Home Fun StuffTechnology The Power of Amazon in Your Hands – Kindle Fire HD + Kindle FreeTime

The Power of Amazon in Your Hands – Kindle Fire HD + Kindle FreeTime

by TerriAnn
Amazon Kindle Fire HD w/ FreeTime Parental Control App for Children

Amazon Kindle Fire HD with Kindle FreeTime Parental Control App . . .

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Do you like to read? Do you like to watch movies and/or play games? Is Amazon your digital media provider of choice? Then the Kindle Fire HD is perfect for you. I have to say, when I received a Kindle Fire HD 7″ tablet, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. My only experience with the line was the original e-reader Kindle. Somehow, I assumed the Fire HD was a color touchscreen version of that. I soon found out just how much I underestimated it.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD w/ Kindle FreeTime Parental Control App for Children

Before I could properly review the Kindle Fire HD, I had to come to terms with two main facts:

  1. It is NOT an iPad.
  2. It was specifically designed to compliment Amazon products and services.

The Kindle Fire HD simply cannot do everything the $600+ iPad does. But, that’s not what it was made for anyway. It was made to be a functional and affordable all-in-one digital media device for Amazon items – a task it does well.

With Dolby stereo speakers and crystal-clear resolution, you can enjoy your favorite flicks in HD goodness. X-Ray is a great feature if you’re ever curious whose voice that is in your kids’ favorite animated films. Games run smoothly with responsive touch and digital books are neatly stored. You can scroll through the menu on top, which includes links to the web and your photos, or store your favorite programs in the icon-based carousel. There is also unlimited storage in the cloud so don’t worry that you’ll run out of memory right away. Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and constant.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD w/ Kindle FreeTime Parental Control App for Children

Parents of children ages 10 and under will really enjoy Kindle FreeTime. This is much more than a basic parental control setup. Instead, it creates something similar to a sub-browser just for your kids. Notice that the background, menu options, and even the name of whose Kindle it is changes.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD w/ Kindle FreeTime Parental Control App for Children

FreeTime is highly customizable with which types of files and functions you want to be accessible. You can even choose specific apps to run and do so per child. My favorite feature is the Daily Time Limits. Here, if I wanted to, I could assign time limits to how much reading, watching, and/or playing my daughter could do. I thought this would bug her but it was fine as she always had enough time to do what she wanted before time was up.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD w/ Kindle FreeTime Parental Control App for Children

As for content, you can access whatever you already have on the Kindle OR you can take advantage of FreeTime Unlimited. This service is $4.99 for one child and $9.99 for up to six children per month. For Prime Members, that monthly fee is cut to $2.99 and $6.99.

We signed up for the 30-day free trial and I have to say it was VERY impressive. Not only could my daughter take advantage of thousands of books, games, and shows for free but each time she logged on there was a set of age-appropriate recommendations. Munchkin would often ask me to put in my parental code so she could get the ‘blue screen’. Media from FreeTime Unlimited could only be accessed while using the FreeTime app (aka Parental Control lock). I think this is the first time she ever requested to have the parental controls turned on . . .

I love the introduction of the Kindle FreeTime app and feel that it gives much more flexibility to families with young kids. Children feel empowered when having permission to use the device freely while parents are relieved of the task of constant, direct supervision. The monthly fee, in my opinion, is only reasonable if you have Prime Membership.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD w/ Kindle FreeTime Parental Control App for Children

If you are an avid user of Amazon’s digital services for music, movies, and more, then the Kindle Fire HD is fantastic. All your media is automatically linked from your Amazon account to your Kindle. Even digital library books give the option of sending downloading it as a Kindle-ready file. Also, Prime Members have a ton of FREE steaming media available to them, including television episodes and movies.

Non-amazon files are another story. If you’d like to use ePub files, items in your iTunes account, or movies with some patent protection (basically all mainstream movies purchased), you must first run them through other apps and processes. So, it’s possible but a bit of a headache. You really need to weigh how much media you use and which types when looking to purchase a Kindle Fire HD.

As sleek as the Kindle looks, there are ways to dress it up. Take, for example, the Kate Spade cover I was sent. Not only does it look trendy, but the hot pink discourages my husband from using it 😛

Amazon Kindle Fire HD w/ Kindle FreeTime Parental Control App for Children w/ Kate Spade Cover

There are a number of other protective and useful options for all in the Kindle family. Did you know there were this many ways to accessorize your Kindle?

Amazon Kindle Fire HD w/ Kindle FreeTime Parental Control App for Children

All-in-all it really depends on you and your family if this is the right fit. The cost is much less than other tablets but the functionality is very specific. We also found the Kindle Fire HD to be on the heavier side. This was not a huge con as my daughter said it was basically the same as or lighter than it would be to hold a book. Good point, Munchkin! If you’re looking for a straight forward media device that you can trust even your little ones with, it might be worth your while to look into getting either the Fire HD 7″ or it’s larger 8.9″ counterpart.

You also have the chance of winning one right here! Enter below for your chance to win a Kindle Fire HD – 7″, 16 GB of your own!

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166 comments

Lisa Brown September 8, 2013 - 2:13 am

I like the high performance 1.2 GHz dual-core processor

Tammy H September 8, 2013 - 6:55 am

I like the Free Time app

Jennifer J September 8, 2013 - 8:17 am

I like how my Amazon purchases for the Kindle are automatically on it and that I can sync everything between the Kindle and my laptop.

Courtnie September 8, 2013 - 9:13 am

I like the speaker quality.

liz l September 8, 2013 - 10:54 am

sound quality

Michelle S. September 8, 2013 - 11:06 am

I like that all your media from Amazon is automatically linked.

Alycia September 8, 2013 - 12:03 pm

I LOVE the FreeTime App! It’s nice to not always have to be the mean parent. 😉

Tammy S September 8, 2013 - 12:40 pm

I like that you have all your files in one spot and I also like the Free Time App.

Sonia September 8, 2013 - 6:04 pm

Since I buy all my music and get free downloadable books through Amazon, I like that my content is automatically linked to my account.

Kelly September 9, 2013 - 6:23 am

Can not just name one favorite feature. I truly love my Kindle. Have no idea how I lived without it.

Leslie Galloway September 9, 2013 - 9:08 am

I love that you can set limits on how long kids can play!

Wanda McHenry September 9, 2013 - 9:30 am

I like the Dolby stereo speakers

Judy Estrin September 9, 2013 - 9:40 am

I want to get one to watch movies and television shows.. Our house doesn’t have cable television and Amazon allows you to purchase these shows on line.

shelly peterson September 9, 2013 - 10:07 am

I like that it creates something similar to a sub-browser just for your kids.

dv8 September 9, 2013 - 11:43 am

I like the connection to Amazon content.

Janet F September 9, 2013 - 12:47 pm

I like that it has dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi .

janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com

Belinda Parker September 9, 2013 - 2:23 pm

Love the quality, price and that it links all your media from amazon!

stacie September 9, 2013 - 2:39 pm

Free time app! would be awesome!

Donna Pyszk September 9, 2013 - 5:17 pm

My favorite feature is the screen orientation to any way you turn it

Kimberly Schotz September 9, 2013 - 6:28 pm

I like that it has Dolby Stereo Speakers

Cynthia Richardson September 9, 2013 - 9:05 pm

I like the FreeTime app

Cynthia.Richardson@azbar.org

Candice September 10, 2013 - 11:22 am

I like the Dolby stereo speakers and crystal-clear resolution.

Stephen September 10, 2013 - 6:27 pm

The speakers are dolby

Melissa L September 10, 2013 - 6:33 pm

The HD display and better audio!

Austin Baroudi September 11, 2013 - 12:29 am

I love that it has a 1.2 Ghz dual-core processor!

bonnie September 12, 2013 - 7:16 am

Cloud storage & Kindle book app. I’m an a heavy reader so this sounds wonderful.

Sheila H. September 12, 2013 - 8:51 am

I like the Dolby speakers.

Janet September 12, 2013 - 9:24 am

I like that your Amazon media is automatically linked.

Emmi Jones September 13, 2013 - 6:14 pm

I LOVE that it has all the apps it does. Angry birds, Sims, and SO many children apps! <3 Anything for my niece to learn more! <3

Steph September 14, 2013 - 7:50 am

I like that all media is automatically linked from your Amazon account to your Kindle.

kelly rae September 14, 2013 - 5:31 pm

the transportability is pretty amazing. It’s nice not to have to lug around all my books with me.

Terra Heck September 16, 2013 - 12:59 pm

There are many features I like, especially that you can store your favorite programs in the icon-based carousel. Thanks.
partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com

angie September 17, 2013 - 3:49 pm

I love the picture quality.

Kenny F September 17, 2013 - 3:58 pm

the awesome screen

Margaret Smith September 17, 2013 - 4:02 pm

I love that you can store numerous books

Ann Fantom September 17, 2013 - 4:27 pm

I like that the Kindle Fire HD’s battery lasts over 11 hours

Steve B September 17, 2013 - 4:27 pm

The sound quality

Katy September 17, 2013 - 4:27 pm

The dolby sound!

Theresa Davies September 17, 2013 - 4:50 pm

Love the sub browser for the kids. Perfect for my little ones who love my kindle

Adrienne gordon September 17, 2013 - 5:00 pm

watching netflix on it

Pam Hoffman September 17, 2013 - 7:15 pm

I like that the Kindle Fire has age appropriate suggestions when kids log back on.

Lauren S. September 17, 2013 - 8:45 pm

I like the color screen for viewing magazine and watching movies from netflix and amazon prime!

nickie September 17, 2013 - 9:37 pm

I like the dual-antenna Wi-Fi .

Cynthia C September 18, 2013 - 2:26 am

I like the color screen for movies.

Tari Lawson September 18, 2013 - 3:55 am

I like that it comes wtih unlimited storage in the cloud .

Kathleen September 18, 2013 - 6:44 am

i love that amazon media is linked

kport207 at gmail dot com

kim September 18, 2013 - 7:26 am

I love that I can watch movies on the kindle fire

April Brenay September 18, 2013 - 7:40 am

that it links with Amazon Prime and I can borrow books!

Loni September 18, 2013 - 8:36 am

It allows me to use Amazon Prime on it!

Don D September 18, 2013 - 8:45 am

I like the Prime trial as I wanna try it out, but this is form reading for me. So just love the huge selection of books and ability to alter the text for easier reading.

Angela Kinder September 18, 2013 - 9:09 am

I love that you can actually check out books, like as if you were at the library! I’m a bookie so I would LOVE that option!

Peter G September 18, 2013 - 1:01 pm

Free Time App

Mary Casper September 18, 2013 - 2:48 pm

teh dolby speakers

Katherine September 18, 2013 - 3:54 pm

The Price is right and it can link right to your Amazon account

Kyl Neusch September 18, 2013 - 5:58 pm

like the Free Time App.

Katie Roch September 18, 2013 - 7:40 pm

My favorite feature is the Dolby stereo speakers. I love listening to music and watching movies and the great speakers would enhance the experience.

Crystal F September 19, 2013 - 3:41 am

I like all of the fun apps you can download on the kindle. It looks like there are a lot of fun ones on there to keep the little ones busy. thank you!!

Veronica L September 19, 2013 - 9:13 am

I personally love that my kids could use this not only to read books but also play game apps on it 🙂

Tarah September 19, 2013 - 9:45 am

I love that there is an unlimited storage in the cloud

paula s September 19, 2013 - 9:45 am

I love the dolby speakers 🙂 this would be so awesome

christine jessamine September 19, 2013 - 12:49 pm

I like the dolby stereo speakers

Susan Smith September 19, 2013 - 2:20 pm

I like the Dolby stereo speakers and crystal-clear resolution

Monique Rizzo September 19, 2013 - 3:12 pm

The unlimited cloud storage is fantastic.
Thanks for the chance.
mogrill12@gmail.com

Christina Sparks September 19, 2013 - 4:17 pm

That it has Wi-fi capacity.

Rosanne September 19, 2013 - 10:49 pm

I like the front facing HD camera

Alexa Espinoza September 19, 2013 - 11:02 pm

The FreeTime App has to be my favorite feature.

Alex Garcia September 19, 2013 - 11:08 pm

The long lasting battery is awesome.

Eileen Burke September 20, 2013 - 7:18 am

I love how long the battery lasts.

Mary Calabrese September 20, 2013 - 9:13 am

I love all of the apps you can load on it.

Jill Myrick September 20, 2013 - 9:45 am

I like the Kindle Free Time and the fact that I can set daily time limits for my children.

jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com

Becky Richied September 20, 2013 - 10:02 am

My favorite feature is the camera that is included this time. 🙂

kathy dalton September 20, 2013 - 10:18 am

i like the free time unlimited

Colleen Boudreau September 20, 2013 - 3:26 pm

The front facing HD camera.

Daniel M September 20, 2013 - 4:27 pm

all the apps and storage

Stephanie Larison September 20, 2013 - 7:16 pm

I love the battery life on it.

Derk Thomas September 20, 2013 - 7:42 pm

I like that you can watch HD movies.

joseph gersch September 21, 2013 - 1:31 am

All your media is automatically linked from your Amazon account to your Kindle

Deb C September 21, 2013 - 2:16 am

The dual core processor is my favorite. I know it speeds things up!

Kimberly Hilbert September 21, 2013 - 7:59 am

I like being able to go on the internet. I don’t know much about these gadgets so it all impresses me.

kim h September 21, 2013 - 8:38 am

The camera!!

Laura Phillips September 21, 2013 - 8:55 am

X-Ray sounds really cool. I’m constantly pulling up cast lists on IMDB.

Geoff K September 21, 2013 - 9:59 am

I love the Kindle Lending Library and Amazon Prime Video!

angela cisco September 21, 2013 - 11:14 am

I like that it links to your amazon account

matt lehman September 21, 2013 - 11:34 am

the free-time app

Robin September 21, 2013 - 12:26 pm

I love that it has dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi

JoAnn F. September 21, 2013 - 12:58 pm

I really like the First time app. !!!
jofo120 at yahoo dot com

robyn paris September 21, 2013 - 1:03 pm

i like the dolby stereo speakers

Tara Woods September 21, 2013 - 3:42 pm

I like that there is unlimited storage in the cloud.

Erica C. September 21, 2013 - 4:27 pm

The camera is neat.

joni September 21, 2013 - 4:35 pm

I like it for how handy it is and the 7″ screen.

melissa teears September 21, 2013 - 4:47 pm

The Free Time app.

Deb S September 21, 2013 - 6:02 pm

I like that you can watch HD movies.

Samantha September 21, 2013 - 6:29 pm

I love that I can read all my books on it! And watch movies if I choose to as well!

K. Cleaver September 21, 2013 - 6:32 pm

I’m an Amazon Prime member and love that I could watch videos from Amazon on it.

Rebecca Lock September 21, 2013 - 6:39 pm

The streaming and ease of navigating.

Christine September 21, 2013 - 7:18 pm

the Dolby stereo speakers

Phillip September 21, 2013 - 8:21 pm

Kids Free time because my niece loves her Angry Birds.

christopher h September 21, 2013 - 8:40 pm

I like that it links to all your media on amazon

Kiara September 21, 2013 - 9:53 pm

I like the Dolby speakers.

Claudia Davis September 21, 2013 - 9:56 pm

borrowing books from the library

Mihaela D. September 21, 2013 - 10:04 pm

I like the speaker quality.

Melanie September 21, 2013 - 10:40 pm

You can set limits on how long your kids can play??? That would be amazing!

Denise Donaldson September 21, 2013 - 11:16 pm

I like the camera

Michaela R September 21, 2013 - 11:58 pm

I like the parental control and that you can set how long a child is on it for, or playing games/videos.

Vikki Billings September 22, 2013 - 12:03 am

I love that the battery lasts a long time and that it is equipped with WiFi

janna johnson September 22, 2013 - 12:54 am

long battery life

Michelle September 22, 2013 - 3:18 am

WiFi and camera

Sara Sullivan September 22, 2013 - 5:41 am

Unlimited cloud storage!

denise September 22, 2013 - 5:41 am

I like that it’s high definintion.

cheryl larimer September 22, 2013 - 5:54 am

The anti-glare screen so it can be taken anywhere.

Pat B September 22, 2013 - 6:14 am

The fact that it’s HD – I am in love with high def

Jenny S September 22, 2013 - 6:35 am

The Dolby digital sound! Lots of electronics are cool and whatnot, but if it doesn’t have decent sound, it kind of ruins it for me.

Wendy Owen September 22, 2013 - 6:46 am

I like the books you can borrow from the library

Pauline M September 22, 2013 - 6:57 am

I like that its easy. It links to your Amazon account, that its perfect for my bag, that I can hang on to all my books and the colors on this is great! The best part though is the unlimited storage since I do love to re-read my books!

Francine Anchondo September 22, 2013 - 7:39 am

I like Kindle FreeTime.

Jeanette H. September 22, 2013 - 7:55 am

I like that all your media is automatically linked from your Amazon account to your Kindle(:

Joy Q September 22, 2013 - 7:56 am

I really like that it has Dolby stereo speakers

Danielle September 22, 2013 - 8:12 am

I like that you are linked to Amazon.

Claire McKeon September 22, 2013 - 8:43 am

I love the connectivity to Amazon and that I can borrow books from the library from the comfort of my own couch.

Joe C September 22, 2013 - 9:00 am

The x-ray function is awesome

Tiffany Hearn September 22, 2013 - 9:13 am

I love the FreeTime app! Thanks for the awesome giveaway!

Danielle D September 22, 2013 - 9:19 am

The storage and picture quality

amy delong September 22, 2013 - 9:36 am

link to amazon!
ardelong2(at)gmail(dot)com

Tamar September 22, 2013 - 10:07 am

I like the Amazon integration as well as the battery life.

ReggieMann September 22, 2013 - 10:21 am

My favorite feature of the Kindle Fire HD is Kindle FreeTime

Sarah Z September 22, 2013 - 10:51 am

I like that you can set apps up for each child.

Deborah Rosen September 22, 2013 - 11:14 am

My favorite feature is that it comes with unlimited cloud storage.

Tabathia B September 22, 2013 - 11:15 am

That it you can limit kids game time with free time but also that you can use as a tablet

Sunshyn V September 22, 2013 - 11:20 am

I love the ebook reading first and foremost but being able to switch off to an app game every once in awhile would be wonderful.

Sherry Conrad September 22, 2013 - 11:26 am

Long battery life.

Christina September 22, 2013 - 12:25 pm

Long battery life and reading books

manny September 22, 2013 - 12:33 pm

The dolby speakers. I also like all the covers that are made for the kindle

Candice Hull September 22, 2013 - 12:50 pm

I like that you can set time limits for your kids…and I would use it for me too
Thanks

Rachel Ellis September 22, 2013 - 1:05 pm

I like being able to link to my Amazon account.

Ellie W September 22, 2013 - 1:08 pm

I think the Dolby stereo speakers are great.

Don D September 22, 2013 - 1:15 pm

The HD screen is my favoite

jon lu September 22, 2013 - 2:57 pm

Free Time app looks cool

Paula Hafner September 22, 2013 - 3:04 pm

I like that it has a camera. The older models didn’t have one.

Barbara Montag September 22, 2013 - 3:19 pm

I like the High performance 1.2 Ghz dual-core processor – thank you.

Tanya White September 22, 2013 - 3:54 pm

I really like the Dolby stereo speakers.

Diane Vescio September 22, 2013 - 3:56 pm

Love the connection with Amazon

Karen M September 22, 2013 - 4:30 pm

My favorite feature is the unlimited storage in the cloud. Thanks

Becky S September 22, 2013 - 4:30 pm

My favorite feature is actually all the cool accessories you can get for it.

sarah September 22, 2013 - 4:33 pm

I like the Advanced 7” display and high-performance processor

AEKZ2 September 22, 2013 - 5:01 pm

I like the clear resolution

Tom September 22, 2013 - 5:09 pm

The ability to watch video

Beverly Metcalf September 22, 2013 - 5:26 pm

I would love a kindle and I think the free time app would be nice to have. Thanks for having this contest.

Lisa A. September 22, 2013 - 5:35 pm

I like that you can access all the media from your Amazon account on this device.

Sand September 22, 2013 - 5:48 pm

I like that it’s both a tablet and an E-reader.

rachel travis September 22, 2013 - 5:48 pm

I love that you can watch videos and it has great sound!

Breanne September 22, 2013 - 6:01 pm

I like the resolution

Michelle Tucker September 22, 2013 - 6:23 pm

I love that it has speakers. We have an older kindle, and this would be a great upgrade for us.

Dorothy Deakyne September 22, 2013 - 6:44 pm

nice large screen

Kayci Stanley September 22, 2013 - 6:58 pm

I like that it works with your Amazon account.

Heather S September 22, 2013 - 7:00 pm

the great sound

Melinda Stephens September 22, 2013 - 7:05 pm

I love the FreeTime and how it has time limits. That’s a great feature.

Michelle C September 22, 2013 - 7:14 pm

I love the FreeTime and it is connected to Amazon. Love reading books.

Leslie L Stanziani September 22, 2013 - 7:18 pm

I love the camera feature the fire has.

Brooke Adametz September 22, 2013 - 7:27 pm

I love the time limits for the freetime feature

Trisha McKee September 22, 2013 - 7:39 pm

I most love that all content from Amazon is linked to the Kindle.

Brian E. September 22, 2013 - 8:05 pm

Thanks for the giveaway…we like the Front-facing HD camera for taking photos or making video calls using Skype, Facebook, and other apps

Tara C September 22, 2013 - 8:41 pm

Books for me, TV for my husband, games for my kids – fun for the whole family!

Barbara Long September 22, 2013 - 9:05 pm

My favorite feature is the dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi.

longbarb11@aol.com

Christy Marie September 22, 2013 - 9:12 pm

My favorite feature is the Daily Time Limits. Kids need to spend more time moving their little bodies. Thanks for the giveaway!

Hana September 22, 2013 - 9:39 pm

i love kindle!!! reading books

Lily Kwan September 23, 2013 - 2:45 am

My favorite feature is unlimited storage in the cloud.

Comments are closed.