You’d consider that outer keyboards for tablet pc’s are ‘basically of a muchness’ by now, wouldn’t you? If only it was as easy as ensuring the keyboard in question is similar with your Operating system after which, oh, I don’t know, getting the damn thing…But it does not seem to be like that, sadly.
Now, Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD is compatible with external keyboards, but not with most of them. Which means you’ll probably be stuck rooting through an extensive list of keyboards (most of which don’t appear to bother letting us distinguish whether they’re ‘Kindle friendly’ or not).
The ‘Amazon Basics keyboard’ does not appear to work for every reviewer, either. Some like it, some don’t.
Frustratingly, opinions tend to be inconsistent when it relates to Kindle Fire compatibility, with a few claiming that individual tablets work and others furiously reporting sentiments similar to “do they b******s”.
Nonetheless, all isn’t lost, gentle reader. Customers on Amazon.co.uk have claimed that the following models are compatible (to varying degrees) about the Kindle fire:
The Advent Bluetooth Keyboard
The Perixx Keyboard
The Microsoft Bluetooth Keyboard 6000
The Belkin Android Mobile Bluetooth Keyboard
Obviously, I can’t personally confirm these customer experiences, but online boards are commonly a great way to see what is around and what models others have used without spending any of your own money.
As I have said in another place on the web, it really does pay to shop around. I strongly suggest reading the opinions for each of these keyboards before you commit your heard-earned wonga to one of them.
On another interesting forum, I found that there’s even some debate as to whether Amazon have protected against third party keyboards intentionally. Amazon are well known for their (infrequently) restrictive hardware, so it is not really a huge leap of the mind to consider the corporation blocking out exterior keyboards. Though, I can find no endorsed statement from Amazon with reference to this one way or the other, so your guess is as good as mine.
When you do decide to perform a web search in order to discover more, please keep in perspective that the Kindle Keyboard is a type of eReader that is largely unrelated to the Kindle Fire or Fire HD. Content, opinions and boards regarding this one will hinder any hunt containing the terms ‘Amazon+Kindle+Keyboard’. ‘Annoying’ scarcely did it justice.
ADDENDUM: As it seems, there is an official Amazon keyboard that works with Kindle Fire HD, but it does not appear on the UK Amazon site. Personally, I’d suggest getting this one if you’re a US-based user. If Amazon promises that it will work, then it’ll probably work.
In the UK, well, its actually frustratingly vague regarding what keyboards work and what is going to not. Another suggestion is to head down to the local computer store and ask them if you are able to try one out. That usually works.
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