# New to all this - just a few questions...



## Melissa2012B (Aug 22, 2013)

Hi people,

Well the Kindle Fire looks interesting, but they apparently come in all options, sizes etc. But this would be for our small home business.

Not into games or internet, we do all our internet at home.

One of us rides shotgun in the field with the other one, and she can read while waiting for me at stops, so we need kindle book capability. Duh.  

We need a map app, in case we get lost in the field and need a current map, but it doesn't have to be the whole world, just our city.

Outside of that, we have basic cell phones that we use in the field, but never know if maybe we might want more from this in the future. Get it with wireless? 3g? ( we don't even use those things now from our basic cell phones, but...) 

8.9" seems like the nicest size for reading.

Without games, should we care about Dolby?

How big are files for each book, usually, on average? Not sure how much memory to get?

Thanks!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Honestly, if one of your main uses is expected to be mapping, the Fire might not be your best choice. There are mapping apps for the Fire in the Amazon store, but, in my opinion, the BEST mapping option is Google Maps. Which is ONLY available via Google Play and much more difficult to get onto a Fire because of that. Plus, with Google Maps, you can have navigation. Still, the thing to do is look and see what is available at Amazon -- some apps have a 'test mode' option where you can play with it a bit via your computer.

Some other more generic android device might be better -- I've heard good things about Samsung. You can still get the kindle app for it and use it for kindle books. There are also apps that are 'productivity' rather than 'games'. . . . . MS office clones (actually, with Office 365 I think there's now an android version), receipt tracking stuff, mileage record keepers, etc.

ALSO, only one Fire, the 8.9" has an option for 3G. It is a GREAT price -- $50 for the whole first year. But it's limited bandwidth and it's very likely the price will go up after that. If you need more than you're allotted for a month, you will pay a premium for extra minutes.

Book files are generally pretty small. Apps are bigger. Photos and videos are bigger still. Rule of thumb: get the largest memory configuration that you can afford.

Mentioning photos made me think of something else: the Fires currently have only front facing cameras -- basically designed for 'skyping. So if you think you'll be taking a lot of photos, that may not work as well since you can't see, on the screen, what you're taking the picture of, unless you turn yourself around 180° to do so and hold it up above your head. That said, the rumor is that the new Fires coming out this fall, will, in some cases, have a camera on both sides -- so you can skype AND take pictures more easily.

If you MOSTLY want to be able to read -- the better choice would be an eInk device -- like the PaperWhite. But it generally does not have ANY tablet-like features. You'd get a much better reading experience, and longer battery life with a PW. ANY tablet is going to use a lot more power, and drain faster, because of the backlit screen. AND, you might be able to get a smaller, cheaper tablet AND a PW for the same price as a larger one.

Regardless, remember that Amazon has a 30 day return policy. So if you pick something and it doesn't work out, you can return it without any problems. All you pay is the $10-$15 return shipping charge.

eta: rumors and evidence (the daily deals today at Amazon are all Fire related. ) are getting stronger Every Day that there will be new Fires announced -- so some of what I said above may become obsolete. Though I doubt there will ever be complete and easy access to Google Play. Still. . . .might make sense to see what the new offerings are before deciding. Or, if you want it NOW -- http://www.amazon.com/gp/goldbox/ref=cs_top_nav_gb27&tag=kb-20


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

Melissa2012B said:


> Hi people,
> 
> Well the Kindle Fire looks interesting, but they apparently come in all options, sizes etc. But this would be for our small home business.
> 
> ...


If you are just needing a map app, I would personally recommend a Garmin GPS system over a Fire.
This way you don't have to worry about 3g or wifi.
I also would not recommend the fire for car reading. I would just get an e-ink e-reader or the paperwhite.
Now on the book files: about 1000 books per GB. Backlit tablets are not good for outside reading or in the car.


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## Melissa2012B (Aug 22, 2013)

Thanks for the interesting advice and info! 

I'd say our biggest uses are for maps and reading books and the Paperwhite does sound better and less expensive for the books. 

I didn't know that Google Maps could do GPS though, that's interesting. I just use it now, for printing a map if where I'm going, if the address isn't obvious.
...

Just taking a look, and the Paperwhite doesn't appear to come in a very big screen. How does it download the books, by USB?...Oh, I see, the basic one has wifi.

As far as Google maps, not sure what kind of inexpensive device we could get for that. Don't want a car unit like the Garmin, because I don't think it lets someone upload a list of addresses. I usually have less than 10 stops on my route and do them in Streets & Trips, which I despise, but it lets me route them. Question is, what I could get inexpensively for that, and do a list and route on my PC, then pop into a small unit and take with me?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

cinisajoy said:


> If you are just needing a map app, I would personally recommend a Garmin GPS system over a Fire.
> This way you don't have to worry about 3g or wifi.
> I also would not recommend the fire for car reading. I would just get an e-ink e-reader or the paperwhite.
> Now on the book files: about 1000 books per GB. Backlit tablets are not good for outside reading or in the car.


This is a good point. . . .the problem with stand alone GPS devices, is that they tend to be smaller and not as manipulable. I.e. you can't scroll and zoom as readily as on a tablet mapping app. BUT, none of the Fires have GPS, I don't think, so any 'location' you get is going to be approximated from information about local wifi networks or, potentially, cell phone tower triangulation with the 4G option. That might be good enough, but it's NOT GPS. 

The potential issue with tablets in the car is glare. . . but it's not usually too hard to find an orientation that works.



Melissa2012B said:


> Thanks for the interesting advice and info!
> 
> I'd say our biggest uses are for maps and reading books and the Paperwhite does sound better and less expensive for the books.
> 
> ...


Google Maps has a navigation feature that works well if the device has a GPS receiver. Won't be quite as good on the Fire, since they do not. Some other tablets might. I will sometimes use it on my android phone and it works at least as well as the Garmin on the dash.

The eInk kindle screen has a 6" diagonal and is about the size of a trade paperback page. You d/l via WiFi -- or, with the PaperWhite, can opt for the 3G model if you feel like you'll want to d/l stuff even when there's not a wifi network handy.  It's dead easy. And you CAN purchase books from elsewhere than Amazon. As long as they don't have any sort of copy protection, you can load compatible or convertible files also wirelessly using the Send to Kindle Applet which you'd put on your computer. Once the files are in your 'cloud' at Amazon, you can download them to any of your devices just like Amazon purchased content.

I have a Garmin and you can put in way points. So, for example, if I want to go to my dad's house, but go by way of my brother's first, I first put in dad's address and then my brothers and, when it asks, say I want it to be a 'via' point rather than a new end point. But I'm not sure how may via points it saves. And, as I said, you can't scroll it and zoom it as well as you can with Google maps and Navigator on a tablet or computer.

That said, there are android tablets and all sorts of price points from about $75 up. . . . . . if you don't need one with a million bells and whistles, one of the less expensive ones might just do it for you.


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## Melissa2012B (Aug 22, 2013)

Thanks Ann, but I do all my mapping on the PC and as far as I know, none of the Garmins can load the spreadsheet file with stops, and I don't want to have to enter 8-10 stops by hand.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Melissa2012B said:


> Thanks Ann, but I do all my mapping on the PC and as far as I know, none of the Garmins can load the spreadsheet file with stops, and I don't want to have to enter 8-10 stops by hand.


Oh yeah. . .that's right. . .you can't.

I _think_ that if you use google maps on the PC, you can send the maps to an android device. And then presumably use the navigation feature as well. I'm not 100% sure about that. . . . you might ask the question down in our 'Not Quite Kindle' area as I bet there are folks who will know, and just haven't seen this discussion here in Fire Talk.

But again, much as I'm a fan of amazon stuff, to use Google Maps and Navigation, a Fire is not going to be your best option.


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

Melissa2012B said:


> Thanks for the interesting advice and info!
> 
> I'd say our biggest uses are for maps and reading books and the Paperwhite does sound better and less expensive for the books.
> 
> ...


A Garmin won't let you upload addresses but you can put addresses in physically and put them in favorites.
Or in recently found.
Just remember that all map apps require internet access and some places don't have it.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

cinisajoy said:


> A Garmin won't let you upload addresses but you can put addresses in physically and put them in favorites.
> Or in recently found.


But she doesn't want to have to enter them again manually when she's already done the mapping via computer.

And 'recently found' or 'favorites' only works if you keep going the same places. I have the impression it might be mostly new addresses every day. 



> Just remember that all map apps require internet access and some places don't have it.


Except that if you have a device that has GPS, the mapping/navigation apps will usually work with that even when there's no wifi or 3G/4G service. Fires don't. Most smart phones nowadays do. Some other tablets do.


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Except that if you have a device that has GPS, the mapping/navigation apps will usually work with that even when there's no wifi or 3G/4G service. Fires don't. Most smart phones nowadays do. Some other tablets do.


I did not know that. I don't have a smart phone. Thanks for the info.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

cinisajoy said:


> I did not know that. I don't have a smart phone. Thanks for the info.


Yeah, it's 3 different sorts of connections: WiFi, cell phone (3G/4G), or GPS

For mapping/navigation, GPS is the most accurate. But all it connects to is the satellites, so if you want full communication, you need something esle. Most dashboard units are GPS ONLY, no WiFi or 3G/4G. Smartphones can have, or not, GPS. You can usually turn it on or off as you choose. Many also have both 3G/4G and Wifi.

It would be difficult to find a _true_ tablet that ONLY has GPS, because how are you going to get apps to it or use it for what most people want to use tablets for? But there are larger screen 'dashboard' GPS devices. Probably all tablets now sold have WiFi, and most probably also have 3G/4G at least available.


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Yeah, it's 3 different sorts of connections: WiFi, cell phone (3G/4G), or GPS
> 
> For mapping/navigation, GPS is the most accurate. But all it connects to is the satellites, so if you want full communication, you need something esle. Most dashboard units are GPS ONLY, no WiFi or 3G/4G. Smartphones can have, or not, GPS. You can usually turn it on or off as you choose. Many also have both 3G/4G and Wifi.
> 
> It would be difficult to find a _true_ tablet that ONLY has GPS, because how are you going to get apps to it or use it for what most people want to use tablets for? But there are larger screen 'dashboard' GPS devices. Probably all tablets now sold have WiFi, and most probably also have 3G/4G at least available.


I just meant I needed to find one that was GPS enabled. It can have the wifi too. I was thinking for when we are out of cell and wifi range on the maps.
And several places we camp have neither of those. Heck 30 miles to the north or south of us don't have 3G.


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

Ann,
This thread got me to looking at new tablets.    Turns out for the GPS to work on a tablet, it has to be connected to the internet by either wi-fi or 3G/4G.  So out in my area, it would not do me much good.  Matter of fact, due to our area Best Buy flat out recommended just getting a GPS.    If you ever come visit, please load your kindle before you leave my house.  I can take you places where there is not only no 3G but no reception of any kind.  And that is in any direction from my house.
Just thought I would pass this on as it may help someone else.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

cinisajoy said:


> Ann,
> This thread got me to looking at new tablets. Turns out for the GPS to work on a tablet, it has to be connected to the internet by either wi-fi or 3G/4G. So out in my area, it would not do me much good. Matter of fact, due to our area Best Buy flat out recommended just getting a GPS. If you ever come visit, please load your kindle before you leave my house. I can take you places where there is not only no 3G but no reception of any kind. And that is in any direction from my house.
> Just thought I would pass this on as it may help someone else.


Right. That's what I was saying. Fire tablets don't have 'true' GPS where they connect to a satellite to figure out where they are on earth. They triangulate from WiFi and Cell signals. That's why they won't necessarily be as good as a GPS stand alone device. Or a phone that has a GPS receiver as well as wifi and/or 3g/4g.

But GPS _only_ doesn't do you _any_ good if you want internet or phone.


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Right. That's what I was saying. Fire tablets don't have 'true' GPS where they connect to a satellite to figure out where they are on earth. They triangulate from WiFi and Cell signals. That's why they won't necessarily be as good as a GPS stand alone device. Or a phone that has a GPS receiver as well as wifi and/or 3g/4g.
> 
> But GPS _only_ doesn't do you _any_ good if you want internet or phone.


NO TABLET has true gps. They all triangulate from cell and wifi. Not just the fires.
I think you misunderstood my original post. I never said ONLY. I was thinking that in areas that don't have 3G or Wifi it would be nice if the Mapquest App worked. But alas the GPS on tablets is not true GPS but just a location finder with help from the internet.


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