# Considering Kindle Fire for a trip to Ireland. Good choice?



## KT Wagner (Dec 21, 2013)

I'm headed to the UK in 2014 and I'm considering buying a Kindle Fire to take with me, both for the e-reader and to access the internet to send email, check social media etc.

My first thought is - can I recharge it easily in the UK?  I'm in Canada.

Drawbacks, advantages?  

Thanks!

KT


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

To recharge it you just need to get a plug that has the proper prongs for the UK.  You should be good to go . . . Might even be able to use it to check email  -- wifi has gotten pretty ubiquitous, as I understand it.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I just got back from a trip to Ireland. Didn't have my Fire with me at the time, but I did have my iPad and my Android phone.  You just need an adapter (not a converter) to fit the outlets that the UK has (Ireland uses the same type of outlets, not surprisingly--they didn't rewire the whole country when they gained independence).  The adapters are pretty common.  If you leave yours at a hotel like I did, they're easy enough to come by most places.  The airports on either end will certainly have them.

I didn't find WiFi in Ireland quite as ubiquitous as I thought it would be, but it was pretty common.  Often it's not free.  There are services that you can subscribe to that many places like bookstores, coffee shops, etc, use as their service provider.

I think the Fire would be a fine device to allow you to access the Internet, send email and check social media.  I also brought a lightweight bluetooth keyboard.

Betsy


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

A trip to Ireland is always a good choice.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I agree.










Betsy


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## 68564 (Mar 17, 2013)

Beautiful picture!!!

So I have yet to travel overseas but why would you only need an adapter and not a converter?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

VydorScope said:


> Beautiful picture!!!
> 
> So I have yet to travel overseas but why would you only need an adapter and not a converter?


Because most modern electronics is built to function properly on either 110 or 220V. So it doesn't care about the input -- you just need to have the proper prongs to plug it in.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

It's been forty years since I've been there, but I remember it was one of the best places we visited.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

VydorScope said:


> Beautiful picture!!!
> 
> So I have yet to travel overseas but why would you only need an adapter and not a converter?


What Ann said. And not only do you not need a converter, you definitely don't want to use a converter if you have a device that will adjust the voltage. The device probably won't work properly--ask me how I know.  OK, I'll tell you! Quite awhile ago, the first time I brought chargable devices to England (my DSLR camera), I plugged the battery charger into the converter that I had used for electric devices on prior trips. Batteries would not charge. So I read up on it and realized that my chargers didn't need the converter--they charged fine with just an adapter.

Loved Ireland.

Betsy


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I agree with all the information that you receive so far, the Fire will be good for the purpose you describe, and you be able to use it with a adapter for the power plug.

I'd suggest considering a couple of other things though. First, once you're through with the trip and back home what kind of device will be most useful to you? Will The Fire be a good choice for long-term use?

Also I'd suggest another option. An iPod touch might be a good choice. It is smaller and easier to carry with you than the Fire. In particular it's easier to carry around while playing tourist at your destination. For a female who can carry fire inside her purse this may not be as big a deal as for a male. Smaller device also attracts less attention when using it. There are some useful apps available for the iPod that I don't think are available for the Fire. When I went to Rome this fall I had a iPod app that would use Wi-Fi to determine my position and was quite accurate. It would show me a map that I could use to navigate around Rome like a GPS. But I didn't have to carry the GPS, and it wasn't as vulnerable to needing to see the sky and satellites as a GPS. You have to check if such apps were available for Dublin or other big cities that you visit in Ireland. You can carry around guidebooks on an iPod or a Fire, there a guide apps available for the iPod and probably for the Fire. The easiest way to send photos from overseas and post them on email or on Facebook is to take them with the camera in your device, and the iPod has a rear facing camera while the 7 inch Kindle fire does not. This avoids the hassle transferring photos from the camera to your tablet.

Disadvantages of the iPod include that the screen is smaller and less suitable if you want to watch video on the plane. I do find this is a good way to pass the time on an airplane although having the seatback entertainment units in more more airlines Makes your video device less important than it used to be. And even for browsing the Internet or for posting on social sites the larger screen of the Kindle will be an advantage. This goes double as a reader.

I think either the Kindle or the iPod would be great to take with you, it's just a matter of choosing which you think is best for your purposes both on the trip and afterwards.  Have a great trip to Ireland!


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## KT Wagner (Dec 21, 2013)

Thanks so much for all the helpful advice!  I got a Fire for Christmas so my choice has been made for me. lol.  

Thanks again!

KT


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