New Fire Max 11

[tomsem]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1VQ1ZQY

Notable changes:

- aluminum chassis (only about 20g heavier than Fire HD 10)
- Fingerprint ID
- improved cameras (auto focus 8GB rear, 2GB front)
- 'low blue light certified' display (222 ppi)
- on device handwriting to text
- 14 hr battery (Fire HD 10 is 12 hr)
- (optional) Stylus with pressure sensitivity and tilt
- (optional) keyboard/trackpad case w direct connection (not Bluetooth)

$229.99 (64 GB), $329.99 for productivity bundle (including keyboard case and stylus)

So basically an iPad clone, with lower specs, and a much worse App Store.

Given the stylus support, and handwriting to text, I think they'll be adding Notebook functionality identical to Scribe (maybe along with support in iPadOS Kindle app as well).

I might trade in my little used Fire HD 10 (or some other TBD Amazon device I have laying around) for the 20% + gift card offer, especially if there's a Prime Day deal.

[HLS]

Has anyone purchased this yet? I’m very skeptical what bothers me it’s the same old inerface that’s been around since like 2015? I was hoping for a total software U-Haul to make it look more professional

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by HLS

Has anyone purchased this yet? I’m very skeptical what bothers me it’s the same old inerface that’s been around since like 2015? I was hoping for a total software U-Haul to make it look more professional

FireOS interface is a lot more stripped down than it was in 2015. There are only 3 panels: For You, Home, and Library. For You is kind of a mess, but no need to go there.

The weakest aspect remains the Appstore, of course.

Given recent Fire tablets have all been less than $140 or so, people aren't used to paying $240 for one. But it's getting mostly positive reviews.

[Desertway]

There is a desktop utility called Fire Toolbox which makes it very simple to install the Google Framework and Google Playstore on Fire Tablets. You can even use it to install a different launcher. I don't know if it's caught up with the Max yet.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by Desertway

There is a desktop utility called Fire Toolbox which makes it very simple to install the Google Framework and Google Playstore on Fire Tablets. You can even use it to install a different launcher. I don't know if it's caught up with the Max yet.

It wouldn't matter to me either way. I have all the apps I need on iOS (and then some), and better devices to run them on. It has been years since I've used an Android device regularly, much less required these to do anything important.

I was just noting that the situation has not really improved despite the many years Amazon has been at this. It suggests their claims about Fire being a 'productivity' device are inflated, and that they do not care. Never mind Google apps, why no Edge browser, for example, when they're already promoting Office running on there? Who said 'no', Amazon or Microsoft? Did it even come up for discussion?

For the most part, I approach Fire on its own terms, and that means I pretty much ignore the Appstore.

[davedeacon]

I have this tablet - it's great; I'm a cheapskate so I've had quite a few Amazon tablets over the years and this is easily the best one. The UI is Android; yes, the homescreen is pretty much not configurable, but you can ignore that - install the Google Play Store/Services (takes 5 mins - just download and install 4 apks) and just treat it like a normal Android tablet. It seems off criticizing the tablets for having the Amazon store; it's in addition to the Play Store, not an either/or replacement. I'm sure some people don't install the Google stuff but given that the ability to install it is mentioned in every single review and is simple it's hard to know why someone would not do this and then complain about its absence. Trading in an old faulty (working screen though!) HD 10 got me £75 off - I looked and there's nothing close in terms of value.

[NerdyGreenWitch]

Originally Posted by tomsem

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1VQ1ZQY
So basically an iPad clone, with lower specs, and a much worse App Store.

It’s actually very easy to install the Google Play store on a Fire Tablet.

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by tomsem

It wouldn't matter to me either way. I have all the apps I need on iOS (and then some), and better devices to run them on. It has been years since I've used an Android device regularly, much less required these to do anything important.

I was just noting that the situation has not really improved despite the many years Amazon has been at this. It suggests their claims about Fire being a 'productivity' device are inflated, and that they do not care. Never mind Google apps, why no Edge browser, for example, when they're already promoting Office running on there? Who said 'no', Amazon or Microsoft? Did it even come up for discussion?

For the most part, I approach Fire on its own terms, and that means I pretty much ignore the Appstore.

You can run Edge on it, it's not in the Amazon Appstore but you can get it from the Play Store or somewhere else if you want it. I'd imagine Amazon wants the default browser to be theirs so they can make money from search. The only reason I could think to prefer Edge over Silk on Android is if you really want to sync tabs between desktop Edge and the tablet. They are both Chromium browsers at the end of the day.

As sad as it is I think it's probably easier to be productive on a Fire 11 Max than a 1TB iPad Pro with 16GB RAM especially if you're willing to go outside the bounds of Amazon's ecosystem. Android apps like Termux just greatly increase what you can do compared to iOS. I found that I could do more of my work anyways on a $80 Fire 8 HD than my 10" iPad Pro. It wasn't fast, but at least it could do it whereas on the iPad I had to remote into another computer to do anything and live with all the problems that caused.

[davedeacon]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

You can run Edge on it, it's not in the Amazon Appstore but you can get it from the Play Store or somewhere else if you want it. I'd imagine Amazon wants the default browser to be theirs so they can make money from search. The only reason I could think to prefer Edge over Silk on Android is if you really want to sync tabs between desktop Edge and the tablet. They are both Chromium browsers at the end of the day.

As sad as it is I think it's probably easier to be productive on a Fire 11 Max than a 1TB iPad Pro with 16GB RAM especially if you're willing to go outside the bounds of Amazon's ecosystem. Android apps like Termux just greatly increase what you can do compared to iOS. I found that I could do more of my work anyways on a $80 Fire 8 HD than my 10" iPad Pro. It wasn't fast, but at least it could do it whereas on the iPad I had to remote into another computer to do anything and live with all the problems that caused.

The search bar on the home screen uses Bing, so perhaps both Amazon and Microsoft benefit. Honestly, my main criticism of all the Amazon tablets is the lack of haptic feedback! They can't be saving much money leaving that out.

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by davedeacon

The search bar on the home screen uses Bing, so perhaps both Amazon and Microsoft benefit. Honestly, my main criticism of all the Amazon tablets is the lack of haptic feedback! They can't be saving much money leaving that out.

I think that's a pretty common tablet skip. It's probably hard to make it feel good on a device that big. I don't think any of the iPads have had it ever either.

[davedeacon]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

I think that's a pretty common tablet skip. It's probably hard to make it feel good on a device that big. I don't think any of the iPads have had it ever either.

My Nexus 10 must have.... I just want a little bit of feedback for typing!

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

You can run Edge on it, it's not in the Amazon Appstore but you can get it from the Play Store or somewhere else if you want it. I'd imagine Amazon wants the default browser to be theirs so they can make money from search. The only reason I could think to prefer Edge over Silk on Android is if you really want to sync tabs between desktop Edge and the tablet. They are both Chromium browsers at the end of the day.

As sad as it is I think it's probably easier to be productive on a Fire 11 Max than a 1TB iPad Pro with 16GB RAM especially if you're willing to go outside the bounds of Amazon's ecosystem. Android apps like Termux just greatly increase what you can do compared to iOS. I found that I could do more of my work anyways on a $80 Fire 8 HD than my 10" iPad Pro. It wasn't fast, but at least it could do it whereas on the iPad I had to remote into another computer to do anything and live with all the problems that caused.

I am not saying that I want Edge myself, I'm just saying there should be alternate browsers available though Amazon's Appstore, if only so you can more easily share bookmarks etc. across platforms.

How have they avoided anti-trust issues like Microsoft had with Windows years ago? I guess because FireOS has only a fraction of the users of other platforms.

Amazon does not provide a search engine for Silk, and Bing is default. Microsoft is making money on this, and no doubt paying Amazon to be the default.

I thought I have made it clear that I do not need Fire to be 'productive' and have no interest in making it so by installing Google Play. I'm just calling out Amazon for making false claims, and laziness in terms of getting productivity apps in their Appstore.

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by tomsem

I am not saying that I want Edge myself, I'm just saying there should be alternate browsers available though Amazon's Appstore, if only so you can more easily share bookmarks etc. across platforms.

How have they avoided anti-trust issues like Microsoft had with Windows years ago? I guess because FireOS has only a fraction of the users of other platforms.

Amazon does not provide a search engine for Silk, and Bing is default. Microsoft is making money on this, and no doubt paying Amazon to be the default.

I thought I have made it clear that I do not need Fire to be 'productive' and have no interest in making it so by installing Google Play. I'm just calling out Amazon for making false claims, and laziness in terms of getting productivity apps in their Appstore.

What false claims? You don't need tab sync to be productive and Amazon make an extension to sync Chrome (the most popular browser) and Silk bookmarks if you want that and it even works on Edge. What productivity apps are missing?

You can also easily wander outside the Amazon app store and get a myriad of alternate browsers like actual Firefox.

On iOS you can literally only install Apple approved Safari clones with a different skin and it has considerably more market share. Google also pays for search there.

[cvkemp]

With a little work the device will be able to be jail broke so it can run Google play store.

[davedeacon]

Originally Posted by cvkemp

With a little work the device will be able to be jail broke so it can run Google play store.

Practically every post in this thread has already mentioned adding the Play Store!