Amazon Fire tablets

Any has it? Might get one but I’m not sure about it. Mostly for videos and some reading. How’s the screen for videos?

I don’t recommend, have one and I’m disappointed to be honest.
It locks you into the Amazon eco system and gives very little flexibility. I think getting a regular Android tablet and installing the Kindle app will be better.

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Which one did you get?

Fire tablet 7, about 2 years ago.

If you plan to use it as an upgraded Kindle, to read books and movies and shop on Amazon it’s great.
If you want to buy it as a multi use tablet, be able to access Google drive, your other apps etc, not all of them will be supported by the Kindle, which I found annoying.
there are ways around it like installing 3rd party apps which can emulate Android on the fire tablet, but it’s just more work and mafan.
For me personally a regular Android tablet is more convenient

I have many, and we are happy with them. But this is mostly because we have a young child who uses them for Netflix kids and video games.

The Alexa app is a nice bonus. In fact, it was partly why I got the large one (HD10) - because it can be set up as a less expensive Echo Show. With the newer slew of Echo Show models since then, I might choose differently.

Yes, you are locked in to the Amazon ecosystem. It’s a gilded cage – I got them because I wanted to use them 90% of the time for videos (and maybe some reading) and I got exaxtly that PLUS games and Alexa. I bought Fire tablets for my folks specifically so they can video call their grandchildren via Alexa, which has proven to be more reliable and better quality calling than Viber or Skype. And the bonus for them is they access my Prime and Netflix video libraries (my mom is happy with the Korean dramas she has found on Netflix)

And at their price level, I don’t sweat the way my son flings them around in the MRT. He doesn’t really fling them, but we have dropped them hard on the ground several times and were saved by the foam child cover I got for all of them. But even if they did break, I would not hesitate buying replacements

It was only a minor hassle to install the Google Play Store (3 downloads each of which needed to be updated to the latest version) and it enabled me to install my Pocket account (more reading!) and some minimalist editing apps that I use now and then with a bluetooth keyboard. I did need the Play Store to set up Zoom conferencing in the tablets, which works perfectly, and have even left behind my Surface to use a Fire Tablet for a business-related Zoom call where I joined my Apple-limited boss on one side of the call. That was fun.

A couple years ago, I bought a Hootoo TravelMate Battery, in which you can plug in a jump drive or external USB drive. Then with their file manager app (I forget if I needed to use Google Play to install it) I can stream my own library of videos and not been onnected to the Internet. Made the tablets that much more awesome for me


I walked away from Apple hardware and iTunes years ago. I do not miss the iPads, which at up to 10x more in price make no sense for me. My main computers are actually tablets (Microsoft Surfaces and still a bargain vs iPads imoho). Last week, my boss asked me to set up her email accounts on her new iPad - took me awhile to remember and overcome the peculiarities, and it made me so happy that I don’t bother with that stuff for myself anymore.

Btw I have a Fire TV, but I have not been able to get Second Screen functionality working. Yet. Obviously, I completely fit the Fire customer profile - for me, they are no brainers

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Yup, I prefer to just use my laptop for any real work. I got a iPad years ago and it just sat there collecting dust after the novelty wore off after a few days. I realize how difficult it was to do what I needed it to do.

The fire HD 10 looks nice. And really affordable. I just want to read and watch videos on the go.