now, if you really want to nerd it up, you can root it. But that's beyond my abilities. I had a buddy help me with sideloading apps. The nice thing about this device, if you can find the APK file for an app, there's a good chance it'll work on the Kindle. A few that won't; Google stuff---gmail, play. That doesn't play nice with the amazonized version of Andriod.

My buddy was able to upload the APK files to his dropbox, send me the links, and I was off and running. I was able to install Dropbox, squeezebox wifi radio controler, wifi thermostat app, a file explorer, wallpaper changer and ADW launcher. (And a few others I can't recall offhand.)

The launcher is cool.Instead of using Amazon stock interface, it's more like an Andriod device. Sure, you can't use every feature, but I was able to plop some weather widgets on the homescreen, a few apps and everything else is neatly stashed in the app drawer.

All in all, really cool little tablet. If you're looking into getting a tablet, but don't want to drop close to $500 for a base iPad, this will fit the bill. Or, if you already have an iPad or higher end Andriod, this is a great second unit to have around the house.

FYI, there's someone that you know, who likes to drink Stoli Vanilla's and Diet Coke, who if we bump into you guys up in VT this weekend might pick your brain about your Kindle and what you've done to it, since she has hardly put her's down since she got it on Mother's Day :)
 

Geoff

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 30, 2004
Messages
5,100
Points
48
Location
South Dartmouth, Ma
FYI, there's someone that you know, who likes to drink Stoli Vanilla's and Diet Coke, who if we bump into you guys up in VT this weekend might pick your brain about your Kindle and what you've done to it, since she has hardly put her's down since she got it on Mother's Day :)

Re-reading Fifty Shades of Grey over and over?
 
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