Instead, any Cloud Drive stored files will appear within the pertinent applications.
If you need access to Google's software suite or are tied to Google Drive for your workflow, you'll likely be better off with a "true" Android tablet.Īmazon has thoroughly integrated Cloud Drive into the Kindle Fire experience so much so, in fact, that there isn’t even a Cloud Drive app installed. Let's just say that with a single exception, the HDX will serve you as well in this regard as any other Android tablet. I've always been a bit suspicious of tablets as productivity devices. But what about buyers interested in getting work done? Advertisement These media services are sure to be sales drivers, while the Mayday service will lower the barrier to entry for those concerned about buying their first tablet. Amazon's supplemental content service, Xray, now works in movies (cast lists and trivia), music (lyrics), and books (word meanings and context).
But then, Amazon doesn’t want you to have to manage your device, it wants you to simply delight in the content available.īook, music, and video consumption are relatively unchanged. Agents highlight the appropriate menu or button by drawing on the screen. What the agent does have is control of the device, though the goal is to guide the user through device configuration.
The agent can hear but not see the user, an effort to assuage privacy concerns. Available at the press of a button from the notification shade, Mayday initiates a video chat with a trained service representative.
Mayday is Amazon's big launch feature, and from a user perspective it's hard to argue with free live tech support. Management of the device can be a little confusing for first-time users, and here one of Fire OS 3.0’s features really comes in handy. The notification shade is functionally unchanged, though "holo" gives way to Amazon’s gray tones.Įnlarge / The task switcher resides in a drawer. Unlike Google’s approach, which removes you entirely from the app, this experience allows you to peek at your options without necessarily stepping out of what you were doing. Depending on what you're doing, apps can be paused or remain active when the task switcher is present (games are paused, video playback continues). Even task switching is replaced with a persistent tab, activated with an edge swipe, that reveals recently accessed content or apps. It is practically impossible to see any hint of the stock Android experience. Every category features access to Amazon’s respective outlet, of course there’s even a small strip below the carousel that displays recommendations for whichever category is highlighted within the carousel. An app drawer resides just below the carousel, and above you have categories of organization for both your applications and your content. Fire OS 3.0 retains the carousel of the past iterations, though now its role seems diminished.