Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7 Rooted

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Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7 Rooted

Posted by Unknown on Wednesday September 19, 2012 @04:48AM from the meddling-kids! dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Yesterday, XDA Developers forum users kinfaus and pokey9000 were discussing how the latest devices from Amazon (the second-generation 7 Kindle Fire and the 7 Kindle Fire HD) come with more sophisticated protection than their predecessors, including locked bootloaders and 'high security' features offered by their OMAP processors. Today, the devices have been rooted." Using a known bug in busybox dating to April even.

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The missing feature by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-19 04:55 · Score: 1

Finally, the Kindle Fire HD just got a whole lot more attractive!
1. Re:The missing feature by Andy+Dodd · 2012-09-19 04:59 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  No, it just got a lot LESS attractive. Rooted with locked bootloader = meh.
  I got the Kindle Fire because it had an unlocked bootloader. Locked bootloader = no-go for me. Nexus 7 all the way!
  
  --
  retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
2. Re:The missing feature by spire3661 · 2012-09-19 05:13 · Score: 0
  
  The fact that i have to turn to third parties to unlock the Nexus 7 doesnt fill me with the warm and fuzzies. Its nice google didnt lock it down, but why dont i have root access available as a first-party option?
  
  --
  Good-bye
3. Re:The missing feature by Tough+Love · 2012-09-19 05:15 · Score: 1
  
  I got the Kindle Fire because it had an unlocked bootloader. Locked bootloader = no-go for me. Nexus 7 all the way!
  Agreed. Amazon blundered by locking down the bootloader and hopefully they will come to their senses in the not too distant future. Too much Apple envy maybe.
  
  --
  When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
4. Re:The missing feature by Paradise+Pete · 2012-09-19 05:20 · Score: 1
  
  Amazon blundered by locking down the bootloader and hopefully they will come to their senses
  I don't think they make a profit on it, and maybe even take a small loss, so the last thing they want is people buying it for reasons other than to buy stuff from Amazon.
5. Re:The missing feature by Bigby · 2012-09-19 05:31 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Because then the customer can blame Google when something goes wrong with it.
6. Re:The missing feature by tilante · 2012-09-19 05:39 · Score: 2
  
  Busybox is not Gnu; it's licensed under the GPL, but it's not a Gnu project.
7. Re:The missing feature by jittles · 2012-09-19 05:42 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  You don't have to turn to third parties to unlock the Nexus 7. You do "fastboot oem unlock" and away you go. You can do whatever you want at that point.
8. Re:The missing feature by EGNyquist · 2012-09-19 06:46 · Score: 1
  
  Of course, if informed consumers are willing to accept limitations of this nature, their better option is to go with an iPad. The big advantage of an Android, aside from lower cost (and there are good unlocked Androids out there for the same or less than a Kindle), that it is an open platform that allows freedom, the ability to customize and choice for the user. Don't like play store? Okay, go use any one of the third-party app stores out there (even Amazon's). But why you would want that is beyond me; the ones from Amazon come hobbled to only work if their app store software is installed on your machine. While Amazon does some neat stuff as a company, this gambit of theirs is nothing short of foolhardy. Informed consumers will steer clear of being forced to use inferior alternatives (like Bing search engine, and Amazon App Store). And now that they've locked the bootloaders eliminating the option to change the software manually, I can't recommend the device even to casual tablet users. There are simply too many other, better alternatives. What's Ironic is the new Kindly hype is all due to Amazon's fear of the Nexus monster; yet they don't provide anything with their devices that gives them an advantage over the absolutely amazing Nexus.
9. Re:The missing feature by idontgno · 2012-09-19 06:51 · Score: 1
  
  Except slot an SDCard for extra storage.
  OK, that's a hint off-topic, sorta. But FWIW it's the reason I won't settle for a Nexus 7.
  
  --
  Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
10. Re:The missing feature by Blue+Stone · 2012-09-19 06:54 · Score: 1
  
  USB On The Go works. Even without rooting it. That's extra storage right there.
  
  --
  Corporation, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility. - Ambrose Bierce
11. Re:The missing feature by X0563511 · 2012-09-19 07:11 · Score: 1
  
  Hey now, didn't they teach you in that there "progmatting" class that those "complier" errors were bugs with Winders?
  
  --
  For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
12. Re:The missing feature by CastrTroy · 2012-09-19 08:23 · Score: 1
  
  I think that a nice alternative for this would be for the tablet to come with an SD Card slot, and be able to boot off that. When you're booting off the SD Card slot, the internal memory becomes readonly, or if they don't want you poking around the firmware, make it completely disabled. That way they don't have to worry about custom firmware voiding warranties, and the customer could run whichever software they want on the device without having to worry about voiding the warranty, and they are free to return back to the default firmware whenever they want by just removing the SD Card. For security's sake it would probably be a good idea to have some kind of physical switch to enable booting from the SD Card.
  
  --
  
  Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
13. Re:The missing feature by dballanc · 2012-09-19 08:28 · Score: 1
  
  Perfect. That usb dongle and my usb keydrive won't get in the way at all. A much better option than simply adding support for a microsd as big as by pinky fingernail. It's like making a car without a trunk of any sort and telling people they should be happy it comes with a trailer hitch.
  Lack of storage is a total deal killer for a lot of us.
14. Re:The missing feature by squiggleslash · 2012-09-19 09:04 · Score: 1
  
  Dude, they barely squeezed in everything without the SD card slot. With it, they'd have had to increase the bezel size by 0.02um, and the thickness by 1.2x10^-100nm, reducing the Hipster Attraction Index by over 500%!
  Next you'll be asking for an adequate battery!
  
  --
  You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
15. Re:The missing feature by Tough+Love · 2012-09-19 10:26 · Score: 1
  
  Amazon blundered by locking down the bootloader and hopefully they will come to their senses
  I don't think they make a profit on it, and maybe even take a small loss, so the last thing they want is people buying it for reasons other than to buy stuff from Amazon.
  Even if not locked down, there would just be a small club of alpha geeks wanting to buy it just to get a cheap Android tablet, and those geeks are going to create positive buzz of a type that is both valuable and very hard for a PHB to understand. Whereas the negative karma of lockdown costs sales in the long run.
  It's really just a question of working through PHB fear here to get into the zone where the community actualy helps drive the product. Excellent example: the Linksys WRT54GL, an obsolete wireless router that nonetheless enjoys healthy sales long past what should have been its end of life for no other reason than its geek cred. Oh, and its rock solid reliability, in part due to all the loving it has got from said geeks over the years.
  
  --
  When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
16. Re:The missing feature by aNonnyMouseCowered · 2012-09-19 11:17 · Score: 1
  
  "Even if not locked down, there would just be a small club of alpha geeks wanting to buy it just to get a cheap Android tablet"
  A "real" alpha geek would buy a really cheap no-name crap tablet, and see if they can install their own Android mod in it. That or they'll build their own tablet using parts salvaged from eBay or cannibalize the PCB of their old smartphones and mate it to a tablet-sized screen.
17. Re:The missing feature by AmberBlackCat · 2012-09-19 11:21 · Score: 1
  
  If rooting means I could install or uninstall whatever apps I wanted, and set each permission individually, then I wouldn't really need to install an alternative version of Android on the tablet.
18. Re:The missing feature by petermgreen · 2012-09-19 15:10 · Score: 1
  
  Afaict with USB mass storage on the nexus 7 you can read the block device without rooting but if you want to mount it properly either so you can use the content directly without copying it first or because you want to copy stuff back to the USB device you need to be rooted.
  
  --
  note: i'm known as plugwash most places but i screwd up registering that here somehow in the past and now can't register
19. Re:The missing feature by Paradise+Pete · 2012-09-19 18:10 · Score: 1
  
  those geeks are going to create positive buzz
  Unfortunately the "geek buzz" becomes less and less important as devices become more and more mainstream. Try this experiment (I have). Next time you see a non-geek, ordinary run of the mill consumer using a Galaxy S3, go up to them and say "hey, nice! Is that an Android phone?" If your experience is like mine they will say "No, it's a Samsung Galaxy."
  The typical consumer doesn't even know what Android is.
20. Re:The missing feature by jittles · 2012-09-20 00:51 · Score: 1
  
  The battery is quite adequate. I can literally use the Nexus 7 all day without it dying. Now if i play an intensive game, then it may only last 3 or 4 hours. But I have literally used it for non-stop book reading, web browsing, email, etc for over 24 hours without recharging.
21. Re:The missing feature by Andy+Dodd · 2012-09-25 04:22 · Score: 1
  
  I don't know what the hell you are talking about.
  There are no third parties required for "fastboot oem unlock" - hell, Google even provides the fastboot binaries precompiled for multiple operating systems.
  It's not even the manufacturer "ET Phone Home" unlock that HTC and Asus like to force users to use, which often fails when the servers go down (see Asus unlocking nightmares.)
  
  --
  retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
I wouldn't have been able to post first .... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-19 04:56 · Score: 0

... if my Kindle Fire HD7 had not been r00t3d :-p
1. Re:I wouldn't have been able to post first .... by Radak · 2012-09-19 05:00 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  ...which, apparently, it hasn't.
rooting isnt the issue... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-19 05:12 · Score: 0

Of course the kfhd is going to be rooted. That always happens shortly after release... The issue is the hs (high security) omap stuff. Namely a signed bootloader which will only load a signed kernel/ramdisk. This problem was fixed on the nook tablet, but it will probably be more of a challenge for the newer kfires.
and it'll keep getting worse by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-19 05:24 · Score: 0

These devices will keep being locked down tighter and tighter as long as millions of people are willing to buy them.
Slashdotters tend to think, "AH HA! Some dude broke the security, so now it's wide open!" But this misses the point that not one person in tens of thousands is going to go through the bother of doing so. In effect, even if the security is not perfect, it's good enough to keep most people from controlling their own devices.
So go ahead, keep on buying your fancy iPads and Kindles and whatever. Keep on telling yourself that there's no problem because Joe Hacker somewhere in Paris managed to figure out a way around. Then we'll see where this gets us in 30 or 40 years when all computing is like that. When politically inconvenient or embarrassing content can be made to disappear. When even the last shards of privacy have been obliterated.
Captcha: unclean
1. Re:and it'll keep getting worse by ilsaloving · 2012-09-19 05:30 · Score: 1
  
  So go ahead, keep on buying your fancy iPads and Kindles and whatever. Keep on telling yourself that there's no problem because Joe Hacker somewhere in Paris managed to figure out a way around. Then we'll see where this gets us in 30 or 40 years when all computing is like that. When politically inconvenient or embarrassing content can be made to disappear. When even the last shards of privacy have been obliterated.
  Um... isn't it *already* too late for that?
2. Re:and it'll keep getting worse by Overzeetop · 2012-09-19 05:33 · Score: 1
  
  In the case of the Kindle, it's not a traditional product, but rather a reduced-price conduit for consumption from the store who sells it. Kind of like the iPad, except without the reduced price.
  And here's the thing - most people don't care. Enough, in fact, that it's not cost competitive (including captured sales and support costs) to create an unlocked version.
  
  --
  Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
3. Re:and it'll keep getting worse by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-19 05:39 · Score: 0
  
  In the case of the Kindle, it's not a traditional product, but rather a reduced-price conduit for consumption from the store who sells it. Kind of like the iPad, except without the reduced price.
  And here's the thing - most people don't care. Enough, in fact, that it's not cost competitive (including captured sales and support costs) to create an unlocked version.
  Or, in short, the market makes it that way. You can talk all you want about how we, the technical people want it. But, the market has proven that the masses love stuff that 'just works'. Look at all the hate for Apple and their 'walled garden'. Sure, we hate it, but, a lot of the people who buy them *love* that they can't fall out of the garden by accident.
  If you don't want your garden walled, don't buy devices from Amazon or Apple. But, don't spend too much time bitching about the way Apple and Amazon do it, either. If it wasn't working for them with a lot of customers (who spend a lot of money), they wouldn't do it. If you don't like their way, spend your money elsewhere for a 'pure' Android you can get full control of.
4. Re:and it'll keep getting worse by somenickname · 2012-09-19 05:56 · Score: 1
  
  I don't think most people want to control their own devices. For home users a computer is an appliance that they will use for a handful of tasks. As long as the hardware does those things, they don't really care how open it is. To use a car analogy, the software in your car likely makes the air to fuel ratios inaccessible to tinker with. Most people don't care as long as the car runs right. For the people that do care, there are after market engine management systems and even cars that have those things directly accessible.
  I'm also not convinced that all computing will end up locked down. Even with a fairly dystopian view of the future, there are two things I think will prevent it: 1) Server grade hardware. It's one thing to lock down a consumer grade device but business will not stand for a locked down server and I can't imagine vendors thinking they would. 2) Hobby markets. Things like the Raspberry Pi and similar devices are going to keep getting better, cheaper and more common. The vendors of those types of hardware have no incentive to lock down the hardware. I understand that at the moment not all the drivers for these devices might be open source but, this is still a fairly new market and I think going forward, a lot of interesting things are going to happen with these types of devices.
5. Re:and it'll keep getting worse by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-19 06:46 · Score: 0
  
  This.
  Stop bitching about "control own devices" that is not what people want.
6. Re:and it'll keep getting worse by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-19 06:58 · Score: 0
  
  I work for a major hardware vendor. Business are ASKING us for locked boot loaders, because then they don't have to worry so much about their admins putting rootkits in things. And that includes BIOSes in servers. How far it will climb the stack, I don't know, but it's happening and you can expect it at least up to the kernel layer, and very possibly higher.
  It's not like most businesses do anything but run the vendor's code anyway, until you get to a very high layer.
  And the hobby market is too small to pay for silicon to be produced, which means it's stuck using whatever chips it can get from the locked-up mainstream market. Building the Raspberry Pi is one thing. Building the chips in it is a whole other thing. So, why would you think the driver situation would get anything but worse?
7. Re:and it'll keep getting worse by Archangel+Michael · 2012-09-19 07:05 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  What I see when I hear people whining about why they won't use ___ because it isn't "open enough"
  
  I want an Open Toaster. All toasters are locked down and proprietary, and I want to hack my toaster so that I can use it to toast my mittens and socks. That's why I won't own a toaster. My BBQ does all these things and more! I've even built it myself, and it runs on Charcoal, Pellets, OR Natural Gas, giving me much more flexibility in my toast making endeavors. And when it snows, I like the fact that I can clear the snow off using my specially made "snow removal device" that I hacked together myself.
  
  --
  Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
8. Re:and it'll keep getting worse by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-19 07:21 · Score: 0
  
  I will _never_ buy Apple and MS stuff because of this.
  If I have to be stuck with rooted/unlocked Android that's will have to do.
9. Re:and it'll keep getting worse by pseudofrog · 2012-09-19 08:15 · Score: 1
  
  I want a toaster to toast whatever I throw it in. That's an open toaster. A toaster than only toasts Wonder Bread, on the other hand, would be a closed toaster.
Kindle fire is dead to me by Charliemopps · 2012-09-19 05:35 · Score: 5, Interesting

I litterally just bought a Nexus 7 about an hour ago. My main concerns? No expandable memory and the forced ads on the Kindle. Yes, maybe I could have waited for this root to come out so I could get rid of the adds, but do I really want to deal with that?

As far as the lack of a memory slot, that only bothers me because I'd like to take movies on vacation with me... But then I learned I could connect the Nexus 7 to an external hardrive via USB on the go and viola.

Sorry amazon, forcing me to watch ads is not a way to get me to buy your product.
1. Re:Kindle fire is dead to me by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-19 05:59 · Score: 1
  
  I litterally just bought a Nexus 7 about an hour ago.
  I know, right?
  Why buy a crippled, locked-down e-reader/tablet when you can buy a Nexus 7 for the same price?
  Or a 7" Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (which has an SD card slot and front and back facing cameras) for $50 more?
2. Re:Kindle fire is dead to me by Deagol · 2012-09-19 06:22 · Score: 1
  
  I haven't kept tabs on the Fire line. I did voluntarily buy an ad-driven Kindle 3 (full keypad models) for myself and for my mother. Are the Fire models not similarly divided into ad-free and ad-subsidized lines?
  
  --
  Method of processing duck feet
3. Re:Kindle fire is dead to me by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-19 06:28 · Score: 0
  
  ... But then I learned I could connect the Nexus 7 to an external hardrive via USB on the go and viola..
  
  I've seen the Guitar app, is there a Viola app too?
4. Re:Kindle fire is dead to me by Radak · 2012-09-19 06:28 · Score: 1
  
  I haven't kept tabs on the Fire line. I did voluntarily buy an ad-driven Kindle 3 (full keypad models) for myself and for my mother. Are the Fire models not similarly divided into ad-free and ad-subsidized lines?
  Sort of. They don't sell different models, but they do offer a $15 "opt out" on ads.
  I don't have a problem with the sales model myself. If it reduces the price on the hardware and doesn't intrude, I don't care.
5. Re:Kindle fire is dead to me by Threni · 2012-09-19 07:41 · Score: 1
  
  You've not seen Viola Hero 3? Awwwwesome, dude.
6. Re:Kindle fire is dead to me by Charliemopps · 2012-09-19 07:45 · Score: 1
  
  Well, the removed the option to opt out. Then they came back and said you could buy out of it... I'm not getting stuck with the stupid ads. Also, thats just the screen lock ads. The rest of the devices is swarming with them. You open angry birds and it suggest other games "you might like" etc... screw that.
7. Re:Kindle fire is dead to me by aliquis · 2012-09-19 20:00 · Score: 1
  
  Couldn't you pay a little extra to get rid of the ads?
  In that case that's a non-issue.
  As far as media goes personally I'd opt for NAS at home and connect over the network anyway.
  (Yeah, I know about bandwidth requirements and limits for network traffic. Guess it depends on what service provider and deals you can get. Just seem more convenient and better to me.)
Not really an Android tablet by jbohumil · 2012-09-19 05:36 · Score: 3, Insightful

I wanted a larger Android tablet and thought maybe the new Kindle Fire HD 8.9 was what I was waiting for so I ordered one the day they were announced, but yesterday I cancelled my order, and decided I will wait for a larger Nexus or maybe go with something from Samsung, Asus or Motorola. For me, any Android tablet that cannot access the Google Play Store cannot really be called an Android tablet. It's not what I'm looking for and it really can't be fairly compared to other tablets running Android that have access to the Play Store. Android's promise of being more open and being able to share applications purchased through the Play Store on all my Android devices is a big selling point and one of the main reasons I stick with Android and avoid Apple products. Sorry Amazon. I love the Kindle readers, and I ordered a Paperwhite reader which I'm looking forward to getting, but if I wanted a closed system tablet I could have bought an iPad. I don't want it from Apple, and I don't want it from Amazon either.
1. Re:Not really an Android tablet by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-19 05:42 · Score: 0, Offtopic
  
  Sorry Amazon. I love the Kindle readers, and I ordered a Paperwhite reader which I'm looking forward to getting, but if I wanted a closed system tablet I could have bought an iPad. I don't want it from Apple, and I don't want it from Amazon either.
  And that's very much your prerogative. However, if there wasn't a huge amount of people who *like it* the way Apple and Amazon do it, they wouldn't be selling their devices the way they do. Doesn't mean Apple or Amazon is wrong. Just means you're not their target demographic.
  The more open Android is targeted at you. I don't see the problem here. You have choices, and you made yours. All good.
2. Re:Not really an Android tablet by jbohumil · 2012-09-19 06:03 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  You could look at it that way, but I kind of disagree, I think there is a truth in labeling problem and I wonder if people area really are being fairly informed. It is not immediately obvious looking at the Fire HD page on Amazon that you are not getting a full Android experience. Yet Amazon is pitching these as "Android tablets." Try typing Android Tablet into the Amazon search box and see what is at the top of the list, the Kindle Fire HD. It's misleading to refer to these as Android tablets when really they are a closed Amazon tablet. If they called these Linux Tablets it would be equally misleading because even though they might be based on Linux they do not provide the features normally associated with an open source Linux install. These tablets do not provide the features normally associated with open source Android and they shouldn't be marketed or compared side by side to true Android tablets.
3. Re:Not really an Android tablet by EGNyquist · 2012-09-19 06:28 · Score: 1
  
  Even more misleading is that, while they are using a forked Android 4.1 OS, they've completely cut off Google from their system- they try to force Bing on you as a default search engine, force their own inferior app store on you you, etc. I guess if you're a soccer mom who just wants to read her romance novels and check email with something, it might be an okay. But, when you consider that for the same price you could get a fully-featured and VERY powerful tablet like the Nexus 7, and for a comparable price you could get a full-featured Android like the Asus Transformer 300 tablet, you just can't justify getting a Kindle.
4. Re:Not really an Android tablet by Radak · 2012-09-19 06:34 · Score: 1
  
  I think there is a truth in labeling problem and I wonder if people area really are being fairly informed. It is not immediately obvious looking at the Fire HD page on Amazon that you are not getting a full Android experience. Yet Amazon is pitching these as "Android tablets."
  Not really. Yes, to people who delve into specs, it's easy to find that they're running a modified Android, but looking on Amazon's page selling the tablet, Android is mentioned only twice, and one of those two times isn't talking about the Kindle. The other time isn't claiming the Kindle is an Android tablet.
  Amazon is not trying to sell this to the demographic who cares what OS their tablet is running. They're selling it to the demographic that wants a consumption device that might run a few apps on the side. They're not marketing it as an Android tablet. They're marketing it as an Amazon tablet.
5. Re:Not really an Android tablet by h4rr4r · 2012-09-19 07:07 · Score: 1
  
  The reality is the lending library sells these things.
  My girlfriend, who has a unlocked android phone, runs linux on her desktop just bought a kindle fire HD. She just wants the lending library.
6. Re:Not really an Android tablet by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-19 09:09 · Score: 0
  
  The Amazon software ghetto is comprised of buggy old versions of programs. Some of them cost 2x as much as the Google store and still don't work on Amazon's own tablets. Amazon blames developers but it is 100% Amazon's fault because they are the ones that split the market and keep it split.
  Also, the new Fire HD has a huge ugly bezel.
  Also, they stripped the audio hardare out of the eink devices while adding new text & audio syncing. Do the hardware and software guys not talk to eachother?
In the words of the great Sun Tsu by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-19 06:19 · Score: 0

No! It is impossibur !!!!!!
The Greatest Mistake by EGNyquist · 2012-09-19 06:35 · Score: 2

The greatest mistake that Amazon made with this device is in fundamentally undermining the strength and appeal of the Android platform. Android is open, Android is free; You can install what software you want; you can customize to your hearts content. If you're tech savvy you can build your own ROM. Amazon takes this and turns it on it's head: They take Android and try to force it to conform to the Apple model; You use the software WE approve, you read the books and listen to the music WE sell you, and if you don't like it too bad. What's worse is, unlike Apple, what they are forcing on you is noticeably inferior to the alternatives.
1. Re:The Greatest Mistake by Em+Ellel · 2012-09-19 17:55 · Score: 1
  
  You are assuming their goal is to sell tablets. YOU ARE WRONG. They do not care about Android. They do not care about selling Fire to someone who wants an Android tablet. They are selling these things at cost, so the main thing they care about is you buying content and other items from them. If you want an open tablet, they would much rather you buy Nexus7. If you want apple experience, they cringe a little, but say "knock yourself out"- buy an iPad. Guess what, you can still use either to read Kindle content, or shop at amazon.com. If you don't want to do that, why should they waste their and your time selling you something you do not care about and they make no money on?
  Truth is that you and I and others who want open devices are a minority. Most just want a simple device that just works and does the few limited things they need. Fire, (just like iPad) is for them, not for us. Just a way to make it easier to buy from amazon for those who WANT to buy from amazon and don't care about building our own custom ROMs or paying through the nose for overpriced iCrap. It is not a mistake, it is a brilliant strategy which is clearly working for them (22% of the market in under a year ain't bad)
  
  --
  RelevantElephants: A Somatic WebComic...
An honest question by nightfire-unique · 2012-09-19 07:54 · Score: 2

This is an honest question. Is there any reason to consider a Kindle Fire over the Nexus 7? Any reason at all?
I'm not intending this question as flamebait; I genuinely cannot understand why anyone would buy one of these devices. Locked bootloader? Android fork? Crappy interface? Ads?
Clearly people are buying them. I'd just like to know why.

--
A government is a body of people notably ungoverned - AC
1. Re:An honest question by Githaron · 2012-09-19 09:56 · Score: 1
  
  They probably don't know better. They probably shop on Amazon. They either found it on the homepage or clicked the first thing on the list after searching "tablet". Some others probably bought the Kindle e-ink readers and decided they wanted a upgrade so they bought the newest Kindle. I just hope in the long run someone continues to sell cheap e-ink readers. E-ink displays are vastly superior for reading purposes.
2. Re:An honest question by Em+Ellel · 2012-09-19 18:14 · Score: 1
  
  Depends on what you want. Most people do not care if it is android, iOS or windows. Most people don't know what bootloader is, let alone know why a locked one is bad. In fact for most people, locked bootloader is good, or at least irrelevant. They want someone else to take care of everything for them and the device to just work, even if only in limited capacity. On the other hand Fire HD has nice hardware, stereo sound, good WiFi, hi-res screen, features not found elsewhere (xray, basic multiuser support, backup of your app data, etc) all at a dirt cheap price.
  It is not a device for everyone - I'd rather have a real android device, but I get why it is popular and would even recommend itin some cases.
  
  --
  RelevantElephants: A Somatic WebComic...
3. Re:An honest question by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-20 05:24 · Score: 0
  
  The tempting thing for me, and I have a Nexus 7, is the HDMI out. I'd love to be able to buy or rent movies, download using my high speed, but then take it to my brother's place to watch - where he has no cable and no high speed internet.
"They" spend millions.. by Paracelcus · 2012-09-19 08:13 · Score: 1

"They" spend millions on "locking down" their devices just so some "hacker" can undo it all and make their investors feel cheated! Open devices make for a more attractive product, speed application development and make for a loyal customer base.

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I killed da wabbit -Elmer Fudd
1. Re:"They" spend millions.. by Arrepiadd · 2012-09-19 20:22 · Score: 1
  
  Open devices make for a more attractive product, speed application development and make for a loyal customer base.
  As Apple has shown us time and again?!
  People complain(ed) about the Steve Jobs reality distortion field, but I think the Openness distortion field we see at Slashdot is equally disturbing. No one cares about openness (us 2% geeks do not count, trust me). People are not even worried about their privacy, let alone the locked-ness of their device.
  And "application development"? Random Joe will buy Kindle to read books (among other things) and stay with it if it works. Hell, people stayed with Internet Explorer 6 for years when Firefox and alternatives offered a much richer experience, in an OS that is as open as many users have ever known and still they didn't change. Why would it matter now?
The reverse is true as well...? by Scowler · 2012-09-19 11:54 · Score: 1

If you buy a Nexus 7, do you have access to all the Amazon Appstore and other Kindle Fire features? What about HTC Sense or Motorola Blur for that matter?
The reality is, TODAY Google has control over what "the full Android experience" means, but they may not tomorrow, due to its open source nature.
Rooted?? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-19 19:50 · Score: 0

Rooted?? Rooted??
There are only 2 meanings for that term that spring to mind.
Either of these 2:
1) Someone has successfully had sex with the device.
2) It is broken/ruined.
From what I've read, either, (or both) could be a possibility.