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Fire Tablet VS iPad

mr__ed
Explorer
Explorer
I had my iPad, along with my vehicle, stolen last night and would like another tablet. The fire tablet is a fraction of the cost of an iPad.
I know nothing about the fire tablets, but are they a good substitution for an iPad? Thanks.
Mr. Ed (fulltiming since 1987)
Life is fragile. Handle with prayer.

2007 Hitchhiker II LS Model 29.5 LKTG (sold)
2007 Dodge Ram 3500/6.7 CTD/QC/4X4/SB/SRW/6-speed man/Big Horn edition (sold)
22 REPLIES 22

Ron3rd
Explorer
Explorer
Ron3rd wrote:
FlatBroke wrote:
Tom_M wrote:
valhalla360 wrote:
But why go thru the hassle when you don't have to?
I bought my Kindle Fire for $30 from Woot.com which is owned by Amazon. It's like Amazon's bargain basement. It was advertised as refurbished but looked brand new. I did install Google Play. You only need to do this if you can't find an app on Amazon App Store. Here's a link that explains how to install Google Play:

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/get-google-play-on-fire-tablet

THANK YOU! I just purchased a refurbished Apple mini iPad for $78 from Woot using my Amazon Prime account and free shipping. Hope my wife will replace her sluggish Fire tablet and link it to her iPhone. If not it will it will make a great GPS to go along with my Garmin Glo 2


As I mentioned in my earlier post, I bought a desktop pc from Woot. Great machine, satisfaction guaranteed same as Amazon. I'd never buy a full retail price pc again. Great deals to be found there.
2016 6.7 CTD 2500 BIG HORN MEGA CAB
2013 Forest River 3001W Windjammer
Equilizer Hitch
Honda EU2000

"I have this plan to live forever; so far my plan is working"

Ron3rd
Explorer
Explorer
FlatBroke wrote:
Tom_M wrote:
valhalla360 wrote:
But why go thru the hassle when you don't have to?
I bought my Kindle Fire for $30 from Woot.com which is owned by Amazon. It's like Amazon's bargain basement. It was advertised as refurbished but looked brand new. I did install Google Play. You only need to do this if you can't find an app on Amazon App Store. Here's a link that explains how to install Google Play:

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/get-google-play-on-fire-tablet

THANK YOU! I just purchased a refurbished Apple mini iPad for $78 from Woot using my Amazon Prime account and free shipping. Hope my wife will replace her sluggish Fire tablet and link it to her iPhone. If not it will it will make a great GPS to go along with my Garmin Glo 2


As I mentioned in my earlier post, I bought a desktop pc from Woot. Great machine, satisfaction guaranteed same as Amazon. I'd never buy a new pc again. Great deals to be found there.
2016 6.7 CTD 2500 BIG HORN MEGA CAB
2013 Forest River 3001W Windjammer
Equilizer Hitch
Honda EU2000

"I have this plan to live forever; so far my plan is working"

FlatBroke
Explorer
Explorer
Tom_M wrote:
valhalla360 wrote:
But why go thru the hassle when you don't have to?
I bought my Kindle Fire for $30 from Woot.com which is owned by Amazon. It's like Amazon's bargain basement. It was advertised as refurbished but looked brand new. I did install Google Play. You only need to do this if you can't find an app on Amazon App Store. Here's a link that explains how to install Google Play:

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/get-google-play-on-fire-tablet

THANK YOU! I just purchased a refurbished Apple mini iPad for $78 from Woot using my Amazon Prime account and free shipping. Hope my wife will replace her sluggish Fire tablet and link it to her iPhone. If not it will it will make a great GPS to go along with my Garmin Glo 2

Hitch Hiker
"08" 29.5 FKTG LS

crcr
Explorer
Explorer
wanderingaimlessly wrote:
My first tablet was a fire. It worked fairly well, seemed more durable than some of the others I looked at. It is nowhere near the Ipad obviously but will perform many functions. One thing I did not like about it, and I dont know if they have fixed it was that you could only use Amazon apps. While they have most, it did limit you on some occasions. By going with an Android tablet using chrome there was more variety in what was available.

Amazon may have fixed the problem, but I know it was a problem a while back.


What you describe is not a "problem" to Amazon -- It's a design feature they built in.

Go on youtube, there are videos of how to hack the Fire Tablet so you can access the Google Play Store to download any app you want. We have two Fire Tablets and I hacked them both. Both work perfectly. I bought the 7" Fire table for $50 new and the larger one on sale for $100 new at Amazon (normally were $150).

Ron3rd
Explorer
Explorer
Tom_M wrote:
valhalla360 wrote:
But why go thru the hassle when you don't have to?
I bought my Kindle Fire for $30 from Woot.com which is owned by Amazon. It's like Amazon's bargain basement. It was advertised as refurbished but looked brand new. I did install Google Play. You only need to do this if you can't find an app on Amazon App Store. Here's a link that explains how to install Google Play:

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/get-google-play-on-fire-tablet


Tom, now that you bring up Woot, I bought my HP Desktop PC from them to use in my office. Advertised as "refurbished" and when I got it, it was in an HP sealed factory box and had all the clingy static plastic on in and looked absolutely brand new. Have no idea what was "refurbished" about it.

Paid about $250 for it and it's been a great little computer for office apps and internet. I'd never buy a full-price computer again.

As to the tablet recommendation, don't forget to look at the Samsung Tab series (Android). Costco often has then for under $200. Mine's about 3 years old and works great.
2016 6.7 CTD 2500 BIG HORN MEGA CAB
2013 Forest River 3001W Windjammer
Equilizer Hitch
Honda EU2000

"I have this plan to live forever; so far my plan is working"

Tom_M1
Explorer
Explorer
mr. ed wrote:
Further question: What do you think of Windows tablets?
I purchased a 10" Nextbook 2-in-one from Walmart about 4 years ago for $100. It's a touch screen with removable keyboard. It came with Windows 8.1 and it upgraded to Win 10 with no problems. I have Microsoft Streets & Trips on it which connects to a GPS receiver. I use it for navigation and also play out music and audio books while I'm driving. It's mounted on my console in a cup holder device with the keyboard removed. The keyboard has died but there is a touch screen keyboard so it's still functional. It's similar to this RCA Cambio available at Walmart:

RCA Cambio 2-in-1 Windows-10-Tablet $99.98
Tom
2005 Born Free 24RB
170ah Renogy LiFePo4 drop-in battery 400 watts solar
Towing 2016 Mini Cooper convertible on tow dolly
Minneapolis, MN

Earl_E
Explorer
Explorer
My Fire 8 would start slowing down after using it for awhile and I would have to do a hard restart to get it back to speed. Doable but frustrating. I also did the work around to use the Play Store and Google and that really slowed it down. Didn't like being locked into Amazon. Guess I wanted too much from a $49 tablet. Bought a Samsung 10" tablet and am very happy with it. Still not too expensive.
2007 Northwoods Arctic Fox 32 5S Fifth Wheel used for fulltiming for several years--SOLD
2014 Sunnybrook 26rl to poke around the smaller parks in the great Southwest
2007 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Diesel
Prodigy brake control

trb46
Explorer
Explorer
mr. ed wrote:
Further question: What do you think of Windows tablets?


I have two Windows tablets from the Win 8.1 days. They worked fine, but didnโ€™t have enough memory to handle the Win updates. I donโ€™t think I would buy another one.
2011 Four Winds 23A
Only 48 more states to visit!

Tom_M1
Explorer
Explorer
valhalla360 wrote:
But why go thru the hassle when you don't have to?
I bought my Kindle Fire for $30 from Woot.com which is owned by Amazon. It's like Amazon's bargain basement. It was advertised as refurbished but looked brand new. I did install Google Play. You only need to do this if you can't find an app on Amazon App Store. Here's a link that explains how to install Google Play:

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/get-google-play-on-fire-tablet
Tom
2005 Born Free 24RB
170ah Renogy LiFePo4 drop-in battery 400 watts solar
Towing 2016 Mini Cooper convertible on tow dolly
Minneapolis, MN

valhalla360
Nomad
Nomad
theoldwizard1 wrote:
fla-gypsy wrote:
The Fire tablet doesnโ€™t come close in capability unfortunately.


fj12ryder wrote:
Like anything else, it depends on what you use your tablet for. The Fire will do quite a few things, and many apps can be loaded with some work and fiddling.


Truth in both statements ! If your a committed long term Apple user, it will take some time to get used to the differences. If you use iCloud to share/store a lot of pictures/documents or use FaceTime a lot, you are likely doing to have issues.

Apple even more so than Amazon (Fire) want to be you "one and only provider" so they both make cross functionality "difficult". Neither particularly like Google so using Google apps can be a challenge (not that is can not be done).

I have a Fire 8 HD, but have not used it much. Just a bit too small.

Amazon has recently had some AMAZING deals (up to 50% off) on their entire Fire table line (likely there will be new versions before Christmas) that are hard to pass up. I would buy a Fire 10, give it a good 2 to 3 months and if you are not happy, sell it. You won't lose that much money.


The days when ipad had more capabilities are long gone. Plenty of apps for android that will do anything ipad can do.

But again, what is the tablet used for? For most people, a fairly basic android will do everything they want.
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and RV

valhalla360
Nomad
Nomad
theoldwizard1 wrote:
valhalla360 wrote:
I would go to a more generic android platform.

Fire are cheap because amazon wants to lock you into their ecosystem (similar to apple).


With a little bit of well documented work, you can bypass most of the Amazon limitation. The big restriction is not being able to download apps from Google and that is easily bypassed.


But why go thru the hassle when you don't have to?
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and RV

mr__ed
Explorer
Explorer
Further question: What do you think of Windows tablets?
Mr. Ed (fulltiming since 1987)
Life is fragile. Handle with prayer.

2007 Hitchhiker II LS Model 29.5 LKTG (sold)
2007 Dodge Ram 3500/6.7 CTD/QC/4X4/SB/SRW/6-speed man/Big Horn edition (sold)

mr__ed
Explorer
Explorer
Fizz wrote:
Were you happy with the iPad?
I would never switch.
The new iPad Air comes with a pencil for jotting notes


I was very happy with it, but am being a little more frugal now due to losses of both my vehicle and iPad, along with another laptop. I won't have a need for note taking, so iPad Pro probably won't be considered. I'll look into the Android units as others have suggested.
Mr. Ed (fulltiming since 1987)
Life is fragile. Handle with prayer.

2007 Hitchhiker II LS Model 29.5 LKTG (sold)
2007 Dodge Ram 3500/6.7 CTD/QC/4X4/SB/SRW/6-speed man/Big Horn edition (sold)

theoldwizard1
Explorer
Explorer
valhalla360 wrote:
I would go to a more generic android platform.

Fire are cheap because amazon wants to lock you into their ecosystem (similar to apple).


With a little bit of well documented work, you can bypass most of the Amazon limitation. The big restriction is not being able to download apps from Google and that is easily bypassed.