We have had a lot of discussion in the past about tablets on this forum, so I thought I would add to that dialog with this little write up. I have had an iPad Mini GEN 1 and a few year old Samsung Galaxy Tab to serve my tablet needs previously. Both did the job. But what if I told you that you could acquire a brand new tablet, for free, that would accomplish what you need to accomplish with a tablet (further definition below) and do it very well. Read on…

Introduction
So, I decided just before Christmas I was going to watch the sales and buy a new tablet. That is when I ran across this option…. The Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet marked down from $149 to $79. And if you applied for and received an Amazon credit card, you were given a $100 credit to use on the site. I have wanted to try a Fire HD 10 tablet in the past and thought what the heck, how could I lose if it was ‘free’. So, I applied for and received the Amazon credit card, took the $100 credit, ordered the tablet and a third party cover, and still had a $4 credit left over. Nice.

Setup and testing
When I got the tablet, I ran through the Amazon setup process (no brainer) and then immediately hit the XDA Developers website and found the 2019 Fire HD 10 Toolbox, downloaded it to my PC, and went to work. The XDA Developers Toolbox is about as simple and straightforward as anything I have ever used and allowed me to both add the Google Play Store to the tablet, as well as to turn off the Amazon advertisements on the open screen. Take that Amazon. You can also wipe ‘all’ the Amazon stuff, including the launcher, replacing it with Nova launcher, but I opted to leave the stock Amazon launcher in place for the time being. With the Play Store now installed, and logging into the tablet far less annoying, I proceeded to download the Chrome browser, Gmail, Lastpass, YouTube, YouTube TV, and my banking app to the tablet. Everything worked without a hiccup. The Fire HD 10 tablet is not blessed with a powerhouse processor or a lot of RAM and storage, but here is the deal. If you use a tablet like I do for web browsing, email, and content consumption/watching videos, the Fire HD10 is really optimized specifically for those uses. No, it is not a productivity or work tablet (iPad and the new Samsung Galaxy Tabs fill that niche), but I found it did not hesitate or slowdown in any of the uses I use a tablet for. And the upside of that modest processor, it really offers exceptional battery life. I have used the tablet nightly for maybe a few hours a night while watching TV, and only had to recharge it once the entire week. It has a nice 1080p screen that gets very bright and offers an excellent viewing experience. Is it as good as an Apple retina panel? Of course not. But it still does the job very well. And though some online reviewers complain about the wide bezels on the Fire HD 10 tablet, I found them to be a positive given the size of my paws. I actually have somewhere to rest my big ole thumbs. Nice. It also has a very nice forward facing camera for those of you who might use it for video conferencing. I have done a couple Zoom calls with it and it worked great for that purpose (though the rear facing camera is completely worthless).

Summary
Is the Fire HD 10 tablet a do it all replacement for your iPad or Galaxy Tab device? Of course not, so please, no comments about "My iPad could run circles around that stupid Fire tablet". However, if you or a family member use a tablet the way I do (again... Web, email, content consumption/videos) and do not wish to part with $500 to $1,000+ for a tablet, I am finding it really hard to not love the Fire HD 10 tablet. And for free, need I say more.

You sold me. Very informative review.

All well and good, unless you're trying to wean yourself off Amazon to the extent possible.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
All well and good, unless you're trying to wean yourself off Amazon to the extent possible.

Agreed, and I knew someone would likely point that out.

For free, or even for $79 it sounds pretty damn good. I have been considering upgrading the wife’s tablet and mine to the newest iPads, but can’t seem to pry that much $$$ out if my wallet. This may be the ticket.

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
All well and good, unless you're trying to wean yourself off Amazon to the extent possible.

Agreed, and I knew someone would likely point that out.

It sounds like using the Developer’s Toolkit, you did wean yourself from Amazon. Amazon sells these for a loss at $79, figuring to make it up with ad revenue. You’ve deprived them of that when you dump their launcher. Besides, who is better? Google? Apple? Bottom line is if you want to use technology, you’re going to dance with the devil, so there’s no point in comparing which apple is the most rotten (Mixed metaphors are my speciality ).

I had a previous version of the Fire HD 10. Currently I have an (older) iPad 10 and latest edition of the Fire HD 8 PLUS.

I don't do ANY browser or email stuff on any or either tablet. Don't want ALL my junk known to Amazon and their cloud. I use Linux Mint (desktop and laptop) for ALL my browser and email needs.

The ONLY reason I have an iPad is because it has a Sonos app that is optimized for my Sonos speaker system. The Apple Sonos app has a feature that uses the iPad microphone to acoustically fine tune my Sonos speakers to the entire room they're in. And that's all I use the old iPad 10 for.

The Fire HD 8 PLUS is the newest HD 8 and the "Plus" part means I can use a dock to cordlessly charge the HD 8. The dock and Fire HD 8 PLUS lives on my kitchen counter and time, current outdoor temp, weather forecast and Alexa is just a glance away. Loving it !!! Amazon has a Sonos app too but doesn't have the room tuning capability the iPad does. Basically the charging dock turns the Fire HD 8 into an Amazon Show but also with tablet capabilities. I have Roku TVs for movies and such, so enjoy the smaller tablet size of the 8 for "handling", over a 10" tablet.

I gave one to my wife for Christmas. She really likes it, of course she hasn't made all the changes you have made.

I wish I had also gotten one for myself. I have the Fire HD8, which is handy to carry around. I bought a Samsung S6 Tab Lite, on sale, it's okay, not really pleased with it.

Purchased it S a backup to my outdated IPad , which is not supported anymore. The display on my wife's Fire HD10 is much better than my Samsung.

I only use the Samsung and Fire HD 8 for web browsing, no email, that is relagated to my IPad.

Still being an active software engineer I'll take a MS Surface any day of the week. Apple tablets, chrome books, and Amazon Fire(s) suck shit. I'll take a real desktop in a slightly heavier tablet any day of the week. A word of caution, the Surface aint cheap. I haven't owned a real desktop for about four years.

Final phrase: FUCK AMAZON

quote:

Originally posted by Bytes:
Final phrase: FUCK AMAZON

... and microsoftie, rusty chrome and apples and oranges

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:

Is the Fire HD 10 tablet a do it all replacement for your iPad or Galaxy Tab device? Of course not, so please, no comments about "My iPad could run circles around that stupid Fire tablet". However, if you or a family member use a tablet the way I do (again... Web, email, content consumption/videos) and do not wish to part with $500 to $1,000+ for a tablet, I am finding it really hard to not love the Fire HD 10 tablet. And for free, need I say more.

Nothing wrong with the Fire tablet, put to be fair the entry level iPad is $329 not $500, and one version back can be had for less and is still a good tablet.

quote:

Originally posted by Bytes:
Still being an active software engineer I'll take a MS Surface any day of the week. Apple tablets, chrome books, and Amazon Fire(s) suck shit. I'll take a real desktop in a slightly heavier tablet any day of the week. A word of caution, the Surface aint cheap. I haven't owned a real desktop for about four years.

Final phrase: FUCK AMAZON

Congrats, you completely missed the point of this thread.

You lost me at Amazon.

quote:

Originally posted by coloradohunter44:
You lost me at Amazon.

Yup!

quote:

Originally posted by coloradohunter44:
You lost me at Amazon.

So buy an iPad from Apple or a Samsung Tab (A company tied at the hip to Google). Are these companies any less of a threat to us? Unless you plan to sit in the dark using rocks to count with, you're going to have to dance with one devil or another, like it or not.

I can't get by with my work without an iPad. I can however cut ties with as many other pos companies as possible.

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:

quote:

Originally posted by coloradohunter44:
You lost me at Amazon.

So buy an iPad from Apple or a Samsung Tab (A company tied at the hip to Google). Are these companies any less of a threat to us? Unless you plan to sit in the dark using rocks to count with, you're going to have to dance with one devil or another, like it or not.

Go get a Twitter account and make a Facebook page. Remember, keep the Amazon Prime account or open one for for the love of God. We've all got to dance with the devil. Right? Why do you think Amazon is offering their piece of shit tablet at a loss?

Hey Para, if you happen to wander through this thread please feel to lock it. I'm done.

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:

quote:

Originally posted by coloradohunter44:
You lost me at Amazon.

So buy an iPad from Apple or a Samsung Tab (A company tied at the hip to Google). Are these companies any less of a threat to us? Unless you plan to sit in the dark using rocks to count with, you're going to have to dance with one devil or another, like it or not.

You have a valid point, which is why I phrased my comment the way I did, rather than attacking your choice.

I will say this, however: Yes, nearly all Big Tech sucks right now. The one difference between Apple and the others is this: They don't harvest and resell your data. Says so clearly in their policies.

But, yeah: WRT to freedom of speech, the 2nd Amendment, etc.: Apple's as much a danger as Amazon, Google, GoDaddy, Facebook, Twitter, and the rest of them. I'm certain Microsoft is no better, given its history. So, really, nobody that's using any tech from any of these companies ought to be throwing rocks.

I've given a few of the fire tablets and other reader tablets as gifts. I have an ipad because my employer requires it. My wife doesn't use anything but an ipad. I need a keyboard. I don't type with my thumbs and the hunt and peck thing on a tablet is for the birds. But for other stuff, reading or entertainment, they seem okay.

I do recall not so many years ago seeing something like that on one of the star trek spinoffs and thinking it was a ridiculous idea. Never happen. Where would they put the battery?

The stuff we take for granted, these days.