[KayakerNC]

OK, they've lowered the price of the HD 8.9, so now it's a premium of $70 US over the 7 inch Fire HD.
Is the bigger screen worth the extra cost? 
Is bigger always better?  Any pros or cons will be helpful to my decision process.

 

[Sometimes Lucy]

I have, during this last month, had both the 7" and the 8.9". I ended up choosing the 7", because I thought much content (at least the things that I'm interested in) seemed a little stretched out of shape on the bigger screen. Some apps seemed to be programmed more for the 7". If you watch a lot of movies, then the 8.9" would be great, but otherwise, in my opinion, the 7" is great...and it's slightly more portable because of the smaller size. Hope that helps a little bit!


Sent from Lucy's iPod Touch 5g

 

[TerryS]

I prefer the 7inch myself especially since I already have several bugger tablets. The portability fits what I need well.

 

[Guest]

KayakerNC

Pros of 8.9"

1) Larger Screen. Makes games and movies and web surfing better.

2) Speakers seem better (though they should be the same, not sure why they sound better).


Pros of 7"

1) MUCH easier to handle and hold. My hands get tired in just 15-20 minutes with the 8.9". With HD it's fine for 30-40 minutes and even longer.


*****
There's not that much difference between them since they have very similar features and use the same OS skin (Amazon's skinned version of Android). The main thing is size. The plus of the larger screen is that it makes things like movies and reading web pages better. The minus is that it is tougher to handle and hold and carry.

 

[Toby]

Ditto on what others said. 8.9" - better for movies/ TV, books - you can see 2 pages at a time.

 

[kindlefirenewbie2013]

I find the Kindle Fire 7, 2nd gen,? a bit heavy and hard to handle, especially reading in bed, so I am sure the larger screen would be much more cumbersome and would really tire my hand out quickly.

 

[Bob327]

My son (an adult) now has possession of my 8.9 and I kept my originality 1st generation  fire...

The larger one was not nearly as convenient (for me)  to carry with me ...
and I honestly did not like reading a book (old paperback guy) on the larger screen... I really do not do much web surfing on a table so the larger screen just did not do it for me...

Quick... easy ... and fast web surfing is now handled by my Acer Chrome book...for the most part

Bob G.

 

[KayakerNC]

Interesting.  I hadn't even thought of the portability/convenience issue.  I may have to do a little hands-on comparisons.
Thanks to all for the great comments.

 

[Seamonkey]

I LOVE my 8.9" and haul it everywhere.  It is much easier to use the keyboard, especially in landscape mode.

I gave my original Fire to a friend, who is sharing my books, music, etc.  (so far she is reading one book and liking the larger print, and apparently is loving a Lady Antebellum album I got on special.

I haven't played with an HD 7" so cannot compare there, but I love the larger real estate without going to ipad size.

 

[Toby]

The 7" HD Fire with an external speaker attached to listen to audiobooks is much easier to carry around the house with me. I guess there are advantages to both sizes.

 

[NanD]

I just played with both of them at BestBuy. Originally was thinking if the 7" one, but I am interested in magazines and videos. I read newsfeeds on my Android phone so was surprised that the magazine print looked so tiny on the 7" one.

Came home and ordered the 8.9 32gb wifi one. 

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 2

 

[Meemo]

I just played with both of them at BestBuy. Originally was thinking if the 7" one, but I am interested in magazines and videos. I read newsfeeds on my Android phone so was surprised that the magazine print looked so tiny on the 7" one.

Came home and ordered the 8.9 32gb wifi one.

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 2

Well with most magazines you can tap on an article to open it up bigger in a window, or you can (sometimes) open it in text form without the pictures. Depends on the magazine. I use both at times even on my 10" iPad, so be sure to look for that.

 

[donSatalic]

Wouldn't the 8.9" be better for reading?

 

[Betsy the Quilter]

Wouldn't the 8.9" be better for reading?

because it's larger? Well, that has a trade off in weight. Many people find the Fire 8.9, like the iPad, to be too heavy to hold comfortably when reading.

Betsy

 

[Meemo]

because it's larger? Well, that has a trade off in weight. Many people find the Fire 8.9, like the iPad, to be too heavy to hold comfortably when reading.

Betsy

For me, it's not so much about the weight - I can always rest it on my lap - it's about screen size. The iPad's screen is just too big (for me) for reading a novel. Great for magazines - it's about the same size as a magazine page. But for reading a novel, it's just too much print on the page. I think the 8.9" Fire would be a skosh too big for me as well. The 7" eInk reader Sony used to make was a lovely size (but too expensive). The 7.9" iPad Mini is a great size too, especially with a good reading app that allows you to adjust and really fine-tune the margins, line spacing, etc.

 

[That Weird Guy....]

Since I just bought a 8.9 on Saturday, I have a few pros and cons. Bear in mind, I can only compare an original Kindle Fire and the 8.9 HD.

Pros:
Bigger screen (of course). I generally use mine for watching movies and TV Shows at work so this is great for me.
Faster processor (at least to me it seems faster.) But since I just upgraded from an original Kindle Fire...
HD of course.
Better WiFi connectivity. For some reason this has a way better WiFi receiver. At least, for me it does. I use my WiFi at work and with the original KF, the signal was extremely weak. With the HD Tablet I have full connectivity. I love this.

Cons:
Heavier. Makes it more difficult to lay in bed holding it up to watch a movie.
Extremely touchy screen. This has become kind of an issue when I play something like Angry Birds. Sometimes, when i go to launch the bird the touch screen does something weird and launches it in the opposite direction i was intending.
Power Cord plug in on the side. The least they could have done was place it on the "top" of the model so that when in landscape mode, you can charge while you are playing Angry Birds. This is a BIG con for me.

 

[ginaf20697]

You should get the Case Crown case. Then it stays up nicely by itself

 

[Ann in Arlington]

You should get the Case Crown case. Then it stays up nicely by itself

Is that designed with enough of a 'lip' that you can have the cord plugged in while you're using it in landscape mode? Because that's the problem. . . . the stock Amazon cover stays up well, I think, but because of where the charging cord plugs in, you can't really use it in landscape and charge it at the same time. And I can see people preferring to have it plugged in when watching a movie because the battery might not last long enough -- video eats it up pretty good.

 

[maryjf45]

I love my 8.9 and hardly use my older fire anymore. It still not large compared with most hardcover books. I am charging it now as I use it. I use a cover called Khomo. There is one game that will only display in an awkward position for the cord, but not a big issue for me.