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Turning a Kindle Fire HD Into a Power Tablet

Posted by timothy on from the or-at-least-giving-it-some-muscle-tone dept.

jfruh writes "The Kindle Fire HD is in theory a powerful device at a reasonable price — but its Android-based OS is so oriented towards Amazon's ecosystem that it can be tricky to unlock its full potential. Still, with a little savvy you can get underneath the covers, improving battery life, getting full access to cameras and other devices, and even listening to music you've purchased through iTunes."

3 of 81 comments (clear)

  1. Why support proprietary systems? by tsj5j · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Kindle Fire HD isn't especially cheap or well-specced for its' price. For a little more, you can support the idea that Android users DO want devices not laden with locked bootloaders, operating systems, forced UI makeovers, etc. with a Nexus 7.

    1. Re:Why support proprietary systems? by tsj5j · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The Nexus 10 is larger, higher-res and better specced at $85 more (comparing ad-free).

      I'll willing spend that much to vote with my wallet for an open, customizable device; not for one which is laden with commercials, locked to a single provider and essentially wants you to consume content only. I certainly don't want it to become like a portable TV, for viewing certain sanctioned content only.

    2. Re:Why support proprietary systems? by adisakp · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If you can't afford $85 more for a tablet with better spec's without the hassle of having to "do something to make it work better", you probably shouldn't be buying a tablet at all.

      You never considered the possibility of receiving a Kindle Fire HD as a gift and then wanting to maximize it's utility? Significant numbers of Fire HD's were given as gifts (with a huge spike in sales around XMas).