Kindle Fire 8GB Wifi

[Mel]

I bought a Kindle Fire 8GB with Wifi. I think I'm going to love it, but I've hit a snag.

Apparently, the more advanced Kindles do not have a user guide loaded into them. Does that sound right?

At any rate, I can't find it. There are user guide ebooks available, and a couple are free. I downloaded one to see if it helps, but I thought I'd also ask here, in case someone is familiar with Kindle Fire.

Does anyone know if there is a user guide on it, and if so, how to access it?

Also, do I need to get security software for the Kindle, since it goes online? At some point, I may want this to replace my laptop, and use it for online banking (my bank has an app for it).


Many thanks!!

[CRAMBAM]

Have to check at home. Shouldn't be too hard to find unless you somehow deleted it, which I doubt. You would have to see it to delete it. I would think it's in the books section.

[Mel]

Cram, thanks for the reply.

In Settings, there is something called a User's Guide, but it's just a few topics, like how to access wifi, and how to set up your Kindle account. I was prompted to do those things just by turning it on.

I bought two user's guides ebooks. One explained skyping, which I had never head of! What fun! The other didn't explain that, but went into much more depth about using the thing, which I need, since it's my first Kindle.

I'd love an answer about the security question. My laptop is getting old, and I was hoping the Kindle might replace it, if needed, especially for banking.

I'm also confused about music and games. When I turn one one, I don't see a way to turn it off or exit. I played to the end of one game, and still couldn't turn it off. I went to Home, and it showed that it was still running. Same thing with music.

Oh well. It is an adventure trying to figure it out!

I've tried Smartphones, but I'm too dumb (old, gray, and hell, at this age, withering), and my fingers are too clumsy. I would have loved to have one of those, but it never worked out. The Kindle Fire is just right for my hands.

[StarFuryG7]

Well, I have a BlackBerry Playbook, so I'm obviously not the best person to turn to for guidance here, and open Apps are very easy to close on that device. However, I would imagine that's the key, Mel --you're running an App or Apps simultaneously, and there must be a way to close them all at once even if you have multiple Apps open at one time. My Android device, which I'm posting from right now, has a feature to do that, and I noticed that Windows 8 has the same problem you're having, and I still haven't bothered to figure out how to close out open Apps on my PC, but I don't use or rely on their stupid Tile interface at all though. I installed Classic Shell on that machine, bypass the Tile interface entirely at boot up so I don't even have to look at it and use that PC as though I'm running any previous version of Windows. But look for a Settings option, then look for a way to close out of all Apps. There are probably other ways to do it as well, but that's where I'd start. My Android device has that feature.

You should have given real thought to buying an HD flatscreen TV though. You should also be able to do your banking on that device though, but I'd be wary of it because I don't know how good the protection is on these tablet devices. I'd want it to be on par with the kind of protection I'd use on my PC, but there's probably a protection for your Kindle too, just make sure don't need to download and install it first.

[Mel]

Thanks for the info, Gary. The Kindle is based on the Android, but it has it's own browser, Silk, made by Amazon for Kindle Fire.

I'm going to find security software for the Kindle. If I need to download it first, the account can be closed and the Kindle can be wiped, to start anew. It's a hard fix for some problems, none of which I've had, thankfully.

As for banking with my TV, I didn't know people can do that. It also never occurred to me to consider a flat screen. I was looking for something to use to be online away from home. I don't have a Smartphone.

I'm really enjoying the Kindle Fire. It's a lot of fun. But as much as I enjoy it, it's sure has made me feel even more obsolete and behind the times, which I obviously am!

.

[StarFuryG7]

Mel, I didn't mean for you to do banking on your TV. I meant you should have considered getting a new flat-screen instead of shopping for a Kindle Fire. But hey, that's just me. My opinion is not necessarily yours about what you should do or buy. I don't think you could do banking on your TV though, unless you had it linked to a Tablet PC or mobile device/phone, in which case, why would you need the television screen?

Since your Kindle runs using the Android platform, do you have access to the "Play" Apps feature? If so, you should be able to find a security firewall there, some even for free probably.

[Mel]

You should have given real thought to buying an HD flatscreen TV though.

I've been giving this suggestion some thought. I'm totally out of the loop though. Are all HD flatscreens compatible with BluRay? Does the TV need to be BluRay, or just the DVD player? I have no idea. Are there other features I should look for? Thanks for the input.

[TrekBeatTK]

Yes, these days I think all HD flatscreens should be compatible with blu-ray.

The Blu-ray is just the player and discs, but it's really not noticeably worth it without an HD TV.

-TK

[Mel]

Yes, these days I think all HD flatscreens should be compatible with blu-ray. The Blu-ray is just the player and discs, but it's really not noticeably worth it without an HD TV. -TK

Ah, I see. Thanks for explaining, TK.

We have one of the first HD TVs, but that was just before flat screens came out. Blu-ray doesn't seem to be compatible with this old HD though.

I am giving this idea some thought, but it seems we'd need a new TV and DVD player. I dunno if that's doable right now.

[StarFuryG7]

Jun 26, 2013 9:05:59 GMT -5 TrekBeatTK said:

Yes, these days I think all HD flatscreens should be compatible with blu-ray.

The Blu-ray is just the player and discs, but it's really not noticeably worth it without an HD TV.
-TK

I used a Blu-ray Player with a standard def television for a while, and expected to still be using that Player when I bought an HD flatscreen, except it decided it wanted to give me trouble depending on the discs I put in there, so now it's sitting next to an old 27" TV in my other room, not even hooked up. It's just as well though, because it didn't have WiFi capability. It only had en Ethernet socket, which is of no use to me because my modem isn't situated anywhere near my TV.

Blu-ray Players also Up-Convert standard DVDs when you're watching them on a High Definition television. That's why you don't see Up-Converters being manufactured anymore. They outlived their usefulness. Now you just buy a Blu-ray Player instead.

[StarFuryG7]

Jun 26, 2013 17:51:13 GMT -5 Mel said:

We have one of the first HD TVs, but that was just before flat screens came out. Blu-ray doesn't seem to be compatible with this old HD though.

I am giving this idea some thought, but it seems we'd need a new TV and DVD player. I dunno if that's doable right now.

[/color][/quote]

A Blu-ray Player would be compatible with your TV, whether or not your TV is HD or standard definition. But you probably should invest in a new one if you can. You can find models at reasonable prices at Best Buy. Go for a 37", 40" or 42". Compare prices and see which would fall within what you're looking to spend. My friend just bought a 39" last month for $280. Somehow I think you can probably find a way to swing that in the near future, if not right now. But of course I'm just guessing, as I have no idea what your finances are like and what they involve. Bear in mind though that it's worth spending the additional twenty-five or fifty dollars to get an extended two-year warranty, which will warranty the set for four years, and naturally what my friend paid doesn't include the tax either.

And if you buy a Blu-ray Player, make sure it has WiFi, because the Player will allow you to watch more than is available through your cable package. You'll have access to YouTube and can watch their videos on your TV instead, Hulu Plus, along with a variety of other subscriber services, including Netflix. If you buy a Blu-ray Player I'd recommend a Sony though. That will also give you access to a movie and TV Show streaming service called Crackle, which you can check out online by going to Crackle.com. The movies and shows are free and Uncut, but with brief commercial interruptions every ten minutes (although I recently noticed that they're starting to uptick the commercial BS by more time on that service, which pisses me off, because I watch their movies occasionally).

If you need some more advice, don't hesitate to ask, Mel. I'll try and steer you in the right direction, and at the most reasonable cost to you given your situation.

[Mel]

Thanks, Gary. I copied all that info, "until that time, Eustice, until that time."

I'm not sure why that quote came to mind.