I got it in November. I went for the 7", 32GB model. The nice cashier at Staples scanned me an unexpected 10% off coupon just for kicks, so that was nice too. I had agonized over the decision between the Nexus 7 and the Kindle. In the end, the HDMI out port (more on this later), the dual speakers, and the dual-antennae WiFi swung my decision. I already buy a lot from Amazon, so the Prime membership was also alluring. I’ve already saved enough in shipping this holiday season to pay for my annual membership this year.
Why do I love it? I’m glad you asked. First of all, it just works really, really well. I knew gong in that my main reason for getting a new device would be e-books and videos. I don’t really need a full tablet. I have an iPhone and I have a love/hate relationship with it. I’m rarely that far away from a computer and I always have my phone. For media consumption, the Kindle Fire HD just rocks. I read a lot, mostly fiction, and I typically get books form the library rather than buying them. No problem. With Prime, you get 1 book a month free to “borrow.” The selection isn’t spectacular, but so far I’ve been able to find some good options. I can also download e-books from Overdrive though my local library.
Magazines are awesome on this thing. I got a year’s subscription to Esquire for $7. When a new issue comes out it just shows up on the Kindle’s carousel. You can read them natively, or in “reader” mode which is good for longer articles.
The HDMI out port allows me to connect the Kindle to my TV to watch streaming video. Prime offers unlimited videos. Again, what’s available with Prime is less than, say, Netflix, but you can always pay for something if you really want it. I have three young kids, so I am always streaming movies and TV shows for them. The WiFi is really strong on this thing, and there is no lag at all. The only thing missing is a nice Bluetooth remote for video playback.
It’s the perfect size for reading. My eyes are going bad and I love the back light. I can read anywhere. I have a work-provided iPad and I never carry it with me. I’m always with my Kindle. I’ve heard complaints about the Amazon locked-down app store, but I honestly have not found an app I couldn’t load. It is also rootable to access the entire Google Play environment, but so far I have not had the need to go that route.
In conclusion, if you’ve considered an e-reader or a 7" tablet, I couldn’t recommend it more.
I’ll use it for the same things you do-reading and video so I’m glad to hear it works really well for that. I was looking at the Kindle and Nook side-by-side in Office Max the other day and the Nook has better resolution, but from what I’ve read the content isn’t that great. It’s definitely about the content for me, and since I’m already heavy into Amazon, Kindle it will be.