Other Uses for Kindle Fire

by: admin - Filed under: Amazon Kindle

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. 

[easyazon-image-link asin="B0051VVOB2" alt="Kindle Fire, Full Color 7" Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Xx9W8gdRL._SL500_.jpg" align="left" width="350" height="350"]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…

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Using Kindle Fire for Facebook

by: admin - Filed under: Amazon Kindle, eReader News & Updates

Like most Facebook addicts, one of the first things that I did with my Kindle Fire was to log into my Facebook account and update my status to read, “I’m playing on Facebook with my new Kindle Fire!” 

Of course, that illicited many “Likes” and comments right off the bat, with lots of people wanting to know if I liked the Kindle Fire, how Facebook looked on the device, etc.  And, since several of the people on my Facebook friends list also own Kindle eReaders, I definitely understood the questions.  I was not really pleased with the way the Kindle eReader handled Facebook…but not so with Kindle Fire! 

[easyazon-image-link asin="B0051VVOB2" alt="Kindle Fire, Full Color 7" Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Xx9W8gdRL._SL500_.jpg" align="left" width="350" height="350"]Kindle Fire is the perfect device to use for accessing Facebook anywhere there’s WiFi.  In fact, Facebook is actually one of the preset apps that come up on the Kindle Fire’s main menu when you turn the device on.  All you have to do is tap the big blue Facebook icon, and it brings you right to the login screen. 

Then you simply tap the line for entering your email address, and the onscreen keyboard pops right up, allowing you to enter your email address.  Tap again, enter your password, and your Facebook account pops right up on screen.  Kindle Fire even offers to remember that you’re logged in, so you don’t have to login every time you want to access Facebook. 

I have to say, the Kindle Fire mobile app for Facebook is excellent, too.  The layout is familiar, with a few improvements…for example, the left side menu is hidden.  The first thing that you see is your “News Feed,” complete with the like buttons, comment buttons, etc.  To the right, there’s a little plus sign that, when tapped, brings up options for the post.  You can tap the word “Like” under the post to like someone’s post or status. 

Scrolling through the newsfeed is fun, too.  Instead of having to move your mouse, you simply swipe your index finger up or down, and your newsfeed scrolls…mine scrolled so fast it looked like it was spinning!  (Of course, you control the speed with your index finger…I was just having fun!)

If you want to update your own status, simply tap the blank line at the top, and the keyboard pops up.  There are lower case letters, tap the up arrow to capitalize, or tap the number/symbols key to get to the numbers and symbols.  Very easy!

If you want to see the left side menu, simply tap the icon at the top left of your newsfeed, and the full left side menu for your facebook page pops up.  You can look at your friends list, your apps, and any fan pages that you have. 

Want to see your pictures?  Simply tap the word at the top, and your photo albums are displayed in a grid across your screen.  Tap the album you want to see, and your photos pop up on the top half of the device, with the comments below.  Left and right arrows onscreen allow you to click through your photos.

All in all, using my Kindle Fire to update my Facebook status was definitely a positive experience…I can honestly tell you that there was not even a single feature that I did not like….Kindle Fire actually enhances my Facebook experience, and it will yours, too.

 

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Playing with Fire!

by: admin - Filed under: Amazon Kindle, eReader News & Updates

I was so thrilled this evening to find my Kindle Fire waiting…not only did Amazon ship it early, but it arrived in ONE day instead of two days!

[easyazon-image-link asin="B0051VVOB2" alt="Kindle Fire, Full Color 7" Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Xx9W8gdRL._SL500_.jpg" align="left" width="350" height="350"]Straight out of the box, the Kindle Fire was charged and preloaded to my personal Amazon account.  No messy setup, registration, or anything.  Just turn it on and start playing with it!

First off, the graphics on the Kindle Fire are excellent – the screen has a crisp, clear picture and there’s no messy transitions of any kind.  The touch screen did take a little getting used to, but it didn’t take long to figure it out, and I didn’t have to read the manual to do it.

Like most people, I did a quick run through of the major points…the books, movies, music…it’s all there, just as promised.  Then, of course, I updated my Facebook status to let people know that I was on my Kindle Fire – again, easy and fun.  Not at all like the Kindle 3.  Then I decided to surf the net – again, easy and fun.  Just as promised.

As for the eReader function, I have to say, I like turning the pages with just a swipe.  And, the screen did provide a crisp, clear page for me to read.  It is backlit, like most tablets, but that will just make reading in bed in semi darkness that much easier.

Is it what I expected?  Yes  Is Kindle Fire a good value?  Another resounding YES.  Would I purchase it again?Absolutely…Kindle Fire was worth waiting for!

Stay tuned over the next few days as I expand on the features of Kindle Fire!

 

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Buy Your Kindle at Walmart or Direct From Amazon?

by: admin - Filed under: Amazon Kindle, eReader News & Updates

With yesterday’s announcement that Amazon.com will be selling the entire family of Kindle eReaders in retail stores throughout the country, you might be tempted to buy your Kindle at Walmart, Target, or Best Buy instead of direct from Amazon.com.  Is that necessarily the best choice?

[easyazon-image-link asin="B0051QVESA" alt="Kindle, Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Display - includes Special Offers & Sponsored Screensavers" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/411H%2B731ZzL.jpg" align="left" width="300" height="300"]Although it may surprize you, Kindle has been available at Target stores for some time, however, there are real reasons why you may want to consider ordering your Kindle or Kindle Fire direct from Amazon.com, instead of just running to your local big box retailer to pick one up. 

First and foremost, when you order your Kindle direct from Amazon, you’re cutting out the middle man.  Although the pricing is the same, having your Kindle shipped direct from Amazon ensures that you are getting the most recent version of the software.  Models sold in stores may have been on the shelf for a few weeks or even months, and may not have the most current release preloaded.  While it’s no problem to update the software once you get it out of the box, and in fact, Kindle does it automatically, I would just prefer to have the lastest version when I open the box.

Secondly, if you order your Kindle online, depending on where you live, you may not have to pay a state or local sales tax on your Kindle.  Some states charge nearly 10% sales tax, which can add as much as 19.90 to the purchase of a Kindle Fire.  Ordering it online may actually save you money.

And finally, perhaps the biggest reason to order directly from Amazon is that, should you ever have a problem with your Kindle, Amazon will have a record of your order, date purchased, etc., and it will be far easier to get the support that you need to resolve a problem. 

Yes, you may have to wait a couple of days to get your Kindle when you order direct from Amazon, but in the long run, it may be well worth the wait.  Instant gratification is not always the best way to go, especially when shopping for eReaders.

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Amazon’s Own Library!

by: admin - Filed under: Amazon Kindle

Now THIS is innovation in customer service…and if it doesn’t convince you to buy a Kindle Fire Tablet or Kindle eReader, nothing will!

Price Disclaimer
Prices are accurate as of less than 12 hours ago. Product prices and availability are subject to change. Any price and availablility information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of any products.

Direct from Amazon’s site:

“Dear Customers,
     Today we’re announcing a new benefit for Kindle owners with an Amazon Prime membership: the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.
     Kindle owners can now choose from thousands of books to borrow for free, including over 100 current and former New York Times Bestsellers — as frequently as a book a month, with no due dates. No other e-reader or ebook store offers such a service.
     The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library features a wide array of popular titles, including Water for Elephants, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, and Fast Food Nation – plus award-winning novels such as The Finkler Question, motivational books like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, biographies and memoirs including Kitchen Confidential, and Pulitzer Prize-winning books like Guns, Germs, and Steel.
     We’re adding the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library to Prime membership at no extra cost — Amazon Prime remains just $79 a year, which gives you free two-day shipping on millions of products, plus unlimited instant streaming of almost 13,000 movies and TV shows. 
     If you’re a Kindle owner with Prime, you can start borrowing books today. If you don’t yet have a Kindle, our all-new Kindle family is available from just $79.
     We’re working hard to continuously drive even more value for Kindle owners. We hope you enjoy the new library — happy borrowing.

 

Jeff Bezos
Founder & CEO”
 

Now, this is a new development in the entire eReader experience!

Visit Amazon.com today to get your Kindle Fire or Kindle Touch eReader and start reading best sellers for just pennies a day.

 

 

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Best eReader for Textbooks?

by: admin - Filed under: General 1 Comment

What’s the best eReader for Textbooks?  One of the best things about the introduction of eReaders and tablet computers over the past couple of years has been that they can be used to read electronic versions of textbooks!  So, instead of your high school or college student having to buy a bunch of books each semester, he or she might actually be able to buy the electronic version (or eBook) and download it to a laptop, tablet computer, or an eReader. 

[easyazon-image-link asin="B0051VVOB2" alt="Kindle Fire, Full Color 7" Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Xx9W8gdRL.jpg" align="left" width="350" height="350"]In the past, the Apple iPad was actually the best eReader for textbooks, however, the cost ($400-$800) was prohibitive.  Now, with the introduction of Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet, your student can have an excellent eReader/tablet combination for under $200!   The price alone brings tablet computing and color eReaders financially within reach of literally any student.

Plus, the Kindle Fire comes with an excellent color PDF viewer, and it supports lots of file formats, so more than likely, your student’s textbook, if it is available electronically, will be supported by the Kindle Fire.  Read our exclusive review of the Kindle Fire here!

Honestly, at this price, the possibilities for use in the classroom are endless!  And, we predict it won’t be long before electronic books replace textbooks at all grade levels…that heavy backpack your grade school child is lugging around may soon be gone forever.

Order your student a Kindle Fire today!

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