# Fire Watch Begins: HDX is shipping early!



## Ann in Arlington

I just got a text that my HDX7 has shipped and I should have it tomorrow.  Original expected delivery date was Oct 18.  Checked my orders and it says "preparing for shipment".


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## Betsy the Quilter

Woohoo!

I guess we'll have to get together for lunch again!

Betsy


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## LauraElizabeth

No change yet on mine. I ordered Sep 25th at 8:26am cst.  Estimated delivery still says Oct 18 but if yours changed maybe mine will too!


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## Ann in Arlington

Just got the email confirmation and 'welcome to kindle' email. 

Wonder if I'll be able to sleep tonight?


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## Betsy the Quilter

Ann in Arlington said:


> Just got the email confirmation and 'welcome to kindle' email.
> 
> Wonder if I'll be able to sleep tonight?


They're gonna deliver on Saturday? What time should I be at your house?


Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington

IKR!

All it says is promised by 8 p.m.


Maybe they're making up for my PW being a day late.


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## Ann in Arlington

Just discovered I have at least 3 new apps: Yelp, Skype, and IMDb -- kindle tablet edition of each.

And I have a serial number and email address, etc.


Um. . . . Am I the only one?


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## ireadbooks

Oh my goodness, I have butterflies in my stomach. I feel like you're having a baby or something 

So, Ann, do you have room for one more visitor?

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2


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## Betsy the Quilter

Ann in Arlington said:


> Just discovered I have at least 3 new apps: Yelp, Skype, and IMDb -- kindle tablet edition of each.
> 
> And I have a serial number and email address, etc.
> 
> Um. . . . Am I the only one?


They ARE trying to make it up to you.

Betsy


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## maries

Ann, I think a bunch of us will be anxiously awaiting your Fire HDX delivery too so we can get your report! 
Marie


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## Ann in Arlington

Seriously? Surely some of you ordered the HDX7 besides me? NO ONE else has heard anything? 

Now I'm worried I'll get another email tomorrow that just says, <emily litella> Never Mind </emily litella>


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## Toby

I'm so excited for everyone getting theirs.  I can't wait for reviews.


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## Seamonkey

You scared me!  I'm thrilled for you, but I still have two orders for the HDX and trying to decide if I want to pay the price for having 4G (actually wondering about the $15 a month part) or not.. but I must decide before one ships.  Mine are 8.9", but they could bump those up as well..

Look forward to hearing your first impressions and review!!!


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## LauraElizabeth

Saturday morning and mine still says October 18th. I did a google search and found someone sent an email that hers will come Monday.


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## Ann in Arlington

Tracking shows it's arrived at the FedEx place in Dulles.  Still says delivery today.  I will share when it arrives.


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## LauraElizabeth

Torture!


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## KindleGirl

I just ordered mine the other day so it's still showing it's due Oct. 24, but maybe it will come earlier now!


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## Ann in Arlington

For the record, I did order mine on Sept 25.  It's the 16GB model of the HDX 7.  Special Offers and regular Prime shipping.  Paid for mostly by CC but a little bit by GC.

The cover is not due 'til mid-November, though I ordered it at the same time.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Is it there yet?



Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington

Out for delivery as of 20 minutes ago!


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## Betsy the Quilter

Ann in Arlington said:


> Out for delivery as of 20 minutes ago!


WOO-HOO!!!!!!!

*does happy dance for Ann.*


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## Ann in Arlington

Just arrived!

So, the Fire is in a Fire box which is inside a cardboard shipping box.  Definitely got a 'Saturday Delivery' sticker and the shipping label says 'Premium" and "Priority Overnight."  

So, zipping the strip on the box and the Fire is in a box that is inside a plastic sleeve.

Then there's a paper sleeve you slip off.

And you slit the seal at one end of the box.

Open the box and there's the device. . . .there is a compartment at the top of the box that contains a black USB cord and the charger plug.

Take it out and take it out of another plastic sleeve; there's a cardboard 'getting to know' you that tells you to turn it on and then unlock and then go.  It was over half full on battery.  Turn it on (button on back) and you choose a language and then it prompts you to connect to a wifi network.  Then it confirms it's registered to you (if it's not you tell it you're not the person it says) and then starts a download process for  the 'latest Kindle software.  It suggests you plug it in at that point to make sure there's plenty of power to completel that.  You can skip that step and do that later if you want.

Next it lets you connect to FB and/or Twitter -- you can skip this step and do it later too.

Now you're at the home, which is configured as the older Fires and before doing anything else you walk through a 'getting started' tutorial.

You still swipe down from the top to get to settings, which is now a gear icon, which is more standard.

Options under settings:
**My account -- pretty much the same. . . . but you can edit your Amazon account via the device.  Don't recall if you could do that before. Can also change country, payment options, and edit social netowrks.
**Help & Feedback takes you to an interactive guide.  There's a user guide, link to sort out wireless, customer service and feedback contact info.  But front and center is "Amazon Assist" You can video chat or text chat if you have questions. There's a 'connect' button that initiates the service.
**parental controls -- don't see any difference here, but I've never really used 'em
**device -- You can toggle to show the battery percentage on or off, check for updates, set language, change the text to speech voices (there are boys and girls with English, Aussie or US accents as well as German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.  Interestingly they specify it's Brazilian Portuguese an Spanish Spanish (vs Mexican etc. I suppose.)  You also can set the time zone; it pulls the time from your network.  And you can toggle on the automatic debugging which I guess you'd want to do if you were having issues -- then they can help you fix things remotely.  Finally, serial number and the factory reset and storage information
**wireless and networks -- same as before
**applications -- generally same as before
**notifications -- you can turn notifications for various apps on and off. . .. you can also set a 'do not disturb' either based on what you're doing on the Fire or based on a time of day.  That's nice.
**display and sounds -- set sounds (though I don't see that you can add your own; there are a lot of choices) and display brightness or automatic, volume (also physical switches) and this is where you set mirroring so you can see what's on the Fire on your TV or whatever. Oh, and set screen time out.
**keyboards -- set language, keyboard settings (auto correct, etc.)
**accessibility.  There are a bunch of options here -- a screen reader, an ex;plore by touch that tells you what you're touching, a magnifier; you can turn on closed captioning on videos and there are apparently other services you can add.  There's also a Users Guide just for the accessibility stuff.
**security -- you can set a lock screen password.  You can store credentials and set device administrators -- not going to play with that until I have a chance to read about 'em.
**legal -- the usual stuff.

The other options in the top menu are basically the same, though there is a 'do not disturb' option so you can toggle that on and off from there.  That's nice.

By default you will see recommendations as you flip to things on the carousel, but you can turn that off (Under applications/home screen).  You also see the first 8 things in your favorites -- so that kind of goes back to the original Fire.

Off to play more in depth -- will report as I learn more.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Woohoo, Ann!

(and near the bottom, I think you mean "there is not a 'do not disturb' disturb option" -- that matches with your earlier comment.)

Can't wait to see it.

Betsy


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## LauraElizabeth

Congratulations on your new arrival. Have you named it?


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## Ann in Arlington

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Woohoo, Ann!
> 
> (and near the bottom, I think you mean "there is not a 'do not disturb' disturb option" -- that matches with your earlier comment.)
> 
> Can't wait to see it.
> 
> Betsy


Yes . . . corrected that.

Incidentally, what used to be called 'favorites' is now called 'home'.

I already sent my other HD7 back, but it feels lighter. . . . Silk seems zippier. Haven't set up email and calendar stuff yet -- hope I can link to my google calendar as easily as I did before.


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## GreenThumb

Thanks so much for the details!  I swear I was glued to the screen, reading about the unboxing.  Vicarious thrills for you!


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## ireadbooks

It's here! It's here!  

Thanks for the initial review, Ann. I'll be glued to this thread.


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## Seamonkey

How exciting..  of course the test will be when you have it fully loaded and hope it still is zippier.  Lighter is always good.


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## Ann in Arlington

After some random playing, it seems faster to me...Silk works very much better, I think.

Email set up was no prob...as long as you know you server names. If it's a common isp those are preset.

Screen is very good ....quite possibly better than my 8.9HD.

Has anyone else gotten it?

Sent from my Fire HDX


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## maries

Did you try out the camera?


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## Ann in Arlington

OK...so...I do not recommend turning on the accessibility features unless you have another Fire to reference to figure out how to turn them back off. 

Sent from my Fire HDX


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## Toby

If you have a chance, can you check out the TTS in a book for me. I want to know if the sound is loud enough that you don't have to be standing right by it to hear the book. Also, audible books, if you have any. How is the sound without pugging in earphones.

Anyway, I'm so happy & excited that you got your Fire so soon. Congrates & enjoy it. I can't wait for my 8.9 HDX wifi to arrive. Thank you for your description of the device & what to expect. Well done! 

Let us know if you like the email better this year. Like, does your email load quickly or slowly?


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## Betsy the Quilter

Ann in Arlington said:


> OK...so...I do not recommend turning on the accessibility features unless you have another Fire to reference to figure out how to turn them back off.
> 
> Sent from my Fire HDX


I don't know if this is of any help:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201303820

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington

Yep -- that's pretty much the same as what I had on both the HDX and my older Fire. Problem was, I couldn't get to that page of the help on the HDX!  Fortunately the touch gestures are similar on the older Fires so I was able to find it there and figure it out.

I don't personally think it works very well. Sometimes double tapping, as it says to do to select, worked, and sometimes it didn't. Hence my frustration. And when I first turned it on I got into a tutorial that I never did figure out how to navigate out of. I ended up turning the device all the way off by holding the button for an extended period. When it came back on I used the help on my HD8.9 to work out how to gesture to unlock it and then turn off the the accessibility. I even had trouble just turning it off! I held the button until the 'cancel/shut down' screen came but the double tap didn't seem to want to work properly there to actually turn it off. That's when I just held the button to let it turn off as a full reboot.

Now, it might be that my problem was that I _could_ see things and am not used to listening for direction, but, even so, when I tried to double tap as I thought was the way to select, it didn't consistently work. For swiping it mostly wants you to use two fingers as a one finger swipe moves between selectable icons on the screen. So, again, if you're going to use the accessibility, be sure you first have a very clear understanding of how to navigate once you've turned it on. I have no idea if what they're using is more or less 'standard'.

Haven't 'used' the camera, per se, but did try it a bit without actually taking a shot. It's a front facing only, meaning if you're looking at the screen you're taking a picture of you.  It does seem to have a feature where it finds your face. I didn't try to use it to take a picture of anything else. If I can recall my skype credentials I'll try that out, maybe later today.

Haven't got the mirroring to work -- where what's on the device can be seen on your TV. . . . I guess we don't have a compatible TV, but we do have a TiVo. Have to look into that more thoroughly.


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## PhilReads

I'm still waiting for the new tablet, but it's so exciting to read about the first ones being delivered  I'm sure it's worth waiting for it after reading your reviews!


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## Atunah

See Ann, you should have used the Mayday button.


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## Ann in Arlington

Once I had the 'accessibility' on, I couldn't figure out how to get there either!


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## Jane917

My 7' HDX was ordered 10/6 and is still scheduled for delivery 10/24.


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## skyblue

This is so exciting!


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## Toby

I clicked on the link. Sounds like a lot to remember. I don't like hearing that you had trouble Ann. Hopefully, we will all learn together how use the tablet.


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## Ann in Arlington

Toby said:


> I clicked on the link. Sounds like a lot to remember. I don't like hearing that you had trouble Ann. Hopefully, we will all learn together how use the tablet.


Just to clarify: the only 'trouble' I had was of my own making. I did not thoroughly absorb how to use the device while in 'accessibility' mode. And, because I CAN see, I wasn't used to following the vocal prompts. I did feel like the double tap didn't work great, but, again, that could have been my own impatience. 

IF you are a person who needs the accessibility options -- I think it's great that they're there. And probably would not be too hard to get used to if you used them for a few hours. I, however, was not interested in trying to figure it out since I didn't really need them. Fortunately, I was able to review the gestures on my other Fire (same as at the link Betsy posted) and get myself out of quicksand I walked into with my eyes open.

And, the more I think about it, the more likely it is that the trouble I had with the tutorial stemmed from the same personal impatience. 

All in all, after using the device for a full 24 hours (plus) I am VERY PLEASED with it. It is responsive. The Silk Browser works very well. The touch screen is sufficiently sensitive that even links in fairly small print were not at all difficult to tap -- a problem I had with previous generation Fires. I don't anticipate using another browser at this point.

I also was able to load from Amazon the Xfinity App -- and I should be able to use it to watch some missed episodes of a couple of series that got started this season before I got the TiVo "season pass". I do still need to read up on the mirroring and see what I can figure out there.

I played some streamed video and music from you tube yesterday and it worked perfectly. In fact friends at the house commented how good the sound was.

I am seriously considering whether I need to keep my Fire HD after the 3G plan runs out. . . . . but I also don't really feel the need for a larger screen model of the HDX. As an example, on Words With Friends, lately there are videos as the ads between moves -- you have to watch 10 seconds or so at least before you can skip 'em. They are definitely much better on the HDX 7 than they are on the HD 8.9.


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## Jane917

I have already sent in my original 7" Fire to the Trade in Program. It will still be 10 days before my new 7" Fire HDX arrives. I thought I would be able to purchase some apps, but I guess I need to purchase from the Fire, not from my computer. I thought I used to be able to make a purchase, then go to my account and send the app to the device I want. Hurry up and get here, Fire!


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## Ann in Arlington

Jane917 said:


> I have already sent in my original 7" Fire to the Trade in Program. It will still be 10 days before my new 7" Fire HDX arrives. I thought I would be able to purchase some apps, but I guess I need to purchase from the Fire, not from my computer. I thought I used to be able to make a purchase, then go to my account and send the app to the device I want. Hurry up and get here, Fire!


You can purchase from the computer -- but you have to have a device registered. So if your old Fire is no longer there, and you have no other android devices, no, you can't get anything else.

You can NOT send any apps to the new Fire until you actually have it in hand and have taught it to talk to the world. That is different than for books which can be send to a device once it's on your account and has a name. So, you could probably send a book to your not-yet-recieved Fire, but not an App previously purchased.


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## Jane917

Ann in Arlington said:


> You can purchase from the computer -- but you have to have a device registered. So if your old Fire is no longer there, and you have no other android devices, no, you can't get anything else.
> 
> You can NOT send any apps to the new Fire until you actually have it in hand and have taught it to talk to the world. That is different than for books which can be send to a device once it's on your account and has a name. So, you could probably send a book to your not-yet-recieved Fire, but not an App previously purchased.


Thank you, Ann. That makes sense. My new FireHDX must not be far enough along the line to be able to show up on my devices to download. It is in my account, but the only thing I can do with it is deregister (which makes me think it must be registered) or change the name. There is no serial number yet, or any other details. I will keep watching to see if I can actually purchase apps before it is delivered.


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## Jane917

WhoooHooo! My delivery date has been changed from the 24th to the 22nd!


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## Ann in Arlington

Jane917 said:


> Thank you, Ann. That makes sense. My new FireHDX must not be far enough along the line to be able to show up on my devices to download. It is in my account, but the only thing I can do with it is deregister (which makes me think it must be registered) or change the name. There is no serial number yet, or any other details. I will keep watching to see if I can actually purchase apps before it is delivered.


You won't be able to . . . Until I actually received mine (this actually applies to all 4 Fires I've had) . . . and connected it wirelessly, Amazon appstore didn't have it listed as one of my devices. I may even have actually had to access the appstore on the device to have it recognized -- but that's easily done by just going to the cloud and downloading an app you already have.


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## KindleGirl

Jane917 said:


> WhoooHooo! My delivery date has been changed from the 24th to the 22nd!


I saw this morning when I checked that mine had changed from the 24th to the 22nd also. I was hoping it would be even earlier than that since they've already started shipping. Must have to wait for another shipment.


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## Ann in Arlington

I have a feeling the amount of memory is a factor.  Which configuration did you all who are just getting notices now order?  Mine had only 16GB.  No SO's


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## Patricia

I ordered the HDX 7 16 gb with S/O on Sept. 30 and am still due to get mine on Friday.


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## Ann in Arlington

Hmm. . . so it's apparently not the memory.

Wonder if it's the SO's? I left them on. Though that really doesn't make any sense.


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## Toby

Ann, thanks for your review. Wow, if you think that this 7" is so much better than last year's 8.9", this year's Fire must be incredible.


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## Ann in Arlington

Toby said:


> Ann, thanks for your review. Wow, if you think that this 7" is so much better than last year's 8.9", this year's Fire must be incredible.


Well, of course, others might not agree.  But I do think it's a pretty sweet device.

Other folks will start getting theirs soon and I have no doubt that a few will be disappointed. I'm still surprised that I seem to be the only one here who's seen one yet!


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## Seamonkey

This is  your time to get special treatment 

And with your great descriptions, it helps all of us.  

(of course I'm not waiting for a 7" so I can be more relaxed about it,)  but Nov 7 is looming.. the date for my cover and the wifi only version of the 8.9".  Today I was frustrated at UCI Medical Center when, as often happens, the wifi connect but the litte X stays on the wifi icon and when it wants me to sign in it gives a bad link.

I finally cranked up the 4G and read my email.

So I may be making the more expensive choice.

Luckily I sold the gold items I was not wearing .. sad since a couple of the items were lovely, but.. I wasn't ever wearing them.  I hardly ever wear gold any more and have 4 bracelets I love more and wear so..    anyway I got $540 so that in theory  cuts down the price of the HDX.  Except it is cash.

Oh and the videos Words With Friends imposes?  Some are 29 or more seconds now.


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## HappyGuy

Seamonkey - you can always use the cash to buy gift cards.

I hate that the ads are getting longer.


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## Ann in Arlington

HappyGuy said:


> Seamonkey - you can always use the cash to buy gift cards.
> 
> I hate that the ads are getting longer.


But even with longer video ads, you can still cancel them after about 10 seconds or so. . . . at some point a 'continue' icon shows and when you tap that you go forward.

I have found one ad in a different game, Tetris Blitz, that kind of shuts things down though. It never lets me go past it and I have to back out of the game and re-open it to play another round. Not a problem with the game -- a problem with the ad.


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## Seamonkey

Ann, it may be based on how much you play and I have  a bunch of games going but there are ads that make you stay the whol 29 or so seconds, others let you off the hook much earlier and I've had those ads with Words With Friends that won't go back to the game until you push near the bottom and get a choice to learn more or skip, but all too often it decides you wanted to learn more.  and the ones that simply refuse to let go.

And the long ads repeat, so they aren't interesting.  Thankfully I usually have the sound off.


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## LaraAmber

I'm soo jealous right now.  I can't wait until Friday.


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## JimC1946

LaraAmber said:


> I'm soo jealous right now. I can't wait until Friday.


Same here! I ordered the 32GB HDX 7" on September 25 at 7:45:55 AM. Still no word and no serial number. Aaaaarrrrgggghhhh!


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## Toby

I'm glad that you like the HDX, Ann. If you said it was horrible, I would be tempted to cancel my pre-order of my 8.9. I know that not everyone will like it. Not every device is liked by everyone, but when I get mine, I want to feel that it was worth upgrading. I can't wait for more reviews.


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## alicepattinson

Ann in Arlington said:


> Out for delivery as of 20 minutes ago!


that is so cute!!


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## Patricia

The charge for my Fire HDX 7 is pending on my credit card.  Progress!


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## teralpar

Ann, have you tried downloading a Prime video onto the HDX yet? Are ALL Prime videos available for download, or are there only a select few?


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## Ann in Arlington

I have not tried that yet, but I did find this information via the _I Love My Kindle_ blog by Bufo Calvin:

•	A title can only be downloaded to two devices on your account at a time. Let's say you figure you'll watch Beetlejuice for Halloween. If you download it to your Fire, and your kid downloads it to their Fire, nobody else on the account can download it until one of you deletes it. This, by the way, is actually more flexible than when you are streaming it...you can only stream a given title to one device at a time

•	You can only download 25 titles at a time to all of the devices on your account. That seems like a lot to me, but I can see how a family on a wi-fi free vacation could hit that limit

•	You have a limited time to watch them. Amazon says, " A typical viewing period is either 48 hours after you start watching the title or 15 or 30 days after the download, whichever is earlier." That's one thing that really keeps you from using this as a substitute to owning them. It's not like a Tivo, where you could hypothetically keep an episode you recorded until the device died. Don't start watching something until you have time to finish it in the next two days...or you might not get to finish it

•	If you stop being a Prime member, you will not be able to watch Prime videos...even if you've downloaded them. That's different if you bought them or rented them (which isn't done through Prime). I suspect this may catch some people off guard when they cancel after their first free month. I'll be many of them will renew pretty quickly if a family member was halfway through a movie (or TV season) and puts the pressure on!

•	Not every video is available for download, and which ones are will keep changing. I'm assuming here that the ones that say they are available for download when renting are probably available for download through Prime if they are Prime available.

So, the streaming has apparently not changed -- but if you download them, they will expire. So it's kind of like when you rent a video from Amazon, except only allowed on Fire devices with the most current OS. And, of course, you can't d/l something if you don't have room on your device. Videos take up a LOT of space! 

eta: just randomly checked a variety of videos in the 'prime' section. All of them seem to have a 'play' button, so you can stream as well as a download button. When you select to download, you get the option of SD, HD720p or HD1080p. Higher resolution will take longer to d/l and will take up more space, but, of course, will look better on the screen.

You can watch while you are downloading. In fact you can do other things entirely while you're downloading.


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## Betsy the Quilter

I got to play with Ann's HDX7 at lunch today.  It's very, very, very, very nice.  Did I mention it was nice?  (Sorry about the drool marks, Ann.  )

Pictures to come.

Betsy


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## LaraAmber

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I got to play with Ann's HDX7 at lunch today. It's very, very, very, very nice. Did I mention it was nice? (Sorry about the drool marks, Ann. )
> 
> Pictures to come.
> 
> Betsy


That sound you hear is me having a hissy fit because I have to wait 2 more days to get mine and I want it now now now!


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## Betsy the Quilter

LaraAmber said:


> That sound you hear is me having a hissy fit because I have to wait 2 more days to get mine and I want it now now now!


At least when you get yours, you'll be able to keep it. Ann's mean, she wouldn't let me keep hers.  And I thought we were friends....

Pictures to fondle until yours gets there!

Here's what your box will look like (inside the shipping box and a plastic bag, according to Ann:










That's the outside of the box, not the Fire HDX. Pretty cool.... It's a sleeve that slides off the plain black box.

Then, when you open the box:










The inside of the box has an orange facing with a shiny tone-on-tone image of the kid under the tree reading...

The back of the Fire HDX7 (sorry not a great pic):










you can see the volume + and - buttons on the left. The headphone jack is near that. The power button is on the right, the charging port is on the edge on that side. (Ann, correct me if I'm wrong).

Betsy


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## LauraElizabeth

How    Ever  Can    I    Wait  Until    Friday??


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## Betsy the Quilter

LauraElizabeth said:


> How Ever Can I Wait Until Friday??


It's almost here!!!!

Betsy


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## LaraAmber

Yep I'm scared because it says Friday by 8 PM.  Well my shift ends at 4 PM and I really don't want to hang out at work until 8 PM waiting for a delivery truck to get here.


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## Ann in Arlington

Pictures look good Betsy. . . .yes the power button and charging port is on one side and the volume buttons and speaker jack are on the other.

Lara -- I would guess it will arrive at the usual time you get FedEx or UPS or however it's delivered.


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## Patricia

Mine has shipped!  Hooray!!


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## Betsy the Quilter

Yay, Patricia!

Betsy


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## crca56

I still have to wait until November for mine....sigh...ordered the 8.9 64g WiFi only with s/o.....it will be worth it I'm sure, but I'm like a kid, I Want It NOW!!!lol


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## Toby

I ordered the same thing that you did. Waiting for Nov 7. Waiting, waiting, waiting. I want more reviews, people. Betsy, Ann actually trusted you to play with her Fire?   Great pics. Thanks! Glad you loved it. Did you order one for yourself?


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## Sherlock

It's getting hard to wait....not that we haven't been through this before.....but it's the same every time.  I have a 7" 32gb wifi w/ so ordered, however I spent too much time trying to justify it and didn't order right away.  Now I have a delivery day of Oct 30.  Hoping that once the deluge begins they'll move that date up.  I can hope anyway!


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## Betsy the Quilter

Toby said:


> I ordered the same thing that you did. Waiting for Nov 7. Waiting, waiting, waiting. I want more reviews, people. Betsy, Ann actually trusted you to play with her Fire?  Great pics. Thanks! Glad you loved it. Did you order one for yourself?


I've got an 8.9 on order...

Betsy


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## MsScarlett

"Preparing for shipment"!  I ordered a 7" 32g on Oct 2.  Original est. date of delivery was 10/24, then it moved up to 10/21, and finally 10/18.  Looks like I should have it tomorrow.


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## HappyGuy

Ann, the Mayday button ... is that on the main screen or is it like on the settings screen? I'm a tad concerned that I'd tap it accidentally.


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## KindleGirl

Woohoo! My 16gb 7" says it is "preparing for shipment" but the delivery date still says 10/22. I'm hoping it's here before then since it is preparing for shipment now....unless it stays in that mode for a while.


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## Betsy the Quilter

HappyGuy said:


> Ann, the Mayday button ... is that on the main screen or is it like on the settings screen? I'm a tad concerned that I'd tap it accidentally.


As I recall from playing with it, it's on the settings screen that comes down from the top--it took the place of the "sync and check for items" on that menu.

Betsy


----------



## Ann in Arlington

HappyGuy said:


> Ann, the Mayday button ... is that on the main screen or is it like on the settings screen? I'm a tad concerned that I'd tap it accidentally.


When you swipe down from the top or tap at the top, the menu bar drops down. . . .the mayday button is there. I think you'd be unlikely to tap it accidentally, and I think if if you did, what you see is a screen that takes you to the 'help page of the settings menu and you have to click 'connect' to actually get a live assistant.

You can also turn the feature off via settings; if you do that and tap mayday, you get the same screen but instead of a 'connect' button it says settings and you have to tap that and turn it on and then go back to actually connect.

Oh, and for the person who asked yesterday about downloading videos: I downloaded a prime video yesterday at highest resolution -- it took a while, but it did download and I was able to watch it while NOT connected to the internet. So that works well -- with the limitations mentioned earlier.



Betsy the Quilter said:


> As I recall from playing with it, it's on the settings screen that comes down from the top--it took the place of the "sync and check for items" on that menu.
> 
> Betsy


Yes -- I think I'd personally rather have the sync button. As it is to sync you'd have to swipe down and tap settings; sync is the top option. But I'm seriously extremely unlikely to EVER use the MayDay system. But I can see why they put it there readily available for new Fire users.


----------



## LauraElizabeth

If it was actually coming tomorrow like estimated, would not my status indicate some kind of change? As it is it still says "not yet shipped".


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

LauraElizabeth said:


> If it was actually coming tomorrow like estimated, would not my status indicate some kind of change? As it is it still says "not yet shipped".


It's not unheard of (actually pretty common) for the shipping to not change until late in the evening and sometimes not at all. I wouldn't be overly concerned.

Betsy


----------



## LaraAmber

Mine says "Preparing for Shipment".  Oh the agony.  I know how this works.  I've had the box arrive hours before the status update or the text message from Amazon.  But I so want to see "Shipped."

Though Amazon really should write code where after the 5th refresh a message pops up "Refreshing isn't going to make us work faster.  Switch to decaf."


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

LaraAmber said:


> Though Amazon really should write code where after the 5th refresh a message pops up "Refreshing isn't going to make us work faster. Switch to decaf."


LOL, Laura!

Betsy


----------



## Jane917

My 7" HDX 16g says SHIPPING NOW! However, the delivery date still says 10/22. I will be watching this all day, I suspect.


----------



## LauraElizabeth

LaraAmber said:


> Though Amazon really should write code where after the 5th refresh a message pops up "Refreshing isn't going to make us work faster. Switch to decaf."


LOL


----------



## LauraElizabeth

Woo Hoo!!! "preparing for shipment"


----------



## LaraAmber

"Shipping Now"

Refresh Refresh Refresh...  

Though my brain is working enough to be snarky and think "stop writing pervy fan fiction and get it on the truck!"


----------



## KindleGirl

Jane917 said:


> My 7" HDX 16g says SHIPPING NOW! However, the delivery date still says 10/22. I will be watching this all day, I suspect.


Mine says the exact same thing! It HAS to be here before the 22nd right??!


----------



## LauraElizabeth

My status changed from "preparing to ship" to "pre-ordered" I have never seen that before.


----------



## Jane917

I just got a shipping notice! Delivery has been moved up to Monday, but with some luck it will come on Saturday!


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

LauraElizabeth said:


> My status changed from "preparing to ship" to "pre-ordered" I have never seen that before.


Aargh. Maybe iit got damaged as they prepared it...or maybe someone hit the wrong button on yours when trying to hit "Shipping Now".

Betsy


----------



## LaraAmber

Actual chat conversation:

Husband: jesus, relax already it'll get here when it gets here
Me: Noooo I must get into a tizzy
Husband: you were less stressed waiting for Anthony
Me:Well I knew Anthony couldn't get lost on a UPS truck


See that's what I need, that wave of hormones during the end of pregnancy that keep you from worrying.


----------



## LauraElizabeth

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Aargh. Maybe iit got damaged as they prepared it...or maybe someone hit the wrong button on yours when trying to hit "Shipping Now".
> 
> Betsy


The case and HDX not ordered at the same time both say the same thing. I might have to have DH take me for driving therapy when he comes home!


----------



## Toby

Betsy, yay!   Sorry, I forgot who ordered what, but I am so excited for everyone here waiting to get their new 7" HDX soon. It does seem like more people ordered the 7" then the 8.9", but I could be wrong. A few times, I thought of switching my order of the 8.9" to the 7" one. Then, I pick up the 8.9" HD & although I think it's great, I wish it were lighter, so the 8.9" is still on.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

LaraAmber said:


> Actual chat conversation:
> 
> Husband: jesus, relax already it'll get here when it gets here
> Me: Noooo I must get into a tizzy
> Husband: you were less stressed waiting for Anthony
> Me:Well I knew Anthony couldn't get lost on a UPS truck
> 
> See that's what I need, that wave of hormones during the end of pregnancy that keep you from worrying.


LOL! Chocolate. Lots of it.


----------



## LauraElizabeth

Betsy the Quilter said:


> LOL! Chocolate. Lots of it.


Chocolate therapy!!!!! I need it too.


----------



## MsScarlett

It is shipped!  I have a serial number.  It's on the way!


----------



## Seamonkey

I love the reviews and the waiting with..  I must say last year it was kind of deflating to be waiting for the LAST one.. 8.9 with 4G and by then no one was quite as excited for me (but I made up for that!!)

And here I am again.  

But it WILL happen.

My stock way to calm down, and sometimes it actually works..  is to tell myself "in 10 years will it matter that you didn't get this today?"  Heck, even in a year.  Or a month..  In fact, once it has arrived, there it is.

I really want that camera.  I never dreamed I'd use the current camera that often but my cat is so cute!!  Especially in the morning  when I might be still in bed but sitting up and playing Words with Friends or reading email..


----------



## Ann in Arlington

In related news -- I got an email today that the cover I ordered at the same time -- which wasn't due until mid November -- will be shipped early and I should have it by Tuesday.


----------



## KindleGirl

Mine has now shipped, but via FedEx Smartpost....  I've never had them ship any kindles that way. It's only coming from 2 hours away so UPS would have been faster. The estimated arrival date is still Tuesday, but sometimes things arrive earlier via smartpost than predicted, so I'm hoping for Monday! Guess that gives me something to look forward to on Monday/Tuesday! Guess I won't have time to play this weekend anyways...


----------



## Patricia

Out for Delivery...Feels like Christmas morning!    I will be interested in hearing cover reviews when they start arriving.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Patricia said:


> Out for Delivery...Feels like Christmas morning!  I will be interested in hearing cover reviews when they start arriving.


Yay!!!!


----------



## LaraAmber

Patricia said:


> Out for Delivery...Feels like Christmas morning!  I will be interested in hearing cover reviews when they start arriving.


Well it is snowing...it's at the local FedEx, not on a truck for delivery yet. I'm hoping it arrives on the early FedEx delivery (morning) and not late. Now it depends on whether the front desk sees the word "Kindle" and decide it to mess with me. It really depends on who sees it first.


----------



## mistyd107

would you recommend the hdx over an iPad mini


----------



## LaraAmber

It's here!  No all day checking refresh!  I'm so freaking happy.

Okay I have to laugh at the sticker "Certified Frustration Free Packaging".  If there a Frustration Free Institute?


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

LaraAmber said:


> It's here! No all day checking refresh! I'm so freaking happy.
> 
> Okay I have to laugh at the sticker "Certified Frustration Free Packaging". If there a Frustration Free Institute?


Yay, Lara!!! Can't wait to hear what you think! And LOL at Frustration Free Institute. I think I've heard of the FFI... 



mistyd107 said:


> would you recommend the hdx over an iPad mini


If screen quality is important, the HDX has a much better screen than the current iPad Mini. If you already have a big investment in iOS apps, the iPad Mini might still be a better choice for you.

Betsy


----------



## Patricia

mistyd107 said:


> would you recommend the hdx over an iPad mini


Apple is supposed to be making an announcement about new iPads on Tuesday. There are rumors that the new mini may have the retina display.


----------



## LaraAmber

I'm resisting hitting the MayDay button, even though this is very different then using an iPad and I've gotten a bit lost a few times.


----------



## mistyd107

Patricia said:


> Apple is supposed to be making an announcement about new iPads on Tuesday. There are rumors that the new mini may have the retina display.


I know and I'm so confused as to which direction I need to go I have a mac and iPhone so the iPad would be extremely convenient but the hdx is tempting . I guess its a good thing I'm not close to ordering yet


----------



## Jane917

I have been reading in the reviews that the 7" HDX 16g might not be have enough storage to download some Prime movies. If so, I may want to return my 16g within the first 30 days and exchange it for the 32g. Has anyone lucky enough to play around with the HDX 16g had any problem steaming/downloading movies? Mine is not due in my hands until Monday.


----------



## LauraElizabeth

Jane917 said:


> I have been reading in the reviews that the 7" HDX 16g might not be have enough storage to download some Prime movies. If so, I may want to return my 16g within the first 30 days and exchange it for the 32g. Has anyone lucky enough to play around with the HDX 16g had any problem steaming/downloading movies? Mine is not due in my hands until Monday.


I have the original Kindle Fire and it is only 8gb. This past week I had four full-length movies downloaded onto my Fire as well as several tv shows all at one time. I did order the 64gb for the HDX but I just wanted to let you know my experience before you return your 16gb. I cannot do streaming due to slow internet here so I always have to download.


----------



## LaraAmber

mistyd107 said:


> I know and I'm so confused as to which direction I need to go I have a mac and iPhone so the iPad would be extremely convenient but the hdx is tempting . I guess its a good thing I'm not close to ordering yet


I think it depends on why you have it. For me I'm not using for work purposes so that's an entire classification of apps and synchronization I don't need to even consider. I'm also not planning on using it to replace my personal laptop or even replicate it. Mainly I want a place to read magazines (which I don't do on my Paperwhite) and newspapers/news sites, keep all my recipes (instead of lugging books from upstairs to downstairs), and watch movies. I have a small child so FreeTime is a plus for me (not only controlling how much time he has but also blocking him from even seeing certain apps). We already use Amazon Prime and watch movies from Amazon, so being able to do that anywhere I want in the house would be nice. A lot of my Apple apps I either want only on my phone, have an Amazon counterpart, or I can do without.

My recipe software (Cook'n) is on my computer and the app side to sync all my stored recipes is supposed be available for Android, Kindle Fire, and iPad/iPhone so it didn't come into play either.

Being able to meet all these needs at a dramatically lower price point really sealed the deal for me. I could max out the hard drive space for only $80 more and not $200. I paid $309 and a comparable iPad mini would have been $529.


----------



## mistyd107

LaraAmber said:


> I think it depends on why you have it. For me I'm not using for work purposes so that's an entire classification of apps and synchronization I don't need to even consider. I'm also not planning on using it to replace my personal laptop or even replicate it. Mainly I want a place to read magazines (which I don't do on my Paperwhite) and newspapers/news sites, keep all my recipes (instead of lugging books from upstairs to downstairs), and watch movies. I have a small child so FreeTime is a plus for me (not only controlling how much time he has but also blocking him from even seeing certain apps). We already use Amazon Prime and watch movies from Amazon, so being able to do that anywhere I want in the house would be nice. A lot of my Apple apps I either want only on my phone, have an Amazon counterpart, or I can do without.
> 
> My recipe software (Cook'n) is on my computer and the app side to sync all my stored recipes is supposed be available for Android, Kindle Fire, and iPad/iPhone so it didn't come into play either.
> 
> Being able to meet all these needs at a dramatically lower price point really sealed the deal for me. I could max out the hard drive space for only $80 more and not $200. I paid $309 and a comparable iPad mini would have been $529.


that's my problem its mainly for reading and backup internet since my home internet is not the most reliable. I'm contemplating the 4g version. the lower cost is a huge plus considering I'm on disability. lots to think about


----------



## maries

I saw and was able to play with the HDX at Best Buy today. Very nice. Lighter and seemed zippier to me!  I have the 8.9 and looking to upgrade to the new one but with 4g this time.


----------



## maries

Regarding HDX vs mini, I agree to consider what you will use it for. I have both. For internet searching, I think the mini is better (more computer-like) but can still use the Fire. The Fire has a much better screen. I use it to read Kindle Boards and other forums, for magazines, movies, shopping.  Also checking email. I put some photos on the Fire and starting to put some music on it too. I am not using either for work but have work email on my iPhone.   Books show up on my Fire and my KK.  Most apps on my Fire are ones I picked up as free app of the day.  So I am fairly split between Amazon and ios.   I will say I liked my mini better prior to the ios upgrade. I don't like the changes to the safari page and feel like there is less space (about an inch of stuff on top).  The display text does not seem as clear as before.  OLD favorites are one way and new ones are another. Despite that I'm not getting rid of my mini but not sure about another mini or iPad. The new ones will likely be more expensive so once you know that you can use that to help you decide. I think the new full size might be shaped more rectangular than square based on rumors. Target has the full size retina one for $50 off this week. No discount on the mini but a $30 target gift card.


----------



## mistyd107

maries said:


> Regarding HDX vs mini, I agree to consider what you will use it for. I have both. For internet searching, I think the mini is better (more computer-like) but can still use the Fire. The Fire has a much better screen. I use it to read Kindle Boards and other forums, for magazines, movies, shopping. Also checking email. I put some photos on the Fire and starting to put some music on it too. I am not using either for work but have work email on my iPhone. Books show up on my Fire and my KK. Most apps on my Fire are ones I picked up as free app of the day. So I am fairly split between Amazon and ios. I will say I liked my mini better prior to the ios upgrade. I don't like the changes to the safari page and feel like there is less space (about an inch of stuff on top). The display text does not seem as clear as before. OLD favorites are one way and new ones are another. Despite that I'm not getting rid of my mini but not sure about another mini or iPad. The new ones will likely be more expensive so once you know that you can use that to help you decide. I think the new full size might be shaped more rectangular than square based on rumors. Target has the full size retina one for $50 off this week. No discount on the mini but a $30 target gift card.


Thx for the input I do appreciate it . I do know if I go with iPad it will be the mini the new IOS is also a consideration not exactly all warm and fuzzy over it


----------



## MsScarlett

I preferred my iPad mini to my previous Fire HD. But I am reeaally loving the HDX!! (It came this afternoon!) It is lighter and "zippier". That's just my initial thought, I haven't thoroughly explored everything. My two previous Fires always seemed a tad "clunky", but this one does not seem so at all. 

I do love love love my mini though, so like it has been said it comes down to what you're looking for. I will say KFire wins for video quality, hands down. The new minis may have Retina but I also worry that will make it heavier and decrease battery life, the lightness and long battery being a huge reason why I love my current mini.


----------



## mistyd107

MsScarlett said:


> I preferred my iPad mini to my previous Fire HD. But I am reeaally loving the HDX!! (It came this afternoon!) It is lighter and "zippier". That's just my initial thought, I haven't thoroughly explored everything. My two previous Fires always seemed a tad "clunky", but this one does not seem so at all.
> 
> I do love love love my mini though, so like it has been said it comes down to what you're looking for. I will say KFire wins for video quality, hands down. The new minis may have Retina but I also worry that will make it heavier and decrease battery life, the lightness and long battery being a huge reason why I love my current mini.


battery and weight are huge for me I only have good use of 1 hand so if the mini is much heavier it will not be an option


----------



## MsScarlett

mistyd107 said:


> battery and weight are huge for me I only have good use of 1 hand so if the mini is much heavier it will not be an option


The current mini is super light and I an use it one handed a lot. The new HDX is really light, too (lighter than the previous HD). I think they are almost the same weight now. I'll have to wait and see how battery life compares on the new HDX.


----------



## Jane917

My HDX shipped the 17th. Date of delivery is estimated the 21st. With Prime 2 day delivery, I am really hoping it will arrive tomorrow. BUT, UPS doesn't deliver on Saturday, so I guess I am not going to see it until Monday. It seems to be stuck in Indiana, and I am in WA.


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Patricia said:


> Out for Delivery...Feels like Christmas morning!  I will be interested in hearing cover reviews when they start arriving.


Got the shipping notice on mine -- due Monday.



Jane917 said:


> I have been reading in the reviews that the 7" HDX 16g might not be have enough storage to download some Prime movies. If so, I may want to return my 16g within the first 30 days and exchange it for the 32g. Has anyone lucky enough to play around with the HDX 16g had any problem steaming/downloading movies? Mine is not due in my hands until Monday.


I have. Streaming worked great. And I was able to download a 1 hour TV show. I used the best possible resolution -- so it took kind of a while -- 20 minutes maybe, but then I could watch it while not connected wirelessly. I would not be able to store many at that resolution at all.

Note that Prime movies that you download are limited -- they'll only sit there for a couple of days and then they'll disappear. And you can only d/l 25 at a time. And I think you can only have a given Prime video on, at most, 2 devices at a time. So it's kind of like when you rent them -- but it's sort of free.


----------



## KindleGirl

*Doing the happy dance* My HDX is out for delivery!! I fully expected since it was coming via smartpost that it would still be sitting in the hub in MI all weekend, but I just checked and it made it back to IN last night and the postal service has it on the truck!!  Now I have to go finish cleaning my house so I have time to play!


----------



## Jane917

KindleGirl said:


> *Doing the happy dance* My HDX is out for delivery!! I fully expected since it was coming via smartpost that it would still be sitting in the hub in MI all weekend, but I just checked and it made it back to IN last night and the postal service has it on the truck!! Now I have to go finish cleaning my house so I have time to play!


My HDX left the Spokane (2.5 hours away) sorting facility at 11PM last night. I suppose it will sit in my local USPS all weekend. It still has a delivery date of Monday.

Has anyone had a delivery earlier than is posted on the Amazon site tracking?


----------



## KindleGirl

Jane917 said:


> My HDX left the Spokane (2.5 hours away) sorting facility at 11PM last night. I suppose it will sit in my local USPS all weekend. It still has a delivery date of Monday.
> 
> Has anyone had a delivery earlier than is posted on the Amazon site tracking?


Amazon still had the delivery date as the 22nd for me, but it did arrive today!!


----------



## Sherlock

Has anyone experienced a purple border or "fringe" around the screen when reading on the hdx?  Some reviews at Amazon mentioned it as a problem.  Curious to hear from kboard members since I know the opinions are more reliable.


----------



## Jane917

KindleGirl said:


> Amazon still had the delivery date as the 22nd for me, but it did arrive today!!


Lucky you! Amazon still has the 21st as my delivery date, but it did not come in today's mail.


----------



## Patricia

Sherlock said:


> Has anyone experienced a purple border or "fringe" around the screen when reading on the hdx? Some reviews at Amazon mentioned it as a problem. Curious to hear from kboard members since I know the opinions are more reliable.


I read that too, and hadn't noticed it until it was pointed out to me by those reviews on Amazon. I see that I have it very slightly. I don't know if I would have ever seen it or been bothered by it otherwise. I was curious, also, if anyone here had noticed it.


----------



## Ann in Arlington

I mentioned it in my ongoing review here...I hadn't noticed it myself until I put the light up very bright. I think it's a sort of optical illusion...like seeing dark spots at the corners of a field of white squares.


----------



## Sherlock

Thanks, Ann.  Never occurred to me to check the review section.  Senior moment...


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

KindleGirl said:


> Amazon still had the delivery date as the 22nd for me, but it did arrive today!!


Yay, KindleGirl!

Betsy


----------



## LauraElizabeth

So much for shipping early---mine did not even arrive on time! It took two days to get from amazon to ups. It is at least in my state now so hopefully it will come tomorrow. I guess I needed another patience lesson


----------



## MsScarlett

Sherlock said:


> Has anyone experienced a purple border or "fringe" around the screen when reading on the hdx? Some reviews at Amazon mentioned it as a problem. Curious to hear from kboard members since I know the opinions are more reliable.


I am noticing it on mine. On pretty much everything else, the screen is gorgeous. But when the screen is white, I have a purple cast around the edge of the screen. I am hoping I can get used to it and it won't be too distracting. From what I have read, people are getting mixed responses as to whether this is normal or not.


----------



## mistyd107

one last question don you still have the capability to change the color of the back ground in the reading app


----------



## KindleGirl

mistyd107 said:


> one last question don you still have the capability to change the color of the back ground in the reading app


I'm not sure which app you mean, but I am currently using the Overdrive app to read a library book and it does have the capabilities to change the background color. Of course reading a kindle book has the capability as well.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

KindleGirl said:


> I'm not sure which app you mean, but I am currently using the Overdrive app to read a library book and it does have the capabilities to change the background color. Of course reading a kindle book has the capability as well.


My guess is that mistyd is asking about the Kindle reading app. I wouldn't expect that that capability woulld have changed.

Betsy


----------



## Ann in Arlington

When reading kindle books on the HDX you definitely have the choice of sepia, white on black, or black on white.


----------



## Jane917

My 7" HDX is due to arrive at my house in a few hours! My original Fire has already been sent in for trade-in. I have been checking my Fire Apps in My Kindle Library. Will they automatically download to the new Fire when I turn on wifi? I do not see an option to Download to FireDHX. I am assuming some won't be compatible to the new Fire.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Jane917 said:


> My 7" HDX is due to arrive at my house in a few hours! My original Fire has already been sent in for trade-in. I have been checking my Fire Apps in My Kindle Library. Will they automatically download to the new Fire when I turn on wifi? I do not see an option to Download to FireDHX. I am assuming some won't be compatible to the new Fire.


Yay, Jane!

Apps you own will not automatically download to the new Fire. I think Ann has only found one so far that didn't work?

Betsy


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Yay, Jane!
> 
> Apps you own will not automatically download to the new Fire. I think Ann has only found one so far that didn't work?
> 
> Betsy


Did I? I don't remember. FWIW, a few that were a bit laggy on both the HD7 and the HD8.9 work zippily on the HDX. 

When you get the HDX you'll see all the apps you already own in the Cloud on the Fire. It's easiest to download from there. Just tap the ones you want -- don't have to wait for it to happen either, before downloading the next.

Once you've set up the HDX and connected to Amazon, that is. You won't see your new Fire listed as an available device, either, when you go to Amazon Appstore on your computer, until you've done that.

One other thing -- if you've put notes into a notetaking app, those notes will not, most likely, be archived with the app, and will not download when you put it on your new Fire. When you delete the app from a device, you'll probably lose them unless it's an app that has some sort of archiving capability separately.


----------



## mistyd107

Betsy the Quilter said:


> My guess is that mistyd is asking about the Kindle reading app. I wouldn't expect that that capability woulld have changed.
> 
> Betsy


yes i was thanks Betsy was in a hurry and didn't think to clarify sorry


----------



## mistyd107

Ann in Arlington said:


> When reading kindle books on the HDX you definitely have the choice of sepia, white on black, or black on white.


thanks Ann


----------



## Jane917

My FireHDX has arrived! I am currently downloading apps I want from the Cloud. The no-frustration packaging was anything except non-frustrating, but I finally got it out!


----------



## LauraElizabeth

I love my new Fire HDX! It finally arrived Monday night around 6:00pm. Sadly we have few internet choices here and we are limited on our bandwidth each day. One hour after it arrived, our allowance ran out. Oh the torture! Having it sit there and not be able to play. I ended up getting up at 3am to finish setting up my HDX and my old Fire for my husband (we have unlimited bandwidth from 2am to 7am)

~Even though several things were in different places from my old Fire, it seemed very easy to get around and learn the locations of things.
~I love that the Home button is visible all the time and I use the horizontal orientation most of the time and think it is great having Home, etc. on the side.
~I like the location of the power button. 
~I love having exterior volume control buttons! 
~So far I really like the email app. On my original Fire I never liked the way it worked and ended up just checking my gmail on the web from my Fire.
~I like the Origami case....sometimes I still fold it the wrong way but when I get it right I really like it.

I have not listened to music, read a book, or watched a movie yet. I did get some books and a tv show downloaded in the free time earlier so will try those out today. I might drive 30 miles to a free wi-fi place and download some music.

So far I am very pleased.


----------



## LaraAmber

Wait you already have the origami case?  How come I have to wait until November for mine?


----------



## LauraElizabeth

LaraAmber said:


> Wait you already have the origami case? How come I have to wait until November for mine?


Is the one you ordered the leather or the other one? I ordered the leather one on September 25th.


----------



## Ann in Arlington

I ordered the leather when I ordered my HDX. . . it wasn't due until mid November, but I got notice last week that it'd ship early and it arrived yesterday.  It's a very elegant design.  Basically holds the device magnetically.  Works well, I think.  And the color is a nice rich burgundy shade.


----------



## LaraAmber

It looks like it depends on the color one orders.  Red is shown as in stock, Blue lists Nov 19th, and Black on Nov 1st.


----------



## LauraElizabeth

Ann in Arlington said:


> I ordered the leather when I ordered my HDX. . . it wasn't due until mid November, but I got notice last week that it'd ship early and it arrived yesterday. It's a very elegant design. Basically holds the device magnetically. Works well, I think. And the color is a nice rich burgundy shade.


Hmm maybe it is the color that makes the difference then. I ordered boring black and the original due date was September 25th.


----------



## Toby

Does anyone here that got their HDX, wish that they got the cell & wifi version instead of wifi only?


----------



## LauraElizabeth

Ooo just trying out the music on the HDX and the xray lyric thing is so neat....like mini karaoke. Did they have that on the HD?


----------



## Seamonkey

Ann, is that the red?? It is burgundy? Hmm, I may have to re-think the red one I ordered if that is the case.



Ann in Arlington said:


> I ordered the leather when I ordered my HDX. . . it wasn't due until mid November, but I got notice last week that it'd ship early and it arrived yesterday. It's a very elegant design. Basically holds the device magnetically. Works well, I think. And the color is a nice rich burgundy shade.


----------



## LauraElizabeth

More things I like better on the HDX vs. my old Fire

~I love how the charger folds up.
~I like the way the book covers appear on the hdx. Bigger, crisper?
~I like how clicking on the Facebook app does not just take you to the web
~I like the way you grab the notifications down from the top
~I like how you have the option of having battery % displayed at the top
~I like how when you buy/download an app the automatically put it on the home page (use to be called favorites)
~I like that there is a designated comma key on the first level of the keyboard


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## Ann in Arlington

Seamonkey said:


> Ann, is that the red?? It is burgundy? Hmm, I may have to re-think the red one I ordered if that is the case.


It is a deeper, darker red than it appears on the site -- at least on my monitors. Not orange-y at all or pinkish. Very like the red color of the old Keyboard kindle case. But not as winy as the basic kindle cover. But it's also not red like a coca cola can is red.


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## MsScarlett

Re:  "purple fringe"...if you look on the product page where is says "We want you to know" and click "learn more", there is a note about the blue (purple) border and why it is normal for the device.  Interesting.  They must be getting a LOT of feedback on this.


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## Ann in Arlington

MsScarlett said:


> Re: "purple fringe"...if you look on the product page where is says "We want you to know" and click "learn more", there is a note about the blue (purple) border and why it is normal for the device. Interesting. They must be getting a LOT of feedback on this.


And I didn't even notice it until someone mentioned it and I went looking. Even now I only am aware of it if I have a really bright white page. When reading I use sepia and it's completely invisible that way. Most of the games I play have darker color backgrounds so it's not noticeable there either.


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## Betsy the Quilter

LauraElizabeth said:


> Ooo just trying out the music on the HDX and the xray lyric thing is so neat....like mini karaoke. Did they have that on the HD?


No, that was announced new as of the HDX.

Betsy


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## maries

Toby said:


> Does anyone here that got their HDX, wish that they got the cell & wifi version instead of wifi only?


I haven't ordered the HDX but felt that way after getting the 8.9" HD. So I know I want one tablet that has both cell & wifi. I'm waiting for more reviews to come in but leaning toward the 64gb 8.9 HDX.


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## Toby

Thanks Maries.


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## Toby

A little while ago, I cancelled my HDX 8.9" & Origami Cover & ordered the HDX 7" & Origami Cover. The Fire is supposed to arrive this Sat. & the cover, mid November.   On the new iPads that were just announced, T-Mobile has FREE Data for 200 MB. I just wish that amazon had this deal with T-Mobile. If they did, I would get the cell & wifi HDX.


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## mistyd107

Strange ? An I apologize but some aspects of technology I'm clueless about. Is a screen with retina display that much better than the one on hdx?


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## Betsy the Quilter

They should be just about identical as far as resolution:

Here are the specs of each from the CNET website
Display 
iPad Mini 7.9-inch IPS, 2,048x1,536 pixels (324ppi) 
Fire HDX 7-inch IPS,1,920x1,200 pixels (323ppi)

Betsy


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## HappyGuy

I wonder if there is a resolution past which the eye can't detect any improvement?


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## Betsy the Quilter

HappyGuy said:


> I wonder if there is a resolution past which the eye can't detect any improvement?


There is for my eyes.


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## Toby

I got my Fire a day early! It arrived while I was out of town. I checked a few times until I saw that it was delivered. OMG! The colors are saturated. It's so beautiful. Book covers look like art. The only thing that I was a bit disappointed with when I took it out of the box, was what looked like a tiny scratch under the glass covering the bezel. Not a big deal. I don't even see it now. I have not gone back a third time to check my email, but I find the font is too small, especially when replying to a message. I did make the font larger. I may have to press that Mayday button.


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## Toby

OMG! I downloaded 1 of my music albums. Played a song while eating an apple, so was only listening, not looking at the screen. I looked down & almost shouted with glee when I saw the words to the song/lyrics scrolling. I forgot about that. It's so cool. Makes it easier to sing to, if I see the words. 

The sound seems not as loud as the 7" HD, but I haven't compared them yet to be sure.


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## Ann in Arlington

Toby said:


> I got my Fire a day early! It arrived while I was out of town. I checked a few times until I saw that it was delivered. OMG! The colors are saturated. It's so beautiful. Book covers look like art. The only thing that I was a bit disappointed with when I took it out of the box, was what looked like a tiny scratch under the glass covering the bezel. Not a big deal. I don't even see it now. I have not gone back a third time to check my email, but I find the font is too small, especially when replying to a message. I did make the font larger. I may have to press that Mayday button.


In the email app, tap the three line menu icon at the upper left. Scroll down and tap settings. Tap Email General Settings. You can change the default message text size there, as well as some other things.


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## Toby

Thanks ! I did do that, but it's hit & miss when reading my posts. When I post, I can not make the fonts larger while I am typing on the keyboard. When I have time, that's what I will ask Mayday. What I love is the words that show up underneath, so I can click on those. Makes typing faster.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Toby said:


> Thanks ! I did do that, but it's hit & miss when reading my posts. When I post, I can not make the fonts larger while I am typing on the keyboard. When I have time, that's what I will ask Siri. What I love is the words that show up underneath, so I can click on those. Makes typing faster.


Toby,

I'm not clear--are you checking your email through the browser--which is what it sounds like, or using the email app on the Fire?

Betsy


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## Toby

I added my email accounts on the provided Fire mail app. On some email, but all, the size of the font is too tiny to read unless I enlargen the font with my fingers spreading apart to zoom out. When I type a post, The font is too little. I can not zoom out to see what I am typing easier. This was the problem I had on the original Fire. I just want my mail to compare equally to the iPad. Thicker, larger fonts- words to read. Most of my email on the iPad comes in larger, with occasionaly some  ome in tiny. I can also make the text/font larger by using my fingers to zoom out, while typing a post.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Toby,

did you go into the email settings and change the font size?  You don't have to do it by spreading your fingers.

Swipe down from the top > Settings > Applications > Email, Contacts, Calendars > Email General Settings

pick the size font you want to use.

Betsy


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## Toby

Already did that on day 1 of getting HDX. Thanks, I appreciate your help.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Toby said:


> Already did that on day 1 of getting HDX. Thanks, I appreciate your help.


I played with this some to test. And apparently, changing the font size as I've described below only works with "plain text" type emails, like you would send to your friends. HTML based emails, like those you get from say, Amazon, that have clickable images in them and other "stuff" aren't affected, presumably because the HTML overrides the email settings. So those, you would have to pinch. Here's what plain text looks like on the largest setting:










but none of my HTML-based emails are affected.

Betsy


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## Toby

Thanks for the info.! I did not know that. However, I thought that I was able to make my font size larger on my email on my iPad. Maybe it's plain text that is larger, then. Don't know, but thanks for the pic so I could see what you meant. Then again, I wonder if it affects android devices more, since the Fire is part Android part amazon. I can make the screen larger when I am typing on the iPad by zooming out with my fingers, but not on my HDX. I am now wondering if that is another defect on my device, along with the sound issue that I have. That did not occur to me until now, as Mayday never said that was a problem with my device. I am getting a replacement, so I will check that out on the new one.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Sorry for the confusion...I was taking about reading the emails, not typing them.  I can't make it larger while typing, either.  I don't believe it's available on the Fire, can't speak for all Androids.  Didn't know you could do that on the iPad, by the way....

Sent from my Fire HDX7


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## Toby

In reading email, I do find the font size too tiny, but I can make it larger by using my fingers. 
In typing a post to send in an email, the font size is too tiny & I can not use my fingers to make the font larger or rather to make the page larger while typing so I can see better. I can do this on my ipad for my typing a post to send as an email. I can do this on the older Fire HD, but for the posts here at KBoards. I don't have my email on the Fire HD, so I can not test this out for the email posting part. In case I am still confusing you, I can use my fingers on the screen of the post to make the words larger in order to see the font size bigger, which makes seeing what I post easier to see.


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## maries

Toby said:


> In reading email, I do find the font size too tiny, but I can make it larger by using my fingers.
> In typing a post to send in an email, the font size is too tiny & I can not use my fingers to make the font larger or rather to make the page larger while typing so I can see better. I can do this on my ipad for my typing a post to send as an email. I can do this on the older Fire HD, but for the posts here at KBoards. I don't have my email on the Fire HD, so I can not test this out for the email posting part. In case I am still confusing you, I can use my fingers on the screen of the post to make the words larger in order to see the font size bigger, which makes seeing what I post easier to see.


Is there an app for your email rather than setting it up directly through the HDX? I have Yahoo Mail and am using the Yahoo app on the HD. I am planning on ordering my HDX this weekend but I am ordering the one that is cell capable. AT&T has a new plan (I'm not sure if it is out yet or just coming soon) where you can buy 1GB of data for $25 that you need to use over 3 months. When I first questioned the AT&T rep about it, she was clueless but when I sent her the internet info and she looked into it, she verified that this was correct.


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## Ann in Arlington

There's an email app built in.  Works very well as far as I am concerned.  Can set up any number of accounts.  The popular providers are very quick since the info about ports and servers is already there. If you have a less common one you have to set it up yourself.  Comcast, Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail all were very quick to do.  Our personal domain, vonhagel, needed additional information. I would expect Verizon would work well -- but I don't have them so can't say for sure.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Ann in Arlington said:


> There's an email app built in. Works very well as far as I am concerned. Can set up any number of accounts. The popular providers are very quick since the info about ports and servers is already there. If you have a less common one you have to set it up yourself. Comcast, Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail all were very quick to do. Our personal domain, vonhagel, needed additional information. I would expect Verizon would work well -- but I don't have them so can't say for sure.


Verizon works well; it's what I use. I did need to get the port configuration as Verizon has recently changed the ports required and that information wasn't correct in the default.

Even if one is currently using a web-based email such as Yahoo or Earthlink or Peoplepc, the server information is generally available from one's service provider to input into the native email app for the Fire. The app can handle either IMAP or POP emails. Your service provider will tell you which type of email system you are using.

Betsy


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## Toby

My 7" HDX 4G is shipping early. It's arrival states 11/30 instead of 12/4, & it's shipping now! Whoppie! I'm so excited.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Yay, Toby!!!  I got a notice one of my Christmas presents is shipping early, too!  Looks like Amazon got the Saturday delivery set up....

Betsy


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## Toby

Yay, Betsy! I'm happy for you too. Best to get those presents home as soon as possible.


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## Betsy the Quilter

I would have been OK with next week.  I have 14 coming over on Saturday for a late T'Giving dinner...and don't really want one of the guests to see the present arriving.  Oh, well....

Betsy


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## Toby

That would be so hard for me to keep it a secret. I've already told my father that I was getting him the HDX 7". You could lie & say it's for you, or it's a present, but not say who it's for. Of course, you could hand it over. Make them promise not to open yet. 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Sounds like you will have great time. I'll get to see both my nephews, so I'm psyched.


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## Toby

Just spotted an amazon email. My Fire is now coming on Friday! Yippeeeee!


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## Seamonkey

Hopefully they will send out the 7 inchers and then get the 8.9" out faster.. mine still just says Dec 10..


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## Toby

Yes, that would be great. Most likely you will get an email saying that shipping is sooner.


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## geniebeanie

So happy for you, I plan on upgrading nut not until next year.  I have to pay off my new laptop and desktop 
first.Is it better than the HD?


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## Toby

My 4G HDX arrived today! I could not turn on the Fire, when I pressed the power button. I plugged it in to charge. It worked. I charged up to 100%. I noticed that while it was charging that it said Invalid SIM at the top of screen. Oh, no, problem #1. I tapped on Mayday. Josh was very confused about getting the basic info. He asked me few times about where I bought the Fire & when it arrived. He told me that I got that message because I had not signed up for a data plan yet. Then, he showed me how to find the data plan. He said he knows nothing about the cell, only about the device. I asked him what does a preplan AT&T mean? He couldn ot help me. Call AT&T or go there. I told him that I don't want to call, because I have read that cell people only seem to know a out cell phones, but not get the correct info. about tablets. I can not go to the cell store either. Anyway, I checked it again, pressed on off to not have the device to automatically connect to 4G, if not connected to wifi. I still have not signed the data plan. Does anyone know what preplan means? Next thing I notice is that the Invalid SIM is gone. Okay, problem #2. My wifi works fine, but I can not download a book. I have already restarted/rebooted the device many times so far. On the books & 2 audiobooks, it says Quequed. I tried a book that is not on many devices in case it's the license, but the 2 audiobooks should download. Yes, I deleted one of the audiobooks & trying again. Unless someone can help, it's Mayday again. Ugggggh!!

Yes, the HDX, when it is working, is better than the HD. My wifi only HDX is working great. Not to say that the HD is not good. It still is. There is a big leap in improvement between the 2 devices, like the Original Fire & the HD. I think the battery life is better on the HD, than the HDX, although a lot of things can affect battery life.


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## skyblue

Toby said:


> My 4G HDX arrived today! I could not turn on the Fire, when I pressed the power button. I plugged it in to charge. It worked. I charged up to 100%. I noticed that while it was charging that it said Invalid SIM at the top of screen. Oh, no, problem #1. I tapped on Mayday. Josh was very confused about getting the basic info. He asked me few times about where I bought the Fire & when it arrived. He told me that I got that message because I had not signed up for a data plan yet. Then, he showed me how to find the data plan. He said he knows nothing about the cell, only about the device. I asked him what does a preplan AT&T mean? He couldn ot help me. Call AT&T or go there. I told him that I don't want to call, because I have read that cell people only seem to know a out cell phones, but not get the correct info. about tablets. I can not go to the cell store either. Anyway, I checked it again, pressed on off to not have the device to automatically connect to 4G, if not connected to wifi. I still have not signed the data plan. Does anyone know what preplan means? Next thing I notice is that the Invalid SIM is gone. Okay, problem #2. My wifi works fine, but I can not download a book. I have already restarted/rebooted the device many times so far. On the books & 2 audiobooks, it says Quequed. I tried a book that is not on many devices in case it's the license, but the 2 audiobooks should download. Yes, I deleted one of the audiobooks & trying again. Unless someone can help, it's Mayday again. Ugggggh!!
> 
> Yes, the HDX, when it is working, is better than the HD. My wifi only HDX is working great. Not to say that the HD is not good. It still is. There is a big leap in improvement between the 2 devices, like the Original Fire & the HD. I think the battery life is better on the HD, than the HDX, although a lot of things can affect battery life.


Wow, so much for the Mayday help button! Where's Amy from the tv ads when you need her? What's the point of having this feature if they can't answer connectivity questions? .

I hope you get some answers to resolve your issues soon!


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## Betsy the Quilter

Toby said:


> My 4G HDX arrived today! I could not turn on the Fire, when I pressed the power button. I plugged it in to charge. It worked. I charged up to 100%. I noticed that while it was charging that it said Invalid SIM at the top of screen. Oh, no, problem #1. I tapped on Mayday. Josh was very confused about getting the basic info. He asked me few times about where I bought the Fire & when it arrived. He told me that I got that message because I had not signed up for a data plan yet. Then, he showed me how to find the data plan. He said he knows nothing about the cell, only about the device. I asked him what does a preplan AT&T mean? He couldn ot help me. Call AT&T or go there. I told him that I don't want to call, because I have read that cell people only seem to know a out cell phones, but not get the correct info. about tablets. I can not go to the cell store either. Anyway, I checked it again, pressed on off to not have the device to automatically connect to 4G, if not connected to wifi. I still have not signed the data plan. Does anyone know what preplan means? Next thing I notice is that the Invalid SIM is gone. Okay, problem #2. My wifi works fine, but I can not download a book. I have already restarted/rebooted the device many times so far. On the books & 2 audiobooks, it says Quequed. I tried a book that is not on many devices in case it's the license, but the 2 audiobooks should download. Yes, I deleted one of the audiobooks & trying again. Unless someone can help, it's Mayday again. Ugggggh!!
> 
> Yes, the HDX, when it is working, is better than the HD. My wifi only HDX is working great. Not to say that the HD is not good. It still is. There is a big leap in improvement between the 2 devices, like the Original Fire & the HD. I think the battery life is better on the HD, than the HDX, although a lot of things can affect battery life.


Is your device registered? As you stepped through the setup when you first turned it on, it should have verified your registration and asked if you were you.

If it did that and it is registered, you might want to try deregistering it and re-registering it.

If it is not registered to you, you'll need to register it.

Swipe down > Settings > My Account. It should tell you it's registered. If not, register it.

I would try deregistering it and re-registering...

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter

skyblue said:


> Wow, so much for the Mayday help button! Where's Amy from the tv ads when you need her? What's the point of having this feature if they can't answer connectivity questions? .


As near as I can tell, the Mayday people are specifically trained for the device; they are not the same as general Kindle CS...

And the data plan is handled through the specific provider--either Verizon or AT&T.

Here's the link for the AT&T data plans.

http://www.att.com/att/planner/index.html#fbid=5-9-blQd4p0

Betsy


----------



## Toby

Thanks for your help. Yes, the device is registered to me. I was hoping that after awhile that the books would work like "Invalid SIM" dissapearing, but they didn't. 1 book even dissapeared from the carosal sp?, when I checked later, but was there in my book's Tab. I'll try deregistering & registering.

Thanks for the link to AT&T!

As for the Data info., I decided to ask Josh what "prepaid" was, as I always forget this stuff. I know that they are not the cell companies, but since they are selling a device with 4G, I had hoped that they were trained to answer the basic questions of Data info. since I had spotted this while talking to him. I have to say that Josh was very nice & tried to be very helpful, even if he did not resolve my original problem.


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## Toby

It didn't work.  The Fire feels hot as well. I think it's a defective unit. Time for bed. I'll deal with Mayday tomorrow or rather today. Most likely, I'll have to call the kindle CS for a replacement.


----------



## Seamonkey

I'm sorry you are having problems, Toby.

I had the wifi only for awhile but never really bonded with it.  It did seem a bit warm, but okay and of course there was no 4G to deal with.  

I also would think the Mayday people would be more specialized than it sounds like they are, but they seem a bit more there to explain what works rather than to troubleshoot what doesn't work.. same as many of the regular CSRs..  I know when I had my 4G HD deregistered and then re-registered it was quite a problem getting things to load and it took two of the more technical CS people to help get things going, but they did.

I hope they can help you, or at least get a replacement out to you soon.


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## Toby

Thanks for the support Seamonkey. Today, I turned it on & tested 2 book. They worked. The Fire felt warm for just a few minutes of testing. No time yet to check now. I have it charging again as the battery went down from around 70% to 50% overnight.


----------

