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No micro sd slot = limited device

The product is solid enough to be a hit among the masses looking for a quick iPad alternative to watch media content and read books, magazines, and comics. If you're looking to store movies and music with limited wifi resources this will not be the device for you. Its an interesting trade off.
 
I'm sure this has been mentioned: the iPad 2 is certainly not a limited device.

I own both an iPad 2 and a Xoom. Although I am a hardcore Android user, I do love my iPad. "Limited" it certainly is not.
 
It doesn't really bother me that there isn't an SD card slot in the device, though it would have been nice to have the option available. It's not really a deal breaker for me though, at least.
 
Bob Maxey said:
No Internet connection means no data access. With SD Cards and Flash drives for things like Doc files and PPTs, I have learned to flip the Cloud the e-bird. At least as far as my iPad is concerned.

IMHO, not having extra storage is a huge deal killing minus.
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I understand the argument, but my point is who is really picking up the Fire for transporting and editing Docs and PPT's. It is a media consumption device, nothing more. The Fire shouldn't even be on your radar of you are a power user. A product shouldn't be knocked for something it was never intended to be used for.
 
I had bought the usb/sd card adapters for my samsung galaxy tab 8.9 which also didn't have them installed standard, and I have honestly have yet to use them. Between cloud storage, myphoneexplorer, setting up a media streaming from my pc and remote desktop I really haven't had the need. I have over 4gigs of apps/games installed and about 4gigs of music. I figure the fire would be alright because wifi/hotspots are everywhere and Amazon has some ridiculous fast servers so getting to your data shouldn't really be an issue.
 
user311 said:
I had bought the usb/sd card adapters for my samsung galaxy tab 8.9 which also didn't have them installed standard, and I have honestly have yet to use them. Between cloud storage, myphoneexplorer, setting up a media streaming from my pc and remote desktop I really haven't had the need. I have over 4gigs of apps/games installed and about 4gigs of music. I figure the fire would be alright because wifi/hotspots are everywhere and Amazon has some ridiculous fast servers so getting to your data shouldn't really be an issue.
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Exactly. And the thing is, for those people that actually do bring travel on planes a lot and need to watch something during the trip, the few movies you can store on it to bring along should last you a while and if you need more, then those people would already have access to portable dvd players or even the in-air movies on planes today.
 
HoPPy785 said:
I understand the argument, but my point is who is really picking up the Fire for transporting and editing Docs and PPT's. It is a media consumption device, nothing more. The Fire shouldn't even be on your radar of you are a power user. A product shouldn't be knocked for something it was never intended to be used for.
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Excellent point! I hope it turns out to be a decent "tablet" but as long as it excels in what it's actually supposed to do then that's what matters! :cool:
 
I'm not sure that this is not really a big deal breaker. I have a 64gb iPad, and I've never got it anywhere over 10-12Gb of used space even with all my apps and video podcasts and stuff. The Kindle Fire to me is more of a 'media consumption' device and not an 'Android Tool' like my Android phone is.
 
rushmore said:
Whoever decided to not have a micro sd slot on this tablet are short sighted rubes. It is obvious Amazon wants this device locked down. Added: Likely a futile effort though.

With only a few gigs for media and apps, this device is constrained out of the gate. Pure stupid, but that is my opinion.
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Sadly, I agree. The digitial locker concept is limiting. Can't always count on wi-fi availability / bandwidth to pull down a movie or app that you want at that moment.
 
I don't know - I mean, I get it - SD cards are useful for transferring data, for adding storage space... but to the less technically literate, they're still those annoying things you put into your camera. With everything they've cut from the normal tablet recipe, it feels like Amazon is going for simplicity - remove options, focus on a few core experience elements. Video, Music via the Cloud (with some space for when you're offline), Books, and web via Silk. Anything else is utterly secondary. Anything else complex or distracting or unsightly got the axe.
 
Love the positives of the tablet, and love the cloud and all, but have to be honest, the missing sd slot is a bummer for me.
 
bobbrown89 said:
Think about how many actual consumers (not those of us that frequent tech news sites and/or forums) that actually use expandable memory in their phones or tablets?

I bet that answer is not many. Heck, most common folk don't even know the difference between a SD card and a microSD card or what it does.

We have to remember that Amazon's main target is the average person who would buy things to use them and not the person who wants to hack, customize, move files from one device to another.

To this way of thinking, Amazon has really done just enough to make it a worthwhile product for this holiday season, and I'm pretty sure that was their goal all along with this first Fire
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I am not sure what the average person really wants. Millions want the iPad but I am not sure what that really means, either. I am sure people will like the Fire and will not object to its limited memory. That said, I feel confident many of those people will soon learn that they need more memory.

As I have said, we will know in a year how people feel about it.
 
maric said:
I don't know - I mean, I get it - SD cards are useful for transferring data, for adding storage space... but to the less technically literate, they're still those annoying things you put into your camera. With everything they've cut from the normal tablet recipe, it feels like Amazon is going for simplicity - remove options, focus on a few core experience elements. Video, Music via the Cloud (with some space for when you're offline), Books, and web via Silk. Anything else is utterly secondary. Anything else complex or distracting or unsightly got the axe.
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Why do you think memory expansion is only for the technically literate? Seems rather fundamental. Would you buy the Fire if it only had 2 gigs of space?

I will bet that people that love the Amazon cloud will absolutely hate it when they cannot connect. Some people are so accustomed to accessing their stuff when they want, they suffer when that becomes impossible.

I wish Amazon luck, but they blew it and I think the next iteration (if there is a next one) will have external storage. For what it is, it works; my fear is people will learn just how limited the device is.
 
HoPPy785 said:
I understand the argument, but my point is who is really picking up the Fire for transporting and editing Docs and PPT's. It is a media consumption device, nothing more. The Fire shouldn't even be on your radar of you are a power user. A product shouldn't be knocked for something it was never intended to be used for.
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I did not say they were. The fire is a poor device for serious work and you are correct, it is a media consumption device designed by Amazon for the purposes of using their Cloud as well as for purchasing media. I simply mentioned the iPad and how I work and why I do not like the Cloud. I want guaranteed access, 100% of the time.

I run a business from my iPad, by the way.

I am betting many Fire users bought their Fire because they think it will do more than they eventually learn cannot be done. Like full Android Market access.

Some people are bothered by the Amazon TOS. Did any of you read it?

5.2 Our Right to Access Your Files. You give us the right to access, retain, use and disclose your account information and Your Files: to provide you with technical support and address technical issues; to investigate compliance with the terms of this Agreement, enforce the terms of this Agreement and protect the Service and its users from fraud or security threats; or as we determine is necessary to provide the Service or comply with applicable law.
5.3 Security. We do not guarantee that Your Files will not be subject to misappropriation, loss or damage and we will not be liable if they are. You
 
Bob Maxey said:
I did not say they were. The fire is a poor device for serious work and you are correct, it is a media consumption device designed by Amazon for the purposes of using their Cloud as well as for purchasing media. I simply mentioned the iPad and how I work and why I do not like the Cloud. I want guaranteed access, 100% of the time.

I run a business from my iPad, by the way.

I am betting many Fire users bought their Fire because they think it will do more than they eventually learn cannot be done. Like full Android Market access.

Some people are bothered by the Amazon TOS. Did any of you read it?

5.2 Our Right to Access Your Files. You give us the right to access, retain, use and disclose your account information and Your Files: to provide you with technical support and address technical issues; to investigate compliance with the terms of this Agreement, enforce the terms of this Agreement and protect the Service and its users from fraud or security threats; or as we determine is necessary to provide the Service or comply with applicable law.
5.3 Security. We do not guarantee that Your Files will not be subject to misappropriation, loss or damage and we will not be liable if they are. You
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Lack of 3G is much bigger limitation than lack of SD slot.

Over 90% of the time I will be on wifi with the Kindle Fire. The few times where I am not, I find that an Internet connection is much more valuable than the amount of disk space.

You can easily have enough apps and movies to keep you entertained on 6 GB of data. It might not be ideal, but it can get you through a 12 hour flight without suffering.

On that note, the DRM on the Amazon Appstore is the biggest limitation for using the device on flights. The app will only have a limited number of attempts of verification with the servers before you are locked out. You have to wait until you have an Internet connection before using your apps again.
 
I do dislike the lack of the sd slot, I knew it going in and almost cancelled because of it.

But I figure its a nice gift for the family.

Meanwhile, if they can get the Bluetooth chip reportedly inside the Fire to do something useful, well then, I might keep it myself.

This is my first tablet, I have had a hard time pulling the trigger on a tablet purchase despite wanting one for several years.

For me a pure IPSec Cisco VPN client is a must if I am going to be able to use a tablet, which kept me from buying a tablet for some time. But now that I have VPNC working on my Epic 4g, I figure I may be able to get it working on some android tablet.

So I started shopping around, and almost pulled the trigger on a Samsung 8.9 until I found out the Samsung 8.9 HAS NO SD slot!

So for now it's the Fire, SD slot or not. Maybe when ICS comes out I will get another tablet.
 
I'm kinda digging it. I bought it knowing its limitations. I don't need it to do everything my smartphone can do. The Fire doesn't have GPS, so what - I can't use Google Maps on it? Big deal - my phone (which I carry everywhere I go) does. And I can go on Google Maps on my PC. Why must every device I own do everything? The Fire, to me, is a good for 200 bucks, even with its limitations.
 
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