Fire 10 HD is Great

I've had mine for several months.  I got it on a Prime Day sale. it's OS derives from Android. Just take the time to learn how it works and what it can do. It interfaces fine with my Windows 10 PC.  It works fine with my Monocacy Trains Bluetooth train control  board and I will soon try it on my WifiTrax module.  I also have a Fire 7 but the 10 is way faster. I use my iPhone Hotspot to supply WiFi for it when on trips and it works very well.. It's a bagain!  Also, once you get Google Play Store installed on it the world of Android apps opens. Good Luck!

THANKS

That is what I needed to know

Short review: Amazon-based tablets vs others

I have an Amazon Fire and a Samsung. I don't like the Az Fire at all, it is acceptable only if you want Amazon to control what you can see and do, want push ads on your screen, don't listen to videos, and really like ads in all your browsing.

Amazon 10" tablet ($150, add Amazon case $40, add 32GB sd $8, $198 total)

Good: relatively inexpensive, good quality, locked into Amazon app store if you plan on using most of their stuff

Bad: locked into Amazon app store with truly terrible selection, you can't even get Adobe to read MRH, they have their own pdf reader.  Inaudible speakers, cannot be heard over a very quiet fan in our room. Shoves Amazon products at you all the time.

Comments: 1. If you get the Amazon tablet, get the Amazon case.  It is more than 2x the cost of generic cases.  It fits the tablet very well, allows you to reach the controls, does not block the speakers.  2. use earbuds or headphones for sound 

Samsung 10" tablet (on Amazon $190 includes 32GB card, add $20 for case, $210 total)

Good: high quality, good sound, excellent display, wide range of apps from Google Play store, much easier to use with voice recognition keyboard

Bad: A bit more expensive that Amazon fire tablet

Comments: Again, try to get a tablet case specifically for the Samsung tablet.  The speakers are loud enough, but it still sounds much better through earbuds or headphones.

My opinion, worth price charged;

Hardware is only half of any tablet or computer.  The other half is the software - operating system, apps, and ease of use. In my opinion, the Az Fire tablets are incredibly crippled by the lack of software.  The Fire tablet was much more costly than the Samsung in terms of my personal time to make it functional.

You mentioned a 10" tablet for the larger keyboard - The Fire keyboard does not have voice typing.  The Samsung keyboard has voice enabled typing by default. 

 I spent many, many hours side-loading software onto the Fire to make it usable - a keyboard with voice typing, a browser with ad blocking (yes, I white-listed MRH),  Lastpass password vault (for the dozens of secured forums and sites like, er, Amazon) and non-amazon software including Adobe PDF reader.  The only browser available for the Fire is Amazon's own Sylk browser, which is locked to the search engine Bing. The Sylk browser has bupkis for add-on apps, no adblock, no Lastpass vault, and all your voice input data goes directly to Amazon.  The Samsung can run the apps Alexa and Amazon cart, so the Fire tablet has no advantage other than price.

AZ will shove notifications in your face continuously.  You can turn off most of them, but unless you are getting the cheapest $50 7 inch Amazon tablet, you are not saving much money and trading off for much inconvenience.

The Samsung 10" Galaxy tablet is a lot better value than the Amazon Fire.  Many people also buy a case and an SD card, with those the Samsung is only about $15 more than the Fire and is much easier to use.

Postscript: Every tablet case, of any brand, renders the camera useless. They all have a hole for the lens -  when closed. When you fold open the case to actually use the camera, the solid front cover blinds the lens.  Every.  Single. Time.  Brilliant!

Doug

I found the lens blinding lid position on an iPad also. What I discovered was that this purposely forces you to take the photo with the lid hanging down. If you don't do that the photo will look right side up when viewing on the iPad but when shared (like on the forum) it will be upside down. The original photo in the tablet has a way of recognizing orientation and correcting it on its own screen. May be different on others but I've been taking shots with the lid hanging ever since and they work great when shared on the forum. Often when I see upside down pictures on the forum I'm pretty sure this is the culprit when the poster says "It was right side up on my.... fill in the blank"

I believe that the iPhone may be the same....without lid but orientation variable on other devices.