Amazon Fire HD 8 (2024) review: A cheap tablet hampered by outdated software

The latest Amazon Fire HD 8, updated last month and starting at $100, is a modest refresh, offering more RAM, a nominally upgraded camera and some new AI features. The general sales pitch, however, remains the same: You get a just-competent tablet for the essentials at a dirt-cheap (and often-discounted) price, and in exchange, Amazon gets to plant another appliance for its own apps and services in your home. Nothing about this update drastically changes that agreement, but after using the tablet for the past month (and after using older Fire tablets for years prior), it may be time to demand more from Amazon’s end of the bargain. It’s definitely a cheap tablet Physically, the new Fire HD 8 is nearly identical to the last one. It is, without a doubt, A Budget Tablet — it’s nowhere near premium, but it doesn’t feel distractingly cheap either. At just under eight inches tall and 0.37 inches thick, it’s small enough for most kids to operate without much struggle and most adults to carry with one hand. If you care more about your tablet’s travel-friendliness than its virtues as a miniature TV, this size should be fine. The whole thing is lightweight at 0.74 pounds, so it’s not an anchor in your bag. Its textured plastic frame is somewhat slippery but altogether sturdy, with no creaking or flexing. Its gently rounded edges dig comfortably into your palms. There are fairly thick bezels around the display, but I’ve never minded those on a tablet — they give your thumbs a... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2024-11-15 14:19:25 UTC ]

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The Morning After: Facebook's October 4th outage, explained

We’ll get into why Facebook saw its entire business fall off a cliff on Monday, but first: e-readers.It’s a device category we don’t see much development in — probably because it’s very much a device for reading text and not much else. Amazon’s Kindle, thanks to its powerful online e-book store,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-10-06 11:15:08 UTC ]
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Bookstat: Kindle titles can't topple Osman

Richard Osman’s The Man Who Died Twice (Penguin) has swiped the Bookstat e-book top spot for a third week running, once again charting top for the week ending 2nd October. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-05 18:35:55 UTC ]
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Shortlist revealed for £20k Kindle Storyteller Award

Romance, crime and science fiction novels are among the five shortlisted books for the £20,000 Kindle Storyteller Award, which this year received a record number of submissions.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-29 00:11:05 UTC ]
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Apple's MacBook Air M1 is $150 off, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

This week brought iPhone reviews, new Surface devices and a bunch of tech deals across the web. Apple's MacBook Air M1 returns to the best price we've seen it while the iPad Air remains discounted by $100. Some of our favorite Sennheiser wireless earbuds are $100 off, too, and you can still grab... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-09-24 15:45:20 UTC ]
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Engadget Podcast: Everything Microsoft Surface + iPhone 13, iPad Mini reviews

It's fall, and new gadget season has officially begun! This week, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into all of Microsoft's new hardware: The Surface Laptop Studio, Pro 8 and Duo 2. Also, Commerce Editor Valentina Palladino joins to chat about the iPhone 13, 13 Mini and her iPad Mini review. And of... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-09-24 12:30:45 UTC ]
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Amazon's new Kindle Paperwhites have bigger, brighter screens and USB-C charging

As indicated in a leak earlier this week, Amazon is updating the Kindle Paperwhite. The fifth-gen Paperwhite (which marks the first refresh in nearly three years) has a larger, 6.8-inch display, compared with the previous model's six-inch screen. The company says the 300 ppi screen is glare-free... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-09-21 13:00:32 UTC ]
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Amazon Just Introduced Three New Kindle Paperwhites

The waterproof e-reader now comes in three different options, with bigger, brighter screens and faster response times. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2021-09-21 13:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's upgraded Kindle Paperwhite lineup makes the best e-reader even better

Official news came much sooner than expected. On Tuesday, just a day after leaks surfaced on the company’s Canadian and Mexican sites about models with a bigger screen and dramatically more LEDs, Amazon confirmed the launch of three new Kindle Paperwhites. In addition to a successor for the... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2021-09-21 13:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Charts: One August Night sails into the top

Victoria Hislop's One August Night (Headline) has climbed 15 places to hit the Amazon Charts' Most-Sold: Fiction number one spot, as its Kindle price dropped to 99p. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-08 02:00:28 UTC ]
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Amazon is running a Labor Day sale on Kindles and Fire tablets

Amazon is offering discounts on a swathe of Kindles and Fire tablets for Labor Day. While the price cuts might not be quite as hefty as those you'd find on Prime Day, they're still solid, and you'll save around a third on most of the devices. Each version of the Fire 7 tablet, which Amazon says... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-09-06 14:39:41 UTC ]
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Must-have gear to make traveling with kids easier

Traveling with young children is like trying to turn a cruise ship: It’s cumbersome, takes a significant amount of planning and requires a team effort. Because I apparently lack any amount of common sense, I recently took a 3,000-mile RV trip with my partner and two toddlers. Traveling with... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-09-01 12:30:02 UTC ]
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Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite drops to all-time low price of $71 in one-day sale

Now might be a good time to buy an e-reader for school — or that end-of-summer vacation. Amazon has cut the price of the ad-supported 8GB Kindle Paperwhite to an all-time low of $71 in a one-day-only sale, well below the official $130 sticker. That's lower than what we saw just two weeks... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-08-29 15:44:54 UTC ]
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Apple's AirPods Pro fall to $180, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

The internet was awash with tech deals this week, with some of the best coming from Apple and Amazon. Apple's AirPods Pro dropped to $180 while the MacBook Pro M1 received at $200 discount. Amazon kicked off its "off to college" sale by reducing the prices of its Echo speakers, including the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-08-20 15:50:10 UTC ]
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How to remove ads and Special Offers from your Kindle or Kindle Fire

If your Kindle has ads or “Special Offers” showing onscreen, it’s because you made a deal. You chose to save money on your Kindle’s purchase price by accepting the "Ad-Supported discount (formerly known as the “With Special Offers” discount). It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2021-08-18 22:51:00 UTC ]
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Why Amazon's oldest Kindles will be cut off from the internet

Amazon’s oldest Kindles are being cut off from the internet. But don’t blame Amazon—these e-readers are collateral damage in the phaseout of 2G and 3G cellular service.The first two generations of Kindle e-readers used a cellular antenna to connect to the internet for downloading content.... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2021-08-18 16:45:00 UTC ]
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PineNote E-ink tablet runs Manjaro Linux

Reading devices with E-ink displays are an absolute must for hardcore readers. Can you read books using a traditional Android tablet or Apple iPad? Sure, but the screen can cause eyestrain. An E-ink reader, such as Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite, makes reading digital books much more enjoyable --... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2021-08-16 21:49:10 UTC ]
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How To Use the Kindle App on PC

From set-up to major pros and cons, this is what you need to know about how to use the Kindle App on PC. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-06-07 10:39:00 UTC ]
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A Closer Look at Kindle Unlimited Manga

Save some money with this selection of Kindle Unlimited manga, including Shaman King by Hiroyuki Takei. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-04-26 10:32:00 UTC ]
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Canada’s Wattpad Has First Film Project With Netflix

A day after Amazon announces its Kindle Vella serialization platform, the 90-million-user Wattpad arrives with its first serial-based film deal with Netflix. The post Canada’s Wattpad Has First Film Project With Netflix appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-04-15 14:06:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Announces Its Wattpad-Style ‘Kindle Vella’ Platform

Opening a new route to self-publishing, Amazon's Kindle Vella capitalizes on the popularity of online serialized storytelling. The post Amazon Announces Its Wattpad-Style ‘Kindle Vella’ Platform appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-04-14 17:25:03 UTC ]
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