Is there still a place for just plain eReaders?  Wouldn’t a tablet make a much better choice?  At first glance, you would think that would be the truth, however, with summer approaching (and outdoor time), there are a few things you might want to consider about eReaders and outdoor lighting. 

Especially if you’re an avid reader, the Kindle Touch will make the best dedicated eReader for the simple reason that the Kindle Touch is designed for reading.  Unlike a tablet, which is designed to function in many ways, the screen on your Kindle Touch has one main purpose, and that is to provide you with a comfortable reading experience, regardless of where you’re reading. 

Tablets are backlit, which means that they have a lighted screen, and just like a laptop computer, a tablet simply doesn’t work as well in bright sunlight.  You either cannot see the screen for the glare, or the backlighting will drive you crazy if you’re reading outside. 

An eReader, on the other hand, has no backlighting, so it actually reads better and with far less glare than either a tablet or a conventional paper book.  That’s right, an eReader is better for reading outside than a real book.  Kindle’s books have just the slightest grey tint, and that grey tint makes all the difference in the world if you’re reading outdoors, or even under harsh flourescent lighting. 

So, trust me, if you’re taking an eReader to to the beach this year…take a Kindle Touch and leave the tablet at home!

So, it’s been three months since my Kindle Fire arrived at my doorstep…do I regret the purchase?  

Absolutely not! So far, my Kindle Fire has been an endless source of entertainment.  With my  Amazon Prime membership, I’ve been able to watch literally hours of streaming video, and borrow books from the Amazon Owner’s Lending Library.  Since purchasing my Kindle Fire, I have bought three books, at a total of less than $10.00 for all three.

One thing with any version of the Kindle that I really like, is the Amazon bookstore.  Not only are all of the new releases by the biggest authors available, but there are also lots of free books, and books that sell for anywhere from $.99 to $3.99 by lesser know authors.  And, don’t make the mistake of thinking these are all duds…some of these authors have genuine talent and write very well!  I’ve been impressed with many of the free or nearly free books!  (And, honestly, there have been a few that I didn’t finish, but that is to be expected with ANY book, especially if you’re a voracious reader like I am.)

And, I use my Kindle Fire for more than just reading.  I use it to surf the web, update my Facebook status, read my email, and play games, too.  Especially when I am away from home, my Kindle Fire is invaluable to me.  I can just jump on any WiFi, and I’m in business!

Did I accessorize my Kindle Fire?  Yes – I bought a black leather case, a stylus, and a decent set of headphones, all for less than $50.00, and these three things have increased my enjoyment of the Kindle three fold.  While you can get by without the accessories, you’ll be amazed at how handy they actually come in.

One of the first things that I found when I bought my Kindle Fire was that, as much as I like having a little computer to carry around with me, using the touch keyboard is difficult if you have adult sized hands!  No matter how careful I am, I usually manage to “fat finger” several words in my emails, facebook posts, etc.

It took me less than a week to decide that I needed a stylus.  If you’re not familiar with the term, a stylus refers to the small pen like pointers that you can get for your touch screen electronics, including your tablet computers, video game consoles, and even your touch screen phone. 

The second thing that I figured out was that I needed more than one.  You see, I ordered the cheapest one from Amazon.com, and I was constantly misplacing the thing!  (So, my advice to you, is to get the three pack!  I’ve already ordered more myself.)

Regardless, a stylus is so handy to use with your tablet, you’ll wonder why they don’t just come with one!

I’ve had my Kindle Fire for a couple of weeks now, so I wanted to write a short post about the benefits of the month long trial Amazon Prime membership that came with my Kindle Fire. 

Kindle Fire, Full Color 7" Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi List Price: $199.00 Price: $199.00 Read Reviews

One of the first things I did when I got my Kindle Fire was, of course, check out Amazon’s streaming video.  Now, there have been reports that some owners have had problems with a jerky picture…personally, I believe that is more an effect of your internet connection and speed as opposed to any deficiency with the Kindle Fire.  My video streams wonderfully.  The only pause that I ever have is when it initially loads to the device, and then, the hi definition video streams beautifully to the device.  No jerks, no pauses, nothing to indicate any problems whatsoever.  So, if you’re one of those people who have hesitated to buy the Kindle Fire because of the video reports, don’t. 

I have also perused the owner’s lending library extensively, and borrowed a couple of books, too.  You will be amazed at how many titles are available for you to borrow free of charge through the Amazon Prime membership!  I can see the need for me to buy books diminishing significantly over the next year…in fact, I have not purchased a book in months, simply because there are so many free options available to regular Kindle owners.  With the Kindle Fire and my Amazon Prime membership, I’ll buy even less. 

So, as the month draws to a close, will I buy the Amazon Prime membership for the full year?  Absolutely.  With Kindle Fire and Amazon Prime…my entertainment options are huge!

You know, with this Christmas being “the year of the tablet,” I’m sure that there are lots of parents out there wondering if a tablet computer could actually hold up under the constant use and abuse that children tend to put electronic devices through?   Especially since, in many cases, children will treat their tablet like a toy.

Having spent a lot of time looking at almost every tablet on the market, checking the features, and the sturdiness of the devices, as a parent, the choice would be easy.  Amazon’s Kindle Fire is one of the sturdiest tablets on the market, and it offers unlimited options for reading, watching age appropriate videos, and playing games for your child. 

Physically, the Kindle Fire has a rubberized back that is easy for little fingers to grip, and the glass on the front is a special, thicker glass that is designed to hold up to the use that most tablets get….you know, carried everywhere, tapped and touched, bumped, and more…typical use that’s actually on par with the use of the average cell phone. 

With the Amazon Prime lending library, you won’t always be paying for downloads, either!  The lending library is full of books and movies that are age appropriate, interesting, and more importantly FREE to borrow or stream to your child’s Kindle Fire.

And, at the price Amazon’s selling the Kindle Fire for, it’s easily within Santa’s average budget to put a tablet computer under the tree this year!

Kindle Fire, Full Color 7" Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi List Price: $199.00 Price: $199.00 Read Reviews

Although that may seem like a simple question, my answer may surprise you!   I actually have several tablets and several eReaders, and have different uses for all of them, but by far, when I read a book, I still read it on my Amazon Kindle.  That’s right…my Amazon Fire tablet is great for reading my email, watching my favorite streaming videos, listening to music, and even gaming…but for plain, old reading a book, there is no substitute for the eInk screen that comes on the Kindle Touch.

Why do I prefer an eReader to read a book?  If you really think about this, and if you are a devout book lover, as I am, you’ll definitely understand my answer.  When I read a book, I want to get lost in the story.  I don’t want to even notice that I am reading on any type of electronic device.  Frankly, I don’t even want to notice the pages…and I usually don’t. 

That’s a familiar argument, isn’t it?  A couple of years ago, when the electronic readers first came out, that was the exact argument that people used for NOT getting an eReader!  They didn’t want the device to detract from the book!  They liked the look, feel, and even the smell of books… that’s why I like my Kindle Touch.  While it may not “smell” like a book, the look and feel of the Kindle is totally different from that of a tablet computer. 

With the Kindle Touch, you don’t even notice the pages…they are as crisp and clear as a book, but there is no backlight (like tablets have), so reading is actually a more natural experience.  And, Kindle Touch weighs less than Kindle Fire, so I can read my Kindle Touch comfortably anywhere, and in any position.  And for me that means alot, because I literally read everywhere…I carry it in my purse, take it to the gym with me, to the doctor’s office…anywhere that I might have to wait or have a little free time!

And, I think, if you had both, you’d find that you, too, would use Kindle Touch to read,  and Kindle Fire for other things!  So, if you’re on the fence about which device to buy…make sure you really think about what you are buying it for, because you might just find that Kindle Touch is the device you need. 

Oh, and did I mention that the Kindle Touch is really cheap????  (Makes a great gift, too!)

One of the most important accessories that I ended up purchasing for my Kindle Fire turned out to be the headphones to listen to the music and movies that I constantly stream whenever I am using my tablet.

At first, I just used a set that I had laying around the house, but unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), I left the pair I had been using at my parents’ home over the Thanksgiving holiday.  So, the first thing I did when I got home Saturday night was to log on to Amazon.com and find another pair! 

While there are lots of options, and there are many much less expensive than these, I decided upon the JBuds J5 Earbud-style Metal Headphones for iPod, iPad, Tablet, Kindle (Black Pearl), because the description indicated that these headphones offered exactly what I was looking for, at a price that was reasonable. 

With my Amazon Prime plan, the headphones arrived yesterday, so I could go back to enjoying my nightly ritual of streaming an episode of Lost from Amazon, without driving other people crazy while I watched the show on my Kindle Fire. 

Out of the box, the JBuds plugged right into my Kindle Fire, and I put them on…talk about a soft, comfortable fit in my ears!  I usually don’t like ear buds because they “bug” me…but these feel as soft as cotton in my ears.  More importantly, the sound quality is not nearly as tinny as some earbuds that I have tried.  The J5′s titanium micro drivers actually deliver an incredibly smooth and consistent response across the entire frequency curve, from deep, rich bass to full, luscious mids and crisp, vibrant highs…which gives me great sound quality when I watch my show, and when I stream music!

And, since I am incredibly hard on little electronic items like this, I appreciate that the 45° angle jack offers me the strength of pure metal with the durability of firm flexing rubber, and that the lightweight cable is reinforced with Kevlar for optimum flexibility and strength.

Even better, these headphones are also compatible with other electronics that you might have in your home, such as: 

• Tablets: Kindle Fire, iPad, Motorola Zoom, HP Touchpad, Asus EEE Pad, Acer Iconia, Toshiba Thrive, Coby Kyros, Viewsonic, Sony, Blackberry Playbook, Vizio, Archos, Android, Dell, T-Mobile, and other tablets*.
• MP3 players: All iPods, Sansa, Sandisk, Coby, Archos, Sony, Creative, Sylvania, and others*.
• eReaders: Kindle and others*
• Computers: All laptops, notebooks, and desktops*

*JBuds are compatible with any portable devices with a standard 3.5 mm jack. Please check your device specifications or manufacturer for any further compatibility details.

Also available with an in-line microphone (J5M) for use with iPhone, Android, HTC, Blackberry, and other mobile phones, as well as tablets with VOIP apps, including Skype*.

So, what are you waiting for?  Accessorize your Kindle Fire with the JBuds J5 Earbud-style Metal Headphones today!

JBuds J5 Earbuds-style Metal Headphones for iPod, iPad, Tablet, Kindle (Black Pearl) List Price: $59.95 Price: $29.95 Read Reviews

When I bought my Kindle Fire, I automatically purchased the Marware Lightweight case that was shown on the page with my Kindle Fire.  At that time the leather cases were not available, and I didn’t want to have the tablet without a case.  The leather case that I bought for my regular Kindle has saved my device many times.

Kindle Fire Lightweight MicroShell Folio Cover by Marware, Graphite List Price: $39.99 Price: $29.99 Read Reviews

Of course, I immediately put the case on the Kindle Fire, and I have to admit, it looks and feels great!  The case is charcoal gray, has a rigid rear cover and foldable front cover.  It also has a little strap on the back that folds over the front to keep the screen covered when you’re not using the Kindle Fire.

Since I watch a lot of streaming video on my Kindle Fire, though, the one area that I count as a distinct shortfall is the ability to prop the display up on the lightweight case…for me, it just doesn’t work well, and the Kindle Fire is unstable when propped up this way. 

The back of the case seems to strain, and I suspect that it will not last near as long as the new leather cases that have recently been released.

Honestly, I guess that I was just spoiled by the quality of the leather case that I bought for my original Kindle…hence, I will most likely upgrade the case to the leather case that has now been released for the Kindle Fire.

Kindle Fire Genuine Leather Cover by Marware, Brown List Price: $44.99 Price: $44.99 Read Reviews

With this past weekend being the Thanksgiving holiday, our entire family got together… of course, we ate tons of food, we visited with each other as many of us hadn’t seen each other in months, and we played games, watched television, and much more. 

But, the biggest ‘hit” of the weekend was, without a doubt, my Kindle Fire.  While I’m not the first in the family to get a tablet computer, I was the first to get the Fire, and literally everyone wanted to see it, and try it out. 

My mother, who is addicted to casino style computer games, spent literally hours playing on several different slot machine apps that I downloaded for her. 

My father, who loves to read and plays music, enjoyed the piano player app, and tried out the reading part of the Kindle Fire.

My nephew and his fiance, who are college students, tried out the display and reader to see if they could save money on their college textbooks… (they could)

My brother in law, who is an IT guy and has both a Kindle and an iPad, tried it out to see how well it compared, pricewise and feature wise.  It held up to his expectations!

My nieces, one 11 and one 17, both tried out the games (bejeweled was a favorite), and the streaming music and video…now, of course, both of them have added it to their list for Santa.  Even Santa himself liked the Kindle Fire when he arrived

Overall, the Kindle Fire was a huge hit over the holiday… the only downside…  I never got to use it!  Someone else ALWAYS had my Kindle Fire.  I predict that there will be a lot of Kindle Fire tablets under our family Christmas tree this year…

This is going to be a short post, but I wanted to share a quick one with you!

Kindle Fire, Full Color 7" Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi List Price: $199.00 Price: $199.00 Read Reviews

I’m not much on reading directions, so when I wanted to send a pdf document to my Kindle Fire, I simply emailed it to my Kindle 3 email address and expected it to pop up.  It didn’t. 

After a little research, I discovered that Kindle Fire has a different email address than the Kindle 3…once I emailed the pdf document to the new address, it was easy to retrieve the document on my Kindle Fire! 

There’s also a wonderful Kindle/Kindle Fire management system in the new Amazon “cloud” that I’ve been using to manage my Kindles as well…I’ll go into more detail on that a bit later, but it is EXCELLENT!