Amazon Kindle Fire HD

• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 13 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 10 stars

  First eReader

  by Norman-Perry on April 5, 2013

  Pros: Super light & thin
  Screen is bright and clear
  HDMI output works great
  Dual WIFI antennas
  Easy to use User interface
  Free 30 days Prime membership

  Cons: No external indicator of when the unit is fully charged
  On/off switch is hard to locate by touch
  No power adapter

  Summary: As the title suggests, this is my first eReader. I've had some time to play around with the original Kindle Fire and the Samsung Galaxy 7" Tab, and so ...

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  Summary: As the title suggests, this is my first eReader. I've had some time to play around with the original Kindle Fire and the Samsung Galaxy 7" Tab, and so far I'm loving the Kindle Fire HD. For a while I did a side by side comparison with the Samsung tablet that I bought earlier this year. They both have their strong points, but I'm reviewing the Fire HD so that's where the focus will be, even if I use the Samsung as a reference point. So lets get started with what an eReader is all about! Reading books...
  
  Books - The Kindle Fire HD gives you three different backdrop colors to choose from when reading books. White, black, and sepia. I started off using white but then moved to sepia because it's just more comfortable. One of the biggest reasons I waited so long to jump on the eReader train was because I like paper books. I still do. However, I'm shocked at how quickly I've 'adjusted', if you can even call it that. Switching to the Fire HD was seamless because of the screen clarity and ease of use. The sepia choice makes it seem more like a book I suppose. You can also change font styles and sizes, but I haven't touched much of that. One thing I would like to mention here is that reading on this vs the Samsung only differs really in the margins. The Kindle gives you a larger area for text where as the Samsung cuts off a sentence or two. Minor difference, not much of a setback. Changing pages is easy, you tap the screen. Adding bookmarks to save your place is easy as well and I've only used it a few times when the book would close on it's own and start from the beginning. Not sure why it's done that, but it has happened. One fantastic feature that comes in handy is being able to highlight and then search keywords throughout the entire book. I'm currently reading a detective novel and it's extremely convenient to be able to highlight a name and see every time it's been used previously so I can refresh on a character's background from earlier in the story.
  
  Movies - The HD screen really shines here. Of course everything I use as far as movies is streamed through Amazon, so internet connection is a big player here as far as clarity. Whenever I have a good connection though, it's fantastic to see these movies and TV shows with such clarity. The color quality on the Fire is amazing as well. No complaints here. It's worth noting that the Fire HD has fantastic speakers as well. I was able to hear everything without having to blast the volume and it even has surround sound.
  
  Magazines - One of the main reasons I gave this item 5 stars was the convenience factor. I can't explain how great it is to carry a magazine, book, and movie with me all in one device. I honestly didn't think this would matter, since carrying a book or magazine with me or throwing it in the car isn't necessarily hard, it's just beyond convenient to have it on one device. I've seen reviews on magazines saying they prefer the paper to take in certain pictures and read the articles in larger print, but I can honestly say I prefer the Fire HD. I read Bike Magazine and they put out some phenomenal pictures and the HD screen does them justice. I'd even argue it's a better look than the paper version. It also gives you the option to read the articles in full page view, just like you're reading the magazine, or by double-clicking an article to read it in eReader mode where you can adjust font size, etc, etc.
  
  Apps - you're locked into Amazons app store, but they give you the majority of any app you'd need. This wasn't a big selling point for me. I've only really put Sudoku on mine. I have a smart phone for apps. Amazon does have a great selection and a majority of the top games and applications can be found on their market.
  
  Browser - It's nice that it comes with a browser, and can handle the desktop sized websites, but it seems like the Samsung I was using loaded websites faster than the HD. However -- the general interface of the Fire HD itself (scrolling through material & shopping in the market) went faster than the Samsung did because of how Amazon has kept everything very simple and you don't have the option to have a main screen to put apps and links on. I realize these are two different devices entirely, but just figured I'd mention it. Another thing I'll add to this small section is the added wifi system they put in the HD. I'm not the most technical person, but I can pick up on wifi networks from much farther distances than most other wireless devices I own. It's great for range, but speed stays the same.
  
  Screen Quality - As I've stated before, it's stunning! I've been able to watch tv and movies and enjoy the fantastic pictures in my magazines. It's also a perk to not strain your eyes as much as other back-lit eReaders caused me to do while testing them out in the store. I'd also like to mention that when they say they've added anti-glare technology to it, that's true to a certain extent. The black siding to the screen definitely shows a reflection, but it doesn't matter so much. The screen itself with your media on it has a slight glare that I had to look for to see. I haven't used it outside, and really have never seen the need to yet, but inside with lamps around it doesn't pick up any extra light to create a glare, which is another plus. I also like that this is a little wider. The original Fire's screen sort of bugged me for it's shape.
  
  Weight - Super light & thin. I hardly notice any weight at all when carrying it. It's also comfortable to hold when reading.
  
  Accessories - I bought the leather case that Amazon sells for it and it's very nice. I like the stand when watching movies and it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling to have something cover it, even if it doesn't protect from drops.
  
  Ports / Storage - So far I haven't filled up really any of the space on it. For what this device is used for, you really don't need a lot of space unless you're downloading movies to it, in which case you need to upgrade to the larger size as there are no SD card slots or any of that jazz. As far as I know it's still the same principal of only using the usb to charge and not transfer data as well, but I could be wrong on that so don't take my word for it. That's just something I heard about the older Fire.
  
  Battery - So far I've gotten a solid days use out of it no matter what I'm doing. Whether I'm watching video or just reading it usually gives me the same charge of roughly a day.
  
  All in all I'm really enjoying this product. I've had it for about two weeks now and am really getting into it. Amazon Prime is a nice perk at first, they give you a free 30 day trial with your purchase. I've taken advantage of the free 2 day shipping already, but I'm not sure I'll renew this service. I feel like buying the product should give you more time to use it or at least a discount on purchasing it. Streaming videos and movies has been great though. Compared with the Samsung, I'd say go with whatever fits your needs more. I would have chosen the Samsung if I wasn't JUST looking for an eReader. At first the HD screen and added speaker quality of the Fire were just a plus but now I can see how they'd be a definite selling point. The Samsung is great too because of it's expandable storage and access to anything and everything android. The biggest downside to the Fire is being locked into Amazon's market, which isn't a big enough issue to cause me to down-rate it at all. After all, it is Amazon's product.
  
  Best Offer for this Kindle fire HD at --> Amazon.com/dp/B0083PWAPW/?tag=amz-kindle-20
  
  I hope this helps and if there are any questions please feel free to ask them and I'll try to respond quickly.

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  9 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  Very nice.

  by mfarmer34 on October 30, 2012

  Pros: screen
  content
  size
  speakers

  Cons: very few
  One of my biggest complaints but I cant complain to much because it is one of my pros I don't type to well on this device. As you will see in the review below (it was typed) on the Hd. This is a media device with some light productivity

  Summary: Ok this is not a ipad and I do not expect it to be one. I own a ipad 2 and a iphone 4s I also owned the original kindle ...

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  Summary: Ok this is not a ipad and I do not expect it to be one. I own a ipad 2 and a iphone 4s I also owned the original kindle fire and own two eink kindle readers I will say this device is a huge improvement over last years fire. But it will never replace my ipad. What it will do for me is allow me to enjoy all my Amazon content in a very portable device with awesome sound on a even more awesome screen. Over the last six weeks I have grab Hd over my ipad more times then not when walking out the door. The e mail client is good but not perfect but it gets the job done. watching my Prime,hulu,netflix works flawlessly battery life is very good compared to last years
  fire. Ok if you want a good little device to watch movies,listen to music ,surf the internet,play games, do some light work and just have little fun. I guess I should add read books and magazines (magazines are awesome on the fire hd). for the $199 price tag it is a great little tab if you are new to the tablet market this should be option for you. I will not proof read since this was typed on the fire Hd

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  7 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Love, Love, LOVE My Kindle Fire HD

  by TLue on November 1, 2012

  Pros: screen
  speakers
  size
  content
  speed
  "feel"

  Cons: power/volume buttons difficult to locate at first
  high-speed charger is additional $20

  Summary: My boyfriend purchased the original Fire for me just a month before the HD was released, and it was my first look into the world of tablets. I fell in ...

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  Summary: My boyfriend purchased the original Fire for me just a month before the HD was released, and it was my first look into the world of tablets. I fell in love with the original fire, soaking up books, games, most of the apps I have on my iphone, and all that Amazon Prime has to offer. I returned the fire in exchange for the HD and obviously haven't been anything but pleased with my decision. The screen and resolution is absolutely beautiful, and the speakers blow those on the ipad out of the water. I love the feel of the kindle in my hands, and although the buttons on the side were difficult to locate the first few days, their location quickly becomes second nature.
  
  I was not an Amazon Prime member prior to owning a Kindle, but I am now, and love all of the features it has to offer. I live in Alaska, so the free shipping is a major major plus (although 2-day shipping is unavailable for AK, free ground shipping is huge for Alaska.), but I love the lending library and all the free media associated with my Prime account.
  
  I love that I can read in bed at night on my kindle, then pickup my iphone at lunch the next day and the app syncs to right where I left off.
  
  The battery life is on par with the original kindle. However, I wasn't thrilled that there was no wall charger included with the HD. The charger from the old kindle works, but I did purchase the high-speed charger and would recommend that you purchase it as well.
  
  Some reviewers have gone on and on about the ads on the lock screen. I don't find these to be any big deal at all, and I thought I would. I have even used one or two of the deals that Amazon offers via lock screen ad. Plus, its not permanent. If it means that much to you, its worth the $15 to opt out.
  
  In conclusion, I'm addicted to my new Kindle Fire HD. I love it, and declined an offer from my boyfriend to "trade up" for the ipad mini because I don't see it as trading up at all. For what I use my tablet for (media consumption and reading), there is no better tablet on the market in my opinion, and I have thoroughly researched them all and played with several. If you plan on watching tv/movies/video, reading books and magazines, surfing the web, and playing games - you too will fall in love with the Kindle Fire HD.

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  5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  Excellent tablet, and a great workhorse!

  by bhartman35 on December 1, 2012

  Pros: -- Beautiful screen
  -- Great sound
  -- Slimmer and lighter than the somewhat chunky original
  -- Bluetooth included
  -- Strong Wifi receiver

  Cons: -- UI can be slow at times
  -- No GPS

  Summary: This is an excellent tablet. You get Amazon's breadth of media ecosystem, in a slim, light package that's easy to hold and take with you, plus thousands of ...

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  Summary: This is an excellent tablet. You get Amazon's breadth of media ecosystem, in a slim, light package that's easy to hold and take with you, plus thousands of apps to choose from (and even more if you root the tablet and put the Google Play Market on it).
  
  The screen is just beautiful. I've watched several movies on it, and the Kindle Fire HD displays them very well. On some content, you'll get letterboxing, but that's to be expected. And the Dolby sound means you won't have to use headphones to hear the movies, like you did with the older Kindle Fire.
  
  New to the update Kindle Fire HD is Bluetooth. It's hard to underestimate the importance of this. With a Bluetooth keyboard, you can use this as a laptop replacement for many purposes. I've done lots of typing with the keyboard, and the Kindle Fire HD keeps up well. Get Docs to Go, QuickOffice, or Google Docs (which you can use through the browser, if you don't install the app through hacking) and you're good to go for a lot of office needs.
  
  There are only two real drawbacks. The first is a lack of a GPS. Considering the fact that the Kindle Fire HD *has* a GPS receiver in it, I'm mystified by this. Why not just turn the thing on? You already paid to include it. The other drawback is that the interface is sluggish sometimes. I haven't had issues with taps being slow to register, but sometimes the screen doesn't switch orientations immediately, which can be annoying.

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  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 5 stars

  Good but not perfect - does not support Flash player!

  by JSR1066 on November 12, 2012

  Pros: Nice screen, sound and HDMI port is a good feature. Music player is also solid and skyping is easy.

  Cons: This device does not support Adobe Flash and as a result youtube videos are unplayable ... major fail

  Summary: I don't like too many devices and was hoping this would prove to be a mainstay for travel, etc. It's just OK

  Summary: I don't like too many devices and was hoping this would prove to be a mainstay for travel, etc. It's just OK

  2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 4 stars

  Sluggishness is a deal breaker.

  by oneleft on November 2, 2012

  Pros: Beautiful design and form. And screen. Screen is very crisp and sharp.

  Cons: Too slow on taps, scrolling, opening apps.

  Summary: The sluggishness seems pervasive. There's just this annoying delay when doing basic things like tapping, scrolling, opening apps. I'm not real fond of the UI but could get ...

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  Summary: The sluggishness seems pervasive. There's just this annoying delay when doing basic things like tapping, scrolling, opening apps. I'm not real fond of the UI but could get used to it but with the listed specs this should be more responsive. Ended up returning it to try the Nexus 7. Kudos to Amazon for great return policy.

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  2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  Kindle Fire HD, the iPad Killer.

  by lleno on November 2, 2012

  Pros: Battery, size, Apps

  Cons: Button placement

  Summary: I have been an iPad owner and Apple supporter since day 1. I purchased the iPad 3 4 months ago, only to find out that it was obsolete now. I ...

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  Summary: I have been an iPad owner and Apple supporter since day 1. I purchased the iPad 3 4 months ago, only to find out that it was obsolete now. I can't see spending the $530 for a 32GB Mini with half the processor and resolution. Out of spite, I decided to purchase the Kindle and utilize my prime membership. I can tell you I can't put this thing down, I love it! The only downside that I can see is the buttons (on/off and volume), but I think I am just used to the iPad. If it helps I am an IT engineer and I chose this product.

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  2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  New to Kindle, Love this Tablet!

  by Googleme2012 on September 16, 2012

  Pros: Amazing sound and great screen!
  Amazon keeps throwing credits at me and the Prime thing is great.

  Cons: 15.00 to cancel ads.
  I hated not seeing what I want on the screen saver.

  3 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 3 stars

  I am not a new kindle user

  by cat2013 on April 20, 2013

  Pros: Works like advertised at first. It works as advertised and the scene resolution is great.

  Cons: Wireless gets disconnected,
  touch screen did not work well
  screen freezes
  book pages change order
  Refuses to load some pages.
  Does not allow saving of pdf's,
  randomly stops showing pages
  Customer service sucks

  Summary: Buy an iPad and download kindle app I wish I had the money to do so I would not have to deal with these problems. I have to continuously tun ...

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  Summary: Buy an iPad and download kindle app I wish I had the money to do so I would not have to deal with these problems. I have to continuously tun the thing on and off to get through a book that worked fine on my kindle dx. Oh and you can't return audio books. Don't buy this item it does not work well over time.

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• 4 stars

  Extremely disappointed in this tablet.

  by WyattEarp00069 on April 13, 2013

  Pros: Gr8 screen.
  Nice sound.
  Good battery life.
  HDMI & USB mini ports

  Cons: Tablet screen not that reactive to swipes.
  Typing not accurate or responsive.
  On/Off, sound switches impossible to find by touch.
  Can't use your own photos as background or wallpaper.
  NO FLASH COMPATIBILITY!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Summary: Amazon content shoved down your throat and costs extra $15 to get rid of.
  Amazon Customer Service is the worst, and that's even if you DO get someone who ...

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  Summary: Amazon content shoved down your throat and costs extra $15 to get rid of.
  Amazon Customer Service is the worst, and that's even if you DO get someone who speaks English.
  Was supposed to get 30 days of FREE Prime, but the Fire HD wouldn't sync at all with my ALREADY PURCHASED Amazon content. So Customer Service told me, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE THIS, to repurchase my already purchased content, OR to deregister it, and then register it again. By doing so, I lost my Prime trial, even though it was through AMAZON'S customer "non" service that told me to do so.
  Carousel not that responsive to touch activation or swipe.I loved my kindle e reader and thought the Fire HD would be just as gr8. I asked for one as a Christmas present, but be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. "It" is the tablet and customer service from h-e-double toothpicks!
  I love the HD viewing screen and the really nice sound, but other than that, this thing is only useful as a paper weight.
  STAY AWAY!! DO NOT BUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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