Amazon launched the new generation of Kindles at the end of September 2013. I spent time perusing these latest greatest Kindles. They are much like the previous generation with the following differences:
- Higher resolution graphics
- More memory and memory options
- Faster processor
- Longer battery life
- Easier (more) Amazon cloud storage
- Simplified (better) support
- A front-facing camera for Skype and similar applications
- Different, more intuitive, menu structure
- New placement of speakers and buttons
- Even better sound quality
- Comes with a charger.
There are other difference, but these are the ones that concern me.
When the HDX first came out, my Kindle Fire HD was working fine, but as months passed it began to stutter. Stuff wouldn’t download. Too many audio books and movies. Too much music. I kept finding more ways to use the Kindle and 8 GB of memory was insufficient.
When they dropped the price by $50, it became less expensive than my original Kindle HD Fire. After a dark night of the soul about spending the money, I bought it. It came with 6-month financing at 0% interest … a nice touch.
I depend on my Kindle. It’s not an optional piece of equipment. I have hundreds of books I can read only on Kindle so in the end, there wasn’t much choice. I was going to get the new Kindle.
I’m convinced Kindles are the biggest bargain in tablets. My granddaughter has an iPad which theoretically has more functions. For my purposes, it isn’t as good. Not only does it cost two to three times more than the Kindle, but the sound quality, screen resolution and color are not as good. The difference in sound quality is particularly obvious. I don’t know how Kindles get such great sound from tiny speakers, but listening to anything on the Kindle Fire HDX is a pleasure.
The Amazon Kindle Fire HDX has a new interface for email that’s smoother and easier to use. The calendar is greatly improved. There are plenty of free games from Amazon. If you have a Prime subscription, you can watch a wide selection of movies and TV shows free too. You can also borrow books. Moreover, you can “buy” many books for $0.00. Sometimes these sales run for only a day or too, but there are new deals every day. And finally, you can lend your books to Kindle-using friends and family.
This is an incremental upgrade to the Kindle Fire HD. The HDX is a wonderful tablet, but so is the original Fire HD. You can still buy the Fire HD (new from Amazon) for $139. For many people, it will be more than adequate. The main advantage to the HDX is the faster processor and additional memory. If you use your Kindle a lot, you’ll notice the difference.
This is a remarkably complete, fun entertainment center in a lightweight, purse-sized package. It’s almost too much fun offering a plethora of pleasantly distracting choices. It’s also a better reader. The page color is a softer; adjusting screen brightness is easier.
You can store everything on Amazon’s cloud servers. If you delete a book, you don’t lose it. You can remove items from the device, but they remain accessible as long as you have WiFi. Serious road warriors may want to get a Kindle with 3G.
You can do most things you would want to do on any tablet on the Kindle. You won’t be editing pictures or writing your novel, but I don’t think you’d be doing that on any tablet. Or at least I wouldn’t. For those things, I want more RAM, a hard drive, an application with legs and a full-size keyboard.
Big thumbs up for overall quality, sound, video, and speed.
Buy a cover that offers some protection and keeps dust out. Most let you prop your Kindle like an easel to watch a movie or listen hands free. Many (most) covers turn the Kindle on and off when you open or close it. Covers are affordable.
Fingerprints are a peril of all tablets. Keep a stash of lens wipes handy. Good for the Kindle, cameras, computers and eyeglasses. Don’t bother with a protective screen; it’s a waste of money.
The on/off button is less difficult to reach, though its placement on the back of the unit wouldn’t be my first choice. I’d prefer all the controls in front. And I find the charger connection tricky. The edges of the HDX are beveled, so the plug is not straight, but slightly angled. You have to be very careful when connecting it; it would be easy to damage the connector. They need to find a way to make the connector straight, not angled. It isn’t a deal breaker, but it is annoying.
The Kindle Fire HDX wakes up instantly. Zero boot time.
I got the one with the ads. They only appear on the splash screen before you unlock it. What’s the big deal?
If you own a Kindle, you are in the Amazon universe. Amazon is so integral to my life anyway, that’s fine with me. I’ve been buying books, appliances, music, movies, housewares, coffee, cameras, computers — everything except clothing — from Amazon for years. If you feel you need to spend two or three times as much for a tablet for the privilege of buying exactly the same stuff elsewhere, hey, that’s what Apple is all about.
- A Closer Look At The Kindle Fire HDX (kindlefirehdx.wordpress.com)
- Kindle Fire HD, HDX sales help power record weekend for Amazon – Christian Science Monitor (newestgadgetsinfo.com)
- Kindle Fire HDX Cyber Monday 2013 Deals and Sales At Aboutdeal.com (hispanicbusiness.com)
- Goodreads and Second Screen integration finally hitting Kindle Fire HD and HDX (engadget.com)
- Amazon Drops Kindle Fire Prices by $50 for Cyber Monday Promo – Gotta Be Mobile (newestgadgetsinfo.com)
- Amazon putting Kindle Fires on sale for Cyber Monday (examiner.com)
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SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
I loved this review! I am getting the new Kindle Paperwhite for Christmas (already ordered and sitting at Dad’s house, waiting to be wrapped) and I am beyond excited. I thought about the Kindle Fire, but don’t really need all of the extras. I am just using it to read so it suits me perfectly. Almost every book I own is on Kindle, because I find that regular books clutter up a lot of space in a small house. And I like reading better on a Kindle anyway. Even my mom, a die-hard “real book” lover, has bought a Kindle and she loves it! She has Prime, but I am wondering if she knows about all the benefits of it. Not sure, will have to talk to her about it. At any rate, I can’t wait for Christmas so I can get my hands on it and continue reading incessantly but with a better interface. I also purchased the Kindle with the ads, but I don’t think it will be a big deal, because they’re just on the wake-up screen, like you said. And really, my mom says she has purchased a few of the books that appeared on the wake-up screen. Sorry for raving, just so excited! 😀
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I LOVE my Kindles. I also have an older one that’s just a reader, but without the back light of the newer ones. The readers are actually better for books than the Fire, easier on the eyes and hold a charge for weeks — and thousands of books. I used to haul a trunk of books with me on vacation. Now, all I need is a Kindle. I use the older one when we go on vacation so I can take more books and not worry about recharging … or downloading when I may not have WiFi. Those paperwhites look really nice.
A lot of people find they don’t want to go back to paper. Paper is heavy, clumsy … and where’s the light? Congratulations!
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Don’t have mine yet, but it sounds awesome… Still using my FIRE & loving it; but, I’ll opt for the upgrade version soon. SHARED on Twitter & FB!
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Thanks for the share. I’m happy with it. Especially with the softer light and color on the reader. It’s definitely easier on your eyes … and it has an “automatically adjust to ambiant light” setting that’s kind of neat too. It’s faster!
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