[Q] Is the Kindle Fire HDX worth the hassle? - Kindle Fire HDX 7" & 8.9" Q&A, Help & Troubleshoot

My nexus 7 - 2013 just became an expensive paperweight, seems like the internal storage or motherboards went Kaput. I am looking for a replacement and the specs of the Kindle Fire HDX 7 are very impressive, specially buying the 64 GB version, I couldn't find any device with better specs for the price. However, the drawback seems to me all the hassle to try to change the tablet to a truly android experience; people are writing posts about accomplishing simple things on other tablets like using a different launcher, using Netflix, casting to Chromecast, using the Google Play store, side loading apps, etc. Not to mention all the other posts with people bricking their devices after trying to accomplish these tasks. So my question is: Is all that hassle worth it? Is the Kindle really that good that all the hassle is worth it? Thank you very much in advanced for any responses.

chogau1 said:
My nexus 7 - 2013 just became an expensive paperweight, seems like the internal storage or motherboards went Kaput. I am looking for a replacement and the specs of the Kindle Fire HDX 7 are very impressive, specially buying the 64 GB version, I couldn't find any device with better specs for the price. However, the drawback seems to me all the hassle to try to change the tablet to a truly android experience; people are writing posts about accomplishing simple things on other tablets like using a different launcher, using Netflix, casting to Chromecast, using the Google Play store, side loading apps, etc. Not to mention all the other posts with people bricking their devices after trying to accomplish these tasks. So my question is: Is all that hassle worth it? Is the Kindle really that good that all the hassle is worth it? Thank you very much in advanced for any responses.
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It's a very sensitive device . Unless you are a pro , and or very good at following directions . And patient enough to read whole threads . IMHO. NO Even though there has been a little development the last few months this device is still very very limited . And still no way to fast boot a device to repair brick state . Unless you have previously unlocked the boot loader . Even then things are very tricky . Just some friendly advice and less you are very very good with android devices and some development procedures and don't mind taking risk as far as I'm concerned the device is not cheap enough yet . I own an 8.9 and two 7.0...
After the last year and a half I wished I just had the money or had bought something else

jimyv said:
It's a very sensitive device . Unless you are a pro , and or very good at following directions . And patient enough to read whole threads . IMHO. NO Even though there has been a little development the last few months this device is still very very limited . And still no way to fast boot a device to repair brick state . Unless you have previously unlocked the boot loader . Even then things are very tricky . Just some friendly advice and less you are very very good with android devices and some development procedures and don't mind taking risk as far as I'm concerned the device is not cheap enough yet . I own an 8.9 and two 7.0...
After the last year and a half I wished I just had the money or had bought something else
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Well stated. An amazing device once tamed but the bar is high with significant (sometimes non-recoverable) consequences for a simple mistake.

Davey126 said:
Well stated. An amazing device once tamed but the bar is high with significant (sometimes non-recoverable) consequences for a simple mistake.
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Bottom line is how you use a device. Would I bother if I were not an Amazon Prime member? Probably not, not now that I can get AVOD on nearly any Android device. That said, I am a Prime member & being able to download HD movies for watching on longer flights is a great feature.
If you are a novice or a few hundred dollars lost is going to hurt, then consider other options.

would go with something else unless there are specific features you need such as text to speech on kindle eBooks. other wise something easier to work with would be a good idea.

Short answer: NO. The FireOS ruins a wonderful piece of hardware. I bought this device for my wife to use it with her NextIssue magazine subscription. But, Amazon has now decided to remove that app, with no explanation.... and now they are expected to "block" the app from sideloading as well. Bottom line, I have no recourse and their support has been AWFUL for this matter.
I use Amazon for a lot of things, and have Prime... and I STILL wouldn't recommend the device to anyone. They've crippled the "Android-ness" of the device making it very limited in its capabilities. Sure, if you don't mind getting bound to Amazon, it might be ok. But any Android device can do everything this device can do (software-wise).... so you're better off with a regular Android device.

I concur with the cautions posted by several individuals (including myself!). If you are seeking compatibility, a pure android experience or an easy to mod device look elsewhere! Novice users who value a simple UI and need some hand holding may find the HDX attractive. Fire OS isn't horrible and comes with free Mayday support. Perfect for the proverbial grandmother.
The pros are compelling if you have an 'older' device, are willing to invest the time and assume some risks which can be mitigated through care. Fast processor, beautiful screen, great sound, different form factor (personal preference), solid build, long battery life. With a decent rom you can get the best of Google and Amazon plus fantastic hardware in a single device. Unfortunately, most 'newer' devices can not be rooted or unlocked severely limiting potential.
I love my HDX 7" (unlocked) running Nexus (soon CM12). It is easy to live with and accompanies me everywhere. I don't regret the time invested but would NOT recommend it to others unless you are true tinker at heart and have the technical skills to recover should thing go wrong. And they will. Understand what can/can't be done which is highly contingent on the level of Fire OS that is currently installed.

I bought a 32 gb and unlocked with cm 11 rom. It's better than nexus 7

I love mine. I love it more now that I've got rid of the FireOS and am running
straight Android. The hardware is great, and for a 7 inch, it's a fantastic tablet.
I also own the Nexus 7 (2013) and love that as well. Easy to root, lots of development, great
hardware specs....That said, if I had to do it over again, I'd probably get a Samsung Galaxy tab
of some sort for those same reasons.
The HDX is definitely a labor of love. It took some labor to get it set up the way I want it,
but now I really love it. But still, a Galaxy Tab would be the way to go, IMO

Related

The source has been released!!

+10 char. Barnes and nobles.
http://images.barnesandnoble.com/PResources/download/Nook/source-code/nookcolor-source-code.zip
u forgot link http://images.barnesandnoble.com/PResources/download/Nook/source-code/nookcolor-source-code.zip
that was fast
This is awesome.
Looks like B&N understand that they have something much bigger than an ereader.
I, for one, had not been interested in this device until I saw the posts here about it being rooted and being able to install other programs on it. I went out and bought it last night and will hold on to it until an easier root method is published.
Well of course they understand But since at $250 they're probably not making much, if any profit off the machine, they need to sell content and they have two options:
1) Close the machine off Amazon style and force people to buy content from you, or
2) Open the platform, hope more people buy your device and hope that translates into content sales (book, magazines, etc...) where the money is.
Seems like they're blending #1 and #2 but with a bit more #2... Pretty good for us.
Hopefully, the cooked ROMs will allow to access the stock B&N reading program as well. It's a bit slow at times but it's a pretty good reader with strong book management capabilities (shelves) and the magazines are pretty good too.
Don't mean to sound dumb, but what exactly is this a link for?
Hopefully the link is to the source code used to compile the Android OS on the Nook Color.
Maybe I will even finally compile me some Android.
At the very least it would seem that combining parts of this with AOSP 2.2 might yield one / several usable froyo kernels for the NC. Easy to say, definitely more complicated to actually do.
Ypocaramel said:
Well of course they understand But since at $250 they're probably not making much, if any profit off the machine, they need to sell content and they have two options:
1) Close the machine off Amazon style and force people to buy content from you, or
2) Open the platform, hope more people buy your device and hope that translates into content sales (book, magazines, etc...) where the money is.
Seems like they're blending #1 and #2 but with a bit more #2... Pretty good for us.
Hopefully, the cooked ROMs will allow to access the stock B&N reading program as well. It's a bit slow at times but it's a pretty good reader with strong book management capabilities (shelves) and the magazines are pretty good too.
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I like the device so much, alll I do is talk about how good it is and how it compares for the money.
I highly recommend it to everyone looking for a reader, that's capable of much more.
I'm surprised how many people are interested
I bought one yesterday and already have it rooted. Additionally, I have ADW Launcher, all of my favorite apps/games, DroidX keyboard, etc. I agree that this is easily one of the best values in the tablet segment. I'm really eager to see Android 2.2/2.3 though.
I got my Nook last week and use it quite a bit. I too agree it is the best tablet around, especially when you consider the price point. I'm using it now even with tapatalk. Most of my friends are probably tired if hearing me extol its virtues. Once Froyo or Gingerbread hits, along with bluetooth (if possible) this thing will be even more awesome.
Sent from my LogicPD Zoom2 using Tapatalk
Got one for my wife last week, rooted it right away and we both think it's great. It's the only tablet in the house and I'm using it more than she and considering buying another NC just for myself.
Perhaps I should just be patient with Honeycomb (supposedly) coming out early 2011, along with new devices designed specifically for a more tablet friendly OS. Does anyone question whether NC will be able to run Honeycomb?
kaiser_va said:
Got one for my wife last week, rooted it right away and we both think it's great. It's the only tablet in the house and I'm using it more than she and considering buying another NC just for myself.
Perhaps I should just be patient with Honeycomb (supposedly) coming out early 2011, along with new devices designed specifically for a more tablet friendly OS. Does anyone question whether NC will be able to run Honeycomb?
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The answer to honeycomb relies on two things (the way i see it):
1) We must be able to boot custom roms. From what i gather, alot of progress is being made there already, so i doubt that will be too much of an issue. If we can get a recovery option, and be able to do nandroid backups, it would be even safer.
2) The hardware must meet HC's specs. This is the real question mark - what kind of hardware will HC actually need? As it is, our tablets really aren't lacking in the hardware department, and a custom overclocked/undervolted kernel should really help (speed boost to 1.0-1.2). As it is, our A8 CPU and SGX530 GPU are no slouch (though yes, our GPU is weaker than top end gear), and the 512MB ram should really help performance. Again, it comes down to what custom kernels and roms can be cooked up for our hardware..
B&N Clerk Talked About Hacking It
jtreminio said:
Looks like B&N understand that they have something much bigger than an ereader.
I, for one, had not been interested in this device until I saw the posts here about it being rooted and being able to install other programs on it. I went out and bought it last night and will hold on to it until an easier root method is published.
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Hi,
I got one yesterday. Can’t open it until Christmas, since it’s my present from my wife. Anyway, when I bought it the clerk was talking about training. I told ther that the person that was getting it was very tech savvy. She said “They will get it home and hack it in about an hour. You know it can be hacked into a full tablet computer.”
This was from the cashier.
Best sub 300 tablet in the market right now
Its basically a 7 inch droid x
Hope we get aosp rom soon
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
what are the specks on the nook?
easy9 said:
what are the specks on the nook?
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Check the specs on the wiki page: http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=Nook_Color
Smooth...
I have been watching this ColorNook development since they announced it coming to market.
Bought one 5 days ago after autonook was finished. For $250 it beats the market tablets hands down. Tethered it wirelessly to my Droid and I was in business.
Glad I made the leap. Rotting took less than an hour. Great job guys.
Thanks
The nook color is an awesome little device! I chose it over the galaxy tab, (it was way too expensive, & i didn't want another two year contract with sprint). It's crazy how much people on craigslist are charging for a tab, they get up to $600!, no thank you, i'm happy with my autonootered/rooted nook, & it didn't cost me an arm and a leg I recommend you guys pick one up, it's only gonna' get better.

Acer A100 or NT?

I am trying to decide on one 7" tablet. The Acer A100 is a full fledged HC tablet, but has horrible battery life and a screen with sub par viewing angles. The NT from what I have seen has a great screen, better battery life, but you lose the benefits of a full fledged tablet. I know we can side load apps, block OTA's, etc. Custom Roms are the biggest factor in making this decision, since the A100 has less development going on for it than the NT. I get my fix with my Nexus S 4G, so that takes care of that fix. I don't really want to spend more than $300 total.
As much as I like the NT, if you're looking for a full Android tablet experience, then you should go for the Acer.
billfold said:
... since the A100 has less development going on for it than the NT.
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Is that even possible? Something with less development than the NT? That must be a dog of a device if it is.
I have been doing some more research, and I don't think I can live with 4 hours of battery life. That is just horrendous for today's standards. I weighed my needs, what I actually would do on the device, and will be getting the NT. Custom ROMS are great, but they don't offer much to what I want to do. The most intensive game I may get for the NT would be dead space.
billfold said:
The most intensive game I may get for the NT would be dead space.
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If you can figure out HOW to get dead space, I'd be much obliged if you'd pass along the info.
Android Market and Amazon both say it's incompatible with the Nook.
Bummer.
I read somewhere in a post regarding militia market. I don't know if it is an illegal means of obtaining apk's, but it was just an example of the most intensive app I would more than likely use.
i did the same research but i end up taking the risk and get the NT, why? because as seen with the nook color its the only tablet apart of galaxy tab that has official cyanogenmod support as well as MIUI so that is just awesome, though i was thinking to get the nook color but 50 bucks more for double ram, mic and 1ghz dual core processor was worthy for me, now i bought when i didn't realized about the serious stand-by of development cause of the locked bootloader, now yesterday i just read a post of a user stating that he tried all possible ways to root the device that just got without success that means B&N did another of their tricks to not allow us to root the device, so now i think im screwed because its already being shipped from USA to equador. I didn't mind to wait for development of ROMs but this is too much, i just hope devs find a way, i'll wait 'till january if not i'll try to sell it and get the nook color or any other. Guess was too good to be true lol. Must be optimist but as i said is a risk, take it or not is up to you.
Veronica
Yeah, even the Acer has issues with dev, but Acer will be developing ICS for it. My only other option in the price range I am looking at is the KF. So, I may take the hit on hardware specs for development purposes.
i'm in a similar boat, own a Nexus S 4G and bought both a Nook Tablet for my wife and an A100 for myself.
Overall I prefer the A100. Viewing angle is honestly not as bad as reviews say, development is pretty non existant but HC now and ICS later is nice simply for having apps suited for a tablet, and Tegra is overall more gamer friendly.
Nook screen is great and I prefer the physical design, but you miss out on tablet oriented stuff like the persistant status bar and some stuff is just goofy due to the tablet not being meant for standard android use. I am however having a great time keeping an eye on adamoutler and the other guys trying to get past the bootloader.
@neonjam: Would you say that the battery life is comparable as well? Do you think the acer sync software is a hassle as well?
billfold said:
@neonjam: Would you say that the battery life is comparable as well? Do you think the acer sync software is a hassle as well?
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the battery on the A100 is only 3/4 the capacity of the NT, and I don't believe it's CPU/GPU is as power efficient as the NT's OMAP either. I don't own one so I don't know what the real-world result is though
I had the same dilemma. Went into Best Buy planning on getting the Tablet then saw the Acer there with stock Honeycomb on it for the same price. Went back and forth for a while but after playing with both it was clear the Tablet was just a much better product if you could get past the software limitations. Acer's rep as long as I can remember has always been to make cheap electronics, both in price and quality. Glad I got the tablet after all the great developers here who helped me to root it, block the OTA and get it set up to a non-B&N experience. Have been thoroughly impressed with the device for being only $250 with or without custom Roms or even Honeycomb.
lavero.burgos said:
i did the same research but i end up taking the risk and get the NT, why? because as seen with the nook color its the only tablet apart of galaxy tab that has official cyanogenmod support as well as MIUI so that is just awesome, though i was thinking to get the nook color but 50 bucks more for double ram, mic and 1ghz dual core processor was worthy for me, now i bought when i didn't realized about the serious stand-by of development cause of the locked bootloader, now yesterday i just read a post of a user stating that he tried all possible ways to root the device that just got without success that means B&N did another of their tricks to not allow us to root the device, so now i think im screwed because its already being shipped from USA to equador. I didn't mind to wait for development of ROMs but this is too much, i just hope devs find a way, i'll wait 'till january if not i'll try to sell it and get the nook color or any other. Guess was too good to be true lol. Must be optimist but as i said is a risk, take it or not is up to you.
Veronica
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can root the Tablet, but no custom roms yet due to the locked bootloader.

[Q] Anyone regret buying the Nook Tablet?

I have been using the NT for about a month and a half, and honestly I think I should have gotten something better.
It does have its problems such as the wifi connection drops a lot and I have to restart the tablet. This is not the fault of the devs, but of B&N. I don't understand why we should have to hack and find workarounds just to get the full use of the NT.
Does anyone else feel that they should have gotten a different tablet? Perhaps an actual tablet?
I am considering selling the NT. I don't think I would have had the amount of issues with an actual tablet and one that is not so locked down.
Although I'm really satisfied with the capabilities of even just a regular root, the only time I've regretted buying an NT was when I heard Asus was coming out with a new 7 inch tablet later this year. That makes me want to sell this thing instantly, haha.
To be honest with you i bought my NT as a stop gap between selling my iPad2 and waiting for the iPad3.. with the intent to sell this once i picked up the new iPad..
and for the first week or two i did regret buying it but then.. Considering what i use it for
1.Watch movies (netflix, hulu, and divx on the SD card),
2 Browse the internet and 3. Actually read a book or two.. it's actually perfect for all that.
Used the SD card method to root (Thanks Albert) and then side loaded all the apps that i needed. Never had Wifi or reboot issues, the screen is actually brighter and clearer than the iPad 2 i had and the battery life is above average for a 7 inch
I will be holding on to this for a while.. and i think once they perfect the other rom's and get the bluetooth working it's actually a keeper.. especially if ICS gets ported.
But as always you have to ask yourself does it do what i need?.. the only reason to get a different tablet would be if you needed GPS, Camera's, bigger screen, 3G, a different app store, video out etc....
if none of that is the reason.. then whatever tablet you buy will fill you with the same... should i have really bought this feeling..
I am comparing the NT with the $199 refurbished 16Gb HTC Flyer. I find that I miss CM7 on the Flyer... and the Flyer somehow seems harder to hold. I guess I got used to both CM7 and the bezel on the Nook Color and now the Nook Tablet. I haven't decided which I will keep yet, but I am leaning towards keeping the NT.
Heck no ... I've had 250.00 dollars worth of hacking fun with mine I have a feeling there is a lot more coming. Just wish I knew how to code to help out
Basically it boils down to what you want to do with it. Technically, you bought an e-reader. If you wanted more, you should have bought more. Myself personally, I came to XDA before I made up my mind between various tablets. I settled on the NT because I could see there was a bright future for it. The hardware bugs will be worked out eventually. Blame B&N for the hold-ups thus far. Give it a while. If you sell now, in 6 months, you will regret buying something else and will be looking to get another NT.
Understandably, there are limitations to this device. It's half the price of an iPad. You don't get any of the fancy things like GPS, 3G/LTE, camera, etc. But it is a great tablet for the money.
I bought this because my cheap e-reader broke. It was mainly to read with. That said, since I bought it 2 months ago, I haven't read more than a page of a book!
I've had tons of fun putting Android on, customizing it, and getting it how I like it. I'll be 10 times happier when a fully functional port of ICS is released for it. Netflix and videos look amazing on its screen, indisputably better than the supposedly identical screen on the Kindle Fire (just read ANY review).
I've never had an issue with the WIFI dropping or restarting. There are a few issues that the great devs and contributors here have helped me to conquer.
There are still a couple things I'd like to see get done to this device though, other than the glorious port of ICS. I'd love to be able to use ALL of the 16 GB of data on board. That was one top reason I chose it over the Fire, but I'm confident the great people here will solve that in time. Another is that, despite there not being onboard GPS, I'd still like location-based tools to work, like they do on any other WIFI device like my phone.
Other than that, I'm really happy with what I bought. I may not use it for what I initially intended, but hey, who has time to read when you're busy installing your favourite apps, customizing widgets, and making your home page perfect?
And on the issue of buyer's regret, when it comes to tablets and smartphones, there will ALWAYS be something better within 3-6 months!
You can use your 16Gb, just repartition it, it is very easy.
My only regret so far is that I got the 8gb NT. It is actually my father-in-law's device, but I told him I would configure it to have better access to the Android market. I had read several posts about rooting and installing Go launcher (or equivalent) and was excited to do this. For the time being at least, it doesn't look like this is an option, and the 512k RAM looks to be an issue. I may try to convince him to return it and get the 16GB version. Since it's not mine, I guess I need to let him see if he is happy with it, but I'm chomping at the bit to put some of the great work from this forum to good use on his system!
Maybe I will have to just get my own. I have been talking about getting some kind of tablet with my wife, and will likely get something in the next couple months. Since I am used to a smartphone, it's hard not being able to install any app that I am familiar with, and I will likely go for something with more features.
As others have said, it's all about what you actually need/expect. And there will always be times when you second-guess what you do purchase... Buyer's remorse is just part of being human, IMO!
arclite00 said:
I have been using the NT for about a month and a half, and honestly I think I should have gotten something better.
It does have its problems such as the wifi connection drops a lot and I have to restart the tablet. This is not the fault of the devs, but of B&N. I don't understand why we should have to hack and find workarounds just to get the full use of the NT.
Does anyone else feel that they should have gotten a different tablet? Perhaps an actual tablet?
I am considering selling the NT. I don't think I would have had the amount of issues with an actual tablet and one that is not so locked down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I was able to get my Nook Tablet much more easily than a Kindle Fire because my University has a deal with Barnes & Noble; my school bookstore is basically a small B&N store full of textbooks. If I had the choice, I would have chosen the Kindle Fire, but I still like my Nook Tablet, especially now that CM7 is running on it.
I don't regret it, but let me say - I never liked my device hacks to be easy! Sounds masochistic, yes, but I've always enjoyed installing custom firmware on stuff that, until some hackers got a hold of it, was never able to run anything other than what the manufacturers intended. I'm talking about Wii, PSP, PDAs, etc.
If you think development for the Nook Tab is rough, think about how slow and brutal it was getting the PSP to run custom software. I suffered at least one electrocution modding the thing's battery because I didn't have much experience with moving pins on a chipset. It was worth it to get homebrew stuff running on there though.
My point is, while the Kindle Fire owners do have it a lot easier than us, I enjoy witnessing the development process first-hand; it's oddly satisfying. I understand some people around these forums are only here because they wanted a cheap CyanogenMod 7 Tablet and want to see the Nook Tablet become that - but I'll be lurking around here long after the Nook Tablet devs reach their goals because I'm fascinated by hacking and modifying devices.
cyberma007 said:
You can use your 16Gb, just repartition it, it is very easy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just realized that after my post. Haven't checked the posts here lately. It seems a little complicated for a noob like me. Plus, don't I have to install CM7 also to do it?
No you don't need to run CM7 to repartition, I am noob as well, it is very easy, it just looks hard.
Just follow this post
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=22157605&postcount=25
Partition 10 is where you would put you own data
Partition 11 is where all apps go, when you install them.
on mine i did half half because a lot of games are pretty big and need space, but you can change it to you own need.
just do the commands in bold black, the rest that you see is what your nook outputs.
Update after using the HTC Flyer for a bit more. I think I will sell my 2 Nook Tablets and keep the HTC Flyers. At $199 they just offer so much more.... GPS, front and back cameras, working bluetooth, working skype, dual speakers that are loud, HDMI out via MHL (adapter on the way). The built-in 16gb is partitioned so there is 8+ GB for media stuff. And for my almost 7 year old, he loves that Talking Tomcat and Talking Ben work, and Galaxy on Fire 2 runs fast on the Flyer as well since there is a native adreno version. It is only single core but runs at 1.5ghz and has 1gb ram so it feels as fast at the NT if not faster in some cases. The Adreno 205 gpu is not rated quite as good as the Powervr SGX540 but seems to be well supported for gaming. Not to say that there are not some annoyances with the Flyer. I can't seem to turn off the lock screen. There is no CM7 though there are custom roms for both Gingerbread and Honeycomb for the Flyer (need to root and unlock the device first). And I need to find better cases for them. Anyway I think the refurbished HTC Flyer is a keeper at $199 from buy.com And of course I can read on them with Moon+ Reader Pro, Kindle App, Nook App, etc.
re
So far no regrets. Just installed cm7 and happy.
Plus I only paid $175 for my 16gb tablet on Craigslist.
Hopefully cm9 makes it's way to the tablet.
My only regrets are the possibility of what the Asus tablet might offer and that the NT can be had for $175 now. Those aren't really fair reasons though since there will always be price drops and always be new options if you wait. I wanted it for Christmas and it's been everything I expected. I'm rooted at 1.4.0, zero WiFi issues and it's never rebooted (I did have a frozen screen once). I plan on staying on this platform until the fine developers on this forum give me the option of ICS for my NT!
I have no regrets at all. It let me do everything I really cared about right out of the box for a price I didn't mind paying. Any additional functionality after ebooks, videos, music and some light web browsing is just so much gravy as far as I'm concerned.
I love it, but primarily because I bought into the B&N ecosystem years ago (I have about 400 books and magazine subscriptions). It's much more pleasant to read on the NT than it is on my iPad, due to weight and size. Movies are great, except for the below-average speaker. I don't surf the Internet on my NT; if I have to do it mobile, I prefer to leave that to my phone since I can do it one-handed. My only qualms:
1. There needs to be an Economist magazine app, built for the Nook. You can't install the one from Android Market, even after rooting.
2. The speaker, as mentioned above.
3. The little hook in the bottom corner is kinda annoying. Yes, I know it makes the design unique, but it gets in the way. It also makes accessing the MicroSD card a pain.
4. At $250, GPS would've been nice. Not that I expect to carry it around for turn-by-turn, but I'd like to access the map and Yelp for places to eat while in my hotel room.
I don't regret getting the NT16 at all. But then again my uses for the device are:
1. Reading. I read a LOT.
2. Playing games
3. Surfing the internet
4. Study device (read pdfs/powerpoints/word docs for school)
I also have music and movies stored on the device for the day when I need to entertain myself outside reading/games and off a wifi network. It's small and light enough to carry at all times in my purse or backpack and zippy enough to do what I need it to do.
Once CM9 is released I'll have to debate a lot on whether or not I want to keep my simple root with the BN eReader or upgrade to ICS for full tablet capabilities (like all those excellent note taking apps compatible with Honeycomb/ICS)
No regrets at all.
Initially when it appeared that B&N was going to hound us endlessly trying to disable root and return everyone's NT to 'jail', I was a bit resentful. I still don't recommend the NT to others because I don't trust them.
But I should have known the dimbulbs in B&N management are no match for the talented devs here. I've got no worries that my device can be ruined with an underhanded update- and I haven't done much of anything to secure it since I first rooted it back in December or so. (Still running rooted 1.4.0 with no problems). The fact that it can now run CM7 (which I haven't tried yet) is just icing on the cake. I'm guessing I'll love it even more once I get around to trying that.
The tablet does everything I need it to and more, and was a good deal for the price.
Next tablet I own probably won't be a locked device, but as for the NT itself, no regrets. That's 100% thanks to the devs here.

[Q] Will the Kindle HDX eventually get a stable custom ROM?

I'm using a nexus 7 (2012) at the moment and am looking for an upgrade.
The things that annoy me about the nexus are the speed (very slow/laggy at times), and the screen size, which i feel is juts a little bit low.
i've been looking at the LG G Pad and the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9, which seems like a very nice unit.
however, i have a lot of purchases in the Play store and i really like cyanogen/aokp etc..
so my question is, what do you think the chances are that in a month or 2 there will be a handful of stable custom ROMs for the HDX that will let me essentially run vanilla android on it without having to sacrifice disk space to having the stock OS installed 'as well'.
any one care to venture a guess? also, are there any other weirdnesses (besides the Fire OS) to the kindle that i might want to consider over the GPE LG G Pad?
henrypootel said:
I'm using a nexus 7 (2012) at the moment and am looking for an upgrade.
The things that annoy me about the nexus are the speed (very slow/laggy at times), and the screen size, which i feel is juts a little bit low.
i've been looking at the LG G Pad and the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9, which seems like a very nice unit.
however, i have a lot of purchases in the Play store and i really like cyanogen/aokp etc..
so my question is, what do you think the chances are that in a month or 2 there will be a handful of stable custom ROMs for the HDX that will let me essentially run vanilla android on it without having to sacrifice disk space to having the stock OS installed 'as well'.
any one care to venture a guess? also, are there any other weirdnesses (besides the Fire OS) to the kindle that i might want to consider over the GPE LG G Pad?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I believed that it is only a matter of time (at most 2 months, but don't hold me on this) we already have a semi stable Asop ROM, and multiple people have commented in that thread talking about releasing their ROMs in the rear furture. I am using the gapps update 1 ROM and it is practically stock, even with stock settings, keyboard, launcher ect. The only thing in don't like is kindle navbar, and status bar. But people are already talking about bringing this to the stock rom, also there is a xposed framework module for our device which will bring a lot of options In the future (Google exposed framework and what is for more info on that). So yes I would recomend this device also, if you care about amazon services there is a flashable zip that allows you to have google apps(gapps) and amazon services(I have not tested this, but I'm sure it works)
It also seems that the 7 inch has some more development at the moment but I think the 8.9 will have more in the future
Hope this helps, like if it did!
Thanks! that's very helpful.
I just found out one thing that makes me lean much more over to the G Pad side of the decision - it has an SD card slot! That trumps the snapdragon 800 for me...
henrypootel said:
Thanks! that's very helpful.
I just found out one thing that makes me lean much more over to the G Pad side of the decision - it has an SD card slot! That trumps the snapdragon 800 for me...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you want to still have storage
get the the kindle for its price and then go to hypershop.com and spend $100 and get a iusbport it allows you to use any storage (thumb drives hard drive sdcards old ipods ect.) as a usb storage that you can access by wifi
then you are not stuck with sd only u will have more options
I myself use them with the thor os as a secondary operating system and besides the system settings being kindle I don't notice a difference I can access all my google play with out any problems
p.s the iusbport can be accessed with just about any device via the web
I use es file explorer with it set as a ftp server on all my androids and Iusbport has a app on apple for theres that I use
best video players ive found for them bsplayer (android) goodplayer (ipad) moliplay (both) based on video formate experences my vary but other apps tend to pick up the format slack
henrypootel said:
I'm using a nexus 7 (2012) at the moment and am looking for an upgrade.
The things that annoy me about the nexus are the speed (very slow/laggy at times), and the screen size, which i feel is juts a little bit low.
i've been looking at the LG G Pad and the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9, which seems like a very nice unit.
however, i have a lot of purchases in the Play store and i really like cyanogen/aokp etc..
so my question is, what do you think the chances are that in a month or 2 there will be a handful of stable custom ROMs for the HDX that will let me essentially run vanilla android on it without having to sacrifice disk space to having the stock OS installed 'as well'.
any one care to venture a guess? also, are there any other weirdnesses (besides the Fire OS) to the kindle that i might want to consider over the GPE LG G Pad?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go with the GPad, A stable rom may come, but kernels won't be for some time. Actually, I would wait to see what March & the MWC brings. The HDX is nice & does everything I want, but the Nexus 7 (2013) is my mod/dev toy. A few custom roms may even come, but development in a device like the HDX, which is based on an inferior fork of Android, will never garner as much community support as a developer device, regardless of how wonderful the hardware may be. So, the HDX a a choice of 2 to a half dozen, the GPad & the choice of maybe a dozen or two, or the Nexus 7 (2013) & hundreds of choices. Personally, I considered adding the GPad, but I really am impressed with the SD800/Adreno 330 & have also played with a SD805/Adreno 420 dev board & it is the beast. So, I am waiting to seee what March/April brings before deciding what toy to add to the collection. If you must have something NOW, well the 7" HDX is cheap, but the newest Nexus 7 has a ton more possibilities for little more, especially if you watch for deals or turn to Swappa.
Thanks for all the help eveyone!
I've gone with the gpad and, after using it for a few hours now, i love it! seems so much faster than my Note2, and blows the old nexus 7 out of the water!

Should i buy one?

Afternoon folks.
I'm currently on the fence with the N9, and I may have an opportunity to buy a brand new 16GB for only £130-ish.
However, even at that price I'm not willing to forgive the many sins I'm reading about on here, light bleed, getting extremely hot and not being able to have more than 1 Chrome tab open are deal breakers for me.
I know these problems exist but, to my surprise, this doesn't seem to be a very popular forum compared to the N7 (2013) which is my current tablet (was the N9 a bit of a flop or do people just not develop for it on here??) and I wanted to check if there have been any kind of hardware revisions or software improvements that have made the N9 a great device to use, as it should have been from day one.
So yea, even now a year later, are these problems I'm reading about on here widespread?? If not is there a light at the end of the tunnel or should I just avoid?
Thanks
djbenny1 said:
However, even at that price I'm not willing to forgive the many sins I'm reading about on here, light bleed, getting extremely hot and not being able to have more than 1 Chrome tab open are deal breakers for me.
I know these problems exist but, to my surprise, this doesn't seem to be a very popular forum compared to the N7 (2013) which is my current tablet (was the N9 a bit of a flop or do people just not develop for it on here??) and I wanted to check if there have been any kind of hardware revisions or software improvements that have made the N9 a great device to use, as it should have been from day one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't believe there have been any hardware improvements.
You might want to check this thread and this thread as well and read about various folks' experiences. You might also wait a few weeks and check back after Android 6 is rolled out (though I think the consensus among folks running the previews is that it is not much different).
I think the bottom line is that some people are very happy with the N9 and others are very unhappy with it. Some issues, the chrome tab one in particular, seem universal unless you modify your device. Others, like overheating and light bleed, appear to be either luck of the draw or situation-dependent. (I have had neither of those problems -- I had overheating due to a misbehaving app but the app was updated and I never had the issue again.)
djbenny1 said:
However, even at that price I'm not willing to forgive the many sins I'm reading about on here, light bleed, getting extremely hot and not being able to have more than 1 Chrome tab open are deal breakers for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Obviously everyone has a different experience but I would just like to share that my N9 was perfectly fine. No light bleed issues, doesn't get extremely hot (although it does warm a little after heavy usage but I wouldn't call it "hot") and I frequently have multiple Chrome tabs open (in fact I haven't even heard of this issue until now). So I don't doubt some people are having these issues, but I don't think they are as common as you may think because people without problems generally don't say anything.
djbenny1 said:
I know these problems exist but, to my surprise, this doesn't seem to be a very popular forum compared to the N7 (2013) which is my current tablet (was the N9 a bit of a flop or do people just not develop for it on here??) and I wanted to check if there have been any kind of hardware revisions or software improvements that have made the N9 a great device to use, as it should have been from day one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't speak about the difference in popularity of the forums but rooting and flashing roms was fun when I got my first Android device but now I'm happy to have something that "just works" so I don't frequent the forums as much. I don't believe there has been any revisions that changed the hardware.
In the end, I like my N9 but it is obsolete now.
woshiweili said:
Obviously everyone has a different experience but I would just like to share that my N9 was perfectly fine. No light bleed issues, doesn't get extremely hot (although it does warm a little after heavy usage but I wouldn't call it "hot") and I frequently have multiple Chrome tabs open (in fact I haven't even heard of this issue until now). So I don't doubt some people are having these issues, but I don't think they are as common as you may think because people without problems generally don't say anything.
I can't speak about the difference in popularity of the forums but rooting and flashing roms was fun when I got my first Android device but now I'm happy to have something that "just works" so I don't frequent the forums as much. I don't believe there has been any revisions that changed the hardware.
In the end, I like my N9 but it is obsolete now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Obsolete?
What would you say is better? When I checked the other day it was 4th in the list of highest benchmarking android devices.
If you can wait one or two more months, and the price of a new tablet is OK for you, then you might want to wait and see how the Pixel C is doing in the tests.
djbenny1 said:
Obsolete?
What would you say is better? When I checked the other day it was 4th in the list of highest benchmarking android devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google just announced Pixel C three days ago. While it may not be an obvious successor to Nexus 9 (perhaps the last Nexus tablet?), it is the most current tablet from Google. Nexus 9 has also been out for about a year, the same amount of time the two previous Nexus tablets were released before they were replaced.
djbenny1 said:
Afternoon folks.
I'm currently on the fence with the N9, and I may have an opportunity to buy a brand new 16GB for only £130-ish.
However, even at that price I'm not willing to forgive the many sins I'm reading about on here, light bleed, getting extremely hot and not being able to have more than 1 Chrome tab open are deal breakers for me.
I know these problems exist but, to my surprise, this doesn't seem to be a very popular forum compared to the N7 (2013) which is my current tablet (was the N9 a bit of a flop or do people just not develop for it on here??) and I wanted to check if there have been any kind of hardware revisions or software improvements that have made the N9 a great device to use, as it should have been from day one.
So yea, even now a year later, are these problems I'm reading about on here widespread?? If not is there a light at the end of the tunnel or should I just avoid?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, djbenny1...
I've generally avoided answering such questions in the past, partially because the answer is going to be hugely subjective, and partially because it also depends on what your expectations of the device are. If you plan on playing lots of graphic, GPU intensive, high octane video games on it, I would be inclined to look elsewhere for another device.
And it also depends on what you're prepared to pay for it...
At £130 this represents a significant reduction in price, from the original £319 (for the 16Gb model) and £399 (for the 32Gb model) price points, when the Nexus 9 was announced in the Autumn of last year (2014). A quick Google search reveals that the 16Gb model currently retails for around £250, give or take a few quid.
Leaving aside the dull, uninspiring appearance of the Nexus 9, and the reported hardware problems - the flexi-back, the lightbleed issues, (I never had those issues with my Nexus 9, and I've no idea if HTC made changes to the production process to remedy these problems.), but I would be surprised if they haven't, given how widespread those reports where.
...but leaving aside those issues, the problem with the Nexus 9, IMHO, is it tried to do too many things, too quickly...
-----
** Implement the new Android RunTime (ART), replacing the old Dalvik runtime, as part of Lollipop. (And compounded further by a memory leak in the initial release version of Lollipop).
** Along with the Nexus 6 smartphone, it was one of the first devices to run Android on a 64bit platform.
** Run Android encrypted (ie, the data partition) by default. Seamless, on-the-fly, encryption, surely has to have some resource penalty (CPU cycles, etc.), resulting in impaired performance - (See my comments later about encryption.)
-----
All of these elements introduce a multiplicity of 'difficult-to-quantify' variables, whose aggregated deficits cannot be easily foreseen. And introduced together, on one device, and at the same time, seems to me to have been not the best idea from Google. There's certainly no doubting Googles audacity with the Nexus 9, introducing these features, but they did too much, too quickly.
I don't pretend to be either a software or a hardware expert, but everything I know about designing new devices and developing software, suggests that a slower process of design, implementation, testing, and feedback is better in the long run. A slower process of iteration...
...rolling out a new feature on a new device - see how it works in the real world. And then later, add-in a second feature, and see how that works out. Maybe wait for the next device release, before adding in a third feature, and so on and so forth. To quote the old aphorism, "Rome wasn't built in a Day", so why did Google attempt to (metaphorically) do so with the Nexus 9 ??
-----
For my own part, I'm pretty happy with my Nexus 9 .
I'm currently running it with the 3rd Android M developer preview installed, it's rooted, and as a requirement of acquiring root, it's also unencrypted.
And running it without encryption, made a **BIG** difference to my Nexus 9. See my post here from June of this year, and the benchmark results I obtained with AnTuTu as a result of decrypting it.
With regard to the oft reported problem of Chrome reloading tabs... yes, it does do this, but I can't say this is a major problem for me.
I've spent the past few hours drafting and submitting posts on XDA, preparing and sending several emails via MailDroid, and all the while, frequently dipping in and out of Chrome to do some fact checking, and with something like around 20 tabs open. Yes, they do reload (but not every time), but it takes no more than a few seconds. Maybe again, this has something to do with my device not being encrypted. I should also add here, I tend to run Greenify rather aggressively (as I do on all my Android devices), hibernating all the apps I have installed that I can realistically get away with. Obviously I don't hibernate things like widgets, or apps which set alarms, or depend on push notifications... but this leaves more RAM for the 3 or 4 apps I do use on a frequent basis.
-----
So... My Nexus 9 does what I need it to do, which is primarily web browsing via Chrome, email via MailDroid, and posting here on XDA, via a combination of the XDA Premium 4 app and Chrome.
I'm not a big video game player, but I've been known to occasionally indulge in a game of chess, with Shredder Chess, or a game of Sudoku with Andoku 2. The most graphics intensive games I play on it are Temple Run: Oz and Subway Surfers. Both games run without problem. And I can't say my Nexus 9 gets particularly hot... A little warm, yes... but hot - no.
-----
So, should you buy one for £130...??
I would say, if you're prepared to tinker with it a little (Unlock the bootloader, flash ElementalX kernel for decryption purposes), then I think there are worse ways of spending £130.
Another way of looking at it is, what alternative devices are available for £130? What specifications do they have? RAM, CPU, version of Android? Likelihood of further updates to Android? If you want to tinker with it, how easy or difficult is to root or unlock the bootloader?
Would I buy one today for £130?
Yes, I would (if I didn't already have one).
The benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing - a phrase often used with negative connotations, but I use it here positively. Knowing what I know about it now, and having had it for nearly a year, and how to get the best out of it, I would have no hesitation about buying one for that kind of money... .
-----
Right, I can't think of anything else to add. Which is probably a good thing... I've rambled on far too long as it is .
I don't know if I've clarified a few things for you or muddied the waters further. I hope it's the former .
Anyway, good luck, with whatever you decide.
Kind Rgrds,
Ged.
I was sitting on the fence on whether or not to get the N9 what tipped my hand into buying one was Argos dropping the price down to £179 and I'm very please with it so far. I've got slight screen bleed at the top but this is only noticeble on dark screens.
jonchill said:
I was sitting on the fence on whether or not to get the N9 what tipped my hand into buying one was Argos dropping the price down to £179 and I'm very please with it so far. I've got slight screen bleed at the top but this is only noticeble on dark screens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the Argos price was too tempting for me also.
I also have a touch of lightbleed which I wouldn't put up with if I'd paid £300. Compared to the Nexus 7 (2013) I think the screen isn't quite as good. The black levels aren't as low but the screen can go a touch brighter.
When you get over the screen however, the speed and small things like always on google now, (even when the screen isn't,) make the tablet worth it.
At £179 I'm happy, at £300 I wouldn't be, at £130, I'd deffo take the chance.

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