Kindle Fire review (video review)

[Mitlov]

Finally got time to do a video review of my Kindle Fire! Hope this is helpful for people here. I love it, but I tried to be as open as possible about the downsides as well.

Part 1: Kindle Fire review (part 1) - YouTube

Part 2: Kindle Fire review (part 2) - YouTube

[JRakes]

Finally got a chance to check the vids - Thanks, Mitlov! As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Video is even better!

[brickman65]

..... As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Video is even better!

<Insert "That's What She Said" joke Here!!>

[Mitlov]

Wow, going back and watching them, the camera work was TERRIBLE. Oh well...

[JRakes]

It was fine! Brick said she said so.

[headcronie]

Wow, going back and watching them, the camera work was TERRIBLE. Oh well...

Perhaps a camera tripod is in your near future?

Loving my KF. Resisting the urge to root it, so far...

[Mitlov]

Perhaps a camera tripod is in your near future?

Yeah, would've been a good idea

Loving my KF. Resisting the urge to root it, so far...

I'm not planning on rooting mine. I like the layout of the user interface more than the normal Android setup (it's "unique" and "pretty," and I'm a sucker for such things), and honestly, I'd feel a little bad about it. Amazon sells Fires at a loss under the understanding that people who buy them are going to rely on Amazon to purchase media for them. Buying hardware at below cost and then rooting it to eliminate that connection with the vendor who sold it to you below cost...it doesn't sit well with me. Just personal preference, not judging others who root their Fires.

[headcronie]

If the Amazon app store had the apps I want, there would be near zero reason to root. As it is, I'm forced to side-load. Granted, they haven't taken away that ability, so it's not a huge issue.

I know I used to bemoan Facebook, but I've come to realize it is an email replacement. Amazon doesn't have the FB app?? Rather a simple link to the mobile FB site? Eww. Side-loading is passable, but the fact that the app works, and they don't have it in their market is rather irksome.

[Mi An]

There are reasons to root other than severing the connection to the host services. I use mostly Amazon services now, but if I had a Kindle Fire, I'd still be tempted to root for features like button savior, titanium backup and other tweaks and hacks.

Nor does sideloading (even sideloading an alternate market) mean you won't buy those things the default market actually offers. Amazon seems to not feel super-threatened by their rivals, and even offers the kobo (formerly Borders' e-arm) reader app in their store. I'd guess if other competition tried to get listed (netflix is listed -- competes with prime video, ebay is on there too), Amazon would probably let them in too. Would that all markets were so foresighted as to compete by competing, rather than locking users down. Some people don't need root, and I wouldn't tell anyone they should do it, but you can root and still be a loyal customer if you so choose.

Thanks for doing the video review. Lots of googlers come this way, and I'm sure it will help some folks decide.

[Mitlov]

I know I used to bemoan Facebook, but I've come to realize it is an email replacement. Amazon doesn't have the FB app?? Rather a simple link to the mobile FB site? Eww. Side-loading is passable, but the fact that the app works, and they don't have it in their market is rather irksome.

I'll join in the gripe, though I fully realize it's nitpicking. On one hand, the FB mobile site is really really good, so I don't feel the need for a FB app (I like the FB mobile site on the Fire much more than the FB app on my iPod Touch, for example). On the other hand, I find it annoying that whenever I go into FB, I end up with two entries in my carousel, not just one (one for the FB shortcut and one for the actual webpage). It just pushes whatever I was doing before my FB break twice as far back in the carousel.

Like I said, nitpicking. It's something for them to improve the next time they update, though if THIS is one of my biggest gripes so far, they're doing well.