Being as this is primarily a book blog, it was inevitable that I'd pick up either a Nook or Kindle (or a Kobo, I guess). While I'd really have liked to purchase a Nook, as I do love Barnes and Noble, I really was in no financial situation to pick up even the budget level tablet they have to offer - which is sad, and probably why Nook's aren't more prominent. Anyhow, I picked up the Kindle 7 (7th Generation) and I was all nerves making the purchase, as there are a lot of complaints about clunkiness and lack of features. And, I'm sure I'm not the best person to go through the technical details of it all - but the fact that almost all of it's features are those I'll be using, as I shop online constantly (being somewhat of a recluse), am a reader, a blogger, and have a five year old nephew who shares almost every piece of technology I have. On the E-Reader side of things... The Kindle Fire 7 is a budget tablet, and it does not have the wonderful digital ink paper-like screen of a higher end 'base' kindle. It is a multi-function tablet, but there has been some accommodations made for those who want to use it for the obvious. Compared to other tablets I've owned in the past, the Kindle Fire has a much more eye-friendly screen, and it won't make your eyes feel strained or irritated after long periods of reading. It features a very nice adjustable amount of brightness, that ranges from 'Soft light, no strain reading' to 'Oh, damn! My eyes!' - it has options for everyone, including adjusting text size and a 'blue light' mode that removes blue light from the screen and helps provide a less strenuous reading environment. The Kindle E-Reader software on-board seems to be far less bulky and awkward then the PC or cellphone versions, it runs well and simply displays what you want. You can make notes as you go (which I am finding very useful), highlight sections, and place bookmarks anywhere you want. It's good, and this isn't surprising as the this device was made for this. On the 'app' side of things... A iPad this is not, the Kindle 7 is a semi-powerful tablet, but once you start to deviate from it's intended functions - the whole experience sort of falls apart. This isn't surprising, not in the slightest. It's built to be a simple, no-fuss, system and part of that is containment. Anything that goes on this thing is Amazon approved or Amazon made, because if they can control what goes on it, there are less chances of a device glitching out. You'll see people complain about this online, in reviews, but it's not as much of a problem as you think. Yes, Amazon Underground is gone but almost all the apps are still available to purchase and use on the Kindle 7. Yes, you can buy and play Minecraft, FNAF, or just about anything else along those lines. It works, it's fine. Stop complaining. Social media and streaming apps are on this device, Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, Netflix, Twitch, and more - they function like they should. There is no special advantage when using them with the Kindle, there really isn't with any device. However, if you are using this device solely for Social Media, I really don't understand why. This is a E-Reader, built with that function in mind. Another thing I'd like to note is the ability to place MP3s on the system as if the Kindle is an old school MP3 player, making that CD collection worthwhile again as you can always rip the tracks and put them on your device - via USB! Thank Muad'Dib for this, as more and more devices seem to be phasing out MP3 functionality in favor of music streaming or purchasing services. You will need headphones or speakers though as the Kindle 7 only features a single mono speaker. On the 'kids' side of things... With a subscription to Amazon's FreeTime service - this device is heaven when it comes to dealing with a child who really likes videos and games. You can set time limits, set the age group for a child account, things like that. What makes it perfect is that a child account can't make purchases, they are given a interface which allows them to view and select books, videos (not Youtube, which is a terrible environment for kids programming - as any real person who's raised kids knows), games, or select content related to their favorite characters. Most of the games are high quality and my nephew has literally sunk hours into some of the available Disney Puzzle games available. Yes, for once a app has been helping my charge learn something and even, in some cases, use his imagination. Conclusion... It's made as both a e-Reader for adults, like me who reads both leisurely and for this blog, and as a highly competent tablet for children. Once you divert from the Kindle's intended functionality, it just doesn't always work right. This is to be expected, it is a Kindle after-all and the entire interface is built around eBooks and document sharing. There are apps and there are games, but Amazon has filtered out quite a bit of the crap that would potential damage your device... or is just plain crap. It does cut out probably the most distracting app on the planet - YouTube. But, I'm sure that is for the better and it can be bypassed through third-party apps, which are available on the app store. I don't suggest taking too many of the complaints on Amazon's homepage to heart, as a lot of them deal with misuse and misunderstanding of the devices functions and nature. Get this is you want to read, share it with your kids, and just relax. It is a good relaxation device and safe for your kids. -L. BROOKS
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