Database Users

Is the kindle fire really the best android tab for a low budget?

Im really in to moddibg and flashing roms onto my inspire 4G and am close to finally getting around to getting an Android tab. After reading countless reviews for $200 it seems the Kindle Fire is by far superior to other competitors around the $200 or less range. I have played with one several times and I'm just not too sure that I like how it moves around between the apps and books and things, I don't plan on reading very much, just an occasional java development book or two because I am just starting, but I prefer the hard copies. So, I like how tabs that aren't as good such as the coby kryos functions, more what I think to be "actual android" like you would find on a android phone or the all-mighty Samsung galaxy tab. I'm thinking about just getting the fire and flashing some custom roms, but are there and solid ones floating around on xda that offer more of an android experience with the fire? And is the fire even really the best choice for around $200? Please reply with your opinions!
Sent from my HTC Inspire 4G using XDA

If all you want is a better interface than what the stock experience offers and helps switch between apps, you could just install a different launcher and obtain the same results you would have with a custom ROM. However, if you want to have total control over the overall experience using the tablet, rooting and installing a custom ROM is the way to go.
I've had my Fire for about a month or so, I do like it but miss the screen estate found on larger tablets. I am trying to sell or trade mine in for something else and eventually buy an Asus Transformer or something comparable.

i've been looking at these low cost tablets.. they look pretty amazing for the price:
google ainovo and check them out (can't post links yet)

look in Dev section.
I think its great
--sent from my glacier.

Personally for a sub 200 (USD) tablet I think it's amazing. I was rather cautious buying mine because I had heard some harsh reviews and heard that Fire 2 was right around the corner. So I waited until someone I knew physically had one so I could "test drive" it so to speak. I was really amazed that a lot of the initial bad reviews were solved with the latest software updates. So I bit the bullet and went and got one of my own. Probably the best 200(USD) I have spent of 2012.
For me personally the Pros far outweigh the cons of the system.
Pros:
Lightweight, portable, elegant
Hundreds of hours of reading material
Tinkering gadget (Ability to run CM7 and CM9 for full blown tablet access)
Instant access to internet/news without the need to get out the laptop (2007 style desktop replacement can you say HEAVY)
Built in comic book reader with 1000's of free name brand comics (Ironman, Avengers, Marvel, Vampire Hunter D, Dr. Who)
All within a frame that is about as heavy (if not lighter actually) as a hardback novel.
Cons:
No bluetooth. (Personally I haven't used bluetooth since 2006'ish).
No "external" storage i.e. Sd card reader. (Again personally this is not a problem because between Dropbox, Skydrive, Amazon Cloud, and Google Music I have well over 50 gigs available "on demand" in the cloud. 5 gigs is more than enough for a plane, train, bus commute.)
7 inch screen. (Some people complain and say it's not big enough, but I find the iPad to be too unwieldy and cumbersome for what is basically a glorified e-reader.)
So there you go. Personally like I said I don't think you are going to get much better for under 200(USD). Dual Core, 512mb of ram, 5 gigs of internal storage, 3 gigs for OS and App installs.
Hope this helps

Just got kine this past weekend and put cm7 on it and have it set up to use for work while i am on the road by teathering it to my phone and i love ot it has good power for a cheap tabley and makes my life so much easier while on the road
Sent from my Kindle Fire using xda premium

aaa
The only thing is that the KF does not have an sdcard slot

Yeahh Buddy!! Kindle Fire all the way!!

powerpoint45 said:
The only thing is that the KF does not have an sdcard slot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully we will be able to use a USB flash drive soon...

Hmm I have definitely been tempted to get a kindle fire. What's the battery life like on CM9?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA

brooksyx said:
Hmm I have definitely been tempted to get a kindle fire. What's the battery life like on CM9?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using cm7 for stability and battery life is pleasingly good. Blows my phone away by far.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium

For the price point, I don't know that you can really beat this tablet.
Bought mine because I wanted an E-reader for my graduate studies and have been itching to get my hands on an Android Tablet. Development is steady and there are certainly plenty of ROMs to choose from.
My only complaint, like others, is the lack of an SD Card slot. 8gb can go by very quickly but I'll make it work. I think the size is a personal preference. For my tastes, its perfect.

The price is why I bought it. Its awesome is why I keep it.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium

After I got my Fire, I actually gave my iPad my niece because I love the 7 inch size (it fits into my larger pockets even) and it is lighter which makes reading in bed easier (read: I've dropped my iPad on my face to often while dozing off).
The price was a big factor at the time, but now that I have it I think it is worth at least $100 more. Amazon has all the content (books, music and movies) of the Apple and Google markets and often will automatically drop prices to match those stores.
One of the biggest pluses is the fact that the dev subforum and this Fire forum in general is one of the most useful and kind in all of XDA (and that's becoming more rare these days). And because the Fire was such a great seller there a lot of active development and cool things to try out.
My only concern at this point is the rumors of a Fire 2 coming sooner than later (and the price should remain the same...if they raise out at all they would kill the success of this original Fire) and the possibility of a Nexus tablet from Google that would be priced similarly (if not cheaper...rumors put it at $150-250). If those rumors are true, it would likely have superior specs and ICS out of the gate. However, it's hard to tell if those rumors are accurate and what the time frame is.
All in all, I love my Fire and have bought two others as gifts and out has been my favorite tablet yet. You probably won't regret the purchase if you take the jump.
Please excuse typos as I'm typing this on my phone

Honestly can't go wrong for the price. If you live with not having the storage space and, can root and install a different rom. Great buy for $200. Craigslist have ones for cheaper.

amrn4s said:
Honestly can't go wrong for the price. If you live with not having the storage space and, can root and install a different rom. Great buy for $200. Craigslist have ones for cheaper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once haschode has HWA working properly in ICS for the KFs you definitely cannot beat them for the price.
It feels as zippy as the galaxy tabs I have played with. I am currently running AOKP and it is like a new tablet.
Like many others though the main downfall is the 8gb storage limit.
However, books do not take up that much room, I stream my music from Google Music, and I stream most video. I have watched a movie on there, but I knew I was gonna need one to watch for a couple of hours so I preloaded it and then deleted it after viewing so it was not a big deal.

its a great purchase especially with the wonderful community here.

Great tablet. no issue. with $199, all the short coming can be worked around and lived with it.
if you don't like the way it looks and wants to have total control, just flash it with custom rom and that works great. I have mine running with Energy's rom.
Battery life is great after the custom rom. 7" is great. I stored music on the cloud. For video, just download what is needed and delete afterward.
If anyone is so concerns on Fire2 coming out soon, just get an used one.

Can't beat the price. Hardware keeps up with more expensive tablets and you can accessorize .___. If that's your kind of thing.

I really like mine, and I was adamant about never having a tablet because of lack of a real function (my wife bought this one for me).
I don't mind the lack of space. I don't do movies ever and my music stays on my phone (which has a much nicer DAC).

How do the apps run on the N7?

I'm about to buy the tablet myself in a few days but everywhere and anywhere everyone and anyone says that Android doesn't have nearly as many tablet-optimised apps as the iPad. Do the apps run fine or not? I mean do they look good and is it easy to use them or not? Because for the iPad I know there's a separate category so there'll be apps for that.
So could someone confirm if the apps on this tablet run fine or not?
Thanks

They run crappy.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app

Ok just my experience, on android many more apps are tablet optimized.
When I was using an ipad it seemed they were all small or had the option to 2x it making it blurry and horrid.
I guess though the Google play store just doesn't show you apps it they're not compatible though, which is fine because for an app that isn't compatible with tabs there are 10 others that are.
And poster above.. I have no words
Sent from my Optimus 2X using Tapatalk 2

My friend there are more apps in the play Store that you could ever use or even fit into the N7. With all the customizations you can make from OCing to roms the sky is the limit concerning the tablet. All the options that android offers will always keep apple in the rear view mirror.
Yes the apps are easy to access, start and run quickly.
Concerning apps and compatibility always use a browser to see all the apps and look at the comments to see if there are any made by N7 owners. Since I have modified the dpi on mine most apps come up as not available and that is when I check the comments. If it's something I want to buy I'll switch my dpi back to stock. It's a pain but I'm never giving up true tablet ui.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

apps
In my exp i've had by means of trade through best buy almost all of the most recent tabs. in order generic android tab eclair 1, archos 101, ipad, ipad 2, xoom acer a500, playbook, lenovo k1, hp touchpad, playbook again, xoom again, achos 80 g9, acer 501, and nexus 7. Android is my favorite. I also like web os and bb os. ios has better game selection hands down. Android has better free apps hands down bb web had no apps. so all depends on what you want it for

Well with all the quad-core machines coming out these days I'm quite sure there'll be loads of great games for Android too. The third post is interesting. So the apps don't seem like they're just multiplied in size. That's good to know. As long as they look natural I'm happy because the Appstore with all it's apps is horrible [my sister got an iPhone 4S the other day and I kept looking for apps and I wasn't THAT impressed. In fact the Play Store is MUCH better.]
I'm going with the Nexus and I'm sure I'll be a happy customer just like 95% of people who bought the thing. [the 5% are the people who're experiencing problems but even they were happy with their device.]
Thanks for the feedback! Appreciate it very much

Why I dumped the Nexus 7 and kept the Kindle Fire HD

Full disclosure here. I have had every version of the iPad to date and love version 3. BUT.. it is just a bit too big so I've been looking for something a bit smaller for quite a while. I've bought and sold a number of 7 or 8 inch tablets, Samsung, Pandigital, Ainol to name a few and ended up selling them on. The Pandigital was the most fun. I just hung on to the coat-tails of the smart boys who hacked the hell out of it and made it more than what it was. When the Nexus 7 was released it looked like I had a new best friend but there was nowhere to try the darn thing so I held off. When good old Jeff announced the Fire HD I was intrigued and when there was one on display at Best Buy I fondled it and bought one.
The one thing I really like about the iPad is the aspect ratio of 4:3. Everything has gone to 16:9 and I detest the bloody ratio. I purposely stayed away from them both at home and work and have Dell 16:10 ultrabrights and love them. I have gone from T-Mobile S2 to Note and refuse to look at the S3 or Note 2 because the screens have become longer and thinner. Don't even get me started on the iPhone 5 :silly: I seldom watch movies on a small screen or monitor and with the iPad it is apps like Zite or magazines or comics and it excels at that.
OK, now before you start saying that the screen on the Fire HD and Nexus 7 are the same.... yes I agree. Same aspect ratio but not quite same colour saturation etc, but where the Fire HD beats the Nexus 7 for me is that the Nexus 7 looks and feels far longer and thinner. In reality it is only a smidgen longer but the decrease of width makes it feel like a sausage. I don't have massive hands and to be honest I don't find there to be much difference holding either the Nexus 7 or the Fire HD.
Initially, the closed wall and adverts of the Fire HD were off-putting rather than annoying, but after rooting, which ultimately needed installing the SDK to get my computer to be able to ADB into it, and now there is a hack to remove adverts, the device has grown on me. I was able to install the Play Store and pull down apps like Bloomberg, Aldiko, Currents, MX Player and Skype. I couldn't get Zite but I pulled it from my phone and sideloaded it. I installed Gmail and set up my personal and office mails. The one thing I couldn't get to work was QQ Launcher. ADW launcher works but I find myself using it less and less as I just go to the Apps tab.
Now I can easily watch videos or read ePub files with no problem. I have pretty much most of the things I have on my iPad and I find the size and weight of the Fire HD to be very comfortable.
There was definitely an extra smoothness with the Nexus 7 but was it a "holy mackrel, that just blew my eyelids off".....? Nope. The Fire HD works and works fast enough. The only real slowness, if you could call it that, is a slight hesitancy in scrolling PDFs which have been zoomed. The screen is definitely better than the nexus 7, and if it was possible to get QQ Launcher to run then for me the darn thing would be perfect.
The Nexus 7 was a nice unit. Fast and hackable to the cows came home but the long and thin of it ultimately killed it for me. Also one thing I noticed was that with Zite for example, the Nexus 7 rendered it slightly different to the Fire HD. Text was smaller and not quite so clear. There was also something that may have been a bit dodgy about the Nexus 7 and it was very reluctant to switch on at times. I had to plug it into a power source and then it fired up. The battery was almost fully charged but sometimes it just refused to wake up.
So there you have it, one guys absolutely, purely subjective, non scientific rational as to why the Nexus 7 went back this morning and the Fire HD is still here. Your mileage may differ.

I have similar prefs. I like iPad's 4:3 AR, and prefer a reader for "print" media rather than videos. But I also want a larger size than 7" since legibility matters more than portability.
Presently, my eyes are set on the Nook HD+ for its 3:2 AR, not quite as good as 4:3, but better than the standard 16:10. Since I want it mostly for reading and web browsing (in portrait mode), I don't need cam/GPS/HDMI. But I don't want to be stuck in B&N eco, so am waiting to see if it can be unlocked, or at a minimum rooted.
I like the Nook HD+'s $269 price, which is about the same as the Nexus 7 16GB. The KFHD 9 is $309 w/ charger, and it has 16:10 AR and no SD expansion.

I have a Nexus 7 and picked up a Kindle Fire HD. I'm thinking about switching for other reasons. But I actually think the feel of the Nexus 7 is one thing in it's favor. Both tablets have the same 16:10 sized screen, it's only the bezel that is more narrow on the Nexus 7. And that narrow bezel makes it a lot easier to wrap my hand around the back on portrait mode. While the Kindle Fire is larger and heavier. I can wrap my hand around the Fire HD too, but it's not as comfortable to hold that way.
PS. Though one thing the Fire HD has in it's favor for people that like 4:3 ratios is it's on screen buttons and menu do a much better job of getting out of the way. So I have more screen spaces on the Fire HD than the Nexus 7.

I went the other way around. I started with the KFHD and about after a week, I picked up the N7 and unfortunately, the KFHD is going back to Amazon. I love the better colors, sound and more solid feel but at the end of the day, KFHD is a severely gimped version of android. Amazon left out enough code that this device will never fully function as a true android device without a custom ROM. Rooting helps but not enough. Different strokes for different folks, it just depends on what you want to use the device for. The Amazon entertainment ecosystem just isn't for me.
P.S. I have smaller hands but I prefer the thinness of the N7 over the KFHD. Its easier to hold with one hand, IMO.

I chose the Fire HD over the Nexus 7 also. Couldn't be happier.
Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2

It just depends your taste.

I'm thinking of getting a Kindle Fire HD for my dad. He's not that Android savvy, but appreciates a device he can put his music and videos on. And a simple UI. Is this a better device compared to the Nexus 7 for these purposes?
Also, I suppose I can root the device and increase the space allocated for personal content?

fuyoo said:
I'm thinking of getting a Kindle Fire HD for my dad. He's not that Android savvy, but appreciates a device he can put his music and videos on. And a simple UI. Is this a better device compared to the Nexus 7 for these purposes?
Also, I suppose I can root the device and increase the space allocated for personal content?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm... For me I'd think the primary reason to get a Kindle Fire HD is if you are an Amazon user. Because you give up quite a bit in the way of customizability and apps with the Kindle OS. However the UI is pretty simple and easy to use and if he's okay with the limited app selection and primarily wants it for music and videos. Then he'll really like the better looking screen and much better speakers.
The 16GB model comes with 12.63GB available to the user. So I don't think there is any need to reallocate space (it's no like the Nook Color).

fuyoo said:
I'm thinking of getting a Kindle Fire HD for my dad. He's not that Android savvy, but appreciates a device he can put his music and videos on. And a simple UI. Is this a better device compared to the Nexus 7 for these purposes?
Also, I suppose I can root the device and increase the space allocated for personal content?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If someone has never used or owned an android device, phone or tablet, then the Nexus 7 will have a learning curve. Not so much for the KFHD, Amazon keeps it pretty simple and easy to navigate. If I just wanted a pure entertainment device, then I would of stayed with the KFHD. Whispersync is great for readers, which you get with the KFHD, not to mention you can send documents and books to your kindle email and hosted by Amazon. The screen and speakers are fantastic. Amazon app store is limited compared to the google play store but there are ways around that.
The N7 is more of a general purpose device (handles video just fine, sound could be better but its fine with headphones) but the world is at your finger tips..

Well I'm not rooted on either and I still prefer using the KFHD to tell the truth. I just installed an alternate launcher on the kfhd so I'm happy to get away from the carousel.
The video quality? No way is the Nexus 7 equal to the KFHd, not to my eyes. As mentioned, the color on the kfhd blows away the Nexus 7 and color is part of the video quality equation as far as I'm concerned. And the audio quality on the KFHD blows the Nexus 7 as well. And is the ppi on the Nexus 7 even equal to the KFHD?
Read reviews. There are enough that mentioned the video quality isn't up to snuff on the Nexus 7.
And the build quality? Well I was fortunate to get a good Nexus 7 from Walmart but there is enough written from folks who have had issues.
Apps? Well I can sideload and I have more than enough to keep me happy with the kfhd. I equate it to channels on a TV. So what if someone has far more than another, as long as you have the ones you want to watch who cares!
If I decide to get the Nook Hd +, the Nexus 7 will be the one I trade in.

Next Nexus 7?

Hi I'm a iPhone user and I want to try out Android OS. I'm looking at Nexus 7 due to the bigger screen for video playback, surfing and gaming.
Now that iPad Mini is out, any idea how does the next Nexus 7 will compare against? External storage would make a big difference compare to iPad Mini.

EeeK said:
Hi I'm a iPhone user and I want to try out Android OS. I'm looking at Nexus 7 due to the bigger screen for video playback, surfing and gaming.
Now that iPad Mini is out, any idea how does the next Nexus 7 will compare against? External storage would make a big difference compare to iPad Mini.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The fact that Tim Cook said "other companies have tried to make 7 in tablets and failed miserably", the Nexus 7 is automatically better.
It has a better resolution screen. Faster. Can play Blu-rays. (Any android). Plenty of free apps. Can root and get paid apps for free. Even an ad-away app. Google drive is nice for cloud storage. Android is great and customizable.

Hello there I have had iPhone for many years since the 2gen and ipad 3rd gen I recently bought this nexus 7 in comparison to iPad mini I don't not regret it one bit not only do I love it I actually don't even pick up my iPad as often both have there cons and Pro but so far from my personal opinion it works perfect for all my tasks mostly gaming and surfing and torrents .
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium App

You are going to get very biased opinions in this forum, or any forum at that. Best bet would be to try them both for yourself.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

computingwarren said:
The fact that Tim Cook said "other companies have tried to make 7 in tablets and failed miserably", the Nexus 7 is automatically better.
It has a better resolution screen. Faster. Can play Blu-rays. (Any android). Plenty of free apps. Can root and get paid apps for free. Even an ad-away app. Google drive is nice for cloud storage. Android is great and customizable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, with the iPad they didn't have to protect themselves because no other company had made such a device. But with the iPhone and iPad Mini, well, they already knew there are alot of other devices at the market which are really good so they had to protect themselves. The "all 7 inch tablets are crap" is typical Apple gibberish.
Sent from my LG-P990 using xda app-developers app

computingwarren said:
The fact that Tim Cook said "other companies have tried to make 7 in tablets and failed miserably", the Nexus 7 is automatically better.
It has a better resolution screen. Faster. Can play Blu-rays. (Any android). Plenty of free apps. Can root and get paid apps for free. Even an ad-away app. Google drive is nice for cloud storage. Android is great and customizable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, here on Android we support our devs. Don't advocate piracy.
To the OP, try it out! You have a return Window if you don't like it, but compared to the mini I don't think you can go wrong with the Nexus 7.

Hold them in your hand and see which one seems better.
Then look at the screen doing things you may be doing, like reading web pages, pdf's, ebooks, etc. See which you prefer.
As for the "next Nexus 7", no one knows what that will have so I can't answer how that will compare with the ipad mini.
You may need to adjust the way you use the Nexus given that not all apps are available or act the same as they do on iOS.
I carry an iphone and a Nexus 7 with me daily. There are differences but I'm very happy with the N7. I like having both iOS and Android apps available to me.

If its storage you are worried about then it would be better to go with the iPad... but looking into capability of the OS and hardware, the nexus 7 is far better
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

Hows your Tablet after X amount of months?

Hey guys! I'm looking to buy an Nexus 10 in the next few weeks but I'd like to get some reviews or opinions on your guys experience after using it for some time now. I have a nexus 4 and am real into the android eco system and all but I also have an Ipad and am worried about the app selection. Do you guys find it lacking? ANyone else have an ipad to compare experiences? I love android but if all Im gonna be doing is using the chrome app then I might as well stick to the Ipad and not spend the extra money. What do you guys think? I use my Ipad for mostly media consumption, web browsing, flipboard, reading books & time magazine and other tablet magazine/newspapers, movies and music, and some productivity stuff. Help me out guys! Also if you have the 16 gig version, are you finding yourself out of space? I may opt for the 32gig.

vibrant808 said:
Hey guys! I'm looking to buy an Nexus 10 in the next few weeks but I'd like to get some reviews or opinions on your guys experience after using it for some time now. I have a nexus 4 and am real into the android eco system and all but I also have an Ipad and am worried about the app selection. Do you guys find it lacking? ANyone else have an ipad to compare experiences? I love android but if all Im gonna be doing is using the chrome app then I might as well stick to the Ipad and not spend the extra money. What do you guys think? I use my Ipad for mostly media consumption, web browsing, flipboard, reading books & time magazine and other tablet magazine/newspapers, movies and music, and some productivity stuff. Help me out guys! Also if you have the 16 gig version, are you finding yourself out of space? I may opt for the 32gig.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After 4 months of using my Nexus 10 it's defiantly one of my favorite devices that I own, my friend was a hard core ipad user but he recently switched to a Nexus 10 and really likes it. As far as app wise, Android has come a long way in regards to tablet optimized app's and virtually all of the major app's are optimized for tablets. For media consumption I love using the Nexus 10 I often find myself watching Netflix on that at night because of the great screen over my TV. It's also great for regular movies, and tv shows you have loaded on and the speakers for music are quite loud for a tablet. Web browsing is great with chrome fast and smooth. I haven't tired flipboard personally so I can't comment on that unfortunately, for magazines and newspapers most seem to read nicely but a couple of them can be oddly formatted. For productivity, I use app's like Photo Editor and Sketchbook Pro for Tablets which all work well in usage experiences. As far as storage goes I have the 32 GB version and I am glad I went for it over the 16 GB because there is not sd-card slot it's better to have the storage capacity for when you need it rather then being frustrated when you run out of storage room.

I've also had it for 4 months. I'm a full time student and I find myself using my tablet every day as opposed to my computer. Honestly I didn't expect it to be as useful as it turned out to be. The only thing I can't use it for is advanced video editing. And the only thing that I prefer doing on my computer rather than Nexus is typing long essays. I don't actually have a tablet keyboard though so I imagine it would be much smoother with a physical keyboard and mouse.
As previously stated, my Nexus 10 is an awesome media device. I have a lot of 3D action games that I enjoy playing. Plus whenever I go a few days without my Nexus, I'm always blown away by how crisp the screen is when I come back. You never permanently get used to the high quality screen.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium HD app