Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet (2017, 7th Gen)

Bought this HD8, 32GB, as my older, & loved HDX 7, was dying. The HDX's battery was slowly losing it's charge & not holding as long....down to 3 hours. After near 4 years, it had a great run, as a wonderful screen to look at, while reading books, & surfing the Net to read articles & such. So, saw this new Fire coming out, & waited for the reviews. read them, & then decided to buy in. Glad I did!!! A great Kindle, this is!!! My first Kindle Fire was like the 2nd gen, back 7-8 years ago, then ~3-4 years ago, got the next couple Gens up, in the HDX7....so seen the leaps between Models, as did not buy every new thingy, as let technology advance to where I 'needed' to move up, not 'wanted/wasted' $$ for. Here are the particulars, as fyi...... The screen is great!!! I read some reviews where folks panned it, & not as clear as should be, or, those that had a HDX like mine, was not as good. Well, when I worked on this new one all day today, it was great!!! Owned 2 days now. Just as clear & sharp as my HDX (said to be as good as the iPad Retina one)! I am very picky when comes to visual effects, so compared them side by side....HDX7 next to HD8.....on the same websites too....there was NO difference, I could see!!! Just as clear & bright & crisp, as my HDX, I loved!!!! So, the bad reviews.....are hooey!!!....unless they got a bad one. So, imo. As far as the battery life, tested it all day long. Opened the HD8 at 11am, then had on all day, until 10:30pm....used it all day, for about 6 hours solid, om the net, & verifying all my apps. The rest of the time, on & off, always open & on. So, heavy use. At the end of ~12 hours, was at 5% of battery left. So, their estimates of 12 hour battery life, are correct, as seen on first day!! Good on ya Amazon! As far as the processor, & the speed....well, very very quick!! Not a techie here, but know computers....and this is quick! Ya point, press/click, then it is there...that fast!! Was quite impressed, & did that all day, & never lagged. So, gets a huge thumbs up for speed, quickness, & doing it all day. As I do article research allot,, that is important for me. The rest of the time is book reading, so speed is not important there. As far as GB storage? Well, as per reading the reviews, to get the 32GB, & not the 16GB base model....am very happy! I made the mistake & read later after got the HDX at 16GB, that the 32 GB was better & less drag. That I noticed then, & at the end of it's current HDX life. This HD8 has so much room, I don't know if I will need a SD card, that can be put in it. In it now is 500+ books, & about 30 games, & ~ 40 apps, & limited music songs.....it has taken, with the operating system too, just 6GB of the 32GB....so 26 GB free to use!! So, lotsa room inside, & that frees up the RAM for speed too. So, reco for all to pony up the extra $30, & get the 32GB model. Imo. The size of the 8" screen is perfect! My old HDX 7" was always a little too small, for my taste, but the 9" & 10" available then, were both too big, & too pricey for my needs. So, tolerated the smaller screen. The current reviews are right though, as the 8" screen is perfect size!!!....not too small, not too big! It can & does, fit in my coat pocket, so when we go to Starbucks on the weekends, for cawfee & to read, it transports just fine, like the 7" one....just a little tighter in the pocket is all. So, a perfect size! And, from reading all day, my eyes were less tired than the HDX7 has been. Another big plus! And do get the "slimline case" for it too, as I did....just like my HDX....found a case in Amazon, the "Fintie" brand case, that is super slim & adds almost no weight to it, & no bulk too. Just like the "Poetic" one had for HDX for 4 years, & loved the case slimness. Got a nice blue one too, from the drab black old HDX, lol. That only negative thing can say, & is not all that negative, is that it weighs just a little more than the old HDX7, but is noticeable. I found that I supported it more on my lap, or leg, & that made the little more weight ok. So, not a biggy, but noted as a little more stress on free handing it. But doable tho. Some complained that the 'sound' was low & light. Not on mine. Was a rich & loud sound! Not complaints there. I also have an "audio app", that boost sound frequencies, so that that can/may help. Also, when going thru the "settings" inside...for 'audio'...I found them preset at a 'mid point'. So, the complainers may not have gone thru the settings, to verify what is what. So do that on yours to make sure. OK....my review. I give it 5 thumbs up, & reco it for anyone that needs a reader, & a net surfer!!!! Again, I do research, then send links to my main computer, to later process, so it does this job well & fast. As a reader, the magazines I get, are bright & crisp, just like the great HDX, so no complaints there. The Net pages are also bright & crisp....& no 'pixels' ever seen, as some complaints have said. Not on mine at least. So, a reco for all. Great job Amazon!!