I swore to myself that I’d never get a tablet because they are a royal waste of money and are useless. A Kindle Fire is not a tablet, though, just like any Kindle is not an e-book reader. It’s a lot more than that. Which is why I couldn’t say no to a Kindle Fire when I got it as a wedding anniversary gift.
My Kindle Fire is a thing of beauty, people. It’s a fantastic little device that does everything any other tablet does but costs a lot less. One of the greatest things about Kindle Fire is that it’s very small and light. You have to be quite an athlete to be able to hold, say, an iPad in your hand for longer than two minutes. Kindle Fire, however, is very easy to hold. It also fits into any regular handbag.
What I use my Kindle Fire for:
1. When I got my Kindle Fire, I immediately disconnected my television. All of the shows I watch are available for free through Amazon Prime, so there is no need to maintain an expensive TV subscription. I’m a huge fan of shows like Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, Top Chef, America’s Next Top Model, and Project Runway. I also sometimes watch One Tree Hill (yes, nobody is perfect). Now I can watch them on my Kindle Fire whenever and wherever I want. I only watch TV shows when I grade and as the end of the semester is approaching, I will now watch a lot of these shows on my Kindle Fire.
2. I can listen to a multitude of radio stations from anywhere in the world on my Kindle Fire. Now I just turn it on whenever I’m in my office and listen to talk shows from Spain, Russia, Ukraine, Argentina, etc.
3. The Amazon app store has apps for really amazing games (many of which are completely free). The games are colorful, complicated, and very entertaining. There are moments when one is so tired that even watching a TV show is too much of a strain. This is when playing a game on my Kindle Fire becomes a great way to relax.
4. There is also a free app that brings you all of your favorite newspapers for free. Kindle Fire is a tablet, which means that, unlike on other versions of the Kindle, you can read Cyrillic characters, so I can read papers in Russian and Ukrainian.
5. Kindle Fire doesn’t have a WordPress app which is available on an iPad. But it’s just as well because I find that app to be very useless. I can blog directly on my Kindle Fire from the Internet browser.
6. Since Kindle Fire is so small and light, I can bring it into the kitchen with me, turn on a video with a recipe I want to try, and watch it as I cook.
I’ve only had my Kindle Fire for a few days and already I discovered all these amazing ways to enjoy it. In the future, prepare yourselves to being bugged with more annoying gushings about how great my Kindle Fire is. 🙂
What I don’t use my Kindle Fire for:
This tablet is good for everything except reading books. For the purposes of reading, you should buy any other version of the Kindle. Kindle Fire has a backlit screen, which makes reading books impossible. It is as painful for the eyes as reading on a computer screen. Also, the screen rotates with every move. This is great for watching videos but very annoying when you are trying to read.
So my old and trusty Kindle 2 will still be with me. I now often find myself clutching a Kindle in each hand, smiling beatifically as I try to decide which one to use. I think we will now have to buy a bigger bed to accommodate two humans and two Kindles sleeping in it. If anybody is willing to make an argument that co-sleeping with Kindles is an instance of Kindle-abuse, I’m always willing to listen. I wouldn’t want to traumatize my Kindles for anything in the world. (For the excessively earnest among us, this was a joke.)
Clarissa's Blog 
I have read a few reviews, it seems that it has a great web browser as well. But, it does not do presentations, and that is why I have to stick with the iPad, at least for the time being…
LikeLike
Cool looking device. But will it compile a Linux kernel?
LikeLike
No, and I think it doesn’t do dishes either. 🙂
LikeLike
I dream to get book reader. But this device is necessary for me only for reading of books. I read much, and sight not so good. To me it is necessary book reader with display E Ink Pearl. And it is expensive also I am afraid to buy shit, therefore while I look narrowly.
LikeLike
How do you access the Internet?
LikeLike
Kindle Fire connects to WiFi. At home, at work, at Starbucks, etc.
LikeLike
the NYT had a hilarious review this week of it that basically concluded it does 70% of what an iPad can do for 40% of the cost so = a win! I must admit I’m tempted if only to give it to the kids instead of letting them play with my laptop/phone!
LikeLike
70% of what an iPad can do
Hmmm, that seems a bit of a stretch. I guess in the end it depends of what one does with what, but the Kindle Fire does not do email, does not have a webcam (which many of us like to use with Skype), cannot (to my knowledge) be used to do presentations, does not have an office suite comparable to iWork, has significantly less storage space… granted, if one does not need any of that, then one is perfectly justified picking the Kindle, but at that point even the comparison becomes iffy…
LikeLike
What do you mean it doesn’t do email? Of course, it does. It has an internet browser. There are also separate apps for Yahoo Mail and Gmail.
I’m not sure what “doing presentations” means.
LikeLike
Psh.
As a Terminator robot I already have far more advanced technology hardwired into my CPU. I am able to predict all Doctor Who spoilers for the next seven Time Lord incarnations with 99.9999% accuracy (+/- 0.1% timey-wimey margin of error). Here’s a freebie for you: Doctor’s real name is Chad Balls. Now you know why he never tells anyone.
LikeLike
The Fire is not an alternative to an iPad, just like an iPad is not an alternative to a computer.
LikeLike
Just to clarify: the Kindle does not do email, in the sense that it does not have a mail client that lets you manage several accounts, transferring (when you need it) email from one account to the other.
Of course you can always open a browser and use webmail, but if you have several accounts (like many of us do) that becomes inconvenient. It’s limited email functionality. Again, if that’s all you need it’s fine, I agree.
LikeLike
Oh, and as for “presentations”: PowerPoint. I doubt if Kindle does that.
LikeLike
Ah, PowerPoint. How do you do them on an iPad? Do you connect it to a big screen? Or you just create them and then send them to a regular computer?
LikeLike
“Just to clarify: the Kindle does not do email, in the sense that it does not have a mail client that lets you manage several accounts, transferring (when you need it) email from one account to the other.”
-That’s true. I’d never use such a mail client (hate Outlook!), so it’s just as well for me. I check and respond to emails from my BlackBerry anyways.
LikeLike
Well, the iPad can be connected to a projector, just like a regular laptop. Its native presentation software (Apple’s Keynote) comes with a very nice simulated laser pointer. Basically you press with your finger on the screen of the iPad, and a laser-like red blob appears on the screen — if you have to teach in a large lecture hall and/or on two screens separately, it is really a useful tool.
In principle you can create presentations on the iPad too, but I personally do not find it very convenient. Making small changes here and there is possible and relatively simple, though.
LikeLike
Wow, that’s really cool. I use PPs a lot, and this sounds extremely useful.
LikeLike
Oh, the iPad for me this semester was a life saver — worth every penny I spent on it, just for the way it has let me teach the class I have been assigned (enrolment 411).
Mind you, here too, if the Kindle could be connected to a projector (I do not know if that is possible but other tablets let you do that), you could create your presentation using, for example, Google Apps, in which case it would be online to begin with, and then you could display it by merely opening a browser. You would not have the simulated laser pointer.
LikeLike
You have a class with 411 students?? Wow. I’d love to teach such a huge class one day. Just to see what it feels like. 🙂 I hope you get TAs to help you with grading.
The laser pointed was the coolest thing about these presentations on an iPad. Maybe they’ll do something like this for the Kindle one day.
LikeLike
The kindle fire runs an android OS and AFAIK you can hack regular Android Apps unto it and that includes email apps, i guess.
LikeLike
Yes, you have access to all Android apps on it.
LikeLike
Ah, well, that could change things substantially, then. I have read some reviews suggesting that importing Android apps on the Kindle is not trivial, but yes, if they included presentation software, email and all that, then one could conceivably approach iPad functionality. I still like the integrated webcam, though. Of course, they are relatively inexpensive so, who knows, maybe the next model Kindle Fire will sport one.
LikeLike