Kindle Fire -- is it what I want?

[Stressfactor]

I've been thinking about getting something like the Kindle or the Nook but with all that's out there I'm not sure if it will do what I want it to do and also I have some questions.

Part the first: Mostly I'm looking for something I can take on the road with me. I have a TON of vacation time built up and I need to be taking it. I want to travel by train mostly with maybe some amount of driving for weekend trips. SO... I'm looking for something that I can read books off of so that I don't have to carry one or more books in my suitcase or purse.

Part the second: I've been out on the road before and stayed at bed and breakfasts where you might not always have access to a TV and I've stayed at hotels where their selection of cable channels sucked rocks... as the Boss once sang "57 channels and nothing on". SO.... I also want a device that I can watch downloaded movies or TV shows on AND I want something I can connect to the internet with so that for variety's sake I can watch YouTube videos or stuff on BlipTV.

Part the third: Getting access to e-mail and message boards is of a much lower priority than being able to get access to YouTube.

Part the fourth: I might be interested in something that I could get digital comics on now. I just want to try it, though, and I"m not wedded to a NEED to get digital comics.

Part the fifth: and this one is a question... I know some of the e-readers and such say that you can access your e-mails with them but they have no keyboards! Do you have to buy a keyboard attachment or are they like the iPhone and a touchscreen keypad will appear at the bottom when you're using the necessary application?

Part the sixth: Money IS an object. As in I'm not made of it. I know the Kindle Fire is the cheapest one out there but I'm looking more at the best value for my NEEDS and if the Fire won't suit those needs then I'm not interested in it.


So, I deeply appreciate any and all advice you all can give me based on my needs and desires outlined above. I trust you guys more than some salesperson at a store because, hey, they're trying to make a sale so they may tell me something will suit my needs just so they can sell it to me.

[Markisan]

Sounds like you've thought about this a lot, Stress. I absolutely love my Kindle Fire. I held off on getting the iPad because I wanted a device exactly like the Fire. So, here are some thoughts, based on your post:

1) It doesn't get more travel friendly than the Fire. I take with me everywhere. The size is perfect for traveling and will fit easily in a purse. I take the train to downtown Chicago every day and read books and comics on the Fire. I used to bring actual comic books and they were incredibly cumbersome. The Fire completely eliminates that problem. Having everything on one device is a wonder.

2) I was just at a bed and breakfast in Michigan and used my Fire for exactly what you want to use it for. But just in case you don't know, the Fire connects to the internet through wifi. It doesn't have 3G or 4G, so wherever you go, you need to make sure there is a wifi connection. I always check with a hotel before I book it. You can download videos to the device, stream videos you've purchased (with web connection) and stream YouTube vids, which come through beautifully. I just watched the new Prometheus trailer on YouTube in fact. And the Fire is fast. Never had a problem with web surfing speed or vids.

3) Email is a breeze because you can download an app that will collect all your emails from all accounts into one handy spot.

4) The main reason I got the Fire was for comics and I love reading them on it. Some people complain about the size and prefer the iPad screen for digital comics, but I find comics to be easily readable on The Fire and as I mentioned, I much prefer its size for travel. The resolution and clarity are excellent. I get all my comics through Comixology. The app definitelyhas a few bugs, but I've been happy with it overall. Looking forward to getting all the Marvel books same day/date.

5) There is a keyboard touchscreen. You don't need to buy an attachment.

6) The Fire is the best deal out there. It's amazing for $200. Plus, Amazon is an institution now. You don't have to worry about it going away like Borders did. Content will always be available and plentiful simply because it's from Amazon. This was A HUGE selling point for me. Also, the reason I did not get an iPad is because it's $500 minimum and I don't need half the crap it offers, like a camera. I can buy nearly 3 Fires for the price of one iPad. If you are looking for a device for reading books, comics, listening to audio books, watching vids and surfing the web at an extremely affordable price, the Fire is the best choice. If you want more of a computer in tablet form, then the iPad is the way to go.

[K-DoG7p7]

Part the first: Mostly I'm looking for something I can take on the road with me. I have a TON of vacation time built up and I need to be taking it. I want to travel by train mostly with maybe some amount of driving for weekend trips. SO... I'm looking for something that I can read books off of so that I don't have to carry one or more books in my suitcase or purse.
Sounds like you need just any kind of E-reader, if so you can get e-ink E-readers for much cheaper.

Part the second: I've been out on the road before and stayed at bed and breakfasts where you might not always have access to a TV and I've stayed at hotels where their selection of cable channels sucked rocks... as the Boss once sang "57 channels and nothing on". SO.... I also want a device that I can watch downloaded movies or TV shows on AND I want something I can connect to the internet with so that for variety's sake I can watch YouTube videos or stuff on BlipTV.
Kindle Fire is Wi-fi only, but through Wi-Fi you can surf the Web and do all that stuff.
If you need 3G then you could just look at other 7" tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, however these costs more as they offer more.

Part the third: Getting access to e-mail and message boards is of a much lower priority than being able to get access to YouTube.
As long as you have a Wi-fi connection the Fire comes with a E-mail app and a Youtube should play Okey in the browser.

Part the fourth: I might be interested in something that I could get digital comics on now. I just want to try it, though, and I"m not wedded to a NEED to get digital comics.
Personally i find digital comics works better on a larger screen.

Part the fifth: and this one is a question... I know some of the e-readers and such say that you can access your e-mails with them but they have no keyboards! Do you have to buy a keyboard attachment or are they like the iPhone and a touchscreen keypad will appear at the bottom when you're using the necessary application?
All Touchscreen Devices have on screen Keyboards.

Part the sixth: Money IS an object. As in I'm not made of it. I know the Kindle Fire is the cheapest one out there but I'm looking more at the best value for my NEEDS and if the Fire won't suit those needs then I'm not interested in it.
Kindle Fire has a very locked down OS that "forces" you to relay on amazon for most services and most of them they take money on.
If you can have a look at the Nook Tablet, its not much more but is a little bite more open making it easier to rely on traditional Android apps to fill the functions that amazon locked down on the Fire.
and while the Fire forces you to go on Youtube via the browser, the Nook Tablet has full youtube support built inn.

[saintsaucey]

I got the Nook Tablet simply because it was reccomended by a friend and because the guy who sold kindle fires told me it was better. It works fine for the most part. There are some functions I wish worked better but a lot of that might be the internet connection I have at my house.

[CutterMike]

FWIW, if you're looking for a full-function small tablet, I just got an email alert that Lenovo is selling their 7" IdeaPad A1 (http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-57398072-58/get-a-lenovo-ideapad-a1-android-tablet-for-$189/) for $189.

16 GB internal, with a MicroSD slot to add up to another 32 GB (or swap multiple cards for carrying bunches of movies/whatever with you.

Haven't tried it, myself, but thought I'd toss the idea out there.

[K-DoG7p7]

FWIW, if you're looking for a full-function small tablet, I just got an email alert that Lenovo is selling their 7" IdeaPad A1 (http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-57398072-58/get-a-lenovo-ideapad-a1-android-tablet-for-$189/) for $189.

16 GB internal, with a MicroSD slot to add up to another 32 GB (or swap multiple cards for carrying bunches of movies/whatever with you.

Haven't tried it, myself, but thought I'd toss the idea out there.
Given its specs you might be better off just getting the old Nook color