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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."

24 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 ckblackm · · Score: 5, Informative

      That's ridiculous. YMMV, but I set a budget, saved up my money a little bit at a time, and bought what I could afford. Just because someone can't buy the best thing out there, it doesn't mean they should go without. What it does mean, is that one should temper their expectations and not complain if their choice doesn't perform like the best thing out there.

    3. Re:Why support proprietary systems? by coldsalmon · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Perhaps some of us would rather have Amazon spying on us, instead of Google.

    4. Re:Why support proprietary systems? by SketchOfNight · · Score: 3, Informative

      I've already read through two books on my Nexus 7, so I can tell you from experience it functions just fine as an eReader. I'm not sure what you're getting at in terms of screen differences, because they have identical resolutions (and PPI).. Even the Color Gamut is identical, though the red range is superior on the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire HD does better with greens and yellows.

      The only real noticable difference between the two screens is factory calibration and range of brightness, and it's minor. You may subconsciously perceive the Fire HD's screen as superior because it as touted as a "media device", but try a head-to-head comparison. You've been bamboozled if you think the Kindle Fire HD is far superior as a display.

    5. Re:Why support proprietary systems? by JazzLad · · Score: 3, Funny

      But the Kindle has HD right there in the name, it has to be a better screen!!!11@

      --
      "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear." - Every fascist, ever
    6. Re:Why support proprietary systems? by MangoCats · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I have a 10" tablet (iPad) and I actually prefer the 8.9" form factor, it's easier to handle - 7" is even more convenient to carry, but around the house, 8.9" is my personal sweet spot - so, no bonus assigned for a bigger screen that makes the device unwieldy to use.

      Resolution: do I really care if my tablet has more pixels than my 42" TV? Personally, 1920x1080 is good enough for me - and well worth having as compared to the first generation iPad, it is much easier to read.

      $85 more? Well, let's just say I don't care about ads on my lock screen and compare $399 to the $249 I paid for my Kindle Fire HD on pre-Christmas sale. That's a 60% premium you're paying to get your software ecosystem of choice, and I'm willing to bet the Nexus device also has waiting list / delivery time issues that the Kindle does not.

      Choice is the key here - I'm learning to love the Amazon ecosystem model, they're much better about auto-configuring the device than Apple has been: all my previously purchased apps were installed "out of the box," MP3s of my CD purchases instantly available for free. Yes, it ticks me off that they're always trying to sell me a TV show or movie for $3, or a book for $9 (where does that pricing model come from?), but mostly I find it easier to use than the iPad/iTunes model - does what I want without me burning a lot of time configuring it all.

      Seems to me, if you want to spend a lot of your time to configure it all, you should be paying less for your device, not more, but that's just an opinion.

    7. Re:Why support proprietary systems? by tsj5j · · Score: 3, Insightful

      A few points of contention here...

      1.) You are implying I'm blowing 30% only to make a point, which is only partly true. The extra money pays for better specs and future proofing. The Nexus 10 can probably last you longer (longer support for latest apps, longer support for new Android updates from Google) than the Fire HD can. Long-term, the Nexus 10 is definitely the better value proposition.

      2.) Tablets are in itself a luxury for most. 10 inch tablets are even more so the luxury than their 7 inch counterparts, where Nexus 7 is the priced the same as the ad-ridden Kindle Fire HD 7 inch. If you're spending 300+ dollars on a "want", 80 dollars more is barely a stretch, isn't it.

    8. Re:Why support proprietary systems? by tsj5j · · Score: 2

      The extra money pays for better specs and future proofing. The Nexus 10 can probably last you longer (longer support for latest apps, longer support for new Android updates from Google) than the Fire HD can. Long-term, the Nexus 10 is definitely the better value proposition.

    9. Re:Why support proprietary systems? by ckblackm · · Score: 2

      Oh don't get me wrong... I wouldn't mind the better item... but I couldn't justify the extra cost (especially considering the Amazon gift cards and amazon points I had saved up). I'm happy with the Kindle.. it does what I need it to, and I generally buy e-books and music through Amazon, anyway. But, while the situation made sense for ME... it doesn't mean that for someone else, a different solution wouldn't be better.

    10. Re:Why support proprietary systems? by ckblackm · · Score: 2

      Just because I can't afford a $500 tablet, doesn't mean I can't afford a $300 one.

    11. 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).

  2. I tried by Chrisq · · Score: 4, Funny

    Turning a Kindle Fire HD Into a Power Tablet

    I tried but I couldn't swallow the damn thing

    1. Re:I tried by virgnarus · · Score: 3, Funny

      It's not an oral medication.

  3. Eh... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 2

    Given the quite modest price delta between the Kindle Fire and the Nexus 7(especially given the latter's slightly punchier specs), how much is your time not worth if you buy the former and do a bunch of messing around to get a only-somewhat-crippled Android 4.0-oddball device when you could get a 'clean' 4.2 device?

    I can see doing it once the cyanogenmod, or similar, matures(assuming the bootloader crack holds out), since that should be a fairly swift nuke-and-pave operation that will bring you up to a version of Android that isn't Amazon's listlessly maintained Amazon Consumption Platform edition; but just incremental poking at the stock OS?

  4. Whoa there by Antipater · · Score: 3, Funny

    Hold on a second. If you want full access to cameras and other devices after getting under the covers, that's your business. "Unlock [your] full potential" all you want, but I don't want to hear about it!

    --
    Everything is better with chainsaws.
  5. Superb Power Tips by swanzilla · · Score: 2
    Act I: Menus, a How-To

    Act II: Rooting and Google Play

    --
    0 = 1 + e^(Alt something)
  6. Nook HD+ make more sense? by guidryp · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Less money, higher screen resolution, Micro-SD memory slot, no adware.
    http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/nook-hd-plus-barnes-noble/1110060512

    Workarounds for side-loading apps:
    http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/nook-hd-plus-barnes-noble/1110060512

    Root:
    http://www.xda-developers.com/android/permanent-root-for-the-nook-hd-and-hd-unofficial-cm10-for-the-hd/

    1. Re:Nook HD+ make more sense? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Or just install this in your micro-sd slot and reboot.....http://www.n2acards.com/

  7. Good grief by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 2
    To save you some trouble, this is basically "how I like my Kindle Fire HD set up." I particularly enjoyed this gem:

    Caps lock: Just double-tap on the SHIFT key and it'll turn into the caps lock key!

    Oh, and the "little savvy" for improving battery life? Turn off GPS, wireless and Bluetooth when you're not using them. Duh.

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    1. Re:Good grief by rwise2112 · · Score: 4, Funny

      To save you some trouble, this is basically "how I like my Kindle Fire HD set up." I particularly enjoyed this gem:

      Caps lock: Just double-tap on the SHIFT key and it'll turn into the caps lock key!

      I TRIED THIS, BUT HOW DO YOU TURN IT OFF?

      --

      "For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert"
    2. Re:Good grief by tippe · · Score: 3, Funny

      With that kind of attitude, I'm not telling you! Why are you mad at me anyway?

    3. Re:Good grief by sootman · · Score: 3, Funny

      WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO?

      --
      Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
  8. But instead of doing this... by davmoo · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why not buy a device that does what you want, and there by support the manufacturer of a more open device so maybe they'll keep doing it, like a Nexus? Instead you'd rather give money to the maker of a closed system, which encourages them to keep it closed since everyone buys their crap anyway, and then you spend your time making it sort of do what you wanted in the first place.

    --
    I want a new quote. One that won't spill. One that don't cost too much. Or come in a pill.