Kindle Fire Shopping Help
 

Thinking about getting my daughter a kindle fire for Xmas, but would like a little info about features on the various options.

The main reason we want it for her is lighted reading. I have an old kindle, but really don't know what all these things can do now.

How does it compare to an iPad? Are there apps and games etc? What is the HD version? Is that just about watching shows, as in literal HD?

Thanks in advance

The Kindle Fire HDX is a full fledged tablet just like an iPad. It actually has better specs overall than the comparable iPads.

It runs Amazon's version of Android.

First big question you need to answer is SIZE. Do you want the 7" or 8.9"

Next you want to decide if you want 4G or not.. that will depend on access to open WiFi... most people these days can do fine without 4g on their tablet.. and you can always use a phone as a hotspot in a pinch.

Finally you have to pick a storage option (16GB, 32GB or 64GB) If you use cloud storage appropriately you should be fine with 16GB.

Of course this is all based on you wanting a full fledged tablet... if you are REALLY only focused on having an eReader than the paperwhite is great and cheap but it's JUST for reading, no apps, no movies or games.

I've always found that 8.9" is juuuuuust right.

Yeah I wouldn't say we only want a reader. Just trying to determine cost vs features to figure out what exactly we will get.

At this point wireless isn't necessary. It will only be used connected to wifi. Storage also isn't a big thing. This is for a grade schooler, who probably won't have a ton of media on it.

I guess what I want is to save money on features, while still getting more than a reader only.

Looks like I'm between the 7" HD or the 7" HDX, and can't see what I'm getting for the extra $100 for the HDX

Amazon has their own version of the Google market. And it's pretty limited. If you're wanting a vast array of games and apps, you'd be better off with a cheap tablet that runs native Android. But if you're just looking for an easy reader, check e-mail, webpages, etc; it would be a good solution.

We bought our son a Nook HD+ earlier this year and I like it better than my Kindle Fire HD (the 8.9" one). It's a full Android tablet that will work with apps from Google Play (the Fire is more limited and only the apps from the Amazon store are guaranteed to work. My son downloaded the Kindle app and was able to easily use our Amazon account to get books.

The new Fire HDX may be better (mine is just the HD) but the 16G Nook HD+ is only $150. You can also add a MicroD card to the Nook for more storage but you are limited to internal (and cloud) storage on the Fire.

Just thought I would mention it.

I can not rep people with my kindle fire HD. Maybe the HDX will fix that travesty.

It's really not that limited anymore but I'm with you on native android. The only problem is.. the Fire HDX is a REALLY nice piece of hardware for a great price. Hard to find anything that compares.

I love the NOOK HD+ but it's a bit older now and I wouldn't recommend a Nook right NOW unless they sneak out a new one in the next week (very doubtful since I have heard zero on that front).

Like I said, I was comparing it to my year old Kindle Fire HD 8.9. I don't have any experience with the new Kindle HDX. I do think that Amazon is pricing them kind of high, though, considering the the limitations compared to a full Android tablet.

Bought my 10 yr old the 7" HDX for his bday a couple of weeks ago and he loves it. He is an avid reader so this was perfect for him. I saw $50 instant savings on it on Amazon a couple of days ago but it has since expired. You may want to check the site a couple of times per day to see if they run it again leading up to the 25th. Good luck!

Mother-in-law bought one of my boys a Kindle Fire HD. The other one uses an old iPad2. I'll be able to give my report on which I prefer before long.

Agree with this.

For my MiL, the Fire is perfect. She wanted an e-Reader that would do web and email too.

My kids actually both had Fire's for about a year and we ended up trading them in for 10" Android tablets. It came down strictly to the difference in the amount of software available.

Already having to sideload blio (download .apk, upload to dropbox, download a file browser for the fire, sync it with my dropbox, then download to the fire from dropbox) to get it to sync up with the kid's public school library. Pain in the ass.

That being said, I like that I can do all of this on the Fire, but it annoys me that I have to. A casual user would be completely lost.