The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.Amazons new Fire HD 8and Fire HD 10 tabletsare officially out today, and if youre a Prime member or just someone in search of a general entertainment slate for the family, you should have an eye on the former. Neither Fire has a particularly sharp screeneach has a middling resolution of 1200x800or high-end hardwareeach is totally coated in plasticbut those problems are less amplified on the Fire HD 8, which uses a smaller 8-inch display and comes in a few playful colors, than they are on the heftier, black-or-white-only Fire HD 10. Plus, for something made for watching video and browsing the web, a tablet you can hold with one hand is just more convenient.About that, lets be clear upfront: These things are not iPad killers. Theyre barely even trying to compete with Apples juggernaut. Theyre much cheaperthe Fire HD 8 starts at just $150, while the Fire HD 10 goes for $220their internal hardware isnt nearly as strong, their apps store isnt as deep, and they have no value whatsoever at the office.Instead, theyre fun little complements for anyone whos already knee deep in Amazons all-encompassing ecosystem of content and services. In other words, Prime members. Amazons redesigned Fire OS 5which is much cleaner than previous iterations, by the waystill puts apps like Prime Instant Video, Prime Music, and Kindle front and center. And it still has features like Mayday, which lets an Amazon assistant directly walk you through any maintenance issues. Now, it can also predict what shows youre likely to watch on Prime Video and pre-load them before they startwhich is scary, but convenientand it has a speed reading mode for Kindle. Theres also an Amazon Underground store with dozens of free games. (You can use various Amazon apps on any Android or iOS device, but theyre far more integrated here.)Another notableservice it houses is Amazon FreeTime, which lets parents set restrictions on which apps their kids can use, and how long they can use them. If thats not enough, a forthcoming feature called Activity Center will let them monitor exactly what the kids are doing with the tablet when they do get their hands on it. A bit overboard, probably, but all of this furthers the Fire HD as a handy device for the family.Neither Fire HD is a blazer when it comes to performance, and theyll struggle with console-quality games, but theyre competent enough for anyone who doesnt consider themselves a power user. Lighter games, web browsing, and video streaming all work fine. While the Fire HD 8 is the better value of the two, it only comes with 8GB of included storage. Thats weak. Thankfully, it can hold up to 128GB of extra space through a microSD card. (Heres a good deal for one with half that.) It also lets you download Prime videos and books directly to that card.Additionally, its worth noting that the cheapest models here feature ads on their lockscreens. Theyre mostly harmless, but foranother $15, you can ditch them.Regardless, if youre all-in with Amazon and you want an affordable slate for the occasional reading or streaming session, the Fire HD 8 should do the job.Amazon Fire HD 8 (8 GB, Black, includes ads), $149.99, available at Amazon. // SEE ALSO:Make the switch to this card case if you're done with uncomfortable, bulky walletsREAD THIS:The best drones for beginners and experts alikeSURVEY:Tell us what tech gadgets you want us to find this holiday seasonJoin the conversation about this story
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