Kindles, which one should I have?

This might be one of the most frequently asked questions:
First read AMAZON's compare chart 
Still hard to decide?

1. $139 Kindle Keyboard 3G:  This one is the third generation model. Before and during the blackfriday, there is $85 ( in target)  deal and $89 ( BestBuy )  deal.  It looks like K3 is too old, but actually not really. I have Kindle Keyboard WiFi and 3G and like both of them. If you prefer physical keys and need to travel very often, K3 3G is not a bad idea. One more thing, it has real 3G which means you may use internet where there is 3G network coverage in this planet. This is the selling point considering the new kindle family does not support the real 3G.
2. $79 Kindle: This most basic value 4th generation model delivers access to all Kindle books and sports a 6-inch screen. Books are delivered over Wi-Fi in under a minute. Ads are displayed when browsing new titles. It weighs under 6 ounces, holds 1,400 books and offers a one-month battery life which is only half of the Kindle Touch's.  It does support both tex-to-speech and  Portrait/Landscape mode. It does not have the keys as K3 keyboard, you have to resort to the soft keyboard. 
3. $99 Kindle Touch: Same screen size as the $79 Kindle  and adds touch-screen navigation, reducing buttons down to one for on/off. Wi-Fi for downloading, no ads, weighs 7.5 ounces, holds 3,000 books and has a two-month battery life. So it has as twice battery life as the basic kindle. Alert!!  kindle touch doesn't have landscape mode, if you read a lot of PDF files, this is not the good one for you. While kindle keyboard does have this feature. It might be easier for some to use the dictionary by touching and holding compared to the cursor moving on kindle keyboard.   It does support tex-to-speech but DOES NOT support  landscape mode.
4. $149 Kindle Touch: has 3G connection for downloading books when no Wi-Fi is available. It will not be able to browse the Internet without a WiFi connection. Users will still be able to use 3G to sync book and document purchases, but anything beyond Wikipedia will be off-limits  It’s slightly heavier at 7.8 ounces, but otherwise is the same as the $99 model.
5. $199 Kindle Fire: This is Amazon’s low-cost tablet and often is compared to the iPad. The Fire  allows users to browse the Internet in full color via Amazon’s “Silk” browser. It also offers access to Amazon’s Kindle Fire android marketplace. You may be able to install some of the third party non Amazon market android apps on it without even rooting. Like the $500 iPad model, the Fire offers Wi-Fi connection only — no 3G available. The screen measures 7 inches. Amazon claims it will hold 80 apps plus 10 movies or 800 songs or 6,000 books. However, Amazon offers free cloud storage with all of its devices. The Kindle Fire weighs just under a pound at 14.6 ounces and offers 7.5 hours of video playback or 8 hours of reading and browsing time on a single battery charge. It is portable compared to those 10" tablets. Keep in mind, Fire is not the best device to read since it does not posses E-Ink technology.

In conclusion: 

• Physical keys, real 3G connection, book reader and frequent traveler ===> $139/(deal $85) Kindle Keyboard 3G
• Lower cost, lighter weight,  PDF documents to read  ===> $79 basic kindle
• Touchscreen, fewer PDFs to read, longer battery life, large amounts of books  ===> $99 Kindle Touch
• Need downloading books everywhere and use Wiki ===> $149 Kindle Touch    Not a good value 
• Reading PDF papers extensively ===> $379(deal $259) Kindle DX
• Doing more than reading, surfing internet, watching TV and video, reading magazines and newspaper in color, playing games, teaching kids, need portable and low cost tablet ===> $199 Kindle Fire

My fresh taste of Kindle Fire

I would say it is a great little tablet with excellent value considering its sweet price ( I got it in an even lower price).

• It is not as great as a kindle keyboard or the new 4th generation family as a book ereader without e-ink technology.
• I notice there are many complains about its no physical volume buttons, no cameras, no expansion slots etc.   
• Without the physical buttons is indeed a drawback. What I really want is one button (as the "U" button on Nook Color) which allows you quickly return to the home screen. If it had hdmi port, that would be great.
• Though there are not many  apps available, the number of the apps will continue growing as more and more people grab their Fires. I feel confident about Amazon's growth, its products as well. You just need those apps you really need. Do NOT forget Amazon offers one new paid app for free each day. Check it out here. 
• You CAN install some of the third party android apps on it without rooting.
• You will lose video streaming if you root it.
• It is portable and easy to carryout.
• If you really want to compare IPAD to FIRE, compare them by their Value=Performance/Cost. But sometimes, value seems less important than fashion, coolness, and following majority. AMAZON smartly chose not to confront its monster competitor face to face, but develop markets it can handle very well and armed with its own powerful "weapon"--rich contents.  I believe in the long run, Kindle fire (with its future series models ) will gain more and more market share.   

    Personally I like the review given by Zach Epstei.  Again, think in your own way.

PPTV for pad & CNTV Apps installed on Kindle Fire successfully

Apps "PPTV for pad" and "CNTV" had been installed and run smoothly on my new Kindle Fire. For those who have no idea about PPTV and CNTV, PPTV  is a leading online TV service offering both live streaming and video-on-demand of TV programs/shows, movies, drama, sports, news and entertainment video contents in China. CNTV ( China Network Television) is the online digital network archive for China Central Television (CCTV) in China. The smart phone version App of CNTV did not work very well (small screen) on 9.7" HP TP but works flawlessly on Kindle Fire. Please refer to the post " How to install non-AMAZON android apps on your kindle fire on this blog" for steps on how to install these two apps on your Fire.

How to install non-Amazon Kindle Fire apps on your Kindle Fire without rooting

Think again before rooting your Fire since you will lose the privilege of streaming video from Amazon. But you do not have to root in order to install third-party non Amazon Kindle Fire apps.

It is very similar to those steps to install non-Market android apps on HP TouchPad. First you need to change the settings (allow installation of third-party apps) on your kindle fire to "ON" , then install a free document viewing app such as   ES File Explorer.

Step 1:  Go to the settings of your Kindle Fire by tapping the top part of the screen. Click “More…” then select “Device.” Where it says “Allow Installation of Application,” change your Kindle Fire settings from “Off” to “On.”
Step 2:  Download and install the Amazon kindle fire free app such as "ES File Explorer".
Step 3:  Use  "ES File Explorer" to get access to the app file (*.apk) you'v already copied to your kindle fire and install.
You are done.