Kindle Fire HD - What's the craic?

tailwindhome

I'm Technoagnostic.

Looking for inspiration for eldest daughter's (10) Christmas present. This seems like a great piece of kit for the price


What does an idiot like me need to know to make a good buying decision?
What parental controls can I apply so she is only using it in an appropriate way?
Is it a bottomless money pit of downloads?

pangolin

We have lots of tablets at work, I think all of us prefer the Nexus 7. Nicer Operating System on it (Android, rather than Amazon's annoying Android skin), nicer shape (Nexus is more widescreen, Kindle is more square) and nicer feel to it (just nicer to hold).

Downloads can cost a lot on any tablet, but only if you let them. There are lots of good free apps.

MarksMintness

I've been weighing up the same thing. I had decided on the nexus 7 to as per pangolin, but then there's a part of me that thinks the iPad might be the better bet after using one at the weekend. That are so much more expensive though! Any reasons why I would want to pay twice as much?

EKE_38BPM

My sister just got a Kindle Fire for her birthday, but I haven't seen it yet. When I've had a play with it I'll post my opinions. I am a regular iPad user, so I'll be able to compare it with that.

spasypaddy

dont get a kindle fire. get a nexus 7.

im an android user, have a samsung s3 and ive removed all traces of samsung from the device. (apart from the logo on the hardware). The kindle devices are so locked down and restricted to just kindle content that it completely ruins the point of having a tablet.

Alternatively buy her an actual kindle so she reads.

Also the play store has restrictions, you can put a PIN to stop her buying stuff without your permission. But there are so many free apps that you dont necessarily need to pay for anything

DrLex

MarksMintness wrote:

I've been weighing up the same thing. I had decided on the nexus 7 to as per pangolin, but then there's a part of me that thinks the iPad might be the better bet after using one at the weekend. That are so much more expensive though! Any reasons why I would want to pay twice as much?

The general view is that the Amazon & Google devices are being sold near cost in order to make money on either content or search/data revenue, whilst the Apple tactic is to make a profit on the device. I'd look at your use case- if it's mostly for reading, Amazon; general use, Nexus and Apple if you're keen on the app selection (and/or already have an iDevice).

pangolin

Have people heard of these guys? Any good?

http://tabletsprint.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/ainol-novo-7-flame-best-tablet-of-the-year

asprilla

pangolin wrote:

Have people heard of these guys? Any good?

http://tabletsprint.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/ainol-novo-7-flame-best-tablet-of-the-year

No, but how do you pronounce their name? My first attempt was 'anal'.

Now there's a quote if ever I saw one.

They should have called it the suppository.

notsoblue

+1 on Nexus 7

Paul E

It's got android on it and after a bad experience, I'm out

pangolin

Paul E wrote:

It's got android on it and after a bad experience, I'm out

Very helpful

Did the robot touch you?

il_principe

Get an iPad. Haters will hate, but the fact is if you're not an uber geek then Apple's products are the easiest to use. So simple that even my Dad can manage (and he can't even turn on a desktop PC). They are certainly very child friendly as well. In addition there are far more Apps available than any other device - including a kindle e-reader app. The new iPad mini would be ideal for a smaller person - it's lighter and easier to hold. Yes they're more expensive than the competition but they are very well designed and built. Also IME Apple products hold their value well; I just recycled my iPad 1 which I've had since launch (3 years or so) and I got £150 for it which I put towards a mini.

veronese68

Oooh, good question. I was thinking of buying a Kindle FireHD for the EPO. She's got a regular Kindle which she loves, she's probably read 200 books on it this year. So I thought of upgrading her to one of those so she could do more.
Should she keep the regular Kindle for reading and I gte her a Nexus 7 for other stuff? Ease of use is really important for her. Much as I'd like to get her an iPad they are just too much money.
Thank you oh great hive mind.

spasypaddy

it doesnt have more apps any more. they both have around 700,000

Have you held a nexus 7? Its on a par with anything Apple have made.

Theres a Kindle reader app on android

i much prefer reading on my actual kindle than on my tablet, easier to read, better weight for reading.

tailwindhome

The first result on a search for Nexus 7 on Bing brings up a Sheldon Brown article on the Shimano group set.

LOL

il_principe

spasypaddy wrote:

it doesnt have more apps any more. they both have around 700,000

Have you held a nexus 7? Its on a par with anything Apple have made.

Theres a Kindle reader app on android

i much prefer reading on my actual kindle than on my tablet, easier to read, better weight for reading.

Kindle is better for pure reading, no doubt, but no good for anything else. I've played with a Nexus but it's not as nice. It's thicker and made of glass and plastic rather than glass and metal. Doesn't feel as well put together. Mini has a better battery as well (according to independent tests). The main point though is that iOS is just easier to use for non-techy people. If I were the OP i'd be looking at Apple or Google though, not the Fire.

alan_sherman

I'm looking for a tablet for my elderly mum, but 10 inch rather than 7. The Ipad looks lovely to use but I'm concerned about the ability to copy all the videos and photos across from my digital collection, the device needs to be stand alone (i.e. no use of a computer for itunes). Ideally don't want to use any software to load content so an android tablet seems to make more sense (use it as a USB drive to copy items on), also some android devices have memory card slots.

Her use? General web browsing, iplayer / other catch up TV, and shopping, plus looking at gazillions of photos and videos of the grandchild. She already has a kindle for reading.

Do Ipads still need to have a host computer for itunes?

bails87

The first result on a search for Nexus 7 on Bing brings up a Sheldon Brown article on the Shimano group set.

LOL

You know how google personalises search results.....

Paul E

I had a galaxy s2, great hardware let down horibbly by android, the web broswer would lock up the whole phone when trying to type more than three words, getting music on it was a total nightmare, the volume steps are far to coarse, one step would be too quiet the next one too loud.

I could go on but it wasn't an experience I wanted to carry on with so I got rid and went back to a 3GS which just works and doesn't need any tweaking to get it to do what I want.

DrLex

bails87 wrote:

The first result on a search for Nexus 7 on Bing brings up a Sheldon Brown article on the Shimano group set.

LOL

You know how google personalises search results.....

In which case, does DDD get Bladerunner links?

BigJimmyB

My wife and I bought her mum a Kobo for her 60th.
She doesn't use it as an e-reader (our main intention), but as a tablet only - she loves it.

£150

gtvlusso

**Thread Hijack**

Similar situation regarding a Tab device:

I need:

7" screen
Wifi b/g/n
Bluetooth (A2P2) audio streaming
HDMI out
Android o/s
SD slot for extra storage
Possibly 3G - not a realistic 'need'.

Must be able to: Stream Music to a bluetooth device, HDMI out video to the TV (Stream internet TV/Movies), Internet, email, Games for Junior (i.e. tough build quality)

My list is:

Samsung Galaxy 7"
Google Nexus

Any other thoughts/experiences?

**Junior is getting her first bicycle for Christmas!

itboffin

Nexus 7 and Samsung anything really beats everything else on the market right now.

asprilla

What's the Samsung UI like?

I've got an iPad and an iPhone but I'm not tied to Apple at all; some of the menu navigation and their walled garden approach to apps drive me up the wall. I tried a Sony tab out the other day and after about 30s I was ready to break it in half with my forehead like some kind of game show task.

JamesB5446

TailWindHome wrote:

The first result on a search for Nexus 7 on Bing brings up a Sheldon Brown article on the Shimano group set.

LOL

You're using Bing.

LOL

tailwindhome

JamesB5446 wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

The first result on a search for Nexus 7 on Bing brings up a Sheldon Brown article on the Shimano group set.

LOL

You're using Bing.

LOL

Meh! The work laptop always defaults to Bing. Maybe I should change something somewhere but Meh!

rubertoe

Bing is useful for one thing... Getting to Google.

JamesB5446

True talk.

I work in a school for children with learning disabilities. Our computers are set to Bing as the home page. Even the kids know to search for Google first.

CiB

Compare the meerkat... Ten ipad mini alternatives

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the Kindle is effectively a portal to Amazon, but may have misread it. Probably.

asprilla

CiB wrote:

Compare the meerkat... Ten ipad mini alternatives

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the Kindle is effectively a portal to Amazon, but may have misread it. Probably.

They gave the Sony Experia S 80%. That's the one I wanted to break.

It's UI plays the baboon's rusty trombone.

Paul E

Asprilla wrote:

CiB wrote:

Compare the meerkat... Ten ipad mini alternatives

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the Kindle is effectively a portal to Amazon, but may have misread it. Probably.

They gave the Sony Experia S 80%. That's the one I wanted to break.

It's UI plays the baboon's rusty trombone.

That's android for you and the annoying lag inducing skins they put over the top of it, that's if it detects the touch, sometimes you end up prodding the screen two or three times to get it to respond, I wouldn't touch another android device with a very big barge pole.