I have had a few people ask me how i liked my kindle fire- so i thought maybe i shold just write up a review of it.
Looks and Feel
I love they way it looks and fels. I bought a case for it from amazon that is a stand. It works mostly in landscape, but is functional in portrait as well.
its not terribly heavy, but i am usually laying down reading on it, so its upright in its stand, and me not holding it.
The screen is VERY bright on full, ands still kinda bright when all the way down, but not a flashlight.
I think i like the boxy shape of it, its almost as comforting as holding a book, and i can carry it in my coat pocket if i dont want to carry a purse with me
Features
-The Gallery app is PERFECT for me. I can use this as a display technique for potential clients. Images look crisp can clear and the color is spot on.
-Reading books has been swift and and easy, as i always have the books with me. I read a 1000 page book (3rd book of Game of Thrones series) in less than a week. The potential danger to our CC bill is there, but i am trying to not purchase more than a book a month. (I still have issues with not physically owning a book, and wont lie the temptation to purchase a physical copy is still there) I havent tried reading it in the sun, so no in put there, but they do have "matte" screen protectors that are supposed to eliminate any glare for cheap.
-I like having the ability to surf quickly and easily on the couch, keep up with facebook, read blogs, forums, and news. Now granted, i could do all of this with my iphone, but now its a slightly bigger, more readable screen, but its also not a huge honkin laptop either,
-I havent watched movies on it yet (it has a Netflix instant play app that when i did try, worked great)
-if you have an amazon prime (79.99 a year) you also get free streaming movies and they have a "library" of books you can rent, 1 book a month free. (we have this and it pays for itself, as far as shipping goes, especially around the holidays)
-I have one magazine subscription (Shutterbug magazine), it looks great and is one less magazine i have laying around the house.
-Cloud Storage- Amazon has 5GB free, ill keep my portfolio on here as needed
-Battery power with high useage, seems to be around 5 + hours on full brightness, playing games, reading internet, and reading books
-Standby seems to last all day
-The ability to rent books from the library without leaving the house is nice as well. Its a bit of a janky setup how to do it, but it DOES work.
-This was an unexpected feature (as i did no real research on this prior to being given one) you are able to read the books in inverse colors. (black background, white lettering). This allows me to come to bed and read more in bed without the books light keeping nathan awake. LOVE THIS FEATURE.. You have no idea how nice this is, but now i am staying up even later reading books.. /sigh
Issues Now onto what i dont like or have minor issues with.
-Copy and Paste is a slightly slow process, it works much like the iphone does, but .. its not as fluid. (minor issue)
- Double Tapping- to double tap on the screen, is sometimes slow or non responsive. This is really irritating/frustrating when it does happen, but ultimately it works after a few slightly violent taps.
-The power button is notoriously in a bad location, its really easy to hit it and lock the screen, this is a known issue and i will assume its the FIRST thing they will change with the next generation Fire.
-Charging- This seems to be an intermittent issue among kindle fire owners. The plug port itself maybe isnt deep enough, and so the cable is in there pretty loose. While it charges pretty quickly, I have fears of it breaking off while its in my lap reading and charging, easy solution is just flipping the kindle upside down, but not all apps will flip 180°.
I wish it had a camera/mic for facetime/skype with our family and friends
*Final Conclusion*
I love it. Its a GREAT alternative to the iPad. The price you cant beat (i REALLY cant beat it, as it was a gift from Nathans Parents! I love my inlaws)
I honestly am ridiculously happy with it.
Im sure ill update this as i see more things to comment on, and have had it for a few months.
--Sidebar---
I hvae seen some parents say they would get this for their kids, and i have to say i think its a terrible idea. Kids are kids, start them out with a base kindle, see if they can handle having an electronic device without damaging it. Personally i am opposed to kids having a nintendo DS or smartphone. I feel like kids arent being forced to find ways to alleviate boredom other than electronic devices, i am prone to this myself, but if your kid is a reader, get them a kindle with E-Ink. They WILL love it.
