# Kindle Fire - ereader vs. multimedia



## jonathanmoeller (Apr 19, 2011)

For those of you planning to get a Kindle Fire, are you planning to use it primarily as an ereader, or for multimedia functions like TV shows and videos? 

Or just for Angry Birds?


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## Vet (Apr 25, 2010)

I'm looking forward to streaming video through Amazon and surfing the web.


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## krm0789 (Dec 21, 2010)

Mostly video watching & light web browsing. Cookbooks and probably magazines will go on the Fire, but my K3 will still be my primary reader.


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## teralpar (May 18, 2010)

Mostly web-browsing, streaming videos away from home (in a WiFi area), light gaming, and reading when I don't feel like grabbing my K-Keyboard from my purse.


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## Ann Chambers (Apr 24, 2011)

K3 will still be my main e-reader. Love that e-ink for my old eyes!
Fire is for playing - surfing, games, streaming video, etc. Cannot wait to get my hands on it. Tick tock!


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## jonathanmoeller (Apr 19, 2011)

> K3 will still be my main e-reader. Love that e-ink for my old eyes!


Yes. I've read an entire book on an iPod Touch, but regretted it. I'd much prefer to do long reading on an eInk device.


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## Stormy (May 24, 2010)

I will use my fire for kids books and magazines but my k3 will be my primary ereader.


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

Ann Chambers said:


> K3 will still be my main e-reader. Love that e-ink for my old eyes!
> Fire is for playing - surfing, games, streaming video, etc. Cannot wait to get my hands on it. Tick tock!


/\ This /\


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## jonathanmoeller (Apr 19, 2011)

> I will use my fire for kids books and magazines but my k3 will be my primary ereader.


Same here.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

I expect I'll use it the same way I use my Nook Color - mostly as a reader (in low-light situations) and occasionally as a tablet.


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## Lisa M. (Jun 15, 2010)

krm0789 said:


> Mostly video watching & light web browsing. Cookbooks and probably magazines will go on the Fire, but my K3 will still be my primary reader.


This  except I have a BabyK.


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## jonathanmoeller (Apr 19, 2011)

> I expect I'll use it the same way I use my Nook Color - mostly as a reader (in low-light situations) and occasionally as a tablet.


The Nook Color is very nice for reading in the dark - at night, I'd prefer it to an eInk device (barring the absence of adequate lighting).


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

Definitely multimedia.  I adore eink.  I purchased the enhanced version of Keith richards autobiography because it had Johnny Depp in it.  I quickly regretted it.  Still haven't got past the first chapter(s).

I am excited to see how movies, tv, and videos play on it.  I am disappointed in the way my iPad displays movies.  Too much excess screen, it is annoying.  The fire is closer to HD movie ratio.


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## Hoosiermama (Dec 28, 2009)

I plan on using it for surfing, videos, music and perhaps reading in bed in a dark room. I have a Touch on order to replace my K2 (son is taking that), too!


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## jonathanmoeller (Apr 19, 2011)

> Definitely multimedia. I adore eink. I purchased the enhanced version of Keith richards autobiography because it had Johnny Depp in it. I quickly regretted it. Still haven't got past the first chapter(s).


I've never really had good luck with enhanced ebooks. Sometimes a book just needs to be a book, even if it is on an ereader.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

I think the only thing I'll read on the Fire will be magazines.  Books will remain on my e-ink Kindle.


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## patrickt (Aug 28, 2010)

jonathanmoeller said:


> The Nook Color is very nice for reading in the dark - at night, I'd prefer it to an eInk device (barring the absence of adequate lighting).


Really? I turn on the light. It's nice to be technologically advanced.


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## jonathanmoeller (Apr 19, 2011)

> It's nice to be technologically advanced.


This is true. It's also nice to allow one's spouse, partner, or roommate to get some sleep - medical research indicates that it has some very positive health benefits.


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## Elk (Oct 4, 2010)

KindleChickie said:


> I am disappointed in the way my iPad displays movies. Too much excess screen, it is annoying. The fire is closer to HD movie ratio.


Keep in mind there is no single widescreen format. Widescreen movies are shot in many display ratios.

If displayed natively there always will be letterboxing, even on screens which are 16:9 (such as a widescreen TV) or 16:10 (the typical widescreen computer monitor).


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I will use it for everything but reading. I can't read of anything backlist for leisure fiction reading. Tried it, won't work. So reading books will be Kindle eink. Playtime will be Fire. I hope to stream some of my tennis stuff so I can sit on my balcony and enjoy a cup of tea. Or watch some episodes through Amazon and Netflix. I tried the tennis on my smartphone and its way to tiny for my eyes. Couldn't see the darn ball.   I also plan on watching some german channels that stream online. The same ones I also stream on my Google TV. They work if no plug in is required so the same ones should work. 

I think the 7 inch will be much better. I want to play some games. I don't have any other tablets or any handheld game console. So this will be such combined media toy for me. Consumption of media other than fiction books. 

I have some cookbooks I think will look nice on it too. 

There will be stuff I had no idea you could do yet I am sure, as I never had a tablet so I am exited. I haven't pre ordered though, I will wait for release day first without the pressure.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Elk said:


> Keep in mind there is no single widescreen format. Widescreen movies are shot in many display ratios.
> 
> If displayed natively there always will be letterboxing, even on screens which are 16:9 (such as a widescreen TV) or 16:10 (the typical widescreen computer monitor).


Lordy, you should've heard us trying to explain that to my father-in-law when we finally got him to buy a new LCD TV.  He kept going up to the TV (42" screen I think) and touching it and couldn't understand why the picture wasn't always covering the entire screen. Plus he thought the color seemed a little "weak" - because it wasn't jacked up to *NEON *like their old TV had been.

But I digress....I don't use my iPad a lot for watching videos. I really thought I would, lots of good stuff on HBO Go, old shows that I never got around to watching. Plus Netflix. But I just don't use it a lot for that - DH does, though. Maybe I will more with the Fire, just to take advantage of the Prime videos.


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## jonathanmoeller (Apr 19, 2011)

> Lordy, you should've heard us trying to explain that to my father-in-law when we finally got him to buy a new LCD TV. Lips sealed He kept going up to the TV (42" screen I think) and touching it and couldn't understand why the picture wasn't always covering the entire screen. Plus he thought the color seemed a little "weak" - because it wasn't jacked up to NEON like their old TV had been.


Heh. Modern television has gotten complicated enough that I'm glad my chief form of entertainment is books, e and otherwise (and for the shows I do want to watch, there's usually Hulu on my netbook).


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

Elk said:


> Keep in mind there is no single widescreen format. Widescreen movies are shot in many display ratios.
> 
> If displayed natively there always will be letterboxing, even on screens which are 16:9 (such as a widescreen TV) or 16:10 (the typical widescreen computer monitor).


 Letter boxing is much worse on the iPads ratio. I personally am dissatisfied with how my iPad displays movies. Not telling anyone else how they should feel, simply stating what I personally want.


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## jlward (Feb 19, 2011)

K3 for reading. Fire for everything else.


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## 1131 (Dec 18, 2008)

I ordered the Fire as an at home multimedia tablet.  I want to stream movies and play games on it.  It will be primarily for at home because it doesn't have 3G.  I may read on it sometimes just as I do with my touch but I don't think it will become my primary reader.    I will, of course, take it with me when I travel - along with my eink reader.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

KindleChickie said:


> Letter boxing is much worse on the iPads ratio. I personally am dissatisfied with how my iPad displays movies. Not telling anyone else how they should feel, simply stating what I personally want.


I can believe that. The iPad's ratio is better for displaying standard format pages -- I've compared how scanned PDF sheet music shows on it vs my Xoom* -- but I can see that that would also make it not as good for wide screen images. . . . .

*speaking of which: today's WOOT is a WiFi Xoom for $329.99 +$5 shipping. . . good price for a full featured android based tablet. It will have 3.x (Gingerbread) and is supposed to be updatable to 4.x (Ice Cream Sandwich) though that's not come down yet.


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## jonathanmoeller (Apr 19, 2011)

> I ordered the Fire as an at home multimedia tablet. I want to stream movies and play games on it.


I am interested to see what kind of games become available for the Fire.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

jonathanmoeller said:


> I am interested to see what kind of games become available for the Fire.


Here are some that are already announced:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=mas_lftnav_KFApps?ie=UTF8&docId=1000733201&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=browse&pf_rd_r=175KYFFJM0ZTG86PEY47&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1329929282&pf_rd_i=2350149011

But I expect a large majority of the games listed in the Appstore will work on the Fire.


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## Elk (Oct 4, 2010)

Ann in Arlington said:


> But I expect a large majority of the games listed in the Appstore will work on the Fire.


It will be interesting how this shakes out. Tablet compatibility has been a significant challenge for Android app developers. On the flip side, developers want Fire compatibility.


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## jonathanmoeller (Apr 19, 2011)

> Tablet compatibility has been a significant challenge for Android app developers. On the flip side, developers want Fire compatibility.


Yeah - platform fragmentation is the big weakness Android has against iOS.


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## Elk (Oct 4, 2010)

jonathanmoeller said:


> Yeah - platform fragmentation is the big weakness Android has against iOS.


It is the well known tradeoff between a "safe," controlled, limited environment and an open, creative, large but "dangerous" one.

I embrace freedom and risk.


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## nownewstrue (May 4, 2011)

multi-media tablet because the iPhone is too small. Then I'll just get a phone to, you know, answer phones calls.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I will continue to read books on my K2.

But I may retire my Zune and use the Fire for my MP3 player.
And video (MP4) player.
And I may start to do streaming video - watch some movies that I woudn't have otherwise (yes I am already signed up for Prime).
And I may use some apps. (I don't bother with any on my HTC Fuze phone).  And maybe some games (not a big gaming person, but I like some).

I guess I am a "targeted" user for Amazon's intended audience.

Just sayin.....


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## jonathanmoeller (Apr 19, 2011)

> I embrace freedom and risk.


That's the spirit! I'm writing my current book in LibreOffice in Ubuntu. Though I suppose if I wanted to be really l33t, I'd do it in vim in Slackware.


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