Seriously giving thought of buying this tablet.

[davidmanvell]

Couple of questions:

What Android OS is this running? So far haven't seen this anywhere?

The 4G. Which carrier are they using to connect this to? Supposedly it's $50.0 per year but as you know most areas of the country are not covered with 4G yet (Different amounts depending on which carrier).

 

[BlueMuscles]

Couple of questions:

What Android OS is this running? So far haven't seen this anywhere?

The 4G. Which carrier are they using to connect this to? Supposedly it's $50.0 per year but as you know most areas of the country are not covered with 4G yet (Different amounts depending on which carrier).

AT&T

 

[TX-Dennis]

Amazonized ICS.

 

[davidmanvell]

Where did you see this? All the sites I've seen talking about it say they don't know yet.

 

[Purian23]

They have made the price right and making some higher end equipment for this.. Surely a comp for the N7 for the average guy.

 

[BlueMuscles]

Where did you see this? All the sites I've seen talking about it say they don't know yet.

On Amazon and the Amazon boards.

 

[txrose72]

Comparing the size of the 8.9" (Big) KF to the 9.7" iPad.
If you take an iPad, hold it in the landscape orientation and cover the top inch of the screen, it is the same size as the Big KF and would have the same 16:10 aspect ratio. Well precisely, the KF calculates to be 0.20 inches narrower based on their respective aspect ratios and sizes. A 16:10 iPad modified as above becomes a 9.16" tablet compared to the 8.9" KF. a wide screen movie (is there any other kind now) would be the same size on both tablets. Other than the iPad and its 4:3 clones, every other device we watch/view is either 16:9 or 16:10. Resolution of the Big KF is only 5% less than the iPad 3, 1920 versus 2048. Add the $200 to $250 lower price and is there any question the Big KF is not gunning for the iPad 3?

 

[clitrenta]

I have the Fire HD 7 and I LOVE the thing. Best speakers on a tablet anywhere! I was VERY surprised and they are plenty loud so you don't need headphones. This Fire is better in almost every way from the original. I own a Kindle 3g and I had the original Fire and I had to use both because the Fire was just a little to heavy and bulky to carry around in my bag comfortably so I carried the 3g in my bag and used the Fire at home. With this new Fire HD, I no longer have to do that. The KFHF is thinner and lighter than its predecessor. I would have liked it with 3G but the fact is, most of the stuff I do requiring internet access is done at home where I have WiFi and I can always go to a nearby hotspot where I work if I need it in a pinch. I even love the new cover they offer for it. The cover will actually turn the screen off and on when you use it. It adds very little bulk to it. Perfect.

 

[kevinlufc]

Is it possible to transfer movies onto the KFHD that I have stored on my PC?

As it is using a cut down version of ICS. Do you still have access to Google play? Or do you have to do everything through Amazon?

Cheers In advance

 

[Jesslynh]

I really hope that this tablet meets my expectations. I'm currently on a Samsung GTab 8.9 and don't want to go up to the 10" (too heavy) and don't like the 7"-ers (too small for movies imo).

When they announced the size I stayed on the Amazon site until buying when live and immediately ordered one. I am worried about Google+, but as long as I can sideload apps from my phone, I think I'll be happy. I've seen multiple reports that you can sideload Chrome and that's even better.

I could care less about the OS. I screamed and cried until I finally got ICS on my GTab and don't use it any differently from my phone (Gingerbread) or when I had Honeycomnb on it. I can honestly say that the only thing I upgraded on the GTab was adding the Chrome browser.

 

[twogbsd]

I am going to get the Kindle Fire HD 7' or the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 for christmas this year. I may also get one for my mother. What do you think is better? Can you dual boot an OS like Backtrack or Ubuntu on the KFHD? Is the GPlay Store included?

 

[Ih8apple]

I am going to get the Kindle Fire HD 7' or the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 for christmas this year. I may also get one for my mother. What do you think is better? Can you dual boot an OS like Backtrack or Ubuntu on the KFHD? Is the GPlay Store included?

No google play store, Amazon only. Honestly, if you ate just looking for a media device, the kfhd is amazing. Wonderful picture, good sound. Add Amazon prime (free videos and one free book rental a month) and cloud player premium (store 250k songs) for about $100 per year, and it is the ultimate media machine. I have my entire music collection in the cloud with giant room to spare, a free book a month, and more free movies and shows than I have timer to watch. And the hdmi output so you cab connect to the TV is a big plus.

I LOVE this device. Other than making it a hotspot to power the kindle, navigation, and phone/texting, I never use the phone anymore.

 

[txrose72]

I am going to get the Kindle Fire HD 7' or the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 for Christmas this year. I may also get one for my mother. What do you think is better? Can you dual boot an OS like Backtrack or Ubuntu on the KFHD? Is the GPlay Store included?

Better is in the users hands to decide which meets their needs best. Like most decisions there are always pros and cons. I looked at the KF HD, KF non-HD, Nexus 7 and Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. I prefer the 7" size but my wife wanted my Lenovo A1 as a reader.

If you intend to use all the features of Amazon Prime then the KF, any one, is your only choice. The KF does not have the Google PS although there are ways to install apps which are not on the Amazon App Store. I have not heard of a dual boot option being available for any Android tablet. The KF HD 8.9 is worth considering if you are leaning to an KF because when displaying a wide screen movie the movie is the same size as on an iPad although the iPad will have a black bar above and below the movie. The KF is 16:10 while the iPad is 4:3.

The Nexus and the tab are full android tablets with Google Play Store and you can add the Amazon AS and others. They also include BT, GPS, Camera (the Tab has 2 but there is no flash or auto focus). The Tab also has a 32 GB micro SD card slot and an IR remote control output.

The Nexus has JB and the other 2 have ICS. They are all $200 with the KF having 16 GB and the other 2 having 8 GB. The KF and Nexus have a 32 GB option. The Tab has a 1024x600 screen while the other 2 have 1280x800 screens. The Tab has only a dual 1 GHz processor, the slowest of the three but more than fast enough for 99% of its uses.

The micro SD care slot on the Tab was the deciding factor for me as I could load it with a lot of media for trips plus be able to carry extra cards filled with media.

I hope this was useful.

 

[Jesslynh]

I currently have the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9. That decision was made after buying and returning the GTab 7" (original), an iPad and the original Kindle Fire. All except the iPad were returned because I wanted something bigger and the iPad was returned because I couldn't go to iOS after using Android (phone/tablet). Plus it was just too heavy and large to take with me everywhere. My daily devices are my phone, Kindle and my tablet.

I found the 8.9 size to be perfect for me and I really love the Google ecosystem and have heavily invested in it. I am also heavily invested in the Amazon ecosystem--having been a Kindle user since 2008 and I've been an Amazon Prime member since it was introduced (2005)

Okay, now that all that has been said, I am in a quandry. I absolutely loathe the awkwardness of watching Prime movies on my tablet (I also curse Amazon regularly when doing so), but don't want to give up the ease of use of my current tablet. Since I have had a Fire, I know that apps can be sideloaded and it doesn't take rocket science to do so. I also know that there are some apps that cannot be sideloaded.

I can't hold onto my GTab forever. I am hard on my devices and I also use the thing constantly, both at home and work. I've ordered the Kindle Fire 8.9 and am keeping my fingers crossed that it has enough appeal so that I replace my current tablet. I think that the combination of my new S3 with the larger screen can sub for the Fire in the instances where I can't use the tablet.

So that's not telling you which is better, but maybe you can get some insight based on my scenario

 

[AirMech74]

i just got mine..BNIB off craigslist for $150....I'm liking it so far...but think i would like to root it...if i can figure out how.

 

[bill hansen]

Jesslyn - Thanks for your post. It's really helpful, as I consider whether to plunge into the KF 8.9. One thing worried me: you wrote "I absolutely loathe the awkwardness of watching Prime movies on my tablet"...... Did you mean that you disliked watching Prime movies on another tablet, or on the KF KFHD or KF 8.9??)? I think you meant a non-Amazon tablet, but I want to be sure.

If you loathe the awkwardness of watching on the 8.9, why is that? Are you, like some others, having trouble with laggy videos on the 8.9?

 

[Jesslynh]

Jesslyn - Thanks for your post. It's really helpful, as I consider whether to plunge into the KF 8.9. One thing worried me: you wrote "I absolutely loathe the awkwardness of watching Prime movies on my tablet"...... Did you mean that you disliked watching Prime movies on another tablet, or on the KF KFHD or KF 8.9??)? I think you meant a non-Amazon tablet, but I want to be sure.

If you loathe the awkwardness of watching on the 8.9, why is that? Are you, like some others, having trouble with laggy videos on the 8.9?

I dislike watching movies on the non-Amazon tablet. I now have the 8.9 Fire and the 8.9 Samsung. I don't want to give up the Fire because of the gorgeous screen combined with the Amazon content, but like most Android users find the carousel hard to deal with. The smaller set of apps was an issue until I rooted to get the Play store.

Apps don't count as much until you come across one that you want so your mileage may vary, but the carousel was a bad move, Imo. Others have installed launchers, but I tried 4 and didn't like any--not even the ones I used on my Note 2 or my Samsung tablet.

I'll be keeping the Fire, but will muddy those waters by adding that it would be a close thing if I didn't have the Note 2 to fill in when the Fire falls short.

 

[PRallday168]

I dislike watching movies on the non-Amazon tablet. I now have the 8.9 Fire and the 8.9 Samsung. I don't want to give up the Fire because of the gorgeous screen combined with the Amazon content, but like most Android users find the carousel hard to deal with. The smaller set of apps was an issue until I rooted to get the Play store.

Apps don't count as much until you come across one that you want so your mileage may vary, but the carousel was a bad move, Imo. Others have installed launchers, but I tried 4 and didn't like any--not even the ones I used on my Note 2 or my Samsung tablet.

I'll be keeping the Fire, but will muddy those waters by adding that it would be a close thing if I didn't have the Note 2 to fill in when the Fire falls short.

our friends over at xda are working on cm10 for this bad boy. 7" and 8.9". its coming along slow but the video he made makes it look that much worth waiting for. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2029826