Fire tablets

[Hawkmoon]

Several months ago I bought a Kindle Fire tablet for potential use as a general purpose tablet, and I couldn't send it back fast enough. I found the locked-in interface to be too different from the Samsung Android interface I'm accustomed to -- I couldn't even get to a basic "desktop" screen like the screen they show in all their ads.

My elderly pastor friend mentioned recently that he doesn't have room in his apartment for books. I thought about getting him a Kindle reader, but the cost is more than I can afford at the moment. I can afford a basic Fire tablet, which has the Kindle app pre-installed, but I don't know how difficult it will be for him to learn to use. Does anyone here use a Fire tablet? If so -- how hard would be be to get beyond most of the fluff and set it up for mostly dedicated use as a Kindle reader?

[Ben]

All you're gonna do is run the same Kindle app that you would run on a phone or computer.

Personally, I hate reading on my Fire. I only use it if the book has illustrations - like a user manual or similar. Otherwise all my reading is done on a regular Kindle, both for ease of use and it is much, much, much better on my eyes. Have you looked at refurbished Kindles?

[K Frame]

Keep an eye on Woot for deals on Kindles.

They show up fairly frequently.

I got an older generation Paperwhite a couple of years ago for less than half of the similar new generation.

I've never tried reading on a Fire table, but if it's anything like reading on my phone or my computer, I'm not a fan. Reading on a Kindle is so much friendlier and is a lot like reading an actual book.

[Brad Johnson]

I have a Fire HD 10 (ad-free version) and love it. Use it all the time. No, it's not exactly like a "regular" Android interface, but it's close enough that anyone familiar with Android should be able to nav it without difficulty. Only thing is if you're used to a Samsung premium or Apple product display you immediately notice there's a difference in video quality. It's still good, but not the "knock your eyes out" good of modern premium phone displays. I don't recommend using it primarily as a reader. If that's the purpose, get a Kindle. As Ben mentioned, much easier on the eyes.

Don't discount an Amazon-certified refurb Kindle (not a Ships From Amazon, Sold By SomeoneElse Co). Puts you right in line with Fire prices.
https://a.co/d/6K5Nsgj

Brad

[Bogie]

I've been using them for about 12 years or so...
 
The Fire is a different interface, but it isn't bad... Some of it is geared around selling you stuff... Meh, you don't have to buy it. I do most of my reading on a Paperwhite, but the Fire is great for watching a movie at lunch at work, or various youtubes, or whatever... Mindbleach games too... Get a case for the thing too - the Amazon ones are fine.
 
If you have wifi at a location, you can also have TV or music.

[dogmush]

Not sure I understand the question.

"how hard would be be to get beyond most of the fluff and set it up for mostly dedicated use as a Kindle reader?"

There's no set up.  You press the kindle app icon on the home screen, log in to your Amazon/Kindle account, and that's it.  It's been a while since I fired up my Fire, so you might have to sign into Amazon to boot it, which skips a step, you just press the Kindle Icon.

I would say if all you want is to use the Kindle App and books in Amazon's ecosystem, and you are willing to forgo the paper/eInk look of a paperwhite, then it's probably the easiest device to do it with.

FWIW, I agree that the eInk is easier on the eyes, but I got tired of dragging around an extra device several years ago, and do all my reading on my tablet, and it's fine.  The only annoying bit is that you can't buy things in the Kindle app for Android (or Apple) anymore because of some Play store terms BS, so I have to go to my Amazon App, buy a new book, then back to Kindle to read it, but the Fire Tablet should sidestep that.

[MillCreek]

I have been using Fire tablets for many generations now.  I always jailbreak them and install Google Play and the rest of my frequently-used Android apps.  I use it as a general Android tablet and use the Kindle app for reading.

[Ben]

On the refurb Fires, I have to say I am not happy with my $30 Refurb Fire 8. I get the distinct impression that maybe it didn't get correctly wiped and rebooted, because it is slow as molasses. My gen 1 Fire runs circles around it speed-wise. I don't know if I just got a bum unit or what.

I use it mostly for Amazon Music in the house, with bluetooth to my sound system. I'm not exaggerating - from hitting the "on" button to starting Amazon Music to getting to the playlist I want to play can be literally 6-8 minutes. It's like flashbacks to when I used to load Timex computer programs with a cassette tape.

[cordex]

Sounds like maybe there was a reason it was returned.

[Bogie]

Oh, and you can also download Amazon Prime movies and TV to them... so you can use them in non-wifi areas.

[Brad Johnson]

I use it mostly for Amazon Music in the house, with bluetooth to my sound system. I'm not exaggerating - from hitting the "on" button to starting Amazon Music to getting to the playlist I want to play can be literally 6-8 minutes. It's like flashbacks to when I used to load Timex computer programs with a cassette tape.

Interesting. I use my 10 to stream Pandora all the time. Start up is pretty much instantaneous. Music begins maybe two or three seconds after making a selection.

Is there a way to "factory reset" a Fire, maybe even blow it away and do a clean Android install?

Brad

[Ben]

Sounds like maybe there was a reason it was returned.

Could be. This thread got me looking, and they apparently have 20% off with a trade in. I might reset the piece of junk and trade it in on another one the next time there's a sale. Also I looked and it's a 7, not an 8.

[Hawkmoon]

Not sure I understand the question.

"how hard would be be to get beyond most of the fluff and set it up for mostly dedicated use as a Kindle reader?"

There's no set up.  You press the kindle app icon on the home screen, log in to your Amazon/Kindle account, and that's it.  It's been a while since I fired up my Fire, so you might have to sign into Amazon to boot it, which skips a step, you just press the Kindle Icon.

I was never able to get to a "home" screen. When I turned the thing on, it showed me a screen that was divided into 4 (or maybe it was 8) rectangles, and I couldn't figure out how to get beyond that to get to a screen that displayed icons for the installed apps.

[dogmush]

Weird. Mine opens to a screen literally labeled Home at the top. Kindle is in the second row.

Also the home button is hard coded at the center bottom of the screen.

[Hawkmoon]

Also the home button is hard coded at the center bottom of the screen.

That's very useful -- if you know that. Which I didn't. And the instructions (at least the "Get started" instructions) didn't mention that factoid.

So I was left holding a device that displayed a useless screen that I had no idea how to get out of. A 6-year old probably could have had it singing in 23.7 nanoseconds, but I'll be 80 this month. If the instructions don't tell me to do it -- I don't do it. As I said, I couldn't get rid of the thing fast enough. I sent it back and bought a refurbished Samsung Tab A6 instead.

[dogmush]

And I'm not trying to beat you up or anything, one doesn't know what one doesn't know.

I'm trying to make sure you get good info regarding your initial question. I genuinely don't remember the screen you describe on my Fire.  I *think* I checked the option on Amazon to sync it to my Amazon account prior to shipping,  which may account for the difference in "setup".

But mine had no setup that I remember. I just turned it on, it booted up, and all my Amazon *expletive deleted*it was there. That's kinda Fire's thing: a Super Apple. If it's in their ecosystem it's obvious and in your face, if it's not in the ecosystem go *expletive deleted*ck yourself.

I guess one relevant question is does your pastor currently have an Amazon (preferably Prime) account and use Kindle?  That will make a big difference in setup.

[Hawkmoon]

I guess one relevant question is does your pastor currently have an Amazon (preferably Prime) account and use Kindle?  That will make a big difference in setup.

He does have an Amazon account -- not Prime. He does not have/use Kindle, but he may be interested in having it -- which is why I'm looking for a tablet that should be easy to use and less expensive than an actual Kindle Paperwhite.

I've thought about giving him the 7-inch Samsung I bought after my misadventure with the Fire tablet, since I have since graduated to an 8-inch Samsung, but the padre's eyesight isn't great and I don't know if a screen that small would be of any use to him.

[dogmush]

If he's not a current kindle user, nor does he have another tablet then I would recommend staying with Fire, or a kindle.

As I mentioned upthread, there is some sort of Drama going on between Amazon, Apple, and Google about the rules for apps that are allowed to take money.  I don't know the details, but the TL;DR is that you can't spend money in the Kindle app (on Android I'm sure of, and I think my wife mentioned it held true for iOS as well).  So you find a book you want scrolling through the kindle app, you have to remember it's name, go to the Amazon app, or a Amazon.com in a browser window, buy the book on Amazon, then go back to the Kindle app to download and read it.  It's kind of annoying to me, but I can easily see it being a real problem for folks also learning new hardware at the same time.

Is he interested in starting his library over buying a new format? 

Are you looking at the Fire 7 for $60? Or refurbushed for $47?  Ease of setup is pretty subjective, like I said, most find the Fire one of the easiest tablets to set up.  If you do buy it for him my strong suggestion is to buy it from his Amazon account, and click the checkbox under the add to cart button to have Amazon sync it to his Amazon account.  This should ease most if not all of the setup woes.

Amazon says this about that feature: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=GMPKVYDBR223TRPY&pop-up=1

[Bogie]

I would suggest that you help with the setup, or find someone to help, and set his text as larger...
 
One of the minions at work reads on her phone, and hasn't figured out how to enlarge the text. And I'm not gonna tell her.

[Pb]

Get a ebook for books, not a tablet.  It is much easier on the eyes to read.

Used ones are not too expensive on ebay.

[Bogie]

I prefer my Paperwhite for reading, but overall, the Fire isn't all that bad. I prefer it to an older 10" android that I impulse purchased.