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By alabama24
Registration Days Posts
#500894
Any Kindle Fire / Android users out there? I am an "iOS only" snob and know nothing about Android/Kindle Fire. I need to find a music app which I can install within the Kindle "Free Time" (kid) environment and "side load" downloaded MP3's.

Any help appreciated.
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By alabama24
Registration Days Posts
#500916
Sly Fox wrote:Are you a Prime member? If so, Prime Music is your new best friend. You won't need to sideload anything.
I am a prime member, but...

1. The prime app doesnt work in "free time" (kid mode).
2. I don't want my boys to have access to ALL of my music, just the playlists I provide
3. Most of my music is in iTunes... although in recent years I have bought many cd's with "auto rip"
4. The music must download and not stream. Preferably downloaded via my computer (I don't like downloading the same song 20x).
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By Sly Fox
Registration Days Posts
#500953
Haven't used Free Time although I wish I had it for my youngest. Wish I were more help.

My oldest daughter downloads songs onto her Fire for free from Prime Music for family road trips because there is no available signal in car. Didn't realize that Free Time limited that option.

I'm guessing you hit up that $85 Cyber Monday deal. Good call.
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By alabama24
Registration Days Posts
#500959
Sly Fox wrote:Haven't used Free Time although I wish I had it for my youngest.
It is my understanding that you can install that "app" on any fire device. You just need to search and download it.

Sly Fox wrote:My oldest daughter downloads songs onto her Fire for free from Prime Music for family road trips because there is no available signal in car. Didn't realize that Free Time limited that option.
You mean that you can download unowned, subscription "prime music"? Is that a kindle fire only feature?

When I buy an album, it is in iTunes UNLESS 1) it is much cheaper on Amazon or similarly 2) I can get the CD version WITH "auto rip" for cheaper than iTunes.

Sly Fox wrote:
I'm guessing you hit up that $85 Cyber Monday deal. Good call.
My mom had asked before about getting them Kindle Fire's, but I have always balked. I looked into it, even spoke with Kim Komando live on air (can YOU name drop that one? :D lol). My apple loving, not too objective findings:

These are a good value IF you have the patience for them. I hear y'all yippin all the time about Android this, Android that. I would RATHER have an iPad any day... in fact, I just bought myself an iPad Air 2 to replace my 3rd gen one ($125 off at Best Buy... which means that new ones are right around the corner. Probably March). If the iPad mini's had a similar (but it WOULD be MUCH better if Apple did it) "kid mode," I would have gladly leaned that direction. Since they didn't, I let my mom pick these up. I have spent about 12 hours trying to get them up and running. I am SO glad I didn't wait until Christmas day.

The Kindle Freetime Unlimited (kind of like Netflix for kids books, tv shows, apps) is all right... but they don't have enough controls. I want a button to take AWAY everything, and ADD IN what I want them to have access to. Right now, you can eliminate EVERYTHING, or one item at a time. The device crashed three times last night until I realized it was a losing battle. I <think> I will put the device into "airplane mode" (password needed to turn back on) which will prevent them from accessing the other books. I don't plan on letting them use the device for videos... except probably on trips where I will download OWNED media.

I <think> I figured out the music thing. I do have a Toby Mac album on one device... I just need to see if I can move it over to the microSD card. The storage space is TINY and I would like them to have access to a decent sized library.

One last thing: The kid edition was probably worth the $85... but it is the same device as the $50, with a number of add ons (including a 2 year, drop it in the toilet warranty. I plan to do so at some point. lol). The $50 model was also on sale at one point for $35. At that price, I should have picked one up for when I go camping.
By ALUmnus
Registration Days Posts
#500971
I've never experienced the issues you're having. You can't beat the Fire for the price. I have two. For the kids, I just set up a separate profile, and restricted which apps they can use on their profile. And I let them use Prime Music, but haven't really made it complicated, so I don't know if you can create different profiles for that. You can upload music files into Prime.

Also, I don't let them use the tablet without permission, and make sure I know what they're doing when they are using it.
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By alabama24
Registration Days Posts
#500975
ALUmnus wrote:I've never experienced the issues you're having.
Are you using Free Time (amazon's "kid mode")? There is no built in music app, and you can't install the prime app within that environment. If it were "easy," I would not have been transferred to NINE different customer service reps. Furthermore, the highest rated music app I could find had an "update" post from September saying that Amazon "broke" the ability for music to be played from within Free Time.

I wrote to the customer service department of that app since I was able to successfully install the app and get it working. I have now had correspondence with the head of the department and he is wanting to know "how I did it." lol
ALUmnus wrote: Also, I don't let them use the tablet without permission, and make sure I know what they're doing when they are using it.
Free time allows parents to set specific hours for use, eliminate web browser, set "education" targets (i.e. limits on games, set targets for reading time, etc.). It isn't elegant, but it is the one area where they beat Apple (other than price... but certainly not quality).
By ALUmnus
Registration Days Posts
#500988
alabama24 wrote:
ALUmnus wrote:I've never experienced the issues you're having.
Are you using Free Time (amazon's "kid mode")? There is no built in music app, and you can't install the prime app within that environment. If it were "easy," I would not have been transferred to NINE different customer service reps. Furthermore, the highest rated music app I could find had an "update" post from September saying that Amazon "broke" the ability for music to be played from within Free Time.

I wrote to the customer service department of that app since I was able to successfully install the app and get it working. I have now had correspondence with the head of the department and he is wanting to know "how I did it." I chortle audibly.
ALUmnus wrote: Also, I don't let them use the tablet without permission, and make sure I know what they're doing when they are using it.
Free time allows parents to set specific hours for use, eliminate web browser, set "education" targets (i.e. limits on games, set targets for reading time, etc.). It isn't elegant, but it is the one area where they beat Apple (other than price... but certainly not quality).
No, I've never used Free Time. Like I said, I don't do anything complicated. Separate profile for the kids to limit what they can use, and we control the time and usage ourselves. Sounds like Free Time could use some tweaks.
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#501275
Noone has mentioned one of the best features of the Kid's Fire............... 2 YEAR FREE REPLACEMENT! Based on my prior experience with kids and electronics, I expect to be taking advantage of it. If the device proves to be sturdy enough that I don't need to, so much the better.
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By alabama24
Registration Days Posts
#501277
olldflame wrote:Noone has mentioned one of the best features of the Kid's Fire............... 2 YEAR FREE REPLACEMENT! Based on my prior experience with kids and electronics, I expect to be taking advantage of it. If the device proves to be sturdy enough that I don't need to, so much the better.
If you want help adding music to the device, let me know and I'll walk you through what I did...
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