Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have the Kindle Fire 1st gen, and decided to go with the Kindle Fire HD 8.9" since it solved some of the issues I had with the first one. There are plenty of reviews about what the tablet functionality includes, so I'll only cover some basic things about how it compares to the first gen Kindle Fire and some notable items about how to improve the HD with better apps. Toward the bottom of this review I provide instructions to installing the Dolphin Web Browser, which is the single best thing you can do to improve the Kindle Fire HD. A few notable improvements from the Kindle Fire 1st Generation: * Volume buttons: this is huge! Big improvement. Although I think the buttons should be separated a little to tell them apart, or be physical different somehow to tell which one is increase or decrease. * Freetime: huge improvement. I don't worry about giving it to my kids any more, and my kids love it! * Generally it's more responsive, the screen is better quality, and I like the size much more. As far as the screen goes my 7" Kindle Fire was good for reading books, but not so much for browsing the internet. If I needed/wanted to browse for something I'd usually fire up my laptop for a full browser. The Kindle Fire HD 8.9" larger screen and resolution makes a huge difference. I'm no longer using my laptop as much and able to more quickly look up things I need on the Kindle. It's a full tablet! Of course, this is also a slight negative--I could fit my old Kindle in some pant and coat pockets so it was easier to take around with me. I can't do that, and I'm taking it with me more. I'm a little more afraid of losing it. Now a few things about the Kindle Fire HD 8.9" specifically: * Overall I like much of it. The UI is great for novice and intermediate users. I'm an advanced user, and I still think it works pretty well for my purposes with a few simple enhancements I'll mention below. If you like Amazon's platform and have Prime, it's a no-brainer. Free books via the Lending Library or just free titles is great! * Video is a real standout with this: I'm going to cancel my subscription to Netflix now! Netflix's catalog is going downhill quick, and is still terribly difficult to search for good content. On the flipside, Amazon's Instant Video on the Fire is now much better! I love how the free Instant Video is the 1st option when opening the video tab, and how they have shortcuts immediately to Editors Pick and Just for kids. Makes it simple to find good video, and it looks great output to my TV in HD. I've also installed the HBO To Go app and found it's awesome as well. HBO directly on it! I've also found myself just watching video on the Fire instead of plugging it up to my TV or turning on my TiVo for the same content--just easier. * Integration with Audible is awesome! I used Audible several years ago and found when I logged in dozens of old Audio books I can download in a moment, with great quality. It almost makes me want to go back to Audible. I use Overdrive now and borrow from my local public library to my iPod, so probably will still do that. * Books: it's a great ebook reader. I hate to say it but I prefer most books to be on my Kindle now. Don't forget you can get them from your public library as well (search for Overdrive!). One negative is that I can't put books into folders and I have a lot of books. Oh well... * Integration with Amazon's cloud drive for music and files works great as well. Not much to say but it works flawlessly. The device is great but does have some flaws: * Most notably, Silk is a terrible web browser. Mine crashes continually and is very slow. Even after turning off "acceleration" it's slow. See a fix below for this. * The battery life is so-so. I'm getting around 6-7 hours of use before the battery is dead. * It really should have a forward looking camera. * It would be very nice if Amazon allowed more advanced control over the settings of the device. There are tons of things I'd like to customize, but since this is a more controlled environment than other Android tablets, I just can't. One example: I get lots of email for work and personal use, and as a result I don't like audible email notifications. However, when I turn those off I lose all notifications. There isn't an ability to still show the new mail icon unless you have audio notifications! Overall, I love my Kindle Fire HD 8.9". I have had some frustrations so I'll share how I've fixed those below: * Web browser: GET THE DOLPHIN WEB BROWSER. Most people don't know this, but you can get a different web browser. You can also get plenty of other apps than what is available in the app store. Here's how: o Set your Kindle to allow installing unknown applications: Settings > Device > Allow Installation of Applications = On. o Install the One Mobile Market (independent market place). Amazon won't let me give a URL for this, so just Google "1 Mobile Market" or go to 1Market d o t com. This gives you the ability to install pretty much ANY Android application (with some functional limitations). o Once installing One Mobile Market launch it and search for the Dolphin Browser. This browser works great and is much faster than Silk. It has more options to control privacy and other features. The only negative is that you can't change the Kindle's default "Web" menu item to open Dolphin--you'll just need to add it to your Favorite's menu. * One you install the One Mobile Market and Dolphin also install: o Youtube. Must have. o OneNote (great notetaking product from Microsoft that allows you to sync notes to the cloud) o Anything else you want--just remember that anything that relies on Google's framework functionality won't work without rooting your device. Generally, if an app is already in Amazon's store, get it there so you ensure it works with the Kindle. o AirDroid: This is an amazing tool that allows you to access your Kindle from any web browser to copy files between your computer and Kindle--pictures, etc, and do other advanced tasks. o Flash: While in Dolphin, find a Flash APK file to download. I had a link here but Amazon removed it. Instead, just BING for "flash_player_ics.apk". Currently the top link at Bing is the file you need directly from Macromedia's servers. * In the Amazon App Store make sure you download these key must-haves: o Slacker Radio--Spotify and Pandora have better PR, but Slacker is better IMO. Radio + choose your own music, and if you pay $10 a month you can listen to anything you want, any time. o NetFlix o GSam Battery Monitor o MapQuest--It's surprisingly good. You can also download Google Maps from 1 Mobile Market, but it doesn't work great due to bugs running on the Kindle. UPDATE 12/3/12: Two additional items I realized I should mention: * I didn't mind the Fire didn't come with a charger. I bought this instead: PowerGen Dual Port USB 2.1A 10W AC Travel Wall Charger for Apple iPad 2, New iPad 3, Amazon Kindle, Kindle DX, Kindle Fire / Noble Nook Color / HTC Flyer / Samsung Galaxy Tab Series (USB Cable not included) - White. This has 2 USB ports and works at a high-enough amperage to charge the Fire quickly. * I bought the Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" Standing Leather Case, Ink Blue (will only fit Kindle Fire HD 8.9"). I gave that 4 stars in my review there. It's really great as well but just a little overpriced. UPDATE 1/7/13: I still love my Fire, but wanted to write a quick update about Kindle FreeTime. The Kindle FreeTime function is great -- it helps kids have their own area on the device that is locked down to the items you let them have, so they don't accidentally start buying stuff on Amazon or send emails on your behalf. The key thing though is Kindle FreeTime "Unlimited". This is the monthly subscription service that gives your kids immediate access to hundreds of books, apps, and videos. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000863021). I used this for the 30 day trial for my two kids, and it is a huge benefit. My kids love my Kindle now because there is so much to do on it--and it's not just Angry Birds. They watch movies--even educational videos like Reading Rainbow, read books, and play apps that are educational. Last night I watched my 8 year old son help my 5 year old daughter play a learning game for 45 minutes--what is this animal, what sound does it make, etc. For $6.99 per month it's a huge value--worth every penny!