It recently occurred to me exactly how often, and in how many different ways, I’m using my Kindle Fire. While my current device is the 7″ Kindle Fire HD, you can perform any of the functions I’ll be writing about in this post with the first-generation Kindle Fire, too.
Here’s a typical day in the life of my Kindle Fire HD.
7 am – audiobook for the morning commute: Time to take the kids to school. We’ve been listening to the Audible audiobook of Neil Gaiman’s Odd and the Frost Giants. On goes the Fire, resting in my son’s lap in the passenger seat, and we enjoy the morning commute a little more than usual.
8 am – find an office supply: Kids are in school, and I’ve got errands to run. Our printer ran out of black ink yesterday, but we’ve just moved to a new area and I don’t know where the local office supply stores are or how soon they’ll be open. I could easily look up the big chains’ local stores online, but I’m already out and about and hate to waste the extra time and gas on a detour to go back home for just 15 minutes or less of internet access.
I have noticed a Starbucks near my son’s school though, and I know they have free wi-fi, so that’s my next stop. I go in, order a coffee and fire up the Fire’s browser. There’s a store within 2 miles that opened at 8!
11:30 am – fighting DMV boredom: Moving means updating my address, and that includes for my driver’s license. Making an appointment saves time, but there’s still a wait. No problem!
I’ve got Angry Birds Space HD on my Fire, and when I tire of that (or, more honestly, hit a level I can’t complete after a few tries), I can cross off a few more ‘pages’ in the Kindle book I’m currently reading: 600 Hours of Edward.
2:00 pm – fun for my daughter in Mom’s taxi – Time to get my daughter, but her school pickup time is earlier than her brother’s.
Once both kids are in the car, it’s back to Odd and the Frost Giants.
3:30 pm – homework help – Uh oh! We’re not totally done unpacking yet and I’m not sure which box holds my daughter’s Math Facts flash cards. She’s supposed to practice with them for a minimum of 20 minutes each day, and there’s a quiz tomorrow!
You know what they say: there’s an app for that. LOTS of them, actually.
In a matter of minutes we’ve zeroed in on the 4.5/5 star -rated CardDroid Math Flash Cards app, currently priced at just 99 cents (and currently bundled with a $1 Amazon MP3 store credit I’ll be taking advantage of later!).
Ninety seconds later, it’s been purchased, downloaded to the Fire and my daughter’s already making a dent in her flash card study time.
4:30 pm – picture hanging help – I’d like to start hanging some pictures in our new place, but realize I lent my level out some time ago and never got it back. Dare I hope…?
Yep, there’s an app for that, too!
5 pm – time to cook – Nothing like a little classic rock to make this dinnertime chore a little more fun. Heart, The Who and The Kinks are just what the chef ordered, and I can stream them all to my Fire (perched open on the counter, in its MoKo case that doubles as a stand).
One of these days I need to invest in one of those Veho Bluetooth speakers, so I can really blast the kitchen tunes, but I haven’t got one yet.
9 pm – keeping the entertainment quiet – My daughter’s in bed, so quiet’s the rule from now till morning. No worries, I can curl up in bed with my Fire and enjoy another chapter or two from 600 Hours of Edward.
But wait: with all the stress and work from the move, I find I just don’t have the energy to focus on reading. Time for a video.
Ah, yes! I bought HBO’s Rome when it was on sale last month and since I’m at home, I can stream it to my Fire over my home wifi network instead of downloading. Perfect!
I just pop in the earbuds, prop up the pillows, and I’m good to go till bedtime.
11 pm – last minute email before turning in – Isn’t it just typical?! You’ve already turned off the computer, locked up for the night, brushed your teeth, and tucked yourself in when you realize you promised a co-worker a response by morning.
No worries! There’s my Fire, right on the nightstand, powered up and connected to my email in less than two minutes. The email is sent and the lights are out by 11:15.
And after a night of well-earned rest, my Fire and I will be ready to take on the day once again tomorrow.