Kindle Fire - 8 Months of Experience

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I’ve had my Kindle Fire  since last November - long enough to settle into a pattern of the way I will use it. I’ve experimented with application that I still use occasionally but there are three main ones that have made the device worthwhile for me:

Reading. I’ve read over 100 novels - mostly checked out from the public library. Sometimes I use the highlight feature to mark passages. The Kindle makes it easier to read in poor lighting situations although I find having some ambient light other than the Kindle screen reduces eyestrain. The brightness of the screen makes it more comfortable for me to read without my glasses; this aspect actually makes it a better form than physical books for me. Probably over 90% of my Kindle use is for this activity and I’m finding it challenging to work down my pile of physical books! I also find that I can put it on a music stand and read while I bounce on my Swopper Chair  to get a little exercise while I read.

Grocery list. My husband and I have settled on the OurGroceries app since we can use it from all our devices (including the Kindle) and then I can use it when I am in the store to mark off items as I get them. I don’t spend a huge amount of time in the app but I do use it frequently and those little bits of time add up.

Email. I have one of my email accounts directed to my Kindle so that I can send and receive emails any time I have connectivity. I have reduced the paper I carry with me when I travel because I can simply turn on the Kindle and have all the details. I also send recipes via email to this account since I actually prefer using the Kindle for my recipe to a cook book; the Kindle is less bulky and it stays positioned on the stand much better than a bulky book (I use a stand for it to keep it above the spills and splatters of cooking).

There are times I wish

 

  • it was a bit lighter in weight
  • the screen did not smudge as easily
  • the Marware case was some other color besides black (somehow black tends to blend in with the background making it hard to spot the Kindle on some surfaces)

 

but most of the time I’m just enjoying the device. It has been worth its $199 price tag.