Having a hard time deciding whether to get the kindle fire or nook tablet. I was originally leaning toward the fire based on the amount of kindle e-books I already have and amazon prime content available to stream. However, I'm really not liking the offline usability of the fire (only 6.5GB usable storage and no SD slot).
So with that said, I think the nook tablet is the way to go, but I still need access to the kindle app. Doing some searches here leads to to believe this will only be possible by rooting the device. I thought that anything in the android market was fair game on the nook? no?
What do you all think. Anyone currently running the kindle app on the nook color? Did you have to root? Thanks in advance.
Its not that you 'have to root', its you WANT to root this device and unlock all its potential!
Currently, the only Market available to a stock Nook is the BN market...just the standard store. BN makes it 'difficult' for Nook users to get the Kindle app. Its not impossible, but if you are going down this road just to get the Kindle App, you might as well root the Nook.
Also, keep in mind that the Kindle App does not provide you the complete experience of the Amazon ecosystem. I'm not 100% sure what is missing but it is not 100% the same.
If I were in your position, I would research a way to convert your current files to a more friendly format. So you can purchase the hardware that you are comfortable with.
Most sites question the legality of removing the DRM from a file but as long as you do not re-distribute or start your own website of discount epub books, you should be okay. I would equate it with making a legal copy of a dvd for your own library.
right on... thanks for the replies.
I've actually ordered both, and plan to put them head-to-head (which is still less than an ipad). I really like the "amazon experience" idea and have had a kindle for years, but spend a decent amount of time in areas lacking wifi or even 3g signal. So I want the storage flexibility the nook offers. Really, I'm just glad I have to make this decision. Kudos to both companies.
That said, I will be reporting back with my findings.
discothan said:
Its not that you 'have to root', its you WANT to root this device and unlock all its potential!
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and yes, I'm sure I will!
Someone accidentally sent my elderly parents a Fire HDX at Christmas (put in the wrong shipping address). When the intended party didn't receive the HDX it was reported "Lost/Stolen" to Amazon and they locked the device so it cannot be registered on Amazon's servers. I spoke with Amazon and they told me that the device is now worthless and should be sent to an electronics disposal facility. (The representative actually said: "Well, the device is yours now so you can do whatever you want with it..." then recommended recycling.) What are my options to make it more useful than a 7" web browser, since that seems to be the only app that works without being registered? It's currently running 4.5.2...
Ufdah said:
Someone accidentally sent my elderly parents a Fire HDX at Christmas (put in the wrong shipping address). When the intended party didn't receive the HDX it was reported "Lost/Stolen" to Amazon and they locked the device so it cannot be registered on Amazon's servers. I spoke with Amazon and they told me that the device is now worthless and should be sent to an electronics disposal facility. (The representative actually said: "Well, the device is yours now so you can do whatever you want with it..." then recommended recycling.) What are my options to make it more useful than a 7" web browser, since that seems to be the only app that works without being registered? It's currently running 4.5.2...
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Click to collapse
not much on that firmware. & I doubt they will be willing to rollback a blacklisted device
the web browser will still work fine and everything will function normally other than you will not be able to use Amazon services or register the device at all.
if you check down in apps\theme section I believe there is a tutorial to add Google apps without root access http://forum.xda-developers.com/kin...w-to-install-gapps-root-t2954372?goto=newpost
personally I cannot verify you will have to read that thread
You dont have any options at the moment mate...you cannot ask it to be rolled back as its not registered and you cant flash a rom yet as there is no root for 4.5.2...just have to wait mate..
However, you could theoretically sideload any app you want provided it dies not need any amazon authentication. Every app purchased from the amazon app store needs authentication.
Sent from my KFTHWI using Tapatalk
Thanks all, I successfully used ADB and sideloaded Gapps from the tutorial in Themes/App, as well as a couple others. It's definitely worth keeping... Even if it's just a portable Minecraft device for my kids!
Ufdah said:
Thanks all, I successfully used ADB and sideloaded Gapps from the tutorial in Themes/App, as well as a couple others. It's definitely worth keeping... Even if it's just a portable Minecraft device for my kids!
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Click to collapse
Well, you can sideload a third-party market such as 1Mobile or Aptoide. They have thousands of apps, and at least Aptoide can do auto-updates, so you won't lose much at all.
I have had my HDX for about 8 months now and I like it but I hate being boxed in by amazon. So what i would like to be able to do is get ful functionality of android application but not mess with the fire os and my Amazon account. Is this possible?
Just get rooted, disable OTA, and install the GAPPs. I think u will feel much better.
woomdawg said:
I have had my HDX for about 8 months now and I like it but I hate being boxed in by amazon. So what i would like to be able to do is get ful functionality of android application but not mess with the fire os and my Amazon account. Is this possible?
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Click to collapse
Yes. But you you have to read up on how to accomplish your goals based on the type and level of device that you currently have. There are no step-by-step tutorials and bricking your device is a distinct possibility. Know the risks and make sure you have a good grasp of the procedures before doing anything.
I want to do something with 13.3.2.8, if I can...
I was running 13.3.2.1 before, and everything was working fine but one day the OTA update showed up and messed up everything.
I know in previous threads about 13.3.2.8 they have said you can't do anything with it (root, TWRP) , but is there any way I can go back to 3.2.1?
You can still root and install Safestrap (as well as ggow's HDX Nexus ROM) on x.3.2.8.
EncryptedCurse said:
You can still root and install Safestrap (as well as ggow's HDX Nexus ROM) on x.3.2.8.
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after i install the HDX Nexus ROM can I install TWRP then upgrade to CM11?
Iamreallybadwithusernames said:
after i install the HDX Nexus ROM can I install TWRP then upgrade to CM11?
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Click to collapse
No, you're stuck with Safestrap (which means no TWRP or CyanogenMod).
Iamreallybadwithusernames said:
I want to do something with 13.3.2.8, if I can...
I was running 13.3.2.1 before, and everything was working fine but one day the OTA update showed up and messed up everything.
I know in previous threads about 13.3.2.8 they have said you can't do anything with it (root, TWRP) , but is there any way I can go back to 3.2.1?
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Click to collapse
If you have a "legitimate" excuse for what was messed up, you could consider complaining to Amazon and see if they will roll you back (as they have done for people from 4.x to 3.2.8. They probably won't want to, and will probably lie to you and say it can't be done (as they said to many people asking for 3.2.8)... but, again, if you have a good reason, you could get away with it. I'd suggest reading up on the 3.2.8 rollback threads to see what worked for those people.
If you DO come up with a way to have them roll you back, I'm sure others would love to do this as well, so I'd also advise you to read up on how to "capture" the OTA rollback, so that you can share it with others here... just like people did with 3.2.8. We would all be very appreciative!
schwinn8 said:
If you have a "legitimate" excuse for what was messed up, you could consider complaining to Amazon and see if they will roll you back (as they have done for people from 4.x to 3.2.8. They probably won't want to, and will probably lie to you and say it can't be done (as they said to many people asking for 3.2.8)... but, again, if you have a good reason, you could get away with it. I'd suggest reading up on the 3.2.8 rollback threads to see what worked for those people.
If you DO come up with a way to have them roll you back, I'm sure others would love to do this as well, so I'd also advise you to read up on how to "capture" the OTA rollback, so that you can share it with others here... just like people did with 3.2.8. We would all be very appreciative!
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Click to collapse
I don't believe Amazon agents intentionally 'lie'. Recently there has been little/no pushback on downgrading thor (7") devices from 4.x to 3.2.8. At least not reported in the forums. The confussion came with 8.9" devices as Amazon attempted to distinguish between and develop policies for Apollo and Saturn. A few users with 8.9" devices got rolled back; most others were denied until things got sorted. That created an uproar. Today Apollo (older 8.9") devices can be rolled back; Saturn (newer 8.9" w/2.5GHz processor) can not. Of course, individual agents understanding of the policy will vary. Sometimes it's just easier to call back and hope the next agent is a little more knowledgeable.
There is no need to capture the rollback file for thor; done quite some time ago.
Hey, I am no Amazon fanboy. They got dem warts like everyone else. But I do believe Amazon tries hard to make things right (when reasonable) and generally provide a level of service far superior to almost any other device manufacturer. Apple might be the exception. Oh wait, they don't roll back either ...
@Iamreallybadwithusernames: If you got upgraded to 3.2.7/3.2.8 you can not roll back. There is no evidence Amazon has ever rolled a user back from these versions. If you got upgraded to 4.x you can probably roll back to 3.2.8 ... but no further.
Davey126 said:
I don't believe Amazon agents intentionally 'lie'. Recently there has been little/no pushback on downgrading thor (7") devices from 4.x to 3.2.8. At least not reported in the forums. The confussion came with 8.9" devices as Amazon attempted to distinguish between and develop policies for Apollo and Saturn. A few users with 8.9" devices got rolled back; most others were denied until things got sorted. That created an uproar. Today Apollo (older 8.9") devices can be rolled back; Saturn (newer 8.9" w/2.5GHz processor) can not. Of course, individual agents understanding of the policy will vary. Sometimes it's just easier to call back and hope the next agent is a little more knowledgeable.
There is no need to capture the rollback file for thor; done quite some time ago.
Hey, I am no Amazon fanboy. They got dem warts like everyone else. But I do believe Amazon tries hard to make things right (when reasonable) and generally provide a level of service far superior to almost any other device manufacturer. Apple might be the exception. Oh wait, they don't roll back either ...
@Iamreallybadwithusernames: If you got upgraded to 3.2.7/3.2.8 you can not roll back. There is no evidence Amazon has ever rolled a user back from these versions. If you got upgraded to 4.x you can probably roll back to 3.2.8 ... but no further.
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Click to collapse
You're too peaceful for an internet forum, Davey126 But, seriously, you are correct. They may not intentionally lie, but I do take offense when people answer something without being 100% sure and/or asking if they are even a little unsure. Too often, CS agents take the shortcut and just keep following the script even when presented with contradictory evidence. As for the lack of training/forwarding of the "new" information, I can't blame anyone but Amazon for that. Yes, they do a better job than others, but that's not saying much as I think we both agree... so setting the bar that low isn't good enough and I feel they should be called out on these issues when they appear. In the end, I think we are on the same page... just wanted to clarify my point there.
As for the rollback, IF (and that's a big IF) this person can get them to perform a rollback to an earlier version, then great. I just hope they can learn the capture process and share it with others. Fact is, there is nothing technically preventing Amazon from providing an older rollback... they just don't want to for their own reasons (ie, they want to keep the device locked down). Frankly, I hate the fact that any of these devices are locked down at all. Consumers ran into this back in the early days of computers, where we were "locked down" to the OS provided, hardware originally sold, etc, which was absolute crap. Heck, remember when telephones were similarly locked down? Ridiculous. These devices should similarly not be "allowed" to be locked down.... and it's annoying to see such a backwards step in technology "policy" especially when there's no reason for it.
Lastly, regarding the Amazon customer service. Normally, I agree, they are pretty good. In the case of this device, I am VERY disappointed. I bought this device with the intent of using a specific app on their appstore. They have since removed the app from their store (it's still available on other appstores) with no explanation to me or the app maker. Furthermore, the app-maker says Amazon will likely be blocking some of the app's functionality in the near future, thereby breaking it. The device is still under warranty and I have spent many hours with Amazon support on this matter (phone, chat, and email) and I just get a runaround, repeated suggestions that I've already told them do not work, etc... and keep getting no answers (much less solutions) to anything. So, I'm rather annoyed and upset with Kindle support on this one.... hence my (hopefully understandable) attitude on the matter....
schwinn8 said:
You're too peaceful for an internet forum, Davey126
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Click to collapse
Lol! There is a pretty heavy filter between brain and fingers. We are probably further apart than you might think. As a consumer I wish all devices came unlocked. From a business perspective this makes little sense. In Amazon's shoes I would behave the same way, although I might release an unlocked 'developer' edition at a premium price point to help quell the small but vocal enthusiast community. I also understand your frustration with Amazon support. Having managed a call center (not boasting; just part of my portfolio) trying to keep agents on the same page is akin to herding cats. There are a host of reasons behind this which I won't delve into here for fear of offending someone. It's a tough job - especially given the economic pressures facing both employer and employee. That does not mitigate your personal experiences; I'd be a bit miffed too.
Ignore this post, didn't quote accidentally
Davey126 said:
Lol! There is a pretty heavy filter between brain and fingers. We are probably further apart than you might think. As a consumer I wish all devices came unlocked. From a business perspective this makes little sense. In Amazon's shoes I would behave the same way, although I might release an unlocked 'developer' edition at a premium price point to help quell the small but vocal enthusiast community. I also understand your frustration with Amazon support. Having managed a call center (not boasting; just part of my portfolio) trying to keep agents on the same page is akin to herding cats. There are a host of reasons behind this which I won't delve into here for fear of offending someone. It's a tough job - especially given the economic pressures facing both employer and employee. That does not mitigate your personal experiences; I'd be a bit miffed too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Iamreallybadwithusernames said:
Sorry. had some complications on my side figuring out how to log back in when I initially made this account with my google account....
Anyways, some users have tried manually downgrading with the 3.2.5 file, and have failed (in some cases even bricked their devices). So it actually isn't possible (someone probably could hack the device to figure out how to allow it to roll back from 3.2.8, but that would probably take longer than figuring out TWRP & other root things for 4.5.3)
My device DID come with 13.3.1.0, I wanted to stay on stock (a mistake) so I used one of those OTA disablers, which (as the title states) didn't work.
but amazon decided that they didn't care that I got rolled back, and one morning when I turned it on, I was back on 4.5.3.
I wonder if I could make up some drama about my device having some issues or whatever, and they would replace it and maybe it would come with 13.3.1.0? (it actually has been picky about WiFI, so maybe I would actually legitimately get it replaced)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for double posting, I accidentally didn't quote you.
schwinn8 said:
You're too peaceful for an internet forum, Davey126 But, seriously, you are correct. They may not intentionally lie, but I do take offense when people answer something without being 100% sure and/or asking if they are even a little unsure. Too often, CS agents take the shortcut and just keep following the script even when presented with contradictory evidence. As for the lack of training/forwarding of the "new" information, I can't blame anyone but Amazon for that. Yes, they do a better job than others, but that's not saying much as I think we both agree... so setting the bar that low isn't good enough and I feel they should be called out on these issues when they appear. In the end, I think we are on the same page... just wanted to clarify my point there.
As for the rollback, IF (and that's a big IF) this person can get them to perform a rollback to an earlier version, then great. I just hope they can learn the capture process and share it with others. Fact is, there is nothing technically preventing Amazon from providing an older rollback... they just don't want to for their own reasons (ie, they want to keep the device locked down). Frankly, I hate the fact that any of these devices are locked down at all. Consumers ran into this back in the early days of computers, where we were "locked down" to the OS provided, hardware originally sold, etc, which was absolute crap. Heck, remember when telephones were similarly locked down? Ridiculous. These devices should similarly not be "allowed" to be locked down.... and it's annoying to see such a backwards step in technology "policy" especially when there's no reason for it.
Lastly, regarding the Amazon customer service. Normally, I agree, they are pretty good. In the case of this device, I am VERY disappointed. I bought this device with the intent of using a specific app on their appstore. They have since removed the app from their store (it's still available on other appstores) with no explanation to me or the app maker. Furthermore, the app-maker says Amazon will likely be blocking some of the app's functionality in the near future, thereby breaking it. The device is still under warranty and I have spent many hours with Amazon support on this matter (phone, chat, and email) and I just get a runaround, repeated suggestions that I've already told them do not work, etc... and keep getting no answers (much less solutions) to anything. So, I'm rather annoyed and upset with Kindle support on this one.... hence my (hopefully understandable) attitude on the matter....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the third one of the same, I meant to quote you and dave but accidentally quoted myself and dave instead. oops.
Sorry. had some complications on my side figuring out how to log back in when I initially made this account with my google account....
Anyways, some users have tried manually downgrading with the 3.2.5 file, and have failed (in some cases even bricked their devices). So it actually isn't possible (someone probably could hack the device to figure out how to allow it to roll back from 3.2.8, but that would probably take longer than figuring out TWRP & other root things for 4.5.3)
My device DID come with 13.3.1.0, I wanted to stay on stock (a mistake) so I used one of those OTA disablers, which (as the title states) didn't work.
but amazon decided that they didn't care that I got rolled back, and one morning when I turned it on, I was back on 4.5.3.
I wonder if I could make up some drama about my device having some issues or whatever, and they would replace it and maybe it would come with 13.3.1.0? (it actually has been picky about WiFI, so maybe I would actually legitimately get it replaced)
Iamreallybadwithusernames said:
I wonder if I could make up some drama about my device having some issues or whatever, and they would replace it and maybe it would come with 13.3.1.0? (it actually has been picky about WiFI, so maybe I would actually legitimately get it replaced)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the device is still under warranty and you are having troubles with WiFi then I would not hesitate to engage Amazon on remediations which likely will entail swapping out for a refurbished unit. I think it unlikely the replacement will arrive with 13.3.1.0. Not what you wanted to hear but 13.3.x.x is getting long in the legs. Amazon would rather you be on 13.4.x.x and likely is imaging refurbished units accordingly.
just had kindle fire hdx replaced
Davey126 said:
If the device is still under warranty and you are having troubles with WiFi then I would not hesitate to engage Amazon on remediations which likely will entail swapping out for a refurbished unit. I think it unlikely the replacement will arrive with 13.3.1.0. Not what you wanted to hear but 13.3.x.x is getting long in the legs. Amazon would rather you be on 13.4.x.x and likely is imaging refurbished units accordingly.
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Click to collapse
Amazon just replaced my kindle fire hdx about a week ago and the reverb unit I received had 13.3.2.1 on it. This is the second referb I have gotten from amazon with 13.3.2.1 so there is at least a chance if they send you a replacement that it will have a 13.3.2.1 on it just be sure to keep WiFi off cause it will try to update as soon as it connects to wifi. Until you get root with towel root and use hdxposed to prevent updates. Good luck
ja49902 said:
Amazon just replaced my kindle fire hdx about a week ago and the reverb unit I received had 13.3.2.1 on it. This is the second referb I have gotten from amazon with 13.3.2.1 so there is at least a chance if they send you a replacement that it will have a 13.3.2.1 on it just be sure to keep WiFi off cause it will try to update as soon as it connects to wifi. Until you get root with towel root and use hdxposed to prevent updates. Good luck
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Click to collapse
Alternatively, use HDX Toolkit which offers both root and OTA blocking along with several other features. Hdxposed it it can become disabled (including the OTA blocker) if, for whatever reason, xposed framework doesn't load properly at boot. HDX toolkit disables and/or renames OTA services. I have yet to hear of a Kindle auto-updating after applying this blocker.
BTW - great to hear a Amazon is still distributing refurbs with 3.2.1! Kinda amazing given the aggressive steps (efuse) Amazon took in later versions to block rollbacks.