Widgets allow real time information to be displayed on the home screen. Things like your schedule, weather, and emails. The good news is that I found a way to get that traditional Android home screen running on the Kindle Fire which allows me to run widgets on it. It is really quite simple to do. What most people refer to as the home screen is really just an app that launches when you hit the home button. This app is called a launcher. There are a number of three party launchers so all you need to do is download one and set it as your default launcher.

While there are a number of launchers out there, not all of them play nice with the Fire. I settled on one called Go Launcher EX. I found it at the GetJar app store, and it is free. In order to install it you need to enable the installation of applications from unknown sources. This setting can be found in Settings>Device. Once you install it and hit the home button, you will be asked what launcher you want to use. Select the one you installed. Every time you press the home button you will be asked which launcher to use unless you click the check the Use by default for this action check box before selecting the desired launcher. Once you check this box, this will be the default launcher.

Once the alternate launcher is running, the Kindle Fire looks and acts a lot more like an Android tablet than it used to including the ability to run widgets on the home screen. However, if you try this and find that you miss the standard Fire launcher, you can always got back to it. All you have to do is go to Settings>Applications and select the launcher you installed. Next click the Clear defaults button under the Launch by default section. The next time you hit the home button you will be asked what launcher you want to use. Check the Use by default for this action check box and select the standard launcher which is called “Launcher.” Now you are back to the Fire home screen (launcher) you are used to. But why would you want that?

So, without further adieu here is my list of the Kindle Fire must have apps:

FireFox (not in the Amazon app store)- Yes, I know that the Fire has a built in browser that promises to be faster than anything you have ever used before. While the browser works fine, I like having access to all of the FireFox plugins.

Netflix (in store) – There’s nothing like watching a movie while you are waiting for your next flight. Of course, you will need a WiFi connection to watch anything. If all else fails, just tether it to your cell.

PC Remote Control App – There are a few apps to choose from. Loginmein can be found on the Amazon app store, but if $29.99 is a bit steep for you, you can always try Teamviewer.

Office App – Whether you need to create an Excel spreadsheet or just view one you will want to have an Office document app available. You can choose from Quickoffice Pro or Documents To Go. Both cost $14.99. I have both, and I personally prefer Quickoffice.

ES File Explorer (in store) – In order to view and manage the files on the Fire, you will need a file manager.

CalenGoo (in store)- One of my disappointments with the Fire is that it doesn’t have a built in calendar. However, for a mere $2.99 you can fix that by purchasing CalenGoo. It is a fairly simple calendar app that will sync with your Google calendar.

Readitlater (in store) – While surfing on the Fire, I find many things that I want to store for later reference. I use Readitlater to store and retrieve these pages. Since I use FireFox, I am able to save the page directly to ReaditLater with just a couple of clicks.

Email – I almost didn’t mention this app since it is built in, but if you plan to use the Fire as anything more than an e-reader, you will most certainly want to use it for email. Just keep in mind that the built in email app doesn’t support Exchange.

So what else have I learned in three days? I have learned that the success or failure of this device will have a lot more to do with what it is, rather than what it is not. I have been reading other reviews and there seems to be a lot of comparing going on. Everyone wants to compare it to an iPad. It’s not an iPad and it never claimed to be. However, it is more than an e-reader. No matter how hard Amazon tries to stay away from the term tablet, it is just that. How good of a tablet? Well, that depends on what you want to do with a tablet. Below are the things that I use a tablet for:

Email
Surfing
Writing Blogs
Calendaring
Reading Books and Magazines
Watching Videos (Streamed and Stored)
Reading Blogs
Viewing Photos
Playing Games

The good news is that I can do all of these things using the Kindle Fire. However, it is better for some of these things than others. Let me break down what it does very well and not so well.

What it does well – Reading, surfing, and videos. It’s a Kindle so, of course, it is a good e-reader. When it comes to surfing, I found the speed and overall experience to be more than adequate. There are those out there complaining about the speed when surfing, but I haven’t had any issues with it. I have used it to watch streaming and stored videos and it does a nice job. I didn’t say it would replace your 60 inch HD LED TV, but it will suffice for those times that watching on a smaller screen is more convenient.

What is does OK – Email, calendaring, and gaming. The email client that comes with it allows you to access most any type of personal email account. Note I said “personal.” Exchange is not supported. When it comes to calendaring, there is one major caveat -  the Fire does not include a calendaring client. I purchased an app called CalenGoo. It is a nice little calendar app that syncs with Google calendar. The main thing that makes the Fire nice for playing games is the size. It is just the right size for handheld type gaming.

What it does poorly - Writing and photo viewing. Using this device to compose letters and such is possible, but not the most pleasant of tasks. The main reason for this is due to the size of the device. If you enjoy creating long documents on your phone, then you will love doing it on the Fire. If you don’t then, while the Fire will be a bit more pleasant than your phone, you will most likely want to stick to using your laptop. As for viewing photos, saying that it is poor may not be fair. It does a fine job viewing them once you get them on the device. Since there is no camera on the device, you will have to upload the photos in order to view them. While I didn’t find this difficult, I can see it causing a challenge to many people that might purchase this device.

Representative Ed Markey of Massachusetts is very concerned about this and has sent a letter to Jeff Bezos (Amazon CEO) with a number of fairly good questions. Many of which can be answered simply by reading the Kindle Fire details on Amazon’s website. He wants to know how the data is being used, if a user can opt out, and so on. Like I said, many of these things can be found on Amazon’s website. The short answer to most of these concerns is simple. If you don’t want your information tracked, then turn it off. That’s right, you can turn it off. However, if you choose to do so, the web browsing speed will be reduce – not because Amazon wants to punish you – but because you won’t be using Amazon’s servers. You can still surf, just not as fast. It’s your call.

Here’s the other thing. This isn’t all that new. Other browsers such as Skyfire and Opera Mini are doing things very similar to this. Why is it only now that Congress is concerned about this? My guess is because they just heard about it and it sounds like something everyone will get on board with. I mean, how can you be upset with someone that just wants to protect you privacy?

So why  does this concern me? I guess I always fear things that are seen as being broken get over-fixed and new problems (or limitations) are created. But really, it comes down to this: It’s my job to protect my privacy, and it’s your job to protect yours. If you are willing to give up some of that privacy to have a faster web browser than that is your choice. People do it everyday when they sign up for those frequent shopper cards so that they can save 50 cents on their next purchase.

Some will say that the average buyer of the device may not know that this information is being tracked. Amazon isn’t hiding this information. Anyone that takes a few minutes to read what the device is all about will learn about this. In the end, no one will ever be able to protect your privacy as good as you can, not even Congress.