Amazon B00CU0NSCU User Manual
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" Tablet User Guide
Contents
Features...................................................................................................................... 3
The Cloud.................................................................................................................. 4
Digital Publication File Formats.............................................................................6
Connecting to Wi-Fi................................................................................................. 7
Buying Books From Your Device..........................................................................10
| Contents | 2
Buying Apps From Your Device........................................................................... 13
Sideloading a Digital Publication Bought From Amazon.com...........................17
Removing a Book....................................................................................................19
Settings..................................................................................................................... 21
Specifications........................................................................................................... 22
Features
The Kindle Fire HD is a multimedia, Internet-accessible tablet comparable to Apple's popular iPad. To compete with
the iPad, the Kindle Fire HD offers features to enhance the user's experience at a price much lower than that of an
iPad.
High-Definition Display and HDMI Output
The Kindle Fire HD has a high-definition touchscreen and is able to display video content at 1080p, which is the same
resolution quality of movies and TV shows released on Blu-ray Discs. The display also has built-in sensors that detect
the light levels around the device and adjust the screen brightness for optimum viewing. You can further utilize the
high-definition capabilities of your device by using a Micro-HDMI cable to connect it to an HDMI-enabled TV or
computer monitor and stream high-definition videos from the Internet to the other screen through the Kindle Fire HD.
Enhanced Sound
The Kindle Fire HD has onboard Dolby Digital Plus technology, which helps make music, dialogue in videos and
other audio playback clearer and more robust. To help create a virtual surround sound experinece, the device has
stereo speakers located on the right and left sides of the back case (when oriented horizontally). If you're using
headphones with your device, the onboard sound processor will adjust the audio ouput to better suit a close-to-the-ear
listening experience.
| Features | 3
Dual-Antennae, Dual-Band Wi-Fi
Unlike some competitor devices, the Kindle Fire HD's internal Wi-Fi technology has two antennae and can switch
back and forth between two frequency bands, 2.4 GHz and 5.0 Ghz. The two antennae help ensure that downloads to
your device take less time and that a connection to a Wi-Fi access point is more stable. The ability to switch between
two frequence bands also helps to ensure fast, uninterrupted downloading and streaming of content as well as stable
Internet connectivity.
Android OS
The Kindle Fire HD runs the Android operating system (OS), which runs about 75% of the world's smartphones.
However, not all of the operating system's features and functions are enabled in the version of the OS installed on the
Kindle Fire HD. These limitations do not impact the device's use or usefulness to any noticeable extent. Perhaps the
one time you may notice the impact of the "forked" Android OS installation is when you are attempting to install a
made-for-Android app that relies on some feature of the OS that Amazon has not enabled. Many app developers now
release a version of their products that are compatible with Amazon's version of Android, and even release versions
specifically for Kindle Fire HD devices that make use of its HD features.
Camera and Microphone
The Kindle Fire HD's digital camera is installed in the front of the device. Because of its front-facing position, you
will be hard-pressed to use it as a traditional still camera. Instead, think of the camera as an onboard webcam. Used
in conjunction with the device's built-in microphone, located between the USB and HDMI ports on the bottom bezel
(when the device is oriented horizontally with the camera at the top), you can use your Kindle Fire HD to participate
in video chats. The device comes installed with Skype, a popular video chat program.
Micro-USB Type B Connectivity
Using the Micro-USB cable packaged with the Kindle Fire HD, you can charge your device using your computer
or the Kindle PowerFast plug-in charger (sold separately). The Micro-USB type B port and cable also allow you to
sideload compatible content from a computer to your device.
The Cloud
Storing data in the cloud is like renting a self-storage unit: Someone else owns the facility, but you own the stuff in
your unit. Unlike most self-storage facilities, you can access your stuff at any time and from any location so long as
you have an Internet connection.
Cloud computing is the remote storage of digital data in data centers often shared by many users. Users can retrieve
their data over a network—usually the Internet—at any time using a computer, tablet, smartphone or other networkenabled mobile device loaded with the necessary access application. Just because many people store their data in the
same place doesn't mean one user can access another user's data. Instead, each user is given his oer her own partition
of storage space that has security protocols to protect that space.
Amazon played a key role in the fruition of personal cloud computing, being one of the first in the industry to offer
cloud storage service—"your personal hard drive in the cloud—to its retail customers. In 2006 the online retailer
launched Amazon Web Services, and when it launched its Kindle Fire tablets, it began offering Amazon Cloud
storage.
When you purchase digital content from Amazon.com, a copy is stored in your storage space in the Amazon Cloud.
This service is free, and your storage space for your Amazon digital purchases is unlimited. You can manage your
Amazon Cloud content by using the options under the Your Account tab on Amazon.com and, in the case of digital
music you've purchased from the online retailer, by using the Amazon Cloud Player software.
| The Cloud | 4
Do not confuse the Amazon Cloud with Amazon Cloud Drive, which is the company's service that allows you to save
your own personal digital files—not digital content you have purchased from Amazon—to the cloud. You cannot
manage your Amazon.com digital purchases using the Amazon Cloud Drive software or mobile device app.
The list below explains the differences among the various Amazon Cloud consumer products and services.
Amazon Cloud Products and Services
Manage Your Kindle
This option under the Your Account tab on Amazon.com
allows you to manage the digital books, newspapers,
magazines, apps, Prime Instant Videos, Audible
audiobooks and Active Content items you have
purchased from Amazon.com that are stored on the
Amazon Cloud.
Amazon Cloud Player
This computer-based software allows you to listen to
and manage digital music you have purchased from
Amazon Cloud Products and Services
| The Cloud | 5
Amazon.com as well as digital music you have uploaded
(up to 250 songs for free) to the Amazon Cloud.
Amazon Cloud Drive
Note: Content you sideload to your Kindle Fire HD is not copied to your Amazon Cloud storage space. It
remains only on your device and wherever else you have backup copies of that content.
This cloud storage service allows you to upload your
own digital documents, music and video files as well as
photos to your personal cloud space hosted by Amazon.
You can manage this content by installing the Amazon
Cloud Drive computer-based software or mobile device
app.
| Digital Publication File Formats | 6
Digital Publication File Formats
Digital books, magazines and newspapers are published in a variety of file formats, but the Kindle Fire HD does not
support all of them.
Much fuss has been made over the fact that one of the world's top booksellers sells e-books in only its proprietary
AZW or KF8 (Kindle Format 8) file formats that can only be read using its Kindle e-reader computer software or
mobile device app. Amazon's failure to adopt the widely used EPUB file format, the free and open e-book standard
established by the International Digital Publishing Forum, or even support it on its Kindle and Kindle Fire devices is
especially galling to some bibliophiles.
However, the Kindle Fire HD supports more than just Amazon's AZW and KF8 file formats. It also comes ready to
open and display other widely used file formats:
• PDF
• DOC
• DOCX
• TXT
• MOBI*
• PRE*
*If files in these formats are protected by digital rights management (DRM) technologies, then the Amazon Kindle
Fire HD cannot open them.
Furthermore, if you already have e-book files in formats not supported by your Kindle Fire HD, you may be able
to convert them to another supported format and then put them on you device, either by sideloading or emailing the
converted files to your Kindle Fire HD's email address. Format conversion typically requires you to install on your
computer software that performs the conversion. One of the more popular conversion tools is calibre (www.calibre-
ebook.com).
The list below, taken from calibre's website, orders common e-book file formats by ease of conversion.
1.
LIT
2.
MOBI
3.
AZW
4.
EPUB
5.
AZW3
6.
FB2
7.
HTML
8.
PRC
9.
RTF
10.
PDB
11.
TXT
12.
PDF
Note: DRM technologies can limit an e-book file's ability to be converted into a format compatible with your
device.
Connecting to Wi-Fi
Your Kindle Fire HD must be connected to a Wi-Fi access point, such as a wireless network at your home or office or
a Wi-Fi hot spot at a business, for you to use many of the device's features.
• Your Kindle Fire HD must be within range of a Wi-Fi access point.
• You must know the password if you plan to connect to a secured Wi-Fi access point.
To connect your Kindle Fire HD to a Wi-Fi access point, follow these steps:
1.
Navigate to the Home screen.
2.
At the top of the Home screen, swipe down the Status Bar to access the Quick Settings menu.
3.
Tap the Wireless icon to bring up the wireless settings menu.
4.
If the Wi-Fi option is not set to On, tap the On button to activate the device's wireless receiver.
When the Wi-Fi option is turned on, the device will detect available Wi-Fi access points and list them on the
screen.
| Connecting to Wi-Fi | 7
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