# Kindle Fire HDX 7 vs 8.9??



## Bre_Faucheux (Aug 29, 2013)

I have been trying to decide on a Kindle Fire HDX 7 or an 8.9. There is a SUBSTANTIAL price difference, and I don't want to get the smaller one wishing it were bigger. Or get the bigger one and not be able to fit in into my purses (not that my purses are ever small).

Any opinions? Are most people happy with their 7 inch ones? Is it more convenient? 

I am really only looking at it for reading, not watching movies or anything like that.

I have never had a Kindle. This will be my first one and I am curious for your opinions concerning which might be better.


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## SheilaJ (Apr 10, 2011)

I just got my 8.9 HDX yesterday and love it.  I also have 7 inch fires.  Amazingly I think the new one is lighter and certainly has some amazing features.  I would think if you plan to haul this around a lot the 7 inch would be the better choice.

I love the 8.9 for watching movies and reading magazines and webpages but think I would prefer the 7 for reading.  Not much help am I?


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## Bre_Faucheux (Aug 29, 2013)

No, that was helpful. I didn't think of it, but yes, the 8.9 would be better for magazines and web browsing. But the 7 is better for travel. Can you still read magazines on the 7? Or does the extra 2 inches really make a big difference?


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## SheilaJ (Apr 10, 2011)

yes you can still read magazines on the 7 but it just seems bigger and better on the 8.9.  I use the zinio app from the library.  If you actually want to read the stories rather than just look at the pictures you need to magnify with both or at least I have to with my old eyes.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Welcome, Bre ---

Honestly, if you mostly want to read, I wouldn't say get a Fire at all. Get one of the eInk devices.

The Fires are tablets and, while not bad at all for reading, are really better for apps, games, videos, etc. Lots to distract a person.

The eInk devices, the Paperwhite model being the best, in my opinion, are designed for reading and are fantastic for that. The page is like that of a book, it works well in any light, you can adjust the print size and line spacing for your reading comfort, and it holds plenty of books and will DEFINITELY fit in your purse.

The Fire screen is the shiny kind so won't be as easy to read in bright light -- that mirror thing happening, though it's better than some I've seen -- but the kindle app part of it has similar customization for reading. Including a choice of page/print color -- the sepia option is nice. The 7" fits very well into a purse -- quite compact. But the 8.9" isn't bad either. Bigger, of course, but still very slim. If you usually carry a hobo sized bag it'll fit without any trouble.

The Fire might be a good choice for you if you mostly want to read but also want to have something you can do light web surfing and email on. And there are some useful apps -- not all of them are time wasting games. 



Bre_Faucheux said:


> No, that was helpful. I didn't think of it, but yes, the 8.9 would be better for magazines and web browsing. But the 7 is better for travel. Can you still read magazines on the 7? Or does the extra 2 inches really make a big difference?


I don't use the Zinio app, but I do have a couple of magazines that I subscribe to via Amazon. You can view the page as it is laid out, but then double tap an article and it goes in to "article mode" so you can read it without having to squint. When you're done reading, there's an x in the upper right to go back to the layout view. Or you could just expand the page with a 'spread'; that works well for shorter bits like in TVGuide.

Most magazines in the app store give you at least a two week trial and some give you longer, so you can try a few issues and see if you like it and if not, cancel the subscription.

With any kindle, Fire or eInk (magazines work well on them as well, but differently) you have at least 30 days to try it and then return it for a refund if it doesn't work for you. All you end up paying is the return shipping fee, usually under $10.

You can always get your back issues, too.

Zinio lets you borrow from the library, I gather, which is nice if you just want an issue now and then.


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## SheilaJ (Apr 10, 2011)

Only the best apps ARE the games!


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## Bre_Faucheux (Aug 29, 2013)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Welcome, Bre ---
> 
> Honestly, if you mostly want to read, I wouldn't say get a Fire at all. Get one of the eInk devices.
> 
> ...


Great to know! Thank you, Ann. I had not thought about that, but yes, I tend to like bigger text. So being able to make the print bigger would definitely be an advantage.

I thought about the screen being too shiny and such, and that really doesn't appeal to me. I might not need it for web browsing because I can do all that from my phone, you know? I don't need every device I own to have web browsing and it would definitely be distracting.

Thanks for the tips.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

How Big do you like the text? Because there's also the eInk DX device.

Generally there are 8 sizes of text from very small to very large. Thing is, if you find you prefer one of the larger sizes, you'll only get a few words on the page of either the regular sized eInk kindle or the 7" Fire HDX.

So in that case, you might want to think about the 8.9HDX or the DX.


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## LaraAmber (Feb 24, 2009)

I carry both a Kindle and a Fire 7" in my purse.  They are about the same size.  With both devices in standard Amazon covers, it's about the same as slipping a taller paperback in my purse.

I would say before deciding between sizes to consider the kind of case you will use, that makes a difference in weight and bulk.  My husband has a full size iPad and his Otterbox case adds considerable bulk and weight to it.  I am definitely not comfortable holding it for extended periods of time.  However my Kindle Fire is in the Amazon Origami case and I have no problems holding it like a book while reading magazines.  I could probably put it in an Otterbox case and still be okay.

I use my Kindle Paperwhite to read books (I read a lot, like every spare minute).  I use the Fire to watch movies/videos and to read magazines.  The nice thing is some magazines have full color app versions instead of B&W (what you would get on the Paperwhite).  I have Time Magazine, National Geographic, and Cooking Light.  They all have full color and neat little extras like embedded video.  I'm also going to use it to store and access my recipes in the kitchen (haven't finished setting that up yet).  It may seem odd to have both devices, but I am a heavy reader, plus I can read and set up a movie for my toddler if we're doing something like waiting in an exam room.  Also the Kindle can be read outside in direct sunlight and has a battery life measured in weeks, not hours.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

For reading text where there are no illustrations, an eInk device is better for sure. For anything with illustrations, a tablet is better. 

I mostly use an iPad with a screen even bigger than the 8.9 for reading magazines and illustrated stuff, including the Zinio app. I've never felt it was too big, and occasionally would have been happy with bigger. I have also used them on a seven inch tablet, and not been nearly as happy. If you want to read magazine and illustrated work, I recommend the larger choice. Of course if you intend to carry the tablet 24/7,you may decide portability is even more important, but unless this is essential, I recommend the bigger hdx.


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## NanD (May 4, 2011)

Is there a BestBuy close to you? If so, go look and hold each one. Last spring I almost convinced myself to go for the hd7, but when I saw them in person decided on the hd 8.9.

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 2


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

I used to carry a DX with an Oberon cover.. that was heavy!

When I got my original  Fire, I assumed I would mostly still read on my K3, but that was not the case at all..  Once I had a Fire, I read on that.  I got a the HD 8.9" and have been carrying that since.  And Soon I will have the HDX 4G.

I did have the wifi only HDX 8.9" and it was somewhat lighter than my HD 8.9

I love the larger screen for everything and while I certainly have game apps. the Calengoo app is most valuable player for me.

But for sure if you can go see the devices in person, as NanD suggested, that would help you to decide.


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## photocat (Nov 17, 2012)

8.9"

The extra screen real estate is most definitely worth it and the overall size / wt isn't significantly bigger or heavier than a 7"  I have the original 8.9 and my husband has a Nexus 7.  It is a nice tablet but too small in my opinion.  The 8.9" screen is just right (not too big or heavy and not too small).


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## Capri142 (Sep 25, 2009)

I have an iPad4 and the Kingle 7" HDX... I love them both. The iPAD I use for wok and the larg screen is better for spreadsheets and the such. The large screen is also better for reading magazines, not as much scrolling is needed. That said, I can so just about anything else on the Kindle that I can on the iPad. On the Kindle (used primarily for entertainment) I much prefer the reader over the iPad, the smaller size makes it ever so much easier to carry around with me. The Kindle has one advantage of storing misic and photos in the cloud so you dont use up asd much room on the device itself. You can do this on the iPad but it does not seem to work nearly as well as it does on the Kindle.


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