Getting Started with the Kindle Fire
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
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The Kindle Fire is unassuming at first glance. However, after you power it up, you soon realize that it opens up a new world of entertainment and information. Couple it with Amazon’s wide range of services, and the Kindle Fire becomes a truly extraordinary device. In fact, in addition to being a great reading device, your Kindle Fire might replace your computer for some of the things you do on the Internet, especially when you’re away from home.
The Kindle Fire is not difficult to use. Many of its features are intuitive, and you can easily discover many of the great tasks it can do just by playing with it. However, if this is your first tablet, you should be familiar with some essentials to get the most from the device. This chapter starts you on the right foot by teaching you about the basic operation of the Kindle Fire.
The Hardware
Your Kindle Fire is equipped with a power button on the top of the device when in portrait mode (holding the Kindle Fire with the camera on the left side). Press and release this button to power on your Kindle Fire. If the Kindle Fire is already turned on, a quick press of the power button puts it to sleep. Many Kindle Fire covers automatically turn on the device when opened and put it to sleep when closed. Pressing and holding the power button enables you to power off your Kindle Fire.
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To the left of the power button is the volume up/down button. Press the left side of the button to raise the volume, and press the right side to lower it. If you want to use headphones or external speakers while listening to music or video, plug them into the 1/4-inch audio plug to the right of the volume controls.
On the right side of the device (if you’re holding it in portrait mode, with the camera on the left) is a micro-USB port for charging your Kindle Fire. The Kindle Fire comes with a cable to connect it to a computer so that you can charge the device from your computer’s power. You can also separately purchase a wall charger, which charges the Kindle Fire faster and can be used when you’re away from your computer.
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Below the micro-USB port is a micro-HDMI port. The micro-HDMI port is used to connect the Kindle Fire to a television or other display and is useful when you want to watch a movie or TV show on a larger screen. You learn how to make this connection later in this chapter.
At the top and bottom of your Kindle Fire are dual stereo speakers. If you hold your Kindle Fire in landscape position, the speakers are on either side of the device, making watching movies and TV shows a much more enjoyable audio experience.