Wanna Know What's HOT?

It's my new Kindle Fire!

Isn't she beautiful :)

Some of you asked if I'd talk about it. Well, of course! Who doesn't like to talk about new toys.

Notice how I placed it on top of the synopsis I'm supposed to be working on? Yeah, that's the way it's been.

I love it!

Don't expect a real review. This is my first e-reader. And I have done very little with it except download books and read. Since I don't know how other readers and tablets work or perform, I can't compare. And I might state something that's totally obvious on all devices. It is what it is.

The size (yes, I measured) is a half inch longer and a half inch wider than a mass market paperback. And way thinner. The weight is about the same as an average hard bound book. I've held it in one hand for several pages without a problem. I've laid it flat and read. I haven't read on the sofa or in bed. Yet.

You can set how long you want it to stay awake without activity from you before it goes to sleep. The default is five minutes.

I can adjust the brightness from dim to oh-whoa-here-I-AM-in-your-face. There are many font combinations using serif and non-serif styles from tiny to gigantic. There are three line spacing options, and three color combinations for reading: black on white background, white on black background, and black on parchment background.

It's very touch sensitive, which I love. Think feather, not hammer. Since it's a touch screen, there are fingerprints. They wipe right off at the end of the day. Or whenever they bother you. The tail of a t-shirt works great. Since the weather is getting cooler, I may be wearing things other than t-shirts, so I'll probably take a shirt I need to throw away, cut a square out of it, and call it a Kindle Cloth.

It charges from low to full in 1-1/2 to 2 hours. I left the WiFi on at first and the charge lasted a couple of days Now I only used the WiFi a couple of times. I don't know how long it lasts with the WiFi off. Maybe double that. Still testing. I can go to the internet - so far I've only gone to Amazon to download books. I can download apps - some are preloaded - I haven't messed with those yet, but I'm sure I will. The same with music.

Nor do I have a cover. Reviews say the existing covers don't fit exactly right - most a little too snug and some don't close correctly. So I'll probably check once a week or so to see if there are new offerings or second generations of the existing ones. There are a couple I really like the looks of. And now that I know how I use my Fire, I know which ones will work best for me. I know I want one.

I bought the Kindle Fire to read books. I've download several - all by bloggers I know. That means I am finally reading your books :)

I'm halfway through the first one. I wanted to read them all first, but that was impossible. So I closed my eyes and pointed.

I feel as if I'm reading faster on the Fire than I do with a regular book. Don't know if that's true, but that's how it feels.

So that's about it.

If you have questions or want to know anything else or something specific, ask in the comments. I'll explore and try to find the answer.

Happy Monday!

Comments

Colette Martin said…
Yes, that really is beautiful! Much prettier than the Kindle I bought last year. My battery lasts weeks -- but it's not a tablet, just an e-reader. Enjoy it!
Linda G. said…
Sounds great! I have the Kindle 3G, and love it.

May you have many happy hours of reading on your new toy. :)
LR said…
Oh nice! I should really finally get one too. I read so much.

I admired my sis' while I was home.
Anonymous said…
Congrats! on your new toy. We're getting Kindle fires for Christmas. Can't wait to use them. They will be our first eReaders. Enjoy!
Joanne said…
Oh I've been waiting for this post. I'm glad you like it, and have a quick question ... How is it for going online, visiting blogs and various sites? I've heard it's pretty fast. The KF is on my list to buy for a gift, so thanks for the review ... and Enjoy :)
I found I read both faster and more often once I purchased my iPad. The ability to change font size is a big plus for tired eyes.
julie fedderson said…
I think I'm going to have to wake up and smell the 21st century and buy one of these.
Hart Johnson said…
Yay for new toys!!! I love my Kindle, though I'd really love to be able to turn on back-lighting, too--I read on my way to work and sometimes it's dark when I start, so I can't read until it gets lighter--that would solve it. Enjoy it!!!
VR Barkowski said…
Excellent review, especially the weight and dimension descriptions, which are important since I'd be using it for *blush* movies, games, and email. I've made no secret I don't care for e-readers. That said, I finally found a use for my Kindle 3: polishing my manuscript using the highlight and note functions.

My question: Since there is no keyboard on the Fire, is it still possible to add document notes, highlight, and bookmark as with a traditional Kindle?
Jennifer Shirk said…
OMG, color me jealous!!!

That's wonderful, Carol! Enjoy it!
Elspeth Futcher said…
Hmm....thanks for the review, Carol. I'm edging ever closer to buying an e-reader, but I'm still not there yet. Too fond of holding an actual book, I guess.
Ciara said…
Your first e-reader. :) It's so awesome. I have a regular Kindle but hope to get some sort of tablet soon. I can't show off my covers on my Kindle. LOL
Carol Kilgore said…
Sorry to have been MIA most of the day. Major sinus headache. But I think I'm going to survive now.

- - - - -

Colette - A few days is fine for me. Plus my desk lamp has a built-in plug.

Linda - Thanks. I'm sure I will.

Karen - I love the backlit screen.

LR - I've been wanting an ereader for a year or more, but didn't know which one I wanted. Then in the spring I started hearing rumors about a color Kindle. So when I heard about the Fire, I knew that was the one for me.

Stephen - You will LOVE them :)
Carol Kilgore said…
Joanne - I went to your blog on my Fire. No problem. Quick and easy. I searched, clicked, and I was right there. I needed to adjust the size of the print, though, because it was tiny on my screen. I didn't try to comment, but I don't see it being a problem. It was as fast as my laptop and desktop.
Carol Kilgore said…
Alex - Yes, there's the 'more often', too. It's enjoyable, but I can't spend too much time there because like most everyone else, I don't have a lot of extra time.

Julie - The Fire is pretty awesome :)

Hart - I just came back from Office Depot and saw a Kindle and the Kindle Fire side by side. If you dim the Fire all the way down, it's a little less bright than the Kindle. And with the brightness all the way up, it would give a glow to a dark room.
Carol Kilgore said…
VR - There is a keyboard. It's virtual - on the screen. I don't have any documents loaded, but I can bring up the keyboard if I'm on the web or while reading a book. So I don't see why not.
Carol Kilgore said…
Another note to VR - I know you can bookmark.

Jennifer - Thanks. I'm enjoying it so far :)

Elspeth - It's different, but I have zero complaints so far. Books are still nice. And I still have several on my TBR shelf to read.

Ciara - Covers are one of the reasons I wanted color. I have one of your covers on my Fire :)
Liza said…
Glad you are enjoying it! I won an I-pad this summer and love it...although in truth, I'm not downloading a lot of books. I still stalk the library for that.
Emily R. King said…
Your Kindle Fire is so purty! I want one. I have it on my list for my birthday. I can't wait!
Carol Kilgore said…
Liza - Lucky You! I still have paper books, too.

Emily - She's blushing :) Hope the Birthday Fairy brings you one!
Tracy Jo said…
Sweet! I am leaning more and more towards getting one. I have so many books on my wish list that I think it would be the best option. Thank you for the review. I love Kindle cloth! Great idea.
Arlee Bird said…
I've been hearing good things about this and you have reaffirmed all that I've heard. Maybe someday, but not for a while I guess.

Lee
Tossing It Out
Enjoy my delightful interview with Susan Kane on
Wrote By Rote Saturday 11/26
Shirley said…
Congrats on your Kindle Fire. I have a Kindle (not a Fire) and I LOVE it. Like you, I only read on it so far.

I'm anxious to know if you like the Internet side of it - the apps, etc. I've thought about one, but can't really justify it right now.

Keep us posted.
Carol Kilgore said…
Tracy Jo - That's what made the decision for me, too.

Arlee - When the time is right.

Shirley - I'll need to do an update after I become more familiar with the tablet side. Everything I've tried so far is great. It's FAST! :)
Slamdunk said…
Looks good, and I am jealous. We are not quite ready for something like that--maybe soon.
I love my Kindle...and the Kindle Fire looks great, too! Glad you're enjoying it. They're handy to have around, aren't they? I carry mine with me all the time.
Linda Kage said…
Wow, it's beautiful, just beautiful!! I read my stories on my iPad which is a heck of a lot bigger than your Kindle Fire. But I really enjoy it...whenever I can pry it away from my kid and husband! Hope you don't have to share it with anyone. I hate sharing my toys!
Carol Kilgore said…
Slamdunk - You'll know when you're ready :)

Elizabeth - I plan to carry mine around, but first I need a cover.

Linda - My dogs said they can read but their nails would scratch the screen. Live In Handyman is another story.
Unknown said…
It is totally, utterly, mouthwateringly gorgeous. I adore gadgets. I read books on my iPad and, like you, feel that I read more quickly. Hmm. Interesting. Enjoy!
Congrats on your Fire!

I have a 3G/Wi-fi Kindle and enjoy it. I download books faster than I have time to read them, but that happened with paper books too.

I don't know that color would make a difference to me, though it would be nice to see the covers in color.

I've heard rumors Amazon is bringing out yet another device after the first of the year. As an e-book author, I hope they sell tons. *gg*
PS: I hope your sinus headache went bye-bye. Those things tend to hang around, don't they?
Carol Kilgore said…
Shirley - I wonder if we really do read faster? Maybe we do. I quick-read news articles and research info on the internet, so maybe that's continuing on the smaller screen with books. Hope so!

Carol - I'm a color nut, so it makes a huge difference to me. Wonder what the new one will be?

My sinus headache started late Sunday night. Monday morning it was 100%. By last night at least it didn't hurt when I moved my eyes or touched my hair. Today it's bouncing between a tight band and just that leftover feeling. Hope it will be totally gone by tomorrow.
Southpaw said…
Congrats.

So I managed to supersize this popup so I hope I don't make a mess of it. I can't figure out how to bring it back to 100%.
Mason Canyon said…
Hope your headache is better. Those don't make for good days.

Congratulations on your new toy. I like the 'kindle cloth' idea, cute. I love print books but I can see where an e-reader could be helpful. Being able to change the print size is a big plus. Maybe one of these days.

Mason
Thoughts in Progress
Lydia Kang said…
Grr, blogger just ate my comment.
Your Kindle is soooo pretty! I hope to get an ereader, maybe for Xmas. :)
Lydia Kang said…
OMG, so sorry for the comment-vomit!
Carol Kilgore said…
Mason - The print size thingie is great. It's especially nice at the end of the day :)

Lydia - No problem. I'm trying to remove the extras and post this comment. The comment function seems to cycle on and off.
Anonymous said…
I have a Kindle Generation 2. I love it, but I've been eyeing the Fire.

I've doubled my reading with ebooks.

Happy reading. Your device looks wonderful.
Talli Roland said…
Oh, I'm so jealous. I have a Kindle 3G and I LOVE it. I've gone a bit crazy with ebook buying!
Julie Flanders said…
How fun that we both got a Kindle at the same time! I'm a little jealous of this one as I just bought the basic one, now I kind of wish I had gone ahead and got the Fire. LOL since I am already addicted I will probably upgrade soon enough! Enjoy your new toy and happy reading! :)
Carol Kilgore said…
Medeia - I'm hoping to double mine, too.

Talli - I'm sure I will go crazy, too. I bought five on the first day. And now I know when I read about something that sounds good, I can just get it right then. Instant gratification :)

Julie - Enjoy yours, too!
Congratulations on your new toy! What fun! I've heard such good things about the Fire. I hope you love it! (I bet you will.)
Carol Kilgore said…
Thanks, Cynthia. I bet I will, too :)

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