DD is nearly 18 and I am entirely stuck as to what to get her for Christmas (and she is no help whatsoever).
So I am thinking about a Kindle Fire. She reads sporadically - sometimes a lot and sometimes nothing; and uses the internet a great deal.
She has a laptop but wondered if this would be useful so that she could download books during her reading spells, rather than have them cluttering up her bedroom, and also if she goes to college next September it could be a space saver. Although she accesses the internet on her phone (PAYG) and laptop, I thought the tablet might have advantages being larger than a phone but smaller than a laptop, and able to make use of any available wifi.
However, I'm not very techie. Any thoughts on the above? Has anybody got any comments specifically on the Kindle Fire, and are any other tablets better? I don't have huge amounts of money!
Probably go for a Nexus 7 for similar money but a better spec and you can put a Kindle app on it to download books to.
You will be deluged with posts recommending cheap chinese knock offs no doubt. Your choice entirely but personally I would not entertain one. Why spend £100 on an unbranded tablet when for a little more you can get a decent one?
They have no support, no firmware upgrades and cheap components.
Thanks for your comments Ali, I would rather buy something recognised even if it costs a little more, and preferably from a shop so that I can go back and scream my head off if it doesn't work!
I didn't realise you could get a Kindle app, thought you could only download Amazon books onto Kindles. Bit naive on the techie front.
my DD is 20 and also a pain to buy for. She also has a phone with internet plus a lappy as she's at Uni.
But she did ask for an e reader, we went for the kindle fire as it is primarily a reader but she can browse the web when she wants as well and it will save her getting her laptop out to check emails.
I did look at the nexus but was jsut out of my budget, esp as I managed to get a kindle fire for £99 on amazon during black friday.
But like I said the difference was she asked for a reader, so that helped with our choices.
------------- Shelli
Campers do it in the mud!
Hubby says we can
You can put it on Android, Apple, Blackberry etc and download books just as you can with a Kindle. Your Amazon kindle account can be shared to, I think, 5 devices at any one time.
Good luck, I am sure she will love it. We have one that OH uses to put music and videos etc on and takes it to work to listen to during the day.
We have bigger 10 inch tablets, Samsung Notes, really loving mine.
Quote: Originally posted by shelldean on 16/12/2012
But like I said the difference was she asked for a reader, so that helped with our choices.
At dinner tonight she said that if her friends didn't tell her what they wanted, she wasn't getting them anything. I asked if we should apply that to her? The answer was, as we're family, we should know what she wants even though she doesn't tell us!
There's a deal on at the mo on hot deals website for the fire but most people are saying the nexus 7 is the better buy. Sorry cant help further as I don't have either to compare. Have a look for yourself see if it helps make up your mind.
Nicky
LOL dont you just love kids when they have moments like that Rose.
I would've probably gone for the nexus but with four kids stretching the budget to the nexus was a stretch too far ( OH been made redudant and finishes fri)
She was happy with a plain kindle, I could just stretch t the fire, but seeing at £99 made my mind up!!!
------------- Shelli
Campers do it in the mud!
Hubby says we can
I've got the Nexus 7 32Gb. Saw it as a good fit between the phones and the laptop, for casual browsing at home, and especially for holiday use, saving on packing space.
Being Google, it runs "pure" Android without any overlay, and is guaranteed updates. It has updated already in the month I've had it and is on the latest Jelly Bean 4.2.1 running well on its quad core processor.
There's no card slot or HDMI out, but I installed Samsung's Allshare app on it so can share stuff across our Samsung kit at home. With an "On The Go" cable for about £2, I'll be adding a micro 32Gb drive for extra storage. That said, it'll be used more for streaming/cloud stuff than storage - our main storage/back up is elsewhere.
The Kindle Fires I saw essentially as a device to take you to Amazon. Nothing wrong with that - I use their site extensively - and the Fire HD has better audio than the Nexus and a slightly better screen. The Fire only offers 8Gb for £139 without "special offers" (adverts, in other words) and isn't really good value.
They are supported by a better range of covers etc, having been out longer.
The B&N Nook also has a good screen, but like the Kindle is locked down and directs you to their content. As to the iPad Mini, locked down, poor screen, hugely expensive copy of the 7" tablets others had already released.
Overall, for me, the Nexus was the better bet.
IMHO none of these "mini computers" are as good at purely displaying ebooks as the dedicated readers. The readers have specially designed screens and "e-ink" designed to look more like the printed page. What they do, they do well, but aren't anywhere as versatile as the tablets above.
With a full tablet your DD will be able to read on them, but do a lot of whatever she does on her laptop as well, and slip one in her jacket pocket ready for wi-fi at Starbucks etc.
The smaller tablets are very much seen as "content consumption" devices, as distinct from content creation. So, laptop for *work*, tablet for play.
I got mine at Currys (via TopCashBack, so £5 back) here.
HTH.
Post last edited on 17/12/2012 11:38:03
------------- Mike
My advice is worth no more than the price paid for it
I have just bought a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 from John Lewis and got a free two year gaurantee with it, as well as £50 Cashback offer from Samsung, making the actual price £268, and im very pleased with it.
Theres plenty of apps available from Samsung and the Google store, including many free ones, and you can use it just the same as a Kindle for downloading books. The memory can also be expanded by using a micro card, and add a small usb cable to the power socket and you then have the chance to run it on a dongle if needed.
Not all tablets have the facility to do this.
Julia
------------- Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife
Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!
That's a good price, if the device meets the need.
The other one I'd meant to mention was the Blackberry Playbook 7 which at £129 for 64Gb, front and rear cameras and good audio, is an incredible buy - especially if you have a Blackberry phone and see RIM as a long term player.
------------- Mike
My advice is worth no more than the price paid for it
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Topic: Kindle Fire
