Thinking of getting one of these, anyone got any first hand experience?

I bought one for my partner for her birthday, just arrived yesterday.

First impressions are it is really rather good! I have only been “allowed” a very brief poke, but the screen is rather nice and the sound quality is surprisingly good.

She is currently watching a movie from Lovefilm on it in the bath!

I’m mulling over one of these and asked a few “tech geeks” what they thought and all I got was about being tied in with Amazon regarding stuff to buy for it. Not fully 100% sure what that means but it does look tempting.

Ipads are 100% tied into Apple and that doesn’t seem to offend the masses. At least the Fire HD is a Damn sight cheaper on the buy in.

For that kind of money I’d rather have a Google Nexus 7 or a Samsung Tab 2

For that kind of money I’d rather have a Google Nexus 7 or a Samsung Tab 2

I concur.

My Kindle Fire HD 32GB arrived today but will be returned unopened to Amazon for a refund. Since ordering it, and since it was dispatched by Amazon, I read about the iPad mini and also the impending Nexus 7 that should, reportedly, be coming out in a 32GB version before Christmas for £200. It has a standard Android OS, and has a few things that I’d find more useful.

How about the I pad mini?

mickyfinn – Member
Ipads are 100% tied into Apple and that doesn’t seem to offend the masses. At least the Fire HD is a Damn sight cheaper on the buy in.

Tied to Apple? I buy my music from 7Digital, eMusic, Amazon, directly from artist / record labels or from music magazines/blogs. It’s all then downloaded on to the ipad. As for films/tv there’s Lovefilm and Netflix and loads of streaming apps on the App Store to play virtually whatever media file you have. My wife buys her magazines through zineo and not the newsstand app. I download Singletrack through Bookman.

So the only thing we really are ‘tied’ in to Apple for is apps and software updates, much the same as Android/Crackberry/Amazon etc.

Whatever device I get has to full under the ” digital reading device” category for work.

I’m mulling over one of these and asked a few “tech geeks” what they thought and all I got was about being tied in with Amazon regarding stuff to buy for it. Not fully 100% sure what that means but it does look tempting.

Is it tied to Amazon?
I have a normal Kindle and never buy from them, not sure if the Fire is any more locked down

Not quite sure how tied down it is but it certainly has a very non standard android skin to it.

The nexus 7 however will do everything you can do on the Amazon fire & a whole lot more a whole lot easier. The android kindle app for instance is great on all android devices.

Nexus 7 coming this way for xmas.

I don’t like any of the Kindle apps, they don’t come close to the basic unit

An alternative, and by far the best vfm…what about a 64GB Playbook for £140-ish from VCurrys. I have the 16GB, and its great tbh, Obviously no apps of any consequence, but who gives a monkeys?

+1 Nexus

So the only thing we really are ‘tied’ in to Apple for is apps and software updates, much the same as Android

– On android you can install apps from anywhere if you want to by checking an option in settings.

Capt. Kronos – Member
I have only been “allowed” a very brief poke,

That’s birthdays for ya! 🙂

I treated myself to a new iPad instead, a lot more I know but went for the bigger screen due to failing eyesight – that’s what I’m using as my excuse anyway hehe.

All this info is good but because I have a “slow reading rate” I have been told to start reading more. Work will put an amount of cash towards this. But it has to fall under the “electronic reading device” bracket.

I can’t just get any tablet unfortunatly, so I have to make sure I can justify it. The only thing putting me off the Fire HD is th lack of apps.

Maybe I can justify a nexus 7 will have to look into it.

had mine since wednesday. look, if you want the thing to be a computer and you use loads of apps then the nexus or ipad mini are probably a better bet, but if you want an e-reader which is also a multi media tablet then like me you will love the kindle fire hd. oh, and i don’t think the nexus has such a good screen from what i have seen.

so i use as an e-reader, web browser, email manager, for skype, facebook, iplayer, twitter and a few other apps and i don’t care that much that amazon dictates what apps i can access given the low cost of the device

btw i don’t play computer games so can’t comment on its abilities in tjis area.

We have an ipad on which I barely get a look in . How will a nexus 7 compare to that?
All I do is look at stw and play cyber scrabble.

so if there is no scrabble app that could be a dealbreaker…

I was going to get one or the mrs but a work mate has convinced me otherwise. He’s been pointing me towards other tablets such as Nexus 7 which are dropping in price, aren’t locked to Amazon related stuff and are much faster. That said I was very impressed with the fire and fire hd.