Should I buy a Kindle Fire?

[andrews317]

I was planning to buy a tablet for my mom's birthday this month. I saved about $250 and I found cheap "Used like new" Dell Streaks on amazon, so I was planning to get one. Then came the Kindle Fire. It looks very interesting and a new one is cheaper than a used like new Streak. My mom's use of a tablet would be reading, calls on skype, chating (whatsapp, facebook) and maybe listening music and watching movies. Which tablet would you recommend me?

 

[A.Nonymous]

The Kindle Fire doesn't have a front facing camera so it's useless for Skype. It's also not coming out until mid November. I have no idea when your mom's birthday is.

 

[tdrew]

Also, as I recall, no microphone.

 

[andrews317]

The "no microphone" is definitely a -1. My mom's bday is at the end of October, so November is another -1. The only + was the price, but I rather spend a little bit more for something better. Thanks for your help.

 

[FinalStorm]

No mic and no bluetooth on the Kindle fire, so unless the headphone jack supports a mic, then you SOL for Skype. Everything else would be just fine for your mothers needs.

 

[rushmore]

Skype works fine on the Flyer, but costs $300.

 

[mungoid]

If your mom didnt use skype for chatting i would say to get this as it is super simple to use and has every other feature. Just no chatting =-(

 

[Saltine713]

I see the market generated towards a more adult audience with a tech background, those who have used a smartphone or tab in the past. I don't see a young audience with this for the most part because of the word KINDLE.

 

[slbailey1]

If your mom buys things from Amazon, get her the Kindle Fire because it will be so much easier with it. Also, if you couple the Fire with an Amazon Prime membership, you get a lot of free stuff (movies streaming , tv shows streaming, and one book rental a month). Also you get free 2-day shipping. an Amazon Prime membership cost just $79 per YEAR.

 

[Cares]

Just get her a Kindle Fire and tell her you don't want to see her face that much!

 

[echoes106]

Yeah, as previously mentioned, if no skype is a dealbreaker than I wouldn't buy. But for most other functions this seems to be an ideal entry tablet.

My guess is the Fire 2 (whether it comes out before January or after) will have more memory, more on-board storage, a camera, HDMI, and a bigger screen for an additional $100 or so.

 

[Pulsar]

I would say, unless your mom is a hardcore gamer, get her the Fire. Most Moms love Amazon.

 

[user311]

I'd honestly wait for them to release a bigger newer tablet, than pick up the fire atm unless you need something now.

 

[lilparker2009]

From the sounds of it this would probably be the best option for your mom

 

[maric]

Definitely not. Skype's a no go, and that will probably be one of the Fire's weaknesses. It's just a content delivery mechanism. It has potential to be a very very good content delivery system, but unfortunately you'll need a separate device for skype.

 

[PalmPilot]

Don't think Skype will be compatible with the Fire as it has no mic, but would definitely pick it over the streak.

 

[Ngo93]

Like everyone else said, this would be a no go because of the skype requirement. But if you do not feel like waiting, I've read some posts on how some people have bought Xoom's for as cheap as $270 or so. And I've seen a Xoom or two go for around that price on craigslist before.