Comments on Steve Hargadon: The Kindle Fire - So Close... A Review with Educat...

Is anyone aware of any college or university using...

2012-02-13T16:16:42.007-08:00

Is anyone aware of any college or university using the Kindle Fire?

I realize this forum is for those who educate chil...

2012-02-06T07:46:20.745-08:00

I realize this forum is for those who educate children. I am an adult returning to college. I still feel compelled to comment.

I suggest considering Amazon's intentions for the Kindle very carefully; they are not targeting those of us who want a tool for studying and learning as long as docs in PDF and other formats are unreadable.

To clarify, I can comfortably read books, textbooks, anything in the format the Kindle book reader supports.

I struggle at only 40 years of age to read all other material, even docs in PDF, which I believe is the most common document format. Web pages are often worse. This functionality is not elusive to Amazon, it's simply compromised.

I wonder as well about slideshow and video presentations. How well does Kindle support those formats?

I made a mistake and did not shop carefully. I would not want those of you with the responsibility of educating children to do the same.

Apple or Samsung and others more versatile would be in best position for innovating an effective educational tool. Amazon sells books, movies, and games, not good computers.

I'm pretty sure you can add your PDFs and othe...

2011-12-01T14:00:29.345-08:00

I'm pretty sure you can add your PDFs and other non-Kindle documents to your Kindle Fire through the kindle email account that is tied to your amazon account. Supposedly you can email the document to that account and then instantly view it on the Fire.

I just bought my very first e-reader, a Nook Simpl...

2011-11-28T09:36:43.248-08:00

I just bought my very first e-reader, a Nook Simple Touch, for only $79. I am still learning, but so far it's been very user-friendly. I immediately ordered and received a book from B&N and have been happily reading it. What I want to learn how to do is borrow books from my local public library and purchase TED books--I think both of these will require which they call "side-loading", which I presume means downloading first to my laptop and then transferring via USB to the Nook.

@JudibeeFL I really need to go look at a Nook now....

2011-11-22T14:23:30.837-08:00

@JudibeeFL I really need to go look at a Nook now. Have your significant other email me at steve@hargadon.com and let's make a connection.

Hi Steve! Thanks for the thorough review on the K...

2011-11-22T14:21:36.349-08:00

Hi Steve!

Thanks for the thorough review on the Kindle Fire. I have been looking for a review like this one because I can see its values to the educators, students and administrators.

I have had my eye on the Kindle Fire or the Nook Color tablet. My 11 year old niece requested a tablet for her birthday. After looking at what was available to her and what she could afford; she opted for the Nook from Barnes and Noble because she got enough gift card money to use with her savings to get the Nook now! She was going to save up more money to get a different tablet. At first she thought she wanted the iPad. Then she found out that Apple does not accept "Flash" which she needed to access her math skill building website so the iPad got knocked down in her choices list. It was not in her current budget either. I am interested to know which Nook she has and what she thinks as a "student" user.

As far as apps are concerned my significant other is a computer programmer and he is needing to know what kinds of apps are the stakeholders looking for? He is ready to design anything that is suggested!

I am adding a tablet to my list for Christmas, even if I may have to wait until afterwards to get it!

@Rhondda and @Roxann: I can't wait to see wha...

2011-11-22T08:15:15.405-08:00

@Rhondda and @Roxann: I can't wait to see what you both think of Fire as a library device. Unlike the iPad or and Android tablet, Fire feels like a "toaster," more of a limited-use appliance than a real tablet device.

I am wondering how and if libraries... public, pri...

2011-11-22T07:24:12.315-08:00

I am wondering how and if libraries... public, private, university etc. will welcome the "FIRE". We have two iPads at our library- at the present time- first generation and are lightly circulated for over a year now. Laptops are still more heavily circulated for production work. Right now the "FIRE" is sitting in front of me in an unopened box... I too will make an educational comparison between the iPad and "FIRE". But it seems I do use my iPad2 with a bluetooth keyboard which makes it laptopish! I still seem to be desiring to push my mouse around the desk! The iPad2 has tempted me use the small bluetooth keyboard, forget the mouse because it is seemed to have transformed itself into the touch screen. I am glad to give up the little critter for less desk clutter! I went to San Diego last week with just the iPad2 and bluetooth keyboard -(which had arrived in the mail one day before departure to LA/San Diego.) It did take less than one hour to get my wrists and fingers aligned with the smaller keys! No offense to Mickey Mouse... but I have retired my mouse! I hope new device sets my heart on "FIRE"!

Thanks for such a good review. We introduced kindl...

2011-11-21T20:03:10.123-08:00

Thanks for such a good review. We introduced kindles in our library this year. Great for storing classics and other interesting but less read books and they have encouraged students to try things they would not have before. I have a Kindle Fire on order for my school to see difference. We habe tablet notebooks in the school for staff and just starting with students and many of the boys have the apple technology at home. I want play with the kindle fire myself but more importantly put it in the hands of our boys to see what happens. The Amazon technology is still so much cheaper than the iPad and in schools this is a big selling point.

@Craig--I'd love to know how you set them up i...

2011-11-21T17:25:40.328-08:00

@Craig--I'd love to know how you set them up in terms of the Amazon account. Amazon may have a great system for this in place (student accounts, library accounts, etc.) that I'm just not aware of, and I hope so since that would be a big part of the parental evaluation.

@Dan--you've opened a real can of worms there!...

2011-11-21T17:16:49.859-08:00

@Dan--you've opened a real can of worms there! I really agree, and when a technology has matured, that makes a lot of sense (like pencils and calculators). I think we're there if we focus on using the Web as the primary technology, but when you get to apps, especially Apple vs. Android, I'm really wondering how bumpy this road is going to be over the next few years. :)

I'll be usin. In elementary school library wit...

2011-11-21T17:11:53.877-08:00

I'll be usin. In elementary school library with students. Let's see what they think!

You've convinced to get an Acer tablet and wai...

2011-11-21T17:07:09.916-08:00

You've convinced to get an Acer tablet and wait and see what happens with Kindle, Fire, and others after Christmas.
As far as an educational tool, I think we, educators, need to focus on the work that students do and be as neutral as possible on what they use to produce the work. I'm a fan of Dixson Ticonderogas because I've wasted way too many hours sharpening and resharpening the cheap big box pencils. But, I really don't care what pencil the student uses, as long as I don't have to sharpen it for them.

@Mr J: I'm not sure it's the app develope...

2011-11-21T15:05:34.131-08:00

@Mr J: I'm not sure it's the app developers... I think Amazon has created a "selected" marketplace, but I could be wrong. I can use the Amazon marketplace on my other devices--it's just their way of organizing and playing a middleman role (I'm guessing it's a long-term revenue play as well). You can change the setting on the device to allow unsupported apps, but in what I think is EGREGIOUS when you try to go to the Google App marketplace in your browser, Fire redirects you to their marketplace. Ouch.

@Mike: I totally agree. The world of information...

2011-11-21T14:59:45.987-08:00

@Mike: I totally agree. The world of information opens up amazingly on the tablet in an intriguing way. I'm reading MUCH more than I ever have.

@Victoria: Agree here, too. Update on my 13-year-old daughter: she really likes the Kindle Fire because it is *not* trying to be an iPad, and in the way that only a 13yo can describe, it doesn't look like you're using an iPad-wannabee, but is a device you wouldn't be ashamed of... :) Fascinating.

I'm hoping that this will be a more affordable...

2011-11-21T14:56:40.422-08:00

I'm hoping that this will be a more affordable option for some parents as an educational device. The first thing that people have to keep in mind when comparing it to the iPad is that it isn't an iPad, and it is more than 1/2 the price.

Hopefully some of the android app developers will jump on board and get more of them available in the Amazon app store.

I have a Kindle Fire on order for my school to see...

2011-11-21T14:45:50.716-08:00

I have a Kindle Fire on order for my school to see differences in iPad and Fire. I want to put it in the hands of kids, random age, to see what happens. I agree, Amazon should get into the education business because we administrators are looking for "bang for the buck." $200 vs $500 is a HUGE difference. I can get two Kindle Fires for the price of 1 iPad!

No matter which tablet you have, this is the way p...

2011-11-21T14:37:00.779-08:00

No matter which tablet you have, this is the way people will be reading and learning. there are so many valuable uses for these devices and more functionality is on the way.

@SEMS Library Lady: thanks for the heads-up about...

2011-11-21T14:06:44.542-08:00

@SEMS Library Lady: thanks for the heads-up about Netflix! I did update the original post. I'm interested in how you'll make yourself more accessible with the tablet.

@kittent: I haven't played with the Nook at all, and now I really want to. Fire does have the Evernote app--and I agree with you, I would most definitely make any computer hardware decision right now based on Evernote myself as well.

so you are saying that it's either kindle fire...

2011-11-21T14:02:53.268-08:00

so you are saying that it's either kindle fire or Acer, not nook tablet, right. I'm lusting after the kindle fire, but it will have to do evernote.

Thanks for the review

Re:Netflix. I watched a Netflix movie the first d...

2011-11-19T19:03:58.632-08:00

Re:Netflix. I watched a Netflix movie the first day I had my Fire, and an Amazon movie the next day. The Netflix movie showed better--no jumpiness or pauses.

I'll be using my Fire in the school library to make myself more accessible. I no longer need to be behind the desk to circulate books.

I don't think I'll be using the Fire to read, as I'm too used to the non-glare screen on my other Kindle.

For $199, this is a great tablet. I can't wait to take it to school after Thanksgiving break and put it to work!