My Virgin Voyage with Fire OS
I’ve used Android for years. Android is a wonderful OS with an amazing openness that helps things flow. Apps are cheaper than on other devices, there are tons of apps, and now Android phones are more numerous than iPhone. Despite all of this, I just gave the Kindle Fire 8 tablet a chance. In fact, I’m writing on one right now.
In my life, I’ve never used a Kindle device be it a paper reader or a tablet. So far though, I’m impressed. I decided to take the money I’ve earned from medium and purchase a device I could use to take on the go that’s lighter than a laptop and can be used simply to write on. Sure there’s probably a better option, but for the $80 that I spent, it was a well made purchase.
It’s easy to talk about the Fire 8 itself and how it’s designed, but I’m more fascinated with the Fire OS that’s installed. The tablet is far more powerful than some of the other, more expensive ones I’ve used, so I’m not interested in that. I know the tablet works, but what about the caveats of Fire? I think it’s important to discuss what it means to jump to this alternate-reality android build.
What is Fire OS?
Fire OS is, simply put, Amazon’s version of Android. It runs and mostly feels like an Android device with a changed homescreen layout. It runs the same .apk files and works smoothly. It feels lightweight and responsive and highly optimized for the devices it comes on. If you’ve ever experienced Android, you’ve essentially experienced Fire OS without the wonderful Alexa integration.
First Impressions
Having only used android (and iOS briefly), the jump to Fire OS was easy. The UI was familiar, the layout was mostly clean, and it’s rather easy to navigate. They say first impressions are lasting, and since I’ve had this tablet for only a couple of days my impressions are fresh.
I enjoy how quick Fire OS is. It’s highly optimized for the devices it runs on which makes navigating a breeze. I have had moments where scrolling has a high latency, but that’s a minor issue in my opinion. Scrolling though the various home pages is fast and I can access everything I need pretty simply.
The integration with Alexa is pretty amazing. I’ve only ever had access to google assistant on a mobile device which is far slower. Having Alexa makes navigation even simpler. Also, having a quick integration with shopping makes blowing money a breeze.
The built-in browser works well too from what I can tell. All of the webpages I’ve visited have been responsive and loaded fast. I don’t have any issues trying to do anything online with one exception. I tried accessing OneNote online since there’s no official app and the website was extremely slow. I would suggest not trying to access sites that are entire applications.
Onto the apps: everyone’s favorite. Fire OS is severly lacking in apps. Sure, you can download .apk files and install them and they’ll work just fine (unless they require any sort of Google Services), but that can lead to shady websites and malicious downloads. Unless you know what you’re doing, I would steer clear. The apps that Fire OS does offer, however, range from very professional to weird and obscure. Though there are some familiar classics like Evernote, Spotify, or YouTube, there’s so many apps that aren’t present. OneNote is nonexistent, there’s no Medium app, and other browsers don’t exist). All of these highly popular apps that are developed for Android simply don’t exist on this device without seeking out the apk file.
Being able to sideload apps does help the case, though, since I know I can still access my favorite Android apps. And since Fire OS essentially IS Android, all of the sideloaded apps I’ve used have worked flawlessly.
Overall my first impressions of the Amazonian operating system have been wonderful with a few simple flaws that aren’t by any means deal-breaking.
How I’m Kindling the Fire
It’s important to understand why I see the device as I do. I purchased the tablet as an entry-level device that I can use to stay productive and pack light on the go. So far I’ve been using Evernote to write Medium articles since there’s no app currently for the OS. I have an Anker Bluetooth keyboard that’s working flawlessly. And lastly, I’m also using the tablet as a way to stay educated and keep learning about development away from home via theodinproject and its various resources.
Overall, using this tablet has helped me be productive on the go while carrying light. As of publishing, I’ve used it for just a little under a week now, but it has been nothing short of a delight to use. It’s helping me reimagine a potential Android-based workflow.
