Finally got kindle fire due to $29.99 price tag

[DaveLembke]

Kindle fire and other kindle devices have been around for quite a few years now. Personally I was too cheap to spend the money they originally wanted for them and preferred a computer with a keyboard instead of touchpad. However travelling I had a small Sony movie player and then eventually got a android tablet 2 years ago for $40. Then a few days ago I saw that bestbuy had kindle fire 7 on sale for $29.99 and I knew that kindle fires ran better than the cheapie China tablets and so I figured it was a good time to upgrade on the cheap. So given the price tag of $29.99 I bought 3 of them to keep 2 spares. 

My wife bought a kindle fire when they first came out. Myself I didn't see the immediate need for a tablet and spend that kind of money for just one of them. So I bought 3 of them with 2 as spares because my wife has had 2 of them brick on her after heavy use and 1 of the 2 that bricked she busted the touch pad and I had to replace that so I also know how fragile they can be as well as pain to service. Next one she kills I can just surprise her with a spare that she doesn't know I have that she thinks i paid full price for. 

Typed this all on the kindle fire 7 

[patio]

Congrats...how much is subscription ? ?

[soybean]

Eh, Dave, I have a Samsung Tab A 8" tablet that I bought over 2 years ago and the Kindle app works great on it.  And, since I've used the tablet for much more than a Kindle reader, I have a different perspective on this.  I guess, if I was using a tablet mostly to read books via Kindle, I could see your point. 

I'll soon be visiting my son in CA and will just take my smartphone and tablet.  I have a laptop but it's not working right, so I'll leave it home.  I have Microsoft's OneDrive app installed on my tablet and on my phone and can access files stored on OneDrive anywhere I have an internet connection.

[DaveLembke]

No subscription cost. I just registered it against my already existing amazon account. Their app store has plenty of free games however I am guessing they operate their software and apps like apple does as for so far it looks like the apps are ones preapproved by them although lots of overlap between googles game store for android and Amazon's fire lineup. I added vlc player to it and able to watch my videos through that. Since I have prime to save on shipping they also have the streaming that comes with prime enabled accounts so I have been watching movies and TV shows through it at no additional cost.

Initially when kindle fires came out they were mostly for reading but this one the kindle fire 7 can do just about what my Emerson brand android $40 tablet can do but faster because its arm processor is more snappy.

I like that it has a microsd slot so I was able to upgrade its storage capacity from 8GB to 72GB with the 64GB that I took from my other tablet.

Some apps want to stay on internal storage vs external storage but I was able to move 2GB off the 8GB internal storage to the external microsd 64GB

There is one game I'd like to add to this kindle fire 7 which is a pyramid solitaire which I play on my other android devices but not sure if there is a way to get google play store on this and then bring it over that way. Going to look into that tonight. 

The specific version of pyramid solitaire I like so much that I installed the andyroid android emulator to my PC and play the game as well as angry birds 2 with friends to beat each others scores.

[strollin]

Try this method to add Google Play to your tablet: https://www.howtogeek.com/232726/how-to-install-the-google-play-store-on-your-amazon-fire-tablet/

[soybean]

Does the kindle fire 7 have bluetooth capability?

[DaveLembke]

Yes it has blue tooth. But I have my blue tooth shut off because I don't use Bluetooth with any of my stuff.

And I just ran that trick that strollin shared using the method of installing the 4 APK files from google from links provided in the instructions in the order as listed and success.    It stated there was a newer version below the green download and I told it to download the version that was at the green download link vs the confusing 4 options for a newer download below that.

After a reboot of my kindle fire 7, which I did just to bring it up booted clean after install of the software, I am now installing my favorite games from google play store which are free to play, and Pyramid Solitaire Saga by King is running flawless.

Thanks for that link strollin. I was so surprised that it didn't require rooting it to install the Google Play Store and Games. So Awesome!

The shorthand version of what you need to do is you need to go to settings and security and then enable Apps From Unknown Sources which will allow installation of applications that are not from the amazon app store. Then download in order those 4 APK files and install them in that order as listed. Then reboot kindle fire 7, and then go to Google Play Store and everything works. *They claim it should work with all kindle fire devices including kindle fire 8.

Here is the game that for me is a must have for my android devices. It starts off easy and gets more challenging in higher levels. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.king.pyramidsolitairesaga

[patio]

Thanks alot Dave...like i needed another addicting time killer...

[strollin]

You're welcome for the link.  I think the average Kindle Fire user would be very intimidated if they were asked to download apk files and such so I don't think a lot of them do it.

My first tablet was the original Kindle Fire when it first came out in 2011.

[DaveLembke]

Haha Patio at another addicting game...

And nods to strollin that the process being slightly involved while easy for me it might be challenging for someone else. Additionally running it in this mode of allowing unapproved by amazon software on it has its risks. However I trust Google so just going to run that unapproved app and I am low risk with what I do on tablet so.

[Quantos]

Thanks alot Dave...like i needed another addicting time killer...

Hehe, Heroin is good for that too...