Kindle Fire HDX and other tablets?

[thekarens]

Kindle should be fine for the things you're using it for. I went with the Nexus 7 because I wanted the apps I had bought on the Google play store on my tablet. You can't do that on the Kindle unless you are willing to root your Kindle and tweak it. If you're only playing games like Words With Friends this shouldn't be an issue for you because you can get it free on Amazon's app store.

As far as cloud storage goes I'm a fan when it comes to things like movies, music and pictures. 16gb should be enough if you use the cloud. My tablet is 32gb, but I have several very large apps on it so I wanted the space.

[TrekDianna]

One short comment. I travel a lot so a kindle was much better for me than lugging around books. I have the Kindle 3 (the one with the keyboard) and I have a Kindle Fire. I used the Fire once. Just once and went back to my Kindle 3. Some of my flights I take are 15 hours and the Kindle Fire only held a charge for 8 hours or so. My other can go a month without recharging. I would prefer not to carry the charging cord with me when I am only traveling with a backpack.

[rebeccaC]

Did you compare reading and viewing on the 8.9 vs the 7? Unless money is a real consideration I'd go at least 32gb if not 64gb just to have the room and so the processor doesn't slow as you add more data. I always get more memory and a larger hard drive than I think I'll need especially with something I can't add more to. Audible books take up a lot more data storage so keep that in mind if you think you'll use those. No experience with the cloud. Besides work which is backed up on the companies servers I really only have my photographs to think about saving off my computer. I trust external hard drives over a cloud for those, especially for security. I still prefer paper books and my music is on my iPad air, which I also use to get photos off my camera if needed while out photographing or to quickly work on and to show to or send them off to someone.

For what you want to do the Kindle should be great!

[Catrin]

I agree, get more memory than you think you will need, it is amazing how easy it is to fill it up especially with music and you don't want it to slow down as you add more data as Rebecca pointed out. I do like the cloud for music, don't know how well it works to stream music to your Kindle from the cloud or if it is better to store it on the device (I stream it from the cloud to my Samsung Note II phone). I've been considering getting a Nook HD or other tablet for the same reason you are considering - though to be truly useful for me for work I would need to find a device that I can use a Citrix VPN connection to my computer at work. I suspect that would have to be a Windows device and I don't know that I am willing to do that. I DO like the non-glare screen of my basic Nook device, and the battery life just rocks.

I think those are all great reasons to get the device, good luck with your decision! I've been building up my home gym or I would have already pulled the trigger on something like this.

[Helene2013]

I had a Sony e-reader thinking I would read a lot on it, and charges kept a long time. Well I ended up selling it after reading only one book. The reading style was perfect. But it was not really fun to do internet (even to get books). Magazines would not have been fun, etc. So I sold it to a friend who is super happy with it.

I have an Nexus tablet I use at lunch time at work. I love it very much. I can do it all, and I read a lot of books on it.

I have at home a 2014 note 10.1 tablet. Still in love with it. Does all I want to do and more. Got a 32g because it's all they had in the store but a 16g would have been ok for me. I do not keep much stuff in there because they are not my main "working" tools.

I have a Asus - big screen and way too heavy now laptop, which is my preferred choice for daily things, but do not read books on it. If I need to type something, I will definitively use my laptop. I hate hate hate typing on tablets. Almost a pet peeve of mine. Needless to say I don't type much on a smart phone. ah.

So for reading, if you want to read magazines (which are much nicer with colour), I'd try something a tad bigger if you can. I find 10'' tablet is great. My 7'' one is good but I don't think I'd like using it as much as my note 10.1. If I could get a 12'' tablet I think I'd go for it. But that's me.

[rebeccaC]

though to be truly useful for me for work I would need to find a device that I can use a Citrix VPN connection to my computer at work. I suspect that would have to be a Windows device .

Be nice to whoever does your IT work ....There are Citrix Receiver App's for both Android and OS X. An IT person should be able to help you figure it out. I can connect with my iPhone, iPad air and Macbook pro.

[ny biker]

Thank you all for your input. I went to the store at lunchtime to look at them again. The 8.9 is definitely a better size for reading. The reviews indicate that it also has better battery life than the 7". Unfortunately it's not on sale like the 7" versions are.

I think I am deciding between the 7" with 64gb and the 8.9" with 32gb. The larger screen size with 64gb is really more than I want to spend. Actually the 8.9 with 32gb is more than I want to spend, but I'm having a bit of a hectic week at work right now, the upside of which is that I get paid for some OT, and I was thinking that this would be an early 50th birthday present to myself...so I will think about it for a couple of days and maybe will decide to go with one of the 8.9 tablets.

Thanks again!!

[snapdragen]

I went with the Nexus 7 32 gig because of the android os. I prefer my Kindle paperwhite for reading, I just don't like the shiny screen on the Nexus for reading. The Nexus has been a lifesaver during chemo, I'm able to stream Netflix, thus starting a major House of Cards addiction while I get my infusion.