Kindle Fire for nonTech person?

I have an IPad, but Apples customer service is terrible. Amazons customer service is wonderful, I have now bought a fire as well, because I want to deal with Amazon for all my stupid questions.

I have read over 90% of the posts on this forum since the Fire was announced.

You are not presenting a balanced view.

He/she/it never does in these discussions. He/she/its mind is made up and that is all there is too it.

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Thank you, proves my point exactly.
A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Especialy when it is locked shut.

Ok, you want a balanced view? Here.

I am super glad I bought the Fire. It is well worth the price for the function provided. Is it perfect? No, but then again I don't want to spend 2.5-4x as much for an iPad, and who believes the iPad is perfect? Just do a Google search on "iPad issues". Personally, I DON'T think the iPad is a good device for it's price. It is way overpriced for what it does.

Fire:
-The carousel is weird until you get used to it showing everything, and sure it would be nice to be able to delete things there.
- Sometimes I don't tap in the exact spot and it does something I didn't want it to.
-Is the Netflix streaming audio 'perfectly' in sync? Not always, but neither is my wireless blu-ray player that streams Netflix to my TV, or sometimes even movies and TV directly from my cable box.
-Are the apps 100% perfect? No, but then I've had my share of Microsoft blue screens of death on various PC's too and that hasn't stopped me from buying or using them.

I've had the same problem with registering the Fire. I told customer support I thought they owed me for the $4 I spent at McD's and, to my surprise, they gave it to me! I was just trying emphasize my point. lol

I'm getting a cable to connect to my PC- due tomorrow- so I'll be able to register it that way. (I hope.) Good luck with yours.

To those who are hesitating, in spite of the registration difficulties some of us have had, I think the Fire has a lot of potential uses. If you don't like it, you've got 30 days to return it and get a different model/item.

Oh- download the user's guide to your PC. You can't use the one on the device until it's registered. If you're going to a wi-fi site to register, take a laptop (or invite a friend who has one) so you can connect to live chat for help if it doesn't do what it oughta.

Carol

you must have a fast broadband connection with WiFi

You only need to have wi-fi yourself if you're going to be constantly using it online, if I understand rightly. For those of us who plan to use our PC (or whatever) most of the time, and just use the Fire for reading or watching stored content, with an occasional trip to the Net, a micro cable or wireless router for the PC and an occasional trip to McD's is adequate.

Carol

To the OP, from a non-techy person who has never had a touch screen device, just let me say that the Fire is simple, simple, simple. I read the manual the morning before the Fire arrived. I had my correct wifi password available to me. My wifi was less than 6-months old. I had the two Fires I ordered registered and running in less than 5 minutes. I haven't had a single problem on either Fire. I think many of the people who have had problems are blaming the Fire for the operation, or lack thereof, of the apps they are trying to use. Perhaps there is operator error happening with people who are used to other devices and the way they operate. I have watched movies, tv programs, surfed the net, played games and read books, and I have not had one single problem. Perhaps those people who are not happy are expecting the Fire to be an ipad, and it just isn't. It is exactly what it purports to be, a very fun device to use. Get one and enjoy.

Audiobooks works great on the Fire. I have downloaded a lot of apps on the fire, and they all work great. I did not like some of the apps, so I removed them, even though the fire worked well with them. I think the Fire is very easy to use. Also streaming movies works very well on the Fire.
Carolyn

DookieX, you must be used to something better and absolutely refuse to make concessions. You might be able to afford something better, but I sure as heck can't.

The Fire is my first tablet and I'm very happy. Sure, I might need to tap the same thing 2 or 3 times before it actually does what I want it to, but it's not like it's something I can't get used to. I've played around with my friends' tablets and smartphones; I know what good performance is.

And what's not intuitive about the UI? It's got tabs that organizes everything for you and there's no swiping to search your homescreenS (remember the days when there was just ONE homescreen?) to find what you want. The only way you wouldn't be able to locate your apps or music was if you were illiterate. The carousel allows you to access your most recent apps straight away (within reason, of course. After the 3rd or 4th app, you might as well find its location in the device). Bringing up volume controls and the home button is a bit bothersome, but again, it's not something that's impossible to adapt to.

DookieX,
I was using the Music app again for the last hour. When I click on Music it lets me see music on the Cloud or music on the Device.

I can click the cloud album and it opens and gives me the option to stream songs or albums and offers a link to download any of it to my Kindle Fire.

It's not needing a computer for music. After, I can select to stream from the cloud or play the device and of course I can go back to the Cloud and ask it to download me another one. There are lots of options to download direct to the device.

Streaming video. You can download it only if you purchase it.

- Andrys
http://kindleworld.blogspot.com

Hoo Doggies! Didn't mean to cause a grumble, just trying to get an idea on if an non tech would have any problems getting started. I think that I am going to get a Fire for DH. Amazon CS has always been helpful and guess that I will keep trusting that they will be there to answer "stupid" questions!

You didn't. It is just one person that is posting that has his/her/its head in the sand and can not face the facts.

T. Wheeler,

A lot of it depends on what you want it for. Are you wanting to watch videos on a 7" screen? Read? Check the weather? Play games? Do your banking? Write novels?

Remember, not all apps are free. You might want to go to the Amazon app store and see what is free, what costs and what is available for your needs and wants.

Unless you want to watch movies, you may be happier with the Black Friday and Cyber Monday specials on a 10" off-name brand of Android tablet. If you are just going to read and play games, then the 7" screen may work for you.

I saw many suggested an iPad. I have an iPad. Running the iPad is a snap. ITunes can sometimes be a challenge, but once you learn it, you stay with it. I just purchased my first smartphone: an Atrix 2. I loved it. It was more of a mini-tablet than phone! But I took it back and got the iPhone because I just didn't want it to be a brick if I downloaded malware because Android apps are not always safe. Also the phone part was awful. But it was a fantastic Android device. While Apple has had a few clunkers, you feel safer with their apps.

I have a feeling Amazon is the same way. Since it is tied in with their system, I think downloading their apps is safer than the open market.

Android isn't hard to learn if you are patient. And since Amazon has tutorials and there are tutorials on YouTube, I don't think you will have trouble. Because it has the protection of Amazon, the Fire would be "safer" than an open source tablet.

BUT again, it depends on what you want the device to do and the apps you want.

If price is no factor, then get the iPad 2. It has a camera and you can FaceTime and Skype. Or you can get a Netbook and do the same thing cheaper than the iPad or Fire. It just depends on what you want the device to do.

But you won't have trouble learning the Fire at any rate :)

If you have music on Apple can you download to Fire

All I wanted it for is to check my email ,facebook ,shop Amazon. It does all with
no problems . A few games are nice too. I use it to read children books to my grandson.
Still like my old kindle for my books .
I have never owend a smart phone , I was able to work with no problems .

You would need to upload your iTunes to the cloud. Then you could download them to the Fire.

To be clear, Nospin is talking about Amazon's Cloud Drive and not Apple's iTunes in the Cloud.

Thank you for clarifying, Thomas.