# Special Offer on Fire



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

It showed up on my lock screen: a USB adapter so you can connect your camera (and maybe other stuff?) to your Fire.  $7.99; you get an email with a credit applied to your account that you have until March 23 to use.

The email says you have to buy the USB adapter from your Fire tablet using the Amazon app on your Fire tablet by 11:59pm PT on March 23.  Your discount will be reflected on your order confirmation.

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Wasn't on my 7" Fire but it was on the 8.9" one. 

I ordered the coupon.   Have t research a bit more and see if I feel like I need the device. . . . .


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

I don't have a Fire with Special Offers & I wouldn't expect any discount - but could someone post a link to the device, just so I could check out what it does & how?  Thanks!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

If you're a prime member and switch to no-rush shipping, you get a $1 credit toward ebooks.


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

Thanks, Ann  
It looks like it a type of OTB connector - I'll try the one I use for my non-Fire Android tablets & see if that works; if not then I might give this a try.

I am enjoying those $1 credits when I order something that I don't really need right away. It's cutting the price in half for some TV shows I've wanted to see that aren't available through Prime.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Important to know with this offer is that you have to accept it from your Fire. You don't need to order it right away, but when you do buy it you must do so from the Fire.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Important to know with this offer is that you have to accept it from your Fire. You don't need to order it right away, but when you do buy it you must do so from the Fire.


Using the app on your Fire, apparently ordering using the browser doesn't cut it.

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Using the app on your Fire, apparently ordering using the browser doesn't cut it.
> 
> Betsy


Right . . . . you have to go through the shopping basket app.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

As I said in the first post.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Also, as I understand it, it only works with the fourth generation and newer Fire, not older model.

I didn't know this was out there, thanks, especially at the discount.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Also, as I understand it, it only works with the fourth generation and newer Fire, not older model.
> 
> I didn't know this was out there, thanks, especially at the discount.


Thanks, Ann and Claw. For following up, I'm in the middle of Valentine's dinner....


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## Dragle (Dec 10, 2011)

I have a Fire with special offers, but that wasn't on my lock screen.  Does anyone know how to get all the available special offers to come up so I can see them?

Edit: Well as usual, right after I posted the question, I managed to find it.  On the home screen, scroll the menu at the top horizontally and it's the last item on the right, called "Offers".


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

I think the "4th" generation are the HD*X* Fires?
I recommended a Fire to a friend & touted the HDMI out to big screen TVs; she bought an *X* and then we found out that HDMI out only worked with the HD Fires, not the Xs - those are Miracast? 
So if this device works with Xs, it *won't work work with the HD*s. But I did find this device that I think should work with the *HD*s ($15.99):


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Carol, 

I'm a bit confused; the SO I posted about is to connect USB devices such as keyboards and digital cameras to the Fire...

For HD devices, to output to TV, all you need is a mini, or micro HDMI to HDMI.  I had one at one time.

Betsy


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

Sorry to confuse things, Besty.
I was just trying to clarify, based on some of the complaints I saw for the SO device - that it is for the HDX Fires and it won't work for the HD Fires.
The HD Fires will require a different type of connector.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Right, just not sure there is an alternative to the USB adaptor for devices earlier than the HDXs--I don't think the OS accommodates those kinds of connections.

The output to TV is a separate issue and is not related to the connector in the SO.

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I think apples and oranges are both under discussion here.

The SO Betsy saw is for connecting a USB device to your 4th gen Fire. It's very possible that ONLY means the ones that were new as of last fall, 2014.  I bought mine in 2013 or early 2014 so it's possible it won't even work with it. If that's the case I'll either return it, re-sell it, or hang on to it until I upgrade my technology.  (Though I confess to some annoyance that it showed up on my device if it won't work with it -- I never saw it on my HDX7 at all.)

What CeqAbq commented on is an HDMI adpater which is a completely different animal. It WILL work on a Fire that has an HDMI out port.  2011 and 2012 Fires did -- First and 2nd Generation. 2013 Fires have wireless screen sharing -- miracast only. I think the ones new in fall of 2014, though have an HDMI port again -- which does NOT include the one called "Kindle Fire HDX". That's last year's model still, I believe. But the newest 8.9" one should have it.

So, to summarize:

The special offer USB adapter will likely only work with the current models called Fire HDX 8.9 Fire HD 7 and Fire HD6

The HDMI cable will work with those current models, but not the one called KINDLE Fire HDX 7, nor last years Kindle Fire HDX 8.9, but should work with older models. The reason it won't work with the 2013 models is that those don't even have HDMI ports.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

This is confusing! I have the original Fire HDX 7 and HDX 8.9, and this showed up on my 8.9, so I assumed I was good to go.  Also, at least one reviewer of this cable says that it works on his HD 6. Especially since I have a similar device for my iPad that has worked fine for several generations, so I assumed it wasn't especially high-tech.

But looking under settings and device options on my Fires, I see that both are third generation. So it shouldn't work on them after all! A pity, as I've gotten good use out of the similar cable for ipad backing up my photos on the iPad during overseas trips. I'm planning to just take my 7 inch Fire on a trip this spring that involves a lot of changing locations, and wanted to use this cable to back up my photos. RATS.

One reviewer reports that the cable works on his Android phone, so I haven't given up hope of using the cable that way. But if you don't have one of the newest Fires, you may want to reconsider ordering.

I'd been sensible and ignored the excellent offer of the latest 8.9 inch Fire a week or so ago. Darn being sensible!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I agree it's confusing, Claw . . . . .

I think both my Fires are technically _Kindle_ Fires and 3rd Generation.


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

Mea culpa times 100 - I did introduce some of the confusion & now realize my really bad mistake. I don't know where my mind was at the time. Please disregard my post about that other gadget completely! In fact - feel free to delete it if you can.

But there does still seem to be confusion as to exactly which models of Fires the advertised SO will work with. My original Fire does not have an HDMI port, so I won't even be trying to sort the issue out.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

CegAbq said:


> Mea culpa times 100 - I did introduce some of the confusion & now realize my really bad mistake. I don't know where my mind was at the time. Please disregard my post about that other gadget completely! In fact - feel free to delete it if you can.
> 
> But there does still seem to be confusion as to exactly which models of Fires the advertised SO will work with. My original Fire does not have an HDMI port, so I won't even be trying to sort the issue out.


Actually, I think Amazon introduced the confusion as their "frequently bought together" introduces the whole HDMI output thingy...

The connector being offered fits into the micro USB port on the Fire...so would fit into any of the Fires; the questions is what the hardware and software "innards" can handle...

I think I'll probably get it with the assumption that I'll get a newer Fire someday...and I do have an Android device. I have over a month to think about it!

Betsy


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

My Fire HD 7 has been acting flaky for the past month or so. When the Fire HDX 8.9 deal appeared I bought it as a replacement for home use. Since that came with the special offers, I decided to get this also. Of course, as soon as I ordered the HDX 8.9, I learned that it was two of my charging cables that were at fault.  But as soon as I had it in my hands, it was not going back!


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## Dragle (Dec 10, 2011)

Amazon probably should have renamed the model of Fire when they came out with the latest generation.  I guess they dropped the "Kindle" part of the name, but nobody was saying that anyway.  

So:

Original Fire couldn't connect to anything. At least that is easy to understand!

The 2nd generation that included the HD8.9 (no X) has both an HDMI port (can connect directly to the TV's HDMI) and a USB port that can't do anything but charge it.

The next bunch (3rd gen) lost the HDMI and so couldn't be plugged into the TV. Not sure what all they can do.

The ports on the latest generation (4th gen) is a "SlimPort enabled USB 2.0 (micro-B connector)" so this special offer adapter is made for that port. The description specifies it's for 4th generation.  You can also get other adapters for this including for HDMI if you want to plug it into the TV, but you should be sure to get one that has another micro-USB port in the adapter so you can plug in the USB charger while using it.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I've received my cables (I ordered two). I can't get them to transfer photos or show anything while hooking my camera to my Fire 7 or my Fire 8.9 (both third generation). Since Amazon describes these as working only on the fourth generation Fire, that's not surprising.

One reviewer of the cables claimed he was able to transfer photos to his phone, though he didn't specify the type of phone. I tried it with my Galaxy Note 3, which is a reasonably up to date, though not leading-edge phone and had no success.

Documentation with the cables is scanty. You receive a flimsy cardboard box that contains the cable, a small wrapper to keep the cable in a loop, and a slip of paper saying your cable has a 90 day limited warranty. I looked optimistically for a pop up message when I connected the cable to the camera, and didn't see one. I didn't really expect that to happen, but it would've been nice if it had! Something I had more hopes for was being able to find the camera files using a file explorer. I tried ES file explorer on the Fire tablets with no success. On my phone I tried ES file explorer and Astro file explorer. No dice either way. Both file managers showed external USB drives A through F. But ES file explorer refused to open them, and Astro file explorer showed them as empty. My memory is that those are there by default, I don't think I was actually seeing my camera.

The cables are cheap enough that it isn't worth bothering to return them. I will hold onto them for when I get a new Fire. If Amazon repeats the sale on the fourth-generation 64 gig 8.9 inch tablet, I may grab it up this time. But unless something like that happens it will be a while before I buy another Fire.

Incidentally, to use these to connect a camera, I plugged the supplied cable into the cable that came with my camera for connecting it to a computer. You end up with a long cable with a micro USB connector on each end. In the absence of documentation, this seems the only way. And my phone did at least acknowledge that USB devices been plugged into it, so they are communicating.


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

Wow - based upon your experience, Claw, I expect lots of people are going to be very unhappy with this product.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

CegAbq said:


> Wow - based upon your experience, Claw, I expect lots of people are going to be very unhappy with this product.


Yup. Since I noticed and understood the limitation to fourth generation Fires (which I hadn't caught before I ordered), I'm not actually upset, though I'm miffed at Amazon for choosing an obscure naming system. But many people are going to be unhappy, and frustrated because they won't know what to do with the cable and will think the problem is from the lack of instructions.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Mine haven't shown up yet -- I went with the 'no rush' shipping to get another $1 for books --  but I, too, was fully aware that the likelihood if it working as advertized with either of my Fires was small. And, I note, it never did show up as an SO on the HDX7, and only on the HDX8.9 for a very short time. So I'm wondering if there was some sort of 'oops' and it wasn't supposed to be part of the ads that went to any but the newest models.

Regardless, as Claw says, it was cheap -- though if I was paying full price I might not feel that way; the SO made it about half -- maybe it'll work with some other device, or maybe I'll have a newer Fire someday, or maybe someone I know who has a newer one will want it.

But I do think there'll be a lot of disappointed folks.


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

I received the cable the day before leaving on a short trip. I tried it with my daughter's camera and my 4th generation Fire 8.9. A prompt appeared asking if I wanted to transfer the photos. That worked as expected.

However it did not seem to work with an external drive. I will need to wait until I am home to try a flash drive.


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