tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872447660964013545.post4434096302129361431..comments2024-03-18T22:39:50.137-07:00Comments on A Kindle World blog: Kindle Fire News: Why a Kindle Fire HD? Why price reductions - why not free? Real questions as headlined. UPDATEDAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05109282436243758435noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872447660964013545.post-81262561360017145952013-03-25T15:26:46.878-07:002013-03-25T15:26:46.878-07:00James,
Joel McC wrote me in late October and I was...James,<br />Joel McC wrote me in late October and I was going to write about it and then forgot all about it. What I told him was, essentially:<br /><br /> The man who started Project Gutenberg died last year, and whoever wrote that is putting out hysterical nonsense. There's not a glimmer of truth in it but this is typical today. Say something erroneous often enough and loud enough, and people believe it. I think I felt that someone would correct the guy, but apparently not (!)<br /><br /> Not only that, we can use the Kindle to read, legally, DRM'd ePub books (!) The person just doesn't know much and doesn't seem bent on learning, which is too bad, considering the person's ability to reach so many who will believe him because of the strength of the name of the site.<br /><br /> It's actually easy to get any book from it onto Kindle Fire as a Kindle book (thanks to Gutenberg and Amazon) and to have reading on it sync'd with annotations -- AND to read any ePub book, moreover, if you want (maybe because it's not out in Kindle format), on the Kindle Fire, as is, and any of this is done via basic free apps in the Amazon app store.<br /><br /> Thanks for the reminder. I have a way of doing it just using Kindle Fire's Silk and the usual tablet file manager and will try to do a report on that with a couple of screen shots either tonight or tomorrow.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05109282436243758435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872447660964013545.post-35098579255739319072013-03-25T09:18:49.217-07:002013-03-25T09:18:49.217-07:00As this is the most recent Kindle Fire article on ...As this is the most recent Kindle Fire article on your site I thought I would bring this to your attention for a possible article on how to get Gutenberg books into the Kindle Fire HD (I think the first model but it may include the later models as well as the larger screen version) I hadn't been at the Gutenberg site for a while and I decided to download a book for my Kindle Keyboard from there when I noticed this Kindle Fire review from the webmaster of Project Gutenberg linked from the main site page.<br /><br />http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Kindle_Fire_Review<br /><br />It is rather inflammatory and there are quite a few comments about this review at some Kindle sites. The main issue seems to be that Gutenberg books aren't stored in the proper directory on the Fire. As I don't have a Kindle Fire yet I can't make any comments on that but from what I have read, the books are actually saved to the Fire, just to a different directory and not as the reviewer says:<br /><br /> "To be specific, there is no way to download free books from the web and have the Kindle Fire store them permanently or in the same places where your books from Amazon are kept."<br /><br />I know that quite a few people read your site and it will probably help any misunderstandings with an article saying exactly on how to handle Gutenberg books on the Fire, whatever model is affected. Instructions for directory placement utilities as so on are probably needed unless there is some sort of setting on the Fire to install to a specific directory.<br /><br />JamesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872447660964013545.post-47179911511676988122013-03-21T19:00:28.338-07:002013-03-21T19:00:28.338-07:00Terry, thanks for that info. On December 11, 2012...Terry, thanks for that info. On December 11, 2012, they changed the Flash Player file at XDAdevelopers, in that same thread post so that it's a different file now, and that was because the latest version of Google Nexus no longer worked with the Flash Player they/we had been using (as a beneficiary tablet of the hunt done for the Nexus tablet problem).<br /><br /> Maybe try that latest file? And see if later Dolphins can be used with it? It works for a number of us..<br /><br /> Thanks for the info on Firefox for Android too. So far, I've no problems with my network TV full-episode watching on latest Dolphin, with the current xdadeveloper flash player they uploaded Dec 11, wiping out the first one that many were using for the Kindle Fire for months. <br /><br /> I think Laura's on her sharefile box is using the earlier one from xdadeveloper forum.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05109282436243758435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872447660964013545.post-80534632933596683892013-03-21T16:41:48.241-07:002013-03-21T16:41:48.241-07:00Hi Andrys,
I would add that only Dolphin 8.5.1 see...Hi Andrys,<br />I would add that only Dolphin 8.5.1 seems to work with Flash 11.1 for me on my Fire HD. If it updates itself to 9.0 or above, fFlash videos no longer work.<br /><br />On the flip side of that, the latest Firefox for Android does seem to work mostly-fine with Flash 11.1 installed (there is the occasional glitch).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07049916586198421849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872447660964013545.post-29779762064272140212013-03-20T20:42:53.843-07:002013-03-20T20:42:53.843-07:00Tom, I actually think they're likely working o...Tom, I actually think they're likely working on sync'g as they do with the most basic Cloud, our database of books, docs, apps. <br /><br /> For those who are more than pure consumers, it's easy enough to just get dropbox (which I got on day 1) if I want to go beyond Amazon (which of course I do) and my mindset is I'm glad they didn't hobble the ability to straight download and install apps from other places.<br /><br /> Amazon is just a huge store, whose reason for being is to sell us things.<br /><br /> Where they're trying to sell content and services to make up for very low-priced better-than-decent tablets, I don't blame them for not focusing on making other competing apps easy to get at their own store.<br /><br /> ePub apps may encourage their shoppers to get books elsewhere. As a business and store (and now web cloud services provider), they'll concentrate on their openly stated goal which was to provide high-quality tablets and make the money when the Kindle owner uses it for store goods and whatever services.<br /><br /> I got Aldiko and Mantano right away for epub reading. I've always straight downloaded rather than sideloaded although that latter work has become used for direct download these days from non-company stores. And now WiFi Explorer Pro makes it so easy when you don't even have to use a cable.<br /><br /> The thing is they are always way behind on apps partially because of the heavy vetting they do for compatability with KFire and for malware (Google doesn't do this).<br /><br /> Why would they put time into doing that for competing-format apps to be sold in their own store and getting the customers' attention. I -would- PREFER they provide the things you mention but I really understand why they don't care to, for the KFire. <br /><br /> The very people upset by this are the people who can easily get it anywhere else. Their target consumers tend more to ask about flash videos.<br /><br /> As mentioned they're not only a store, they do marketing info gathering (when we click to buy, when we look, when we use Silk browser), for personal recommendations and in hopes they can have you buy something else, and they say outright this is how they plan to grow their business. Right now margins are worrisome. So my own focus is not on them having to put everything there that I need -- just let me put it on easily after I get it from another store. I don't want to be that bound to Amazon store anyway - the other places have more apps and I can look around a bit (but I don't download a file unless others have for at least a few days).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05109282436243758435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872447660964013545.post-71086890875167220762013-03-20T13:12:27.924-07:002013-03-20T13:12:27.924-07:00The point about DropBox is that it IS in the Amazo...The point about DropBox is that it IS in the Amazon Appstore, but the only Android devices that can't get it from there are Fires. It is justifiably a popular app, and Amazon does not provide that functionality, so why don't they allow it? It doesn't compete with anything Amazon is doing right now (Amazon Cloud doesn't do desktop sync like SkyDrive/GoogleDrive/DropBox etc.), while arguably its availability would add value to Fire (just as availability of Netflix does).<br /><br />I would make a similar argument about allowing epub reading apps on Fire except that is for most users a lower priority than something like Dropbox.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Tom Semplehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05127272649086914117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872447660964013545.post-4256885797024036912013-03-19T20:25:55.217-07:002013-03-19T20:25:55.217-07:00Tom, Thanks for all the alternate choices (similar...Tom, Thanks for all the alternate choices (similar to photo/usb kit) for Apple users and yes, it's more direct for the KFire (being built-in rather than yet another $$ add-on that you need to buy and carry for the Apple).<br /> I do consider that a better feature. But I'll add a link to your comment to get the full story there! Thanks for making the table more useful.<br /><br /> Another Kindle Fire HD user found Puffin very slow and halting and was glad to get the latest Dolphin. Dolphin seems to want to make their browser increasingly useful so I doubt they'll intend to make it not support Adobe Flash Player of whatever vintage. What Amazon does with a future Kindle Fire that could kill that is another matter, but I'm hoping they're not suicidal because I'd NEVER buy a tablet that didn't allow me to play Flash files.<br /><br /> Amazon is just a store. They sell The Cloud and it is their biggest feature for use with a lot of $-things including tablets so they're not going to put dropbox IN their store but they will make it easy for you (unlike B&N) to just get it from another store. I don't mind "walking" to another store to get what I want that's not in the first store.<br /><br /> As I've said I would not expect to see a competitor's product sold IN a B&N store and the same goes for Amazon. What I don't like is B&N refusing me normal access to be able to use another appstore's apps at all without violating TOS and having a risky situation.<br /><br /> I agree with you re the browser. If Silk weren't so anal-retentive and slowed down for that reason, I wouldn't want another browser, but at least they don't keep other browsers off their units. <br /><br /> I would imagine that Adobe's future flash players would have all kinds of goodies that wouldn't be supported on the new Android devices (which differ so much one from the other in whatever variant of the system might be on it) but I don't see that they'd look for a way to prevent the older ones from working for the basics as long as a browser supports it...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05109282436243758435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872447660964013545.post-78050394635635478642013-03-19T18:47:01.466-07:002013-03-19T18:47:01.466-07:00In addition to the AirPlay option, the 'Lighte...In addition to the AirPlay option, the 'Lightening' port on the Mini and latest iPad do allow 'up to 1080p' HDMI out with appropriate ($49) adapter (plus an HDMI cable!). Of course the equivalent solution for Fire HD is about $5, as it uses a standard microHDMI port.<br /><br />Note that 3rd party browsers such as Puffin or Photon allow functional access to Flash-enabled video and websites on iOS (and also on Android), and apparently Facebook Flash games also. I have Puffin and it works reasonably well on my iPad and on my Xoom, though not that seamlessly with Amazon Instant Video (zoom to fit screen doesn't seem to work, but you can zoom the view manually). Still worth having in the toolkit. So Apple users do have some options.<br /><br />BTW, I did try the free (time bomb) version of Puffin on my Fire and it did work (with rough edges). I have since got the paid version but haven't tried that yet. So Fire HD users with access to Google Play could probably consider that option (as opposed to getting the now unsupported Flash Player plus Dolphin). Puffin (and I assume Photon, which I've not tried yet) uses Adobe's AIR platform (via FlashBuilder or whatever it is going to be called) and that has Adobe's ongoing support on mobile, so it should have a future. It is less clear that FP will continue to work on future versions of Android, or continue to work with future versions of Dolphin. I do wish Amazon were a little less nannyish about allowing Fire users to download alternative browsers (and ePub reading apps, Dropbox, Skydrive etc.) from the Appstore (e.g. Dropbox is in Amazon Appstore, but only if you aren't using a Fire. Absurd).Tom Semplehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05127272649086914117noreply@blogger.com