Help Kindle Fire Won

ardchoille · Nov 14, 2011

Just thought everyone should be aware of this:

Kindle Fire Won

laslen · Nov 14, 2011

This is another reason why I believe rooting/sideloading won't be as easy as people are assuming. In fact, it most likely will not be possible.

Amazon has rigid control over this device. It's not entirely their fault, but they have to in order to ensure it pays for itself. And to present an environment that appears to be as stable and secure as Apple's iOS.

The Fire is paid for by ads and end-user datamining. No, it is not $200 because they put cheap parts in it. Quite the contrary. They will not allow people to install their own OS, and potentially work around Amazon's only way of profiting from this tablet.

ardchoille · Nov 14, 2011

laslen said:
This is another reason why I believe rooting/sideloading won't be as easy as people are assuming. In fact, it most likely will not be possible.

Amazon has rigid control over this device. It's not entirely their fault, but they have to in order to ensure it pays for itself. And to present an environment that appears to be as stable and secure as Apple's iOS.

The Fire is paid for by ads and end-user datamining. No, it is not $200 because they put cheap parts in it. Quite the contrary. They will not allow people to install their own OS, and potentially work around Amazon's only way of profiting from this tablet.

Yeah and I bet one of the reasons for "crippling" the API was to prevent root. I'd also be willing to bet that it will have a locked/encrypted boot loader. Judging by what I've heard thus far I won't bother with this device.

A.Nonymous · Nov 14, 2011

They crippled the API to improve performance. If you don't need things like GPS, BT and location services you can rip out the APIs that use them. Ripping them out gives you better performance.

omgwtfmason · Nov 14, 2011

A.Nonymous said:
They crippled the API to improve performance. If you don't need things like GPS, BT and location services you can rip out the APIs that use them. Ripping them out gives you better performance.

I didn't even think of that, that's interesting. I just keep seeing people say that they removed some APIs, but if it doesn't use them, why include them? Especially if it'll improve the performance of the device.

lynyrd65 · Nov 14, 2011

With great power comes great CM9.

Ngo93 · Nov 14, 2011

Hopefully cyanogen gets to work on this tablet soon! I'd love to use CM9 over the heavily modified interface they have on it now.

A.Nonymous · Nov 14, 2011

omgwtfmason said:
I didn't even think of that, that's interesting. I just keep seeing people say that they removed some APIs, but if it doesn't use them, why include them? Especially if it'll improve the performance of the device.

Yup. There's no BT, so why include the BT stack? Then you can cut out all the APIs that would call the BT stack or monitor it. No GPS or location services so you cut out all of that and all the APIs that monitor those things. You go down the line and do the same with all the APIs you don't use. You get a stripped down machine, but better performance, therefore you can put your OS on cheaper hardware and it still runs well.

DaWeav · Nov 14, 2011

For various members of my family, as long as it runs Pandora, that's all they need.

pctec100 · Nov 14, 2011

Amazon is providing a lot of value for the price with the Fire. It's primarily designed for delivering media. If you want something you can run whatever you want on then spend a little extra and get a Xoom or other tablet that has been on the market long enough for the price to come down.

NightAngel79 · Nov 14, 2011

IMO it at least needs to run everything in teh amazon app store, while that wont completely satisfy me cause of what will still be left out it will help since A Appstore is doing well for it self these days

theRamenNoodle · Nov 14, 2011

But will it run all the apps on the Amazon Appstore? I understand the wall-garden concept. But it would be terrible if Amazon had to either segregate Fire-friendly (flammable?)apps into a sub-store of the tablet options in the Appstore. Even worse would be if Amazon cut all tablet apps that aren't Fire-friendly.

NightAngel79 · Nov 14, 2011

Really hope to see MOST of the apps in there 'flammable' LOL

maric · Nov 14, 2011

They set the bar a lot lower by dropping a lot of the sensors and the related APIs. They also retain a lot more control. Honestly, it feels like the fact that the Fire is Android is.... incidental. It's all about shortcutting their way to replicating Apple's walled garden, since they already have the media and the distribution network. Amazon is in a position to deploy heavily cloud based apps themselves (can't wait to see Silk), and for most of the core functionality, it sounds like they're planning on building and deploying them themselves.

PalmPilot · Nov 14, 2011

Yea...saw that the other day...I'm curious to see how this one pans out.

Dante sparda · Nov 30, 2012

I tried and side loaded Go Launcher Ex. It is at my 3rd party installed apps but not at my apps list on the device.
And I can't turn the amazon keyboard off in order to get Swiftkey running. Any ideas?

Drogyn · Nov 30, 2012

Yeah root it.

The fire will not let you use anything other than their keyboard other than by doing that.
Believe me, I have tried.

MizzouBrent · Dec 26, 2012

Drogyn said:
Yeah root it.

The fire will not let you use anything other than their keyboard other than by doing that.
Believe me, I have tried.

It's too bad the newer Fire's aren't more root friendly. The OG Fire is a pretty decent low end machine once it's rooted. The N7 is so cheap though that if you truly want a tablet, I don't know why someone wouldn't just buy the N7 instead.

dalesponyrider · Feb 11, 2013

My fire is rooted and I still can't install Swiftkey! Can anyone help?

Drogyn · Feb 11, 2013

Are you running the standard Amazon OS?

If so try this trick, doesn't require root but might help.
Use a third party keyboard with a (rooted) Amazon Kindle Fire - Liliputing

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