Kindle Fire HD - What's the craic?

iPete

Am I going to be the only person to admit to buying an iPad mini? It's bloomin awesome, vice city, minigore 2, crazy taxi and need for speed can take away days of your life.

vermin

apreading wrote:

vermin wrote:

Sort of on-topic, sort of not, but does anyone know if it's possible/easy to completely lock down an Android tablet? I'd like the ability to disable the app store, the web browser and access to the settings etc, so that it would become an appliance dedicated to one or two functions. Full functionality would be accessible upon entering a password. Is this possible?

Perhaps you need the Kurio?

http://www.gadgetshowlive.net/page.cfm/ ... EntryID=37

[edit] or the newer Nabi 2 http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/06/19 ... y-awesome/

Just the ticket, thank you.

prawny

iPete wrote:

Am I going to be the only person to admit to buying an iPad mini? It's bloomin awesome, vice city, minigore 2, crazy taxi and need for speed can take away days of your life.

Dont get me wrong I'd love an iPad mini, but I wouldn't pay what they're asking for one at the moment. Also there are a lot of paid apps on ipad/iphone that are free on Android with very limited and unobtrusive advertising.

I've also had my confidence in Apple shaken in the last couple of weeks when I joined the growing number of people who's iphone 3gs battery expanded and destroyed the phone, "just one of them things" said the genius bar. Not good enough after for a £500 phone to last 2 years IMO.

itboffin

Sent from my nexus 7

Mmmm nexus jellybean android yummy

Paul E

itboffin wrote:

Sent from my nexus 7

Mmmm nexus jellybean android yummy

The first thing I am doing is update my galaxy 7 is to feed it jelly beans

il_principe

iPete wrote:

Am I going to be the only person to admit to buying an iPad mini? It's bloomin awesome, vice city, minigore 2, crazy taxi and need for speed can take away days of your life.

I've got one as well, lovely. Bought one for my Mum for Xmas. She wanted a Fore but I looked at it and thought the mini was worth the extra. She has an iPhone so understands iOS and I can help her with it. Whereas I have no experience of Android at all.

iPete

prawny wrote:

iPete wrote:

Am I going to be the only person to admit to buying an iPad mini? It's bloomin awesome, vice city, minigore 2, crazy taxi and need for speed can take away days of your life.

Dont get me wrong I'd love an iPad mini, but I wouldn't pay what they're asking for one at the moment. Also there are a lot of paid apps on ipad/iphone that are free on Android with very limited and unobtrusive advertising.

I've also had my confidence in Apple shaken in the last couple of weeks when I joined the growing number of people who's iphone 3gs battery expanded and destroyed the phone, "just one of them things" said the genius bar. Not good enough after for a £500 phone to last 2 years IMO.

Agree with all of the above but having an iPhone it was just the easiest option. Maybe in a few years I'll make the jump to a galaxy phone/tablet combo, I'm not a huge apple fan.

il_principe

iPete wrote:

Am I going to be the only person to admit to buying an iPad mini? It's bloomin awesome, vice city, minigore 2, crazy taxi and need for speed can take away days of your life.

Minigore 2 is brilliant. Just whiled away 30 mins on it in the office...

veronese68

prawny wrote:

I've also had my confidence in Apple shaken in the last couple of weeks when I joined the growing number of people who's iphone 3gs battery expanded and destroyed the phone, "just one of them things" said the genius bar. Not good enough after for a £500 phone to last 2 years IMO.

Isn't there something in the sale of goods act that an item has to last a reasonable time regardless of warranty offered? If a phone is offered with a 2 year contract you would expect it to last at least 2 years. I'd say you should get a new phone, but check with someone that knows what they're talking about first.

il_principe

Veronese68 wrote:

prawny wrote:

I've also had my confidence in Apple shaken in the last couple of weeks when I joined the growing number of people who's iphone 3gs battery expanded and destroyed the phone, "just one of them things" said the genius bar. Not good enough after for a £500 phone to last 2 years IMO.

Isn't there something in the sale of goods act that an item has to last a reasonable time regardless of warranty offered? If a phone is offered with a 2 year contract you would expect it to last at least 2 years. I'd say you should get a new phone, but check with someone that knows what they're talking about first.

The trick with Apple is to go to the Genius bar about a week before your phone is out of warranty and complain about something (battery life is a winner). They'll test the phone and discover that yes, the battery is worse than it was new, and will then replace the phone with a brand new one. This seems to work with iPhones and iPads, i gather that the retail stores are not allowed to offer repairs on these things, so just replace instead.

spasypaddy

Il Principe wrote:

The trick with Apple is to go to the Genius bar about a week before your phone is out of warranty and complain about something (battery life is a winner). They'll test the phone and discover that yes, the battery is worse than it was new, and will then replace the phone with a brand new one. This seems to work with iPhones and iPads, i gather that the retail stores are not allowed to offer repairs on these things, so just replace instead.

new in the sense that someone else did that a few weeks ago and its been refurbed and handed off to you now

il_principe

spasypaddy wrote:

Il Principe wrote:

The trick with Apple is to go to the Genius bar about a week before your phone is out of warranty and complain about something (battery life is a winner). They'll test the phone and discover that yes, the battery is worse than it was new, and will then replace the phone with a brand new one. This seems to work with iPhones and iPads, i gather that the retail stores are not allowed to offer repairs on these things, so just replace instead.

new in the sense that someone else did that a few weeks ago and its been refurbed and handed off to you now

Maybe, maybe not. Either way my missus now has my old/new 4s and it's working like a dream. Also has a new 1 year warranty so we'll do the same again in 11.5 months.

Paul E

I love my nexus 7

spasypaddy

got my mum a kindle fire and myself a nexus 7. one of these devices is brilliant the other is a step above.

The nexus 7 is amazing! Seriously amazing

alfablue

I wanted a Kindle Fire, but heard it was trapped in Amazon's Android clothes, and couldn't do iPlayer. Went for the Nexus 7 32gb; very happy.

bigmat

Just out of interest, what is so amazing about the Nexus 7? What can it do that you can't do on a laptop / smartphone? I've got my wife one for Christmas, would be nice to know what the best stuff it can do is so that I can make sure she really appreciates it!

alfablue

BigMat wrote:

Just out of interest, what is so amazing about the Nexus 7? What can it do that you can't do on a laptop / smartphone? I've got my wife one for Christmas, would be nice to know what the best stuff it can do is so that I can make sure she really appreciates it!

Well if she has an Android Smartphone it is very similar, only a bigger screen. I really wanted one for watching BBC iPlayer and Sky Go in bed, and as an e-book reader (though I do have a 2nd gen Kindle too), but it is also much easier to use for email and surfing than the phone, and is more convenient than the laptop to carry around, plus better battery life than either phone or laptop. I think the Jelly Bean 4.2 is better than the version available on most current phones (unless you have managed an upgrade). Just trying out Eva (personal assistant) - seems pretty good.

Ouija

You don't have to have a google account to use the Nexux 7?

Daz555

Ouija wrote:

You don't have to have a google account to use the Nexux 7?

It creates hassle if you don't have one. You need it for the Play store for example.

spasypaddy

BigMat wrote:

Just out of interest, what is so amazing about the Nexus 7? What can it do that you can't do on a laptop / smartphone? I've got my wife one for Christmas, would be nice to know what the best stuff it can do is so that I can make sure she really appreciates it!

its the size, usability, and sheer delight to use it that makes it for me.

i had a hp touchpad (9.1inch) device and it was just so heavy and bulky that i never used it, plus android wasnt properly supported on it so it was constantly crashing/errors. The nexus is just a fantastic bit of kit.

i also have an android phone so im a bit of an android geek which helps

Ouija

Daz555 wrote:

Ouija wrote:

You don't have to have a google account to use the Nexux 7?

It creates hassle if you don't have one. You need it for the Play store for example.

So it's locked into Google like the Kindles locked into Amazon.

Make a point of disabling all Javascript capability for anything coming from Google on my desktop computer because it just keeps everything clean (no tracking or google sponsored advertising on every site) and refuse to let Google have any of my personal details for similar reasons. Think i might end up going with the Kindle Fire then, rather than the Nexus.

bompington

Ouija wrote:

Daz555 wrote:

Ouija wrote:

You don't have to have a google account to use the Nexux 7?

It creates hassle if you don't have one. You need it for the Play store for example.

So it's locked into Google like the Kindles locked into Amazon.

Make a point of disabling all Javascript capability for anything coming from Google on my desktop computer because it just keeps everything clean (no tracking or google sponsored advertising on every site) and refuse to let Google have any of my personal details for similar reasons. Think i might end up going with the Kindle Fire then, rather than the Nexus.

A tin foil helmet is a cheaper method that requires less technical knowledge

pangolin

I test on all of these at work. Don't get the kindle fire without using one, it really is horrible. I keep wanting to go back to a home screen that isn't there. It's like you're stuck in the app store the whole time.

Playbook is awful as well.

For this size I think ipad mini wins, then nexus 7, then samsung 7, then the other 2 way way down.

Once price comes into it though, nexus wins.

vermin

pangolin wrote:

I test on all of these at work. Don't get the kindle fire without using one, it really is horrible. I keep wanting to go back to a home screen that isn't there. It's like you're stuck in the app store the whole time.

Playbook is awful as well.

For this size I think ipad mini wins, then nexus 7, then samsung 7, then the other 2 way way down.

Once price comes into it though, nexus wins.

Until/unless Samsung releases a Note 7.

Paul E

vermin wrote:

pangolin wrote:

I test on all of these at work. Don't get the kindle fire without using one, it really is horrible. I keep wanting to go back to a home screen that isn't there. It's like you're stuck in the app store the whole time.

Playbook is awful as well.

For this size I think ipad mini wins, then nexus 7, then samsung 7, then the other 2 way way down.

Once price comes into it though, nexus wins.

Until/unless Samsung releases a Note 7.

Samsung will put touchwiz on it which I find really awful, the pure version of android is much better and now they have sorted out the stuttering with scrolling it's much niver to use overall.

The nexus 7 just fits right in the hand, I had an ipad one and I don't think I would go back to a bigger screen tablet now

pangolin

Yeah if I got a Samsung 7 I would root it and put good old jellybean on instead.

redjeepǃ

They wouldn't be much craic here in ireland as they don't work.

I wanted one, but found out that a) Amazon won't sell you one in Ireland and b) a lot of the content won't work with an Irish address.

Now there's probably ways around all of this, but I couldn't really be bothered finding out so bought a couple of Google N7's instead (prezzies, one for 2'nd son, one for me ).

spasypaddy

pangolin wrote:

I test on all of these at work. Don't get the kindle fire without using one, it really is horrible. I keep wanting to go back to a home screen that isn't there. It's like you're stuck in the app store the whole time.

Playbook is awful as well.

For this size I think ipad mini wins, then nexus 7, then samsung 7, then the other 2 way way down.

Once price comes into it though, nexus wins.

yep the homescreen thing confused me. but for my mother being locked in and not having the ability to tinker with stuff is perfect.

me?

im running paranoid android on my S3, and my Nexus 7 is rooted and im probably going to put paranoid android on that as well

DonDaddyD

Le Sigh:

Please read - From Techradar: http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/ ... 12-1117715

Techradar: concerning the Nexus 7 wrote:

It's been an interesting year for Google.

Android stormed the smartphone charts but didn't do so well in tablets, so Google stepped in and made arguably the best non-Apple tablets around.

And more specifically:

Highs and Lows of Google 2012 wrote:

3. The Nexus 7

Google's Android world domination plan hit a hurdle with small tablets: they were crap.

Highs and lows for Google in 2012Fed up with rubbish Android tablets, Google decided to design its own

Google rather wisely decided to take matters into its own hands, and the resulting device - the Nexus 7 - was, and is, brilliant. It's as cheap as a Kindle Fire but considerably more powerful.

And some reviews:

Kindle Fire HD: http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac ... 316/review
iPad mini: http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac ... cleContent
Nexus 7: http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac ... 040/review

And so that you can cross reference:

Kindle Fire HD: http://www.mobilegazette.com/amazon-kin ... le-fire-hd
iPad mini: http://www.mobilegazette.com/apple-ipad ... x10x23.htm
Nexus 7: http://www.mobilegazette.com/google-nex ... x06x27.htm

If I didn't want the iPad mini (mostly down to price and the fact that no retina display, amongst other things, makes it feel like too much of a comprimise compared to its bigger brother the iPad 4) then I would get the Nexus. This isn't to say that the iPad mini isn't good, it is. It is just not for me.

I like Android OS without all the overlays that Samsung (touchwiz), HTC (Sense) and others (like the Kindle) add onto the user interface. This is the core reasons why Google went ahead and showed the market how to make a Android derived tablet. Other manufacturers were doing to much to add onto the operating system and it just slowed/complicated processes.

It is also a cast iron fact that the Android interface allows you to customise far more than Apple's own offering. Having said that, if you have your heart set on Apple iPad/Pod/Phone and are given a Nexus, then its not an Apple ietc and never will.

Kindle would be my third choice. I don't understand why its not open to the Android market, now known as Goole Play - which these days has as many apps as the iStore.

Also, and I haven't checked by if the Nexus has access to things like Goolge Now then I'll probably will get one and I didn't want one until I wrote this post and read more about it in detail.

il_principe

DonDaddyD wrote:

If I didn't want the iPad mini (mostly down to price and the fact that no retina display, amongst other things, makes it feel like too much of a comprimise compared to its bigger brother the iPad 4) then I would get the Nexus. This isn't to say that the iPad mini isn't good, it is. It is just not for me.

I swapped from an iPad to an iPad mini and prefer it. Don't notice the lack of retina TBH, screen is to small for it to make a difference. The retina display on my macbook pro is a thing of beauty though.