# Fire reviews from the tech community - MERGED thread



## jd78

I think the embargo on the Fire reviews is ends monday. As of midnight EST Engadget released it's Fire review.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/14/amazon-kindle-fire-review/


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## jd78

I edited the thread title to include all Kindle Fire reviews.

Here's the Verge's review - http://www.theverge.com/2011/11/14/2560084/kindle-fire-review

Gizmodo - http://gizmodo.com/5858779/kindle-fire-review-the-ipad-finally-has-serious-competition


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## MichelleR

MSNBC: [URL=http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/14/8790557-kindle-fire-review-yes-its-that-good]http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/14/8790557-kindle-fire-review-yes-its-that-good [/url]


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## Okkoto86

Thanks for the links!  So far it looks like we have two "great" reviews and two "just ok" reviews.  Guess ill just have to wait for mine to get here and make up my own mind.  

PS, was very happy to see engadget say that they think the Fire's screen is the same as the playbooks, I love the playbooks screen.  Probably the best tablet screen on the market right now.


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## Lee

NYTimes review: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/technology/personaltech/the-fire-aside-amazons-lower-priced-kindles-also-shine.html?_r=1&ref=technology


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## Leslie

Here's another:

http://mashable.com/2011/11/14/amazon-kindle-fire-review/?WT.mc_id=obinsite

I find it amusing that in many of these reviews, they show the Fire home screen with Steve Jobs' biography (and the big picture of his face) front and center.

L


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## Jon Olson

Lee said:


> NYTimes review: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/technology/personaltech/the-fire-aside-amazons-lower-priced-kindles-also-shine.html?_r=1&ref=technology


Yeah, David Pogue really panned it. It gives me pause.


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## Sandpiper

Lee said:


> NYTimes review: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/technology/personaltech/the-fire-aside-amazons-lower-priced-kindles-also-shine.html?_r=1&ref=technology


Love this line from the above article:



> At this rate, by next year, Amazon will pay you to buy a Kindle.


I'd never heard this about any of B&N's nooks. Does the article author know this for certain? I'd tend to doubt it.



> Barnes & Noble, on the other hand, offers the convenience of human tech support in its 700 stores.


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## tnt

Jon Olson said:


> Yeah, David Pogue really panned it. It gives me pause.


Yeah, especially the magazine feature, which was one of the things I was really looking forward to... both for reading and the possibility of self-publishing.

I'll have to do some research on how the Nook does it... they've been at it for awhile.

I'm not too worried about the speed of the Silk Browser... a few people using it at any given time isn't going to give Silk much an opportunity to do what it's supposed to do best.


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## Ann in Arlington

tnt said:


> Yeah, especially the magazine feature, which was one of the things I was really looking forward to... both for reading and the possibility of self-publishing.


FWIW, the reviews are written based on them having the devices in hand ahead of time. But the Fire Newsstand isn't completely up and running yet. . .so it may be the 'magazines' they were evaluating were not yet Fire optimized. . . . .


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## TerryS

Nothing I've read so far makes me NOT want to get one.


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## Ann in Arlington

As the only review that really matters is mine*, I'm not going to read any of them until I've got it in my hands and have had a chance to play with it.  Then maybe I'll read and see who (whom?) I agree with. 



*at least, it's the only one that matters to me.  I am under no illusion that my review matters to any of you.


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## jd78

Yeah, nothing in the reviews really concern me... I'm pretty sure we were all aware of the Fire's limitations, but those were on purpose and why it's $199. IMO, in the ~$200 tablet space you really only have two good options... The Fire and the soon to be released Nook Tablet. The Nook Tablet might have the Fire on specs (but not by much), but If you are already living in the Amazon ecosystem (like many of us), then the Fire is a better buy IMO.


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## mooshie78

tnt said:


> Yeah, especially the magazine feature, which was one of the things I was really looking forward to... both for reading and the possibility of self-publishing.
> 
> I'll have to do some research on how the Nook does it... they've been at it for awhile.


Magazines are never going to be good on tablets until they start reformatting magazines for the smaller screen. Even on the iPad's 9.7" screen most magazines stink in apps like Zino as the screen is just too small to display the full print page in an easily readable format without a lot of zooming in and panning around. So it would definitely be even worse on a 7" screen. Same with comics.

There are a few magazines that have their own apps like EGMi (video games) and those are great as they're formatted for the screen size, have videos embedded, make good use of the touch screen etc. That's what needs to happen with all magazines--make tablet optimized versions rather than just porting over the exact print version with pages larger than tablet screens.


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## Ann in Arlington

There are currently some 'premiere' magazines offered as apps for Fire customers:

http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=sa_menu_knwstnd33_US?_encoding=UTF8&node=2735187011&tag=kbpst-20

Only 17 so far. . .they work as apps which says to me that they may be formatted specifically for the Fire. But they've only just come available today. . . . .

And there are another 20 that are featured Fire apps. . .you can't order these for any but the Fire. Again, they were not available until this morning. . .in fact weren't there when I looked a half hour ago! 

AND. . . .there is also a section that says 'browse kindle fire magazines by category'. . . . many of these are also "Fire Only" though not all.


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## mooshie78

Good news if true.  Hopefully apple will start getting more Magazines formatted for the iPad, was hoping to see that with the launch of Newstand.

Tablets can be great for magazines if the magazine companies take the time to make versions optimized for tablets rather than just trying to cash in easily by selling a digital replica of the print versions.


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## Ann in Arlington

mooshie78 said:


> Good news if true.


Well, you can look at the link I posted and judge for yourself. 

I've already subscribed to a couple for my 14 day trial.


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## mooshie78

Ann in Arlington said:


> Well, you can look at the link I posted and judge for yourself.
> 
> I've already subscribed to a couple for my 14 day trial.


Wasn't questioning that they were there, just whether they were truly formatted for the Kindle Fire screen size or not! Be sure to let us know!


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## Ann in Arlington

mooshie78 said:


> Wasn't questioning that they were there, just whether they were truly formatted for the Kindle Fire screen size or not! Be sure to let us know!


Will do! 

I should know by tomorrow! My Fire has shipped.


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## DYB

Pogue's review didn't quite strike me as a pan.  He had a few serious reservations, but didn't not recommend it.  Also, his discussion of Silk seemed odd.  He said the pages took long to load.  But my assumption of how Silk works is that it gets faster the more you use it because it begins to build a cache of pages and starts making assumptions about where you go.  Pogue didn't quite make it clear how long he used it; if he just opened a page once, decided it was too slow, and tried something else.  If that's what he did then he sort of misunderstands the technology.

Also, I don't happen to like Pogue all that much personally.  What really put the nail in the coffin for me was his glowing review of FCPX.  As a professional editor I saw his ignorance of the technology he was discussing.  He did try to backtrack a few days later, but it was too late.  His initial review revealed the extent of his knowledge.  And if he didn't get it then, how do I know he's getting it now?

As other said, the only review that matters is mine!  And I got 30 days to make up my mind.


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## Dangerosa

I would take anything David Pogue says with a large grain of salt. JMO.

Here's a review from Wired:

http://www.wired.com/reviews/2011/11/kindle-fire/all/1


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## DYB

Dangerosa said:


> I would take anything David Pogue says with a large grain of salt. JMO.
> 
> Here's a review from Wired:
> 
> http://www.wired.com/reviews/2011/11/kindle-fire/all/1


Now _that's_ a pan!  The only thing he liked was video playback.

It's interesting to compare some of these. The msnbc reviewer really liked it. The wired pretty much hates it. But the wired reviewer is comparing it almost feature for feature to the iPad. In fact at the end he urges people to just save more money and buy the iPad. Very different approaches and POVs.


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## mooshie78

DYB said:


> It's interesting to compare some of these. The msnbc reviewer really liked it. The wired pretty much hates it. But the wired reviewer is comparing it almost feature for feature to the iPad. In fact at the end he urges people to just save more money and buy the iPad. Very different approaches and POVs.


Yeah, it's a really silly comparison. It should be compared to the Nook Color and other cheaper tablets.

It doesn't have the power, storage space, screen size etc. to be a true iPad competitor. These smaller, cheaper tablets are for people with more basic needs who don't need the power, bigger screen etc. of the iPad or Xoom and so on and can thus save $300+ by getting a smaller, less power tablet to just do basic surfing and media consumption.


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## sosha

I think I'm going to like the "text only" magazine format.  Nothing is more obnoxious, whether it be on a tablet (iPad) or the mag itself, than going thru pages and pages of ads to get to the meat.


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## DYB

mooshie78 said:


> Yeah, it's a really silly comparison. It should be compared to the Nook Color and other cheaper tablets.
> 
> It doesn't have the power, storage space, screen size etc. to be a true iPad competitor. These smaller, cheaper tablets are for people with more basic needs who don't need the power, bigger screen etc. of the iPad or Xoom and so on and can thus save $300+ by getting a smaller, less power tablet to just do basic surfing and media consumption.


Yes, I agree. Speaking for myself, I don't want the bigger screen; I want portability. I take a crowded NYC subway every day and the large iPads are very inconvenient to hold with one hand (because you're holding to the railing with the other). That's a big reason I am interested in the Fire over the iPad. And yes, it's $300 cheaper than the cheapest iPad. You really can't start comparing the functionality and expecting them to be the same at a fraction of the cost. Things just don't work that way. I agree that the Nook is the correct comparison.

One other thing in that wired review is that he says the Fire is something you shouldn't read books on, that the e-ink Kindles are superior for that. I happen to agree. But - the author uses that as a negative for the Fire. I don't normally read wired and don't know that author - I wonder if he had the same complaint about the iPad.


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## tnt

mooshie78 said:


> Yeah, it's a really silly comparison. It should be compared to the Nook Color and other cheaper tablets.


I wonder sometimes if tech reviewers were originally hired to write automobile reviews. After they turned in copy like, "The Ford underperformed the Mercedes in almost every way," the editor said, "Sorry, we can't really use in the auto section. But you'll make a great tech reviewer."


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## Meemo

Sandpiper said:


> I'd never heard this about any of B&N's nooks. Does the article author know this for certain? I'd tend to doubt it.
> "Barnes & Noble, on the other hand, offers the convenience of human tech support in its 700 stores."


The tech support you get in a B&N store depends on the employees. I was able to take my Nook Color in to the local B&N when I couldn't get the last update to take - the guy connected it to their computer and downloaded the update for me (they had some special way of doing it). They also have classes for Nook owners on how to use the Nook and take advantage of all its features. But there's no guarantee, probably, that there's a Nook "expert" on duty 24/7. You could probably go in and be told "Sorry, there's someone who could probably help you but he/she isn't working right now." But you're definitely more likely to be able to get help than by taking a Kindle back to Walmart or Best Buy and asking for help there.

Then again, my B&N is 20 minutes and a toll bridge away. I didn't make a special trip, was already going that way and took the NC with me. Calling Kindle CS for help with my Kindle is almost always easier for me than going to B&N for NC help.


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## BK

The reviews are interesting. I don't care about the lack of a camera -- that's one reason I stayed with the original iPad instead of going for iPad2.  I'm still really looking forward to getting the Fire, but there are several things in the Fire reviews that concern me...

One is the bookmarking process.  I read that you can't create a bookmark directly from a web site you're on; you have to go out to the Carousel screen and find the page and bookmark it from there. Sounds very unwieldy.  Maybe this issue could be fixed with a software update.

Another is the location of the on/off button -- on the bottom of the device.  Critics are saying it is too easy to hit that button and cause an accidental shut down.  Unfortunately a software update probably couldn't solve this problem.

A third is menu-based volume control instead of a button or slider.  When you want to mute something quickly in order to take a phone call or lower the volume when someone is sleeping, tapping around to locate the volume menu and tapping it is going to take much longer than touching a physical button.

Email sounds weak, too, but that is something that could be improved with a SW update. 

You'd think Amazon would beta test the device (maybe with Kindleboards members?!)  so these kinds of small but annoying issues could be solved before the manufacturing process!

Bonnie


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## jd78

I read through most of the reviews I can find... The negatives, IMO are either minor (no physical home or volume keys) or will be resolved with software updates (some performance issues). Most of the reviews were pretty objective and even when comparing the Fire to the iPad, they reminded the reader of the price difference.

My favorite quote was from the MSNBC review, *"The Kindle Fire can handle about 80 percent of what I want to do on an iPad, for 40 percent of the price. And much of what's missing won't be missing for long."* Which pretty much hits the nail on the head for me and why I sold my iPad 2 when the Fire was announced.

Another thing for me is that at it's price point, even if they release a new improved version in 6-12 months, upgrading isn't as big a deal as it was upgrading from iPad 1 to 2 @ $599 (had the 32GB). If I had any conflict with my purchase it would be between the Fire and the Nook Tablet, but the Amazon ecosystem is the deciding factor IMO.


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## Jesslyn

I'm in tech and have been discussing 'tech reviews' with a coworker.  We pretty much agree that tech reviews are good if you care about specs and if you care to somewhat gauge how a device will function and/or it's capabilities.  Most of the reviewers grab a device and test everything, but seldom use it. There is a huge difference between going on a test drive and living with and using something daily.


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## jd78

Here's Andy Ihnatko's review: http://www.suntimes.com/8816567-417/review-kindle-fire-is-no-ipad-killer-but-it-is-a-killer-device.html. I'm about to read it myself, but wanted to post it real quick since he's on a short list of tech journalist I generally trust.


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## mikeschr

Dangerosa said:


> I would take anything David Pogue says with a large grain of salt. JMO.
> 
> Here's a review from Wired:
> 
> http://www.wired.com/reviews/2011/11/kindle-fire/all/1


Too bad you don't agree with Pogue. He gave the other 2 Kindles rave reviews. I guess that means they stink.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Pogue's review--and I like Pogue--confuses me though, because he seems to mainly be comparing it to ereaders.  Others seem to be comparing it to the iPad.  I think it's up to your expectations.  I'm looking forward to it as a media consumption device, and the reviews have been a bit mixed in that regard, but mostly positive as near as I can tell.  I already have an iPad, which I plan to continue using as my primary Internet device.  And I already have two Kindles, which I plan to continue using as my readers.

Others have different needs/expectations...and none of us have actually played with one yet.  It's still a "wait and see" for me.  But I still want it.  30 day return policy and all that!

Betsy


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## DYB

mikeschr said:


> Too bad you don't agree with Pogue. He gave the other 2 Kindles rave reviews. I guess that means they stink.


A broken clock is right twice a day. So that covers Pogue liking the 2 e-reader Kindles.


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## jd78

jd78 said:


> Here's Andy Ihnatko's review: http://www.suntimes.com/8816567-417/review-kindle-fire-is-no-ipad-killer-but-it-is-a-killer-device.html. I'm about to read it myself, but wanted to post it real quick since he's on a short list of tech journalist I generally trust.


I finished reading Ihnatko's review and IMO it's one of the better if not the best review out there so far. I really like how he describes the Silk Browser, the side loading options, and even how to read ePub e-book DRM or not with an available app. IMO, he absolutely gets what the Fire is supposed to be and reviews it as such.


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## TLM

I wonder if the Editors at Wired read their interview with Bezos?  It made the difference between a i-Pad and a Fire very clear.  Apple is hardware centered.  Amazon is content centered.  Also gave a very good reason why the Fire is potentially better than the color nook.

I need to go read the reviews now instead of just reading the reviews of the reviews.


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## jonathanmoeller

Ars Technica has numerous pictures and first impressions of the Kindle Fire:

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/reviews/2011/11/kindle-fire-first-impressions.ars

_Johnathan, I've merged your thread with our review thread, thanks! --Betsy_


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## jeremy81

Laptop Magazine has a pretty decent review. They did run benchmarks showing it has similar performance to the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and other Honeycomb devices making me think the occasional laggy behavior could probably be corrected some with a software update.

http://www.laptopmag.com/review/tablets/amazon-kindle-fire.aspx


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## balaspa

From what I have seen, overall, the reviews are pretty good.  Very exciting.


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## BK

jd78 said:


> Here's Andy Ihnatko's review: http://www.suntimes.com/8816567-417/review-kindle-fire-is-no-ipad-killer-but-it-is-a-killer-device.html. I'm about to read it myself, but wanted to post it real quick since he's on a short list of tech journalist I generally trust.


Thank you for this one! I really like his writing style, and will follow his columns from now on.


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## TLM

After watching the video of the Laptop Mag. review:  Keep a micro cloth handy!  Fingerprints!  Knew a touch screen had to have them.  But I guess if I can see through the smudges on my glasses I can work with them on the Fire.


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## jd78

TLM said:


> After watching the video of the Laptop Mag. review: Keep a micro cloth handy! Fingerprints! Knew a touch screen had to have them. But I guess if I can see through the smudges on my glasses I can work with them on the Fire.


I'm actually more concerned about the fingerprints on the back. Might opt for a phantomskinz or BSE.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk


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## CandyTX

My biggest disappointment that I've seen so far is email. I live and die by gmail. The sheer volume of email that I deal with on a daily, hell, hourly basis sometimes is overwhelming. The lack of a Gmail app or some sort of Gmail usability is annoying.  I need my stars and labels! I wonder how the silk browser does if I use it in browser. Hmmm...

Having said that, it's not the end of the world. I'm still excited to get it in my hot little hands!


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## krm0789

CandyTX said:


> My biggest disappointment that I've seen so far is email. I live and die by gmail. The sheer volume of email that I deal with on a daily, hell, hourly basis sometimes is overwhelming. The lack of a Gmail app or some sort of Gmail usability is annoying.  I need my stars and labels! I wonder how the silk browser does if I use it in browser. Hmmm...
> 
> Having said that, it's not the end of the world. I'm still excited to get it in my hot little hands!


Similarly, I'm hoping that GCal looks okay in Silk, as it runs my life & I struggle to function without it!


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## jd78

I just noticed that the Fire product page already shows 31 reviews and reading through some of them it appears some customer's have had it for a week already. I'm starting to regret not reviewing every single purchase I make with Amazon.


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## joanne29

Sandpiper said:


> Love this line from the above article:
> 
> I'd never heard this about any of B&N's nooks. Does the article author know this for certain? I'd tend to doubt it.


yes barnes and nobles offers tech support in stores for the nook


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## Meemo

jd78 said:


> I just noticed that the Fire product page already shows 31 reviews and reading through some of them it appears some customer's have had it for a week already. I'm starting to regret not reviewing every single purchase I make with Amazon.


Probably reviews from beta testers.


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## Betsy the Quilter

CandyTX said:


> My biggest disappointment that I've seen so far is email. I live and die by gmail. The sheer volume of email that I deal with on a daily, hell, hourly basis sometimes is overwhelming. The lack of a Gmail app or some sort of Gmail usability is annoying.  I need my stars and labels! I wonder how the silk browser does if I use it in browser. Hmmm...
> 
> Having said that, it's not the end of the world. I'm still excited to get it in my hot little hands!


Candy--

Why can't you read email using the built-in app? You're looking for the specific features that Gmail has? (I don't use those features much, but I do check my Gmail using both my iPad mail app AND online....

Betsy


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## KindleChickie

I just saw pics in a review where the Fire will have a black charging cord.  Yeah!  The white cord on the graphite K3 always annoyed me.


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## cleee

I've read a bunch of the reviews posted here and haven't seen anyone post anything about sound quality/volume without having to use the 3.5mm audio out jack?


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## Betsy the Quilter

One of the reviews said the sound quality wasn't great.  Don't remember which one, one of the earlier ones posted...

Betsy


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## TLM

One or more of the professional reviews mention the speakers.  I am guessing they sound about as good as the speakers on a regular Kindle.  Most complain about the lack of a physical button on the body of the Fire to adjust the volumn.  That and the placement of the power button are the two biggest complaints.


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## Leslie

Betsy the Quilter said:


> One of the reviews said the sound quality wasn't great. Don't remember which one, one of the earlier ones posted...
> 
> Betsy


David Pogue in the New York Times complained about the speakers.

L


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## Betsy the Quilter

Thanks, Leslie, I've read so many of them, I can't keep them straight, LOL!

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington

I've read none of them. 

I've decided that I don't really care what anyone else thinks. . . .so many times I read reviews of a thing I have and find that all the things they don't like are things that I do, or that don't matter.  Or they mention something without giving any thought to why it is the way it is -- which is important to know.  With the Fire, for instance, there's no camera, but that's so they could keep the costs down, etc.  And they compare things that are oranges to already-on-the-market apples.  Pun definitely intended.

So this time I'm making a conscious decision NOT to click any of the many links people are posting.


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## teralpar

Ann in Arlington said:


> I've read none of them.
> 
> I've decided that I don't really care what anyone else thinks. . . .so many times I read reviews of a thing I have and find that all the things they don't like are things that I do, or that don't matter. Or they mention something without giving any thought to why it is the way it is -- which is important to know. With the Fire, for instance, there's no camera, but that's so they could keep the costs down, etc. And they compare things that are oranges to already-on-the-market apples. Pun definitely intended.
> 
> So this time I'm making a conscious decision NOT to click any of the many links people are posting.


I agree. I've read a couple of the reviews that people have posted links to, but I refuse to read any more until I've tested it out myself. I'm tired of reviewers comparing it to the iPad and complaining about that it needs a camera, or 3G, or whatever. I just want to shout, _"Hey guys! It's only $199!!! What do you expect?? It's NOT an iPad!!"_ IMO, if you want all those features, pony up the extra dough and get an iPad (or Xoom, Galaxy, Thrive, etc.).


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## DYB

teralpar said:


> I agree. I've read a couple of the reviews that people have posted links to, but I refuse to read any more until I've tested it out myself. I'm tired of reviewers comparing it to the iPad and complaining about that it needs a camera, or 3G, or whatever. I just want to shout, _"Hey guys! It's only $199!!! What do you expect?? It's NOT an iPad!!"_ IMO, if you want all those features, pony up the extra dough and get an iPad (or Xoom, Galaxy, Thrive, etc.).


A lot of them definitely have this "But it's missing X, Y, Z. If only it had X, Y, Z it'd be as good as the iPad." And I'm thinking, yeah and it would cost as much as an iPad. But then these folks don't pay for their gadgets; they get them for free. So they don't care.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Here's a link to the Washington Post review for Ann to not read:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/kindle-fire-review-changing-the-landscape-of-the-tablet-game/2011/11/11/gIQAp4W7JN_story.html

Betsy


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## mooshie78

Ann in Arlington said:


> I've read none of them.
> 
> I've decided that I don't really care what anyone else thinks. . . .so many times I read reviews of a thing I have and find that all the things they don't like are things that I do, or that don't matter. Or they mention something without giving any thought to why it is the way it is -- which is important to know. With the Fire, for instance, there's no camera, but that's so they could keep the costs down, etc. And they compare things that are oranges to already-on-the-market apples. Pun definitely intended.
> 
> So this time I'm making a conscious decision NOT to click any of the many links people are posting.


True that at the end of the day the only opinion that matters on a gadget is your own! 

Reviews are still useful to many though as it's a way to size up a gadget and see if it fits your needs before spending any time or money to check it out for yourself.

And reasons things are left out aren't really important considerations IMO. All that matters is whether you need/want a feature that was omitted for whatever reason. I do a ton of video calling on my iPad and iPhone, so I'd never want a phone or tablet that didn't have a front facing camera. Don't care much about a rear facing camera on a tablet though.

I do agree the fire shouldn't be reviewed poorly for leaving out camera's etc. though as it is a good bit cheaper than tablets that have them, and tablets that have more power and storage etc. The Fire isn't meant to be a full fledged tablet. It's a simple media consumption device, specifically designed for use with Amazon's content. And by all accounts it's very good at what it's intended to do. It's not something I'm interested in as I need a full fledged tablet with a bigger screen, more power and storage space, camera etc. But nonetheless the Fire looks like a great device for people who just want a portable media consumption tablet and don't want to shell out $500+ for a full fledged tablet.


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## Ann in Arlington

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Here's a link to the Washington Post review for Ann to not read:
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/kindle-fire-review-changing-the-landscape-of-the-tablet-game/2011/11/11/gIQAp4W7JN_story.html
> 
> Betsy


I saw that on my Kindle edition. . . I admit I scanned it. . . . . . .


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## Betsy the Quilter

Ann in Arlington said:


> I saw that on my Kindle edition. . . I admit I scanned it. . . . . . .


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## Edge

OK. First impression: "Wow, this thing is heavy for its size." The K2 and K3 have spoiled me in terms of device weight. The Fire is much, much heavier, but also feels much more solid. The Marware case is really nice, and the Fire fits into it firmly and snugly.

Turn device on: Screen is BEAUTIFUL! Setup wifi (found home network quickly) and connect by putting in password. A firmware update downloads immediately. I plug it in "just in case." I then notice it says "You might want to plug in your device..." lol

Update download complete, Fire turns off. I press power to turn it back on. Now it's updating much like the older Kindles do. I wait.

It says update complete and it reboots. I slide the slider and it looks like it's about to ask me for credentials when it pops to a new screen and welcomes me! It is already on my account! There is a very short 4 or 5 page tutorial to show you where things are on the screen. I do it and it seems as soon as I started the tutorial is over. Now I'm in the Fire's UI!

I flip through my books and decide which ones to download. I then go to music and download some music from my cloud. I go to test a movie: Super Troopers. It's really sharp and response very quick. Screen is great with amazing viewing angles.

I go into the Apps to download apps I've been getting for the past few weeks in preparation for my Fire. All of them install in the background.

I go to read my first book: it started at the beginning and not where I left off on my K3. I will have to sync the K3 to see if the Fire will pick up its location.

I still need to side-load a bunch of PDF's and other books I've acquired from places like BAEN.

All in all, I'm super-impressed with it. It feels high-quality; a lot better than Pogue gave it credit for.

The size is nice. I have a 10" Android tablet, and I feel the Fire is a much better size for media. I thought that the 10" size would be perfect since the iPad is 9.7", but it turns out the 7" really is better. At least so far.

Anyway, I have a lot more to discover and experience. I'll update more later.


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## Ann in Arlington

Edge, you might post your review down in our KB Fire Reviews Board: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/board,79.0.html


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## Elk

mooshie78 said:


> Yeah, it's a really silly comparison. It should be compared to the Nook Color and other cheaper tablets.
> 
> It doesn't have the power, storage space, screen size etc. to be a true iPad competitor.


Agreed.

Yet, remember how many iPad v. Kindle threads have been started on this board alone, an even less valid comparison.


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## Edge

Ann in Arlington said:


> Edge, you might post your review down in our KB Fire Reviews Board: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/board,79.0.html


Done.


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## CandyTX

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Candy--
> 
> Why can't you read email using the built-in app? You're looking for the specific features that Gmail has? (I don't use those features much, but I do check my Gmail using both my iPad mail app AND online....
> 
> Betsy


The built in app doesn't allow labels and stars and such. I rely HEAVILY on gmail for my work. Sigh. This kinda sucks. LOL. It's built on the android platform. There's no reason it shouldn't work with gmail and google calendar, etc. Love Amazon, but first cutting out the Android Marketplace and now no native gmail is ticking me off.

I'm sure someone will get a hack for it sooner or later. Neat little device, but not quite "there" for me yet. Hopefully soon 

(yes, I can bring it up in my browser, but I use dual layer protection in gmail and it's not taking my password. Grrrr...)


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## luvmykindle3

Ann in Arlington said:


> As the only review that really matters is mine*, I'm not going to read any of them until I've got it in my hands and have had a chance to play with it. Then maybe I'll read and see who (whom?) I agree with.
> 
> *at least, it's the only one that matters to me. I am under no illusion that my review matters to any of you.


I agree, you will only know if it's a good tablet when you try it yourself. I tried one in best buy, it wasn't bad. Nice, for what it's supposed to do. Magazines were ok, but again, the screen is only 7 in. I couldn't really try the browser because it was a demo and had advertising features running.

For the money, it's ok. Don't see why people keep trying to compare it to an iPad. Not meant to be.


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## jbcohen

Here is a well respected computer industry journal reviewing your beloved Kindle Fire.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/243857/amazon_kindle_fire_misfires.html#tk.hp_fv


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## Evenshade

> The built in app doesn't allow labels and stars and such. I rely HEAVILY on gmail for my work. Sigh. This kinda sucks. LOL. It's built on the android platform. There's no reason it shouldn't work with gmail and google calendar, etc. Love Amazon, but first cutting out the Android Marketplace and now no native gmail is ticking me off.
> 
> I'm sure someone will get a hack for it sooner or later. Neat little device, but not quite "there" for me yet. Hopefully soon Smiley
> 
> (yes, I can bring it up in my browser, but I use dual layer protection in gmail and it's not taking my password. Grrrr...)


I might not understand exactly what you're getting at, but I am able to use my gmail account and read my email. I didn't try Google Calendar, though. Actually, I'm returning it...the screen is just too small for my (ahem) upper middle aged eyes.


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## CegAbq

CandyTX said:


> My biggest disappointment that I've seen so far is email. I live and die by gmail. The sheer volume of email that I deal with on a daily, hell, hourly basis sometimes is overwhelming. The lack of a Gmail app or some sort of Gmail usability is annoying.  I need my stars and labels! I wonder how the silk browser does if I use it in browser. Hmmm...
> 
> Having said that, it's not the end of the world. I'm still excited to get it in my hot little hands!


While I don't have my Fire quite yet, I too am someone who lives & dies by gmail & gcal. However, that being said, what I've thought all along is that the features that the Fire is known to NOT have are all features that I can still avail myself of easily with my Android smartphone. So I'm looking forward to a bigger screen for videos & ebooks (I've been reading on my smartphone so the backlighting is not going to bother me) and will keep my phone handy for unlimited 4G/3G data connectivity, camera (including FFC for Skype videoing; still can't quite imagine holding up a 7 or 10 inch device to use to take pictures with), GPS, gmail & gcal.

Now - can't wait for delivery tomorrow to start putting Belisama (my Fire) through its paces


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## TraceyC/FL

Thanks for a list of reviews! I keep wondering as I read them if they are using the same device (engadget vs Gizmodo were the first two I read!).

I was pondering a Fire as a 2nd kindle ereader, with some car entertainment on the side. 

However, when i read that basically all of your amazon stuff is there, it went in the no column. Why oh why can't we pick what we want to show up on a device? 

There appears to not be any parental controls? I've seen nothing mentioned about rating locks on it? I can't turn off the browser? (I really want to do that on my DD's KSO, I thought she was reading, but alas, she was shopping!)

I guess I will go with another eInk device for pure reading, and maybe I will plan on the iPad3 for me and regulate my ipad1 to the car entertainment device.


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## Ann in Arlington

TraceyC/FL said:


> Thanks for a list of reviews! I keep wondering as I read them if they are using the same device (engadget vs Gizmodo were the first two I read!).
> 
> I was pondering a Fire as a 2nd kindle ereader, with some car entertainment on the side.
> 
> However, when i read that basically all of your amazon stuff is there, it went in the no column. Why oh why can't we pick what we want to show up on a device?


You can. It all displays because it's in the cloud. But if you select, say, 'books' and and 'device' it will only show what is on the device.



> There appears to not be any parental controls? I've seen nothing mentioned about rating locks on it? I can't turn off the browser? (I really want to do that on my DD's KSO, I thought she was reading, but alas, she was shopping!)


There are security controls in the settings menu. You can password protect the entire device or the amazon log in credentials. You can turn off the browser by turning off WiFi. . . I have not explored enough to find out if the credentials lock affects who can turn that back on, but there is the ability to designate an administrator so it might be.


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