Some say the best thing to hide anything is to place it in plain sight, and if this is true Amazon has done three things that may be potential issues for anyone who is considering buying one of the new Kindle Fire HD tablets.
Secret #1: No AC Charger
Within the specification list on Amazon’s website for the Kindle Fire HD tablet, there is something that is in plain view but will probably go unnoticed by some customers:
Amazon states:
“Fully charges in under 4 hours via the Kindle PowerFast charging accessory, or slightly longer with other micro-USB power adapters that you may already have. Charges in approximately 13.5 hours from your computer via the included USB charging cable.”
The hidden “secret” here is that the Kindle Fire HD tablets won’t have an AC charger supplied with the purchase. The charger costs an additional $19.99, but if it is purchased at the same time as the Kindle Fire HD, Amazon will knock off $10.
If you plan to charge your tablet from the USB port of your computer it will take 13.5 hours to do so. A USB cable is included with the Kindle Fire HD.
Secret #2: Tablet will have advertisements on the screen
In the introduction section for the Kindle Fire HD tablet on Amazon.com, a list of specifications appears and describes all the benefits of the tablet. Among them is something that says:
“Includes special offers and sponsored screensavers.”
Hold on. Just what does this mean? Clicking on the “learn more” text shows the purpose of this feature:
“You'll receive special offers and sponsored screensavers directly on your Kindle Fire HD...your offers display on the lock screen and in small text on the lower left hand corner of the home screen—they don't interrupt use of the device.”
Or in other words the Kindle Fire HD will have advertisements on the screen. Special offer products from Amazon aren’t new. In the past Amazon sold discounted Kindle readers in exchange for screening ads on the owner’s Kindle.
However the “special offers” is code for advertising in Amazon speak. For those who don’t want the ads, they can do so by paying a fee of $15 to Amazon to opt out.
Some individuals are already complaining that this is unfair and somewhat deceptive because the true cost of a Kindle Fire HD is actually $15 more than the list price for those who don't want the ads.
Secret #3: You still need another cable
Amazon will give an optional one-month trial membership to Amazon Prime with the purchase of a Kindle Fire HD. Amazon Prime is a premium service that offers free streaming movies and television shows, plus free two-day shipping on many products sold on Amazon.com.
For those who are planning to stream movies and connect their Kindle Fires to their HDTVs for large screen viewing, they’ll need to purchase a special cable that can connect to the microHDMI port from the tablet to the HDTV. Depending on your setup, this may mean a female or male connection at the end of the cable.
These cables cost from $3 to $20.
Not real deal breakers
The phrase caveat emptor in Latin means buyer beware. For prospective buyers of the Kindle Fire HD, this is a good rule of thumb to follow to avoid unnecessary frustration.
Via Amazon.com
