~~~Kindle Fire for 13 y.o. ds?

[loveysbydesign]

My ds just turned 13 and he'd like to use his bday money to get Kindle Fire. Is it worth the cost? Are there enough free apps and such to occupy him without having to pay a lot for more stuff(limited finances right now)?
I'm thinking he'd love it as he LOVES to read and does not have any other piece of technology other then a digital camera and a Nintendo DS. Thinking it would occupy him well for the drive down in october too.

 

[HM]

My niece, age 12, got one for Christmas. She loves it. Reads books, plays games, and has a movie or two in her Cloud as well.

Go to PixelofInk.com and look for free books in the young adult or children's section. They link to free books through Amazon.com.

 

[mrsv98]

My ds just turned 13 and he'd like to use his bday money to get Kindle Fire. Is it worth the cost? Are there enough free apps and such to occupy him without having to pay a lot for more stuff(limited finances right now)?
I'm thinking he'd love it as he LOVES to read and does not have any other piece of technology other then a digital camera and a Nintendo DS. Thinking it would occupy him well for the drive down in october too.

I have a Fire and absolutely love it and based on your post, so would your DS. If you can swing it, I would recommend the 3 yr warranty from Square Trade and the $80/yr. membership to Amazon Prime. With the Prime membership, there are toms of free TV and Movies he can stream and he can borrow books from the Prime library.

There are tons of free Apps and everyday, Amazon offers a paid App for free. The also often have specials where you can rent a movie for a dollar or two.

If you are on Facebook, there are a couple of places I know of (I am sure there are more) that highlight the free books available on Amazon several times a day. One is Pixel of Ink and the other is EReader News Today. If you "like" them you will see the listings.

One thing to be aware of is that the Fire needs a wi-fi connection to stream, you can't connect to a 4G or 3G network unless you have a mobile hotspot. The Fire has a decent hard drive but most of the content is in the "cloud" so if you want to watch or read something on the road, make sure it is downloaded first.

I think it is a great tablet for the money and I use mine daily.

 

[loveysbydesign]

I have a Fire and absolutely love it and based on your post, so would your DS. If you can swing it, I would recommend the 3 yr warranty from Square Trade and the $80/yr. membership to Amazon Prime. With the Prime membership, there are toms of free TV and Movies he can stream and he can borrow books from the Prime library.

There are tons of free Apps and everyday, Amazon offers a paid App for free. The also often have specials where you can rent a movie for a dollar or two.

If you are on Facebook, there are a couple of places I know of (I am sure there are more) that highlight the free books available on Amazon several times a day. One is Pixel of Ink and the other is EReader News Today. If you "like" them you will see the listings.

One thing to be aware of is that the Fire needs a wi-fi connection to stream, you can't connect to a 4G or 3G network unless you have a mobile hotspot. The Fire has a decent hard drive but most of the content is in the "cloud" so if you want to watch or read something on the road, make sure it is downloaded first.

I think it is a great tablet for the money and I use mine daily.

So for the long drive down from PA to FL he should download whatever it is he wants to read/do before the trip?

 

[mrsv98]

So for the long drive down from PA to FL he should download whatever it is he wants to read/do before the trip?

Yes, before you leave, make sure he has all his books on the Fire. Of course, most hotels, Starbucks, Panera, McDonalds, etc all offer free wifi so if he runs out or gets bored then he could "top up" at one of those places.

The only other thing I forgot to mention is that the Fire has a glass screen (like other tablets) so it does pick up glare in bright light. The traditional Kindles use e-ink and are great for outside. I actually have both!

 

[cc1013]

DH just got a Kindle Fire recently when Amazon offered the refurbished units on special for $139 (regular price on the refurbished units is $169). It is fantastic! While it can't do as much as the iPad (we have one of those as well) it is much more portable and sells at a great price. There is a free app each day and we have been picking those up here and there. I have a Kindle Touch for reading, but find myself playing with DH's Kindle Fire more and more. I hightly recommend it.

Also, I recommend saving a few dollars and going with a refurbished unit. We've bought 2 refurbished Kindle Fires from Amazon (for DH and DMom) and both have been perfect. Plus they have the same exact warranty as a new unit.

 

[loveysbydesign]

DH just got a Kindle Fire recently when Amazon offered the refurbished units on special for $139 (regular price on the refurbished units is $169). It is fantastic! While it can't do as much as the iPad (we have one of those as well) it is much more portable and sells at a great price. There is a free app each day and we have been picking those up here and there. I have a Kindle Touch for reading, but find myself playing with DH's Kindle Fire more and more. I hightly recommend it.

Also, I recommend saving a few dollars and going with a refurbished unit. We've bought 2 refurbished Kindle Fires from Amazon (for DH and DMom) and both have been perfect. Plus they have the same exact warranty as a new unit.

Thanks! I looked and the refurb. ones are sold out

 

[cc1013]

Thanks! I looked and the refurb. ones are sold out

Sometimes the refurbs can be hard to find. If there isn't a direct link on the product page, you can go to the Warehouse Deals section on Amazon. When I look at the available sellers, the refurbs are available from Amazon Warehouse deals at $169. Here's a link.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-list...d=&condition=refurbished&me=&qid=&seller=&sr=

 

[Southernmiss]

DD turned 10 in December and we debated and researched before she got her Kindle Fire. She used her bday and Christmas money to buy a kindle and a cover. I did get her to get the extended warranty too. We went to Walmart.

It has been a wonderful tool for her and me and her brothers! She reads a lot at home through websites. We too don't splurge on the paid apps or books, yet and she has still used her kindle daily.

 

[rszdtrvl]

re: Kindle Fire glare

I have a Kindle Fire and purchased a glare guard screen for mine. It really helps a lot!

 

[loveysbydesign]

Sometimes the refurbs can be hard to find. If there isn't a direct link on the product page, you can go to the Warehouse Deals section on Amazon. When I look at the available sellers, the refurbs are available from Amazon Warehouse deals at $169. Here's a link.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-list...d=&condition=refurbished&me=&qid=&seller=&sr=

Thanks! I also chatted with them and they said that you can not buy the extended warranty for the refurb. He does have just enough to buy it new and then dh and I would have to pay for the extended warranty.

 

[cc1013]

Thanks! I also chatted with them and they said that you can not buy the extended warranty for the refurb. He does have just enough to buy it new and then dh and I would have to pay for the extended warranty.

I hadn't realized that about refurbished units and extended warranties. Regardless, I think your son will love the Fire! One suggestion though is to invest in a case of some sort.

 

[CentralFloridian99]

I recommend getting an iPad if he has the money. It's better then the Kindle Fire IMO.

 

[loveysbydesign]

I recommend getting an iPad if he has the money. It's better then the Kindle Fire IMO.

He'd need another $200 to get one of them, which we don't have!