Amazon Fire HD 8 (2024) review: A cheap tablet hampered by outdated software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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Lit Hub Daily: May 8, 2024

Jonathan Corcoran on the teacher who showed him that writing begins far from the page: Pulitzer Prize winner Jayne Anne Phillips. | Lit Hub Criticism Elizabeth Graver remembers her friend and agent, Richard Parks: “Richard’s voice on the phone was always much as I remembered it: polite, even... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-05-08 10:30:25 UTC ]
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Book Deals: Week of April 8, 2024

Paul Tremblay’s YA debut goes to Quill Tree Books, St. Martin’s signs an exploration of Taylor Swift’s Nashville years, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-04-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book deals #paul tremblay #ya debut #taylor swift


This Week’s Bestsellers: April 8, 2024

Easter titles, including three P.J. Funnybunny books by Marilyn Sadler, dominate this week’s children’s picture book list. Plus cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib returns with ‘There’s Always This Year,’ and a pair of books caution parents against screentime. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-04-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Lit Hub Daily: March 8, 2024

“I am fascinated by the mismatch of these two systems, the fact that we can occupy two temporal spaces simultaneously…” Grace Loh Prasad on finding meaning in the space between Chinese and Western astrology, and what it means to remember her translator father. |  Lit Hub Memoir Jennifer Croft on... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-03-08 11:30:08 UTC ]
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The Week in Libraries: March 8, 2024

Among the week's headlines: librarians head to Washington D.C. to push for library funding; a Llano County librarian is suing for wrongful termination after being fired for refusing to ban books; and EveryLibrary issues a paper exploring the political threats facing academic libraries. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #library funding #ban books


The Books Behind the 2024 Academy Award Nominations, Reviewed

Our reviews of the books adapted into and inspiring this year's Academy Award–nominated films, from 'Oppenheimer' and 'Nyad' to 'American Fiction' and 'The Boy and the Heron.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-01 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The Best SFF eBook Deals of January 8, 2024

The best science fiction and fantasy book deals of the day, curated by Book Riot. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-01-08 14:54:33 UTC ]
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Lit Hub Daily: January 8, 2024

Your reading list for a dry January (should you choose to accept it). | Lit Hub Motherhood is Antarctica: On the underexplored landscape of postpartum loneliness. | Lit Hub Memoir Beyond resolutions: A closer look at “The New Year Poem” as an act of resistance. | Lit Hub On the power of titles,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-01-08 11:30:16 UTC ]
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This Week’s Bestsellers: January 8, 2024

The #1 book in the country is ‘Winter Turning,’ the seventh graphic novel adaptation from Tui T. Sutherland’s Wings of Fire middle grade fantasy series. Plus Alex Sodgrass serves up ‘Dinner Tonight,’ and Vivian “Your Rich BFF” Tu’s debut, #4 on our hardcover nonfiction list, teaches readers to... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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These are the 10 best Amazon Black Friday deals on Kindles, Fire TV devices and Echos that you can get right now

Amazon started its Black Friday deals early this year, and many Amazon devices are on sale right now. We sifted through the sale and selected standout deals on Amazon Kindles, Fire TV sticks, Echo speakers, and Eero routers. There's also a bundle that combines an Amazon... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-11-17 15:30:25 UTC ]
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Lenovo Smart Paper review: A solid e-ink tablet spoiled by the cost

Despite an infatuation with most things e-ink, I’ve resisted the world of e-ink notebooks. I’m one of the few who once owned a Kindle DX, that huge e-reader that existed for only a few years before being retired. In the last few years, we’ve seen Amazon get into e-ink... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-10-30 13:30:56 UTC ]
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The best Amazon Prime Day iPad and tablet deals for 2023

iPads may be the most sought-after tablets, but there are plenty of others on the market that are worth considering, and a few are on sale for Amazon Prime Day. If you've been eyeing a new iPad, you're in luck, as many of Apple's tablets have been discounted for the shopping event. If you prefer... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-07-12 11:58:13 UTC ]
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The best Amazon Prime Day iPad and tablet deals for 2023

A number of tablets we recommend are on sale for Prime Day, including various iPads and Amazon Fire devices. Remember that you’ll need to be a Prime subscriber to take advantage of some of the offers, but thankfully, not every discount is Prime-exclusive this year. If you’ve been looking to buy... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-07-11 14:39:08 UTC ]
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Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K Max drops to $35, plus the rest of this week's best tech deals

The biggest news in tech this week came from Google's annual developer conference on Wednesday. They announced three new devices: The Pixel 7a smartphone, the Pixel Tablet and the Pixel Fold. Discounts on brand new products don't happen often, but both Amazon and Google were quick to bundle... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-05-12 15:15:04 UTC ]
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Amazon rolls out free Roku-like TV channels for Fire devices

Amazon just announced the impending launch of Fire TV Channels, allowing customers access to a wide variety of “premium, free content” on Fire streaming sticks, streaming boxes, and, of course, Fire-branded televisions. The company promises there will be no forced sign-ups or fees associated... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-05-01 23:00:56 UTC ]
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Book Review: ‘Holding Fire,’ by Bryce Andrews

In his memoir “Holding Fire,” Bryce Andrews confronts the violence and guilt of past generations. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-02-07 10:00:30 UTC ]
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The Morning After: Lenovo made an e-ink tablet to rival Amazon’s Scribe

The CES conveyor belt of PCs doesn’t let up. Lenovo has been busy. Let’s start with its latest YogaBook, the dual-screen YogaBook 9i. Instead of folding like a conventional laptop, this… thing unfurls a screen atop another, with a slimline keyboard at the bottom. Thankfully, as well as the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-01-06 12:15:23 UTC ]
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Amazon Kindle Scribe Review: Read and Write on this Pricey Ebook Reader

You can read ebooks, write notes, or mark up PDFs on this new slate, but your wallet will feel a lot lighter. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2022-12-08 14:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Kindle Scribe review: Better than pen and paper but not the competition

When I turned 10, I was finally allowed to own a pen. At school, that was when we moved from pencils to ink, and our parents were told to get us all-new stationery. That was also the year we learned to write in cursive, because we were finally big kids and cursive writing meant we could… sign... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-11-30 14:00:19 UTC ]
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