What could be done with a Kindle Fire (5th Gen)?
June 8, 2020 11:48 AM Subscribe
While cleaning out a stack of papers that had been sitting around for a few years, I discovered underneath them a Kindle Fire (5th Generation) that I recall having won as a door prize in a raffle. To my surprise, after I found it and plugged it in, it has come back to life despite sitting completely depleted since 2017 at the latest. What do I do with it?
It's a Kindle Fire 5th Generation. When I plugged it in, it auto-updated and is now running Fire OS 5.3.6.4. My main computer is a MacBook Air, and we also have a Chromebook.
I know that Kindle tablets run some special flavor of Android, and that some homebrew enthusiasts were turning theirs into more conventional tablets by loading their own operating systems, is that something I could do? I'm not expecting it to magically become like an iPad, but I would settle for it being a useful second screen that I could use for web browsing, video, maybe Skype, as well as reading EPUB and PDFs.
It's a Kindle Fire 5th Generation. When I plugged it in, it auto-updated and is now running Fire OS 5.3.6.4. My main computer is a MacBook Air, and we also have a Chromebook.
I know that Kindle tablets run some special flavor of Android, and that some homebrew enthusiasts were turning theirs into more conventional tablets by loading their own operating systems, is that something I could do? I'm not expecting it to magically become like an iPad, but I would settle for it being a useful second screen that I could use for web browsing, video, maybe Skype, as well as reading EPUB and PDFs.
Have you tried it just as-is?
I have one, but a newer model. The 'silk' browser is fine but given that it automagically does some stuff on amazon servers you wouldn't want to use it for anything where security or anonymity was really critical. As you might guess, it's really good with prime video. There are apps for netflix, hbo go, etc. There's a skype app and a large selection of epub and pdf readers.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 12:27 PM on June 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
I have one, but a newer model. The 'silk' browser is fine but given that it automagically does some stuff on amazon servers you wouldn't want to use it for anything where security or anonymity was really critical. As you might guess, it's really good with prime video. There are apps for netflix, hbo go, etc. There's a skype app and a large selection of epub and pdf readers.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 12:27 PM on June 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
You can sideload books onto it using Calibre, which gives you a nice color tablet to read on.
They do run a real web browser, and you can fill it with movies or music or audiobooks or e-books -- to say nothing of (possibly crummy) free apps. :7) Your local library's app will probably run on it for streaming media there, too.
That model is from like 2015, so kind of pokey for demanding tasks , but just fine if you moderate your expectations.
posted by wenestvedt at 12:27 PM on June 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
They do run a real web browser, and you can fill it with movies or music or audiobooks or e-books -- to say nothing of (possibly crummy) free apps. :7) Your local library's app will probably run on it for streaming media there, too.
That model is from like 2015, so kind of pokey for demanding tasks , but just fine if you moderate your expectations.
posted by wenestvedt at 12:27 PM on June 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
I think that installing regular Android in place of FireOS is only possible for later models - but you should check!
You can install apps via the Amazon app store (with an amazon account). If necessary (i.e. if apps you want aren't available) you can find instructions online for installing the Android Google Play app store (with a google account) - just make sure they'll work with your model. And another app store you can install is F-Droid, the app store for open source apps. There are obviously disadvantages with the latter (lots of missing apps) but some advantages are that (a) you don't have to deal with accounts or other crap, and (b) there are a lot of useful apps, including Fennec (a Firefox fork), VLC (excellent movie player), Newpipe (lets you watch and download youtube videos without ads), and more. If you want to use the kindle for browsing, I'd recommend downloading Fennec (or some version of Firefox if you're using another app store) and installing the ublock origin addon (at a minimum) for adblocking.
You can check if Skype et al. are available on the Amazon app store; if not, and you don't feel like trying to install the Google app store, you might ask an Android-owning technologically-inclined friend if they can extract the apks (installer files) for the apps you want from their own device and send them to you so you can sideload them as described in jessamyn's link. (There are also websites where you can download apks, but you'd have to decide if they're trustworthy.)
Since you're coming from the iOS world, it might be worth knowing that Android (and Kindle) tablets have a filesystem similar your Mac's, which you can browse, organize, and move files around in via any file explorer app. That makes certain things (like sideloading apks or transferring files) a lot easier.
posted by trig at 1:14 PM on June 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
You can install apps via the Amazon app store (with an amazon account). If necessary (i.e. if apps you want aren't available) you can find instructions online for installing the Android Google Play app store (with a google account) - just make sure they'll work with your model. And another app store you can install is F-Droid, the app store for open source apps. There are obviously disadvantages with the latter (lots of missing apps) but some advantages are that (a) you don't have to deal with accounts or other crap, and (b) there are a lot of useful apps, including Fennec (a Firefox fork), VLC (excellent movie player), Newpipe (lets you watch and download youtube videos without ads), and more. If you want to use the kindle for browsing, I'd recommend downloading Fennec (or some version of Firefox if you're using another app store) and installing the ublock origin addon (at a minimum) for adblocking.
You can check if Skype et al. are available on the Amazon app store; if not, and you don't feel like trying to install the Google app store, you might ask an Android-owning technologically-inclined friend if they can extract the apks (installer files) for the apps you want from their own device and send them to you so you can sideload them as described in jessamyn's link. (There are also websites where you can download apks, but you'd have to decide if they're trustworthy.)
Since you're coming from the iOS world, it might be worth knowing that Android (and Kindle) tablets have a filesystem similar your Mac's, which you can browse, organize, and move files around in via any file explorer app. That makes certain things (like sideloading apks or transferring files) a lot easier.
posted by trig at 1:14 PM on June 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
Load TV shows onto it and watch them while travelling! I find the screen a bit low rez for extended reading but I use it for that all the time. The battery is pretty amazing in those things.
posted by fshgrl at 1:29 PM on June 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by fshgrl at 1:29 PM on June 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
I have an old one and you can just install the regular Google Play Store and download whatever app you want on it. It depends on the model, but even being very technically inclined, I couldn't be bothered to 'root' it to install a more vanilla flavor of Android.
I just use regular apps like Calibre, Plex, VLC, etc. and load media on to it from my main devices.
posted by bradbane at 3:52 PM on June 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
I just use regular apps like Calibre, Plex, VLC, etc. and load media on to it from my main devices.
posted by bradbane at 3:52 PM on June 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
I have one of approximately that vintage and use it as a bed side table tablet for some pre-slumber RSS triage/web browsing. I side loaded the Google Apps and it works great albeit a little slow.
posted by mmascolino at 5:10 PM on June 8, 2020
posted by mmascolino at 5:10 PM on June 8, 2020
I like having books and video on it for any travel. It's very handy to use in the kitchen for video and other web-based recipes. I hang it from the kitchen cabinet with an arrangement of rubber bands and coffee bag twist-ties, but surely there's a better way?
posted by theora55 at 8:52 AM on June 9, 2020
posted by theora55 at 8:52 AM on June 9, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jessamyn at 12:10 PM on June 8, 2020 [2 favorites]