Tag Archives: Kindle Fire

What’s Your Fire Tablet Worth? Amazon is taking trade-ins

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fire_tradeinAs I mentioned in today’s Daily Links and Deals post, starting today, Amazon’s is selling $50 Fire Tablet in colors. Both the  8GB and 16GB versions are available in blue, magenta and tangerine, as well as basic black. If you are looking to buy one of the new colors or a larger version and have an old Fire you want to get rid of, you may be interested in Amazon’s trade-in program for the Fire.

For a limited time, you can trade-in your Fire for an Amazon Gift Card and a coupon for a 20% bonus savings good towards the purchase of a new Fire Tablet. Simply identify your Fire, complete the paperwork and send it in. Once Amazon verifies the condition, you will get the gift card and bonus coupon.

Amazon is accepting trade-ins on both working and non’working Fires. Models acceptable for trade-in are:

  • *Kindle Fire, 1st and 2nd generations.
  • *Kindle Fire HD 7″ 2nd and 3rd generations
  • *Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ Wi-Fi and 8.9″ Wi-Fi + 4G LTE
  • *Kindle Fire HDX 7″ Wi-Fi and Kindle Fire HDX 7″ Wi-Fi + 4G LTE
  • *Kindle Fire HDX 8.9″ Wi-Fi and Kindle Fire HDX 8.9″ Wi-Fi + 4G LTE
  • Fire HD 6 Wi-Fi
  • Fire HD 7 Wi-Fi
  • Fire HDX 8.9 Wi-Fi
  • Fire HDX 8.9 Wi-Fi + 4G LTE

*Note the name change: The earliest versions were referred to as Kindle Fires; later versions dropped the Kindle from the name.

There is a page where you can see pictures to help determine you model. I also wrote a post a while back on identifying your Kindle model which may help. Amazon Kindle customer service can help if all else fails.

You can apply your coupon to the following Fire tablets:

Several caveats on this deal. The time frame on the offer is extremely limited. Trade-ins must be completed by May 9, 2016, so if you are interested, you need to act quickly. Other limits, terms and conditions apply.

Also, be aware that the trade-in values are much, much  lower than you probably could get on eBay or another venue: Amazon’s offer for a 1st generation Kindle Fire is $5 in either working or non-working condition.  The value for a working Fire HD 6 is listed at only $11. The real value here is probably the 20% off bonus.

While Amazon has offered trade-in programs for the Kindle before, this is the first time I have seen one exclusively for the Fire.

Are you interested?

Note that Amazon has updated its Trade-in Program to include more devices.  You can find more details in this post about trade-ins.

Kindle Fire HDX 4G half off today

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Fire HDXThere’s a fantastic Gold Box deal on Amazon.com today for a new  Kindle Fire HDX 7″Wi-fi and 4G LTE – 50 percent off the regular price. The tablet is available in 16GB for $139 or  in the 64 GB configurations for $159.

PLEASE NOTE: The 4G connection works with either AT &T or Verizon. I have heard of these working with SIM cards from other companies. Check with your service provider to make sure that the device will work with your carrier. This is the previous generation (3rd) HDX and not the latest model. These are new and not refurbished.

2014 Holiday Shopping: Kindle Plus Kindle Unlimited Bundles

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happy thanksgiving kindleI had this blog post ready to go yesterday about Amazon’s holiday promotions which included various Kindles bundled with Kindle Unlimited subscriptions. I was surprised when I found out this morning that they had reduced the prices even more on the bundles! The price updates are in red.

First, Amazon is bundling sales of its Kindle and Kindle Fire Devices with 6 months of their Kindle Unlimited subscription serve for a savings of about $40. According to the promotion page, there are currently 4 choices:

  • The basic touchscreen Kindle with six months of Kindle Unlimited for $ 99 $79.
  • The Fire HD 7  with six months of Kindle Unlimited for $169 $139.
  • The  Kindle Paperwhite  with six months of Kindle Unlimited for $149 $129.
  • The Fire HD   with six months of Kindle Unlimited for $129 $109.

Amazon.com is also offering $40 off if you purchase Prime with a new Fire HD tablet. The offer seems to exclude the Fire Kids Edition: That device’s product page does not show the Prime banner. The Fire HD 6, 7 and 7″ HDX are all on sale today for an extra $20 off.

And finally, if you really wanted one but thought the price was too high, Amazon has reduced the price for the unlocked, 32Gb Fire Phone.  You can now purchase one for only $199. The deal includes a year of Amazon Prime. You can still get the AT & T version for 99 cents with a two year contract.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

Will a Nook Glowlight case fit the new Kindle Fire 6 inch?

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javoedge6vintageI am still sorting through all the info on the new Kindle offerings to evaluate the specs and decide which one(s) I want. Amazon has given us lots of choices and I even got an email first thing this morning reminding me of certified refurbished Kindle Fire offerings.

So far, I  am most interested in  ordered the new Fire HD 6″ tablet. It looks like a great size to fit in a purse for use on the go. My problem is that I don’t like to use devices without covers and I also don’t want to spend nearly $30-$40 for an official Amazon case. I am fussy about cases and didn’t like the Amazon case  I bought for the Fire HD 8.9. I have usually used third-party cases on my Kindles, beginning with my first Oberon case for the Kindle 1. However, this is a non-standard size tablet and it seems there is nothing available to fit, at least, not yet.

Checking the measurements for the new device and looking for a workaround, I took a look at my current case for my NooK Glowlight. Made by Javoedge, the case looks like it might fit, given its size and the way that it is made.

The JAVOedge 6″ Universal eReader Book Case is described as a universal case, designed to fit the Nook Glowlight, Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo glo, Kobo Aura, Kobo Touch, and the Kindle. It comes in a variety of patterns, including one with a metallic finish.

Pros of the case are lightweight, flexibility in sizing due to the loops holding the device in place and the way it is constructed.The price is a distinct advantage as it is $14.99 versus $30-$40 for the Amazon brand case.

There are a couple of downsides to the case. One is the fact that there is no sleepcover function with this case (or not one that works on my Kindle Paperwhite). Another is the quality of the case. It seems like it is essentially covered cardboard, slightly lighter than that of a hardcover book.  And, because it is designed for an e-reader, it does not have the ability to be used as a stand for normal tablet use.

I have not had any problems at all with the one I use for my Nook Glowlight. I have a one with a cute owl pattern. Yes, I am a cover junkie! 🙂

I have no doubt that one the new Kindle Fires start shipping, we will quickly see new covers for the six inch Fire available on the market. While I don’t think that this is a cover I would want to use long-term (it is not, after all, really designed for tablet use), I intend to try it as a short term solution until new covers are available. Note that I do have other devices (Kindles and Nooks) that will fit this cover, so it is not much of a risk for me to try.

This isn’t the first time I have done this. When the original Kindle Fire came out in 2010, I used the faux lether cover that came with my Kindle 1 for the Fire  until I could find something I liked.

Updated: The answer to will the case fit an HD 6 is no. The case is too wide to safely hold the device. I talk about this in my review of the Fire HD 6.

Daily Links: Deal on Kindle Fire HD and more

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Kindle FireToday, Amazon’s Deal of the Day is a refurbished Kindle Fire 8.9  for only $139.00. This is the previous generation model with the micro HDMI port. I use mine a lot for streaming video because of that port.

The eBook Reader has a great post on turning your Android tablet into an ereader, with a comprehensive list of reading apps for Android.

I’ve been MIA because of a couple of home projects, but here are a few other interesting recent links:

Willing to pay extra for a truly waterproof Kindle?  You may find this article from Techcrunch interesting.

I missed this when it happened, but Daniel Keyes, the author of one of my favorite books, Flowers for Algernon, has passed away. A short piece here on Galleycat.

Being a zombie fan, I also like to read books on preparedness (prepping). This article with instructions for A Bug Out Kindle loaded with survival books was interesting, although, I personally would have used an e-ink Kindle. Hey, I already have the Goal Zero Solar Recharging Kit to keep it working in an emergency!

Daily Links are interesting links I discover as I go about my online day. The frequency and number of links posted depend upon the daily news.

Kindle Fire HD 8.9 with 4G LTE on sale

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Kindle FireToday, Amazon’s Deal of the Day is a Certified Refurbished Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ with 4G LTE coverage for $80 off. It comes in both 32GB and 64 GB versions. I believe these were unavailable new the last time I looked into buying one….

Several caveats here:

  • Be aware that this is a refurbished product, although Amazon does give the same return policy and one year warranty that comes with a new Kindle Fire tablet.
  • The network carrier for the 4G LTE coverage is ONLY available through AT & T.  If you want to add a tablet to another carrier, this is not the right one for you. Check the coverage map for AT & T here.
  • The $49.95 promotional data plan originally offered with these is NO LONGER AVAILABLE.  Current AT & T data plan rates apply.

What model Kindle do I have?

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kindlefireRight when they first came out, I bought one of the original 7″ Kindle Fire Tablets. I use it for games, movies, listening to music and looking up facts on IMDB. While I don’t normally like reading on it (I prefer e-ink), I do find that the full color is great for reading cookbooks.

At Christmas, I received one of the 8.9 Kindle HD Fires as a gift and  now use that one for most of my movies, music and games. But I have reached the point where I own enough Kindle cookbooks  that I am actually considering dedicating my original Kindle Fire for use solely as a cookbook. I actually have so many cookbooks purchased across two Amazon accounts, I am also considering buying another 7″ Kindle Fire to use as a second cookbook for the other account.

Since my intended use for the device is so specific, I don’t necessarily need the latest model, at least not for a cookbook. So, I am trying to decide whether to buy a new one, a certified refurb or a used one. And,  as I am starting to research these options, I realized that trying to compare apples to apples is a little more complicated than I originally thought it would be.

The first difficultly is that people frequently use names for the  Kindles that are not the official Amazon device names.  For a long time, Amazon just called the latest edition of the device just the Kindle (no numbers), as if the earlier versions didn’t exist. Just look at the e-ink line: What many people call the Kindle 3, for example, is now officially called the Kindle Keyboard. And the $69 Kindle is alternately called by most people either the Kindle Basic or the Kindle 4 or Kindle 5 (there are two versions, based on a difference in color).

The model names on the Kindle Fires are especially confusing. Let’s look at just the one I am looking for:  the 7″ tablet. There’s the original Kindle fire,  the new Kindle Fire (which was called the Kindle Fire 2) in either 8GB or 16GB, the Kindle Fire Hd (16GB), the Kindle Fire Hd (32GB), and the 2013 Kindle Fire HD 16GB. There are also four separate versions of the Kindle Fire 8.9! The newer versions of the Kindle HD tablets are now called the HDX. And some devices are WI-FI only and others have cellular.

If you are looking at buying used on ebay, you will see that everybody uses different terms.  Some use terms like “latest generation,” some have model numbers “D01400,” or “3HT7G.”  Some just list 7″ wi-fi, 8GB.” One just said “Dual -core. ” Others list confusing terms like  “Gen 2” and “2011.”

It became really apparent to me that some people might not know exactly what model Kindle they have.

Obviously, I want to know what model I am buying. But even if you are not in the market for a used Kindle, it can be very helpful to know what model Kindle you own. It makes a big difference with support questions; each of the different models works in different ways and has specific features. And if you want to buy a case or accessories, you HAVE to know what model you have; the cases are not interchangeable.

So, how do you find the model for your Kindle? Amazon does have a help page for identifying your Kindle model and that’s a good place to start.

If you are still not sure which one you have, you may need the model number. To find it, from your computer, log in to your Amazon account and under account, choose Manage Your Kindle. On the left sidebar, go down to Your Kindle Account and click on Manage Your Devices.  You will then see all your Kindles and apps listed. The first four characters are your model number.

If you have the original box, the Amazon model number is printed on the box. You can also access the model number from the settings page of the device.

Once you have the model number, you can find out which Kindle or Fire version you have. MobileRead has a chart where you can look up the number and it will tell you which model you have. This chart does not seem to indicate the HDX models.

If  the model number doesn’t help, you may be able to determine which model you have by looking at the feature list. This is particularly helpful on the Kindle Fire HD models, where the 2012 version has a micro HDMI port and the 2013 version doesn’t .  And, if you have the Mayday feature on your Kindle Fire, you have the HDX!

If you still can’t find the model, you can search or post in one of the following message boards:

And if all else fails, you can call Kindle Support at Amazon. (Make sure you call the special support line for the Kindle. The regular Amazon customer service representatives are not trained for technical Kindle questions.)

New software update for Kindle Fire

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Today, Amazon released the latest Kindle Fire update. This is Version 6.2. Amazon also has a notice from customer service about the update.

Users are reporting that the update offers a smoother UI (user interface) and has changed the display of items on the home page carousel to only show the most recent items. The device previously showed all the books you had purchased from Amazon.

Users who have rooted the Kindle Fire are complaining that this update removes the root access, although the device can still be rooted again.