Why get a full tablet instead of Kindle Fire? This is why

ThraxThrax 🐌Austin, TX Icrontian
edited November 2011 in Science & Tech
The Kindle Fire is likely to be the device to get for hacking a full install of Android onto, but that's not for everyone. Some people just want a device that works out of the box, and they never want to dig into it beyond that.

I have said time and time again that this device is more of an "appliance" or "curated device" than it is a tablet. You can do what Amazon says you can do, but no more. And by no more, I really mean that:
Turns out that Amazon has turned off many APIs that are available on other Android devices, so many Android apps won't run on the Amazon Kindle Fire.

When people talk about "fragmentation" this is what they mean.

Like the Nook, which had limited resources--whether through hardware or software--to run all Android applications, the Kindle Fire is no different. You will have access to the Amazon app store, not the Android market, and the significantly smaller library of apps that represents. Even if you had the capability to somehow sideload applications from SD, there's no telling if they will run.

The Kindle Fire is not a real tablet.

Comments

  • MiracleManSMiracleManS Chambersburg, PA Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    Thrax wrote:
    The Kindle Fire is likely to be the device to get for hacking a full install of Android onto, but that's not for everyone. Some people just want a device that works out of the box, and they never want to dig into it beyond that.

    What about those of us that DO like to tinker and dig into things? The hardware specs appear pretty good and if the hacking community is doing well, is this going to impact them? I wouldn't think so. I see this being a great enthusiast tablet for a great price point and I'm a fan of that.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    The only Amazon decision that might impact the dev community: no microSD slot.
  • MiracleManSMiracleManS Chambersburg, PA Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    Thrax wrote:
    The only Amazon decision that might impact the dev community: no microSD slot.

    Having seen the new Nook Tablet I'm torn. It looks like it's going to be a revved up Nook Color. $200 is a wonderful price point. $250 puts it squarely in the "Is it worth the extra money?" slot.

    No USB but additional storage capacity to add-on with? That's a big selling point, especially for the dev community.

    Your thoughts?
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    I've never understood or cared for the "OMG NO MICROSD" argument, because it's a tired one only repeated by people who are obsessed with taking an entire month of music or 25 HD movies on the go with them--a pointless exercise, truly.

    But from a developer perspective, not having a microSD card does present some additional challenges. I don't think the Nook Color is worth the extra cash, though, because the 512MB of additional RAM may not mean all that much, and the Nook is an otherwise relatively ugly device compared to the Fire.
  • jaredjared College Station, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    I agree - I'm really hoping to get a Fire in the not to distant future once it's been rooted and I can ditch the gimp amazon android fork. At least here's to hoping :)
  • ardichokeardichoke Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    As the founding member of the omgnosdcard bandwagon, I don't like the idea that, if the device dies, I lose anything stored on it. I want the SD card so I can easily move data from one device to another and can salvage my data easily if the device shits the bed.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    Backups!
  • ardichokeardichoke Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    Backups to what? Helluva lot easier to backup to your sdcard than anything else. Helluva lot easier to restore from the sdcard as well.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    Backups to your PC. Your mobile device shouldn't be the only place you store your important information, just like a single hard drive shouldn't be the only location of your valued data.

    A USB cable and mass storage mode is not that much harder.
  • ardichokeardichoke Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    How often do you actually hook your tablet/phone to your computer? These devices are (according to the tech pundits) supposed to be replacing the desktop PC.

    Yes, you should back up to somewhere off-device, but it's still a lot easier to do a scheduled backup to the SDCard then copy those backups to your computer when you get around to plugging in AND it makes it much more likely for the average person who isn't anal-retentive about backups to do it because you know damn well that if it's not automated most people won't do it.

    EDIT: Further, I'm not sure why you're even arguing with me... I'm not saying that EVERYONE should want an sdcard slot. I'm just saying there's a valid reason to want one thankyouverymuch. Brah.
  • SnarkasmSnarkasm Madison, WI Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    There's wifi backup too, fwiw. I'm sure there are other solutions, that was just the first Google hit. Dropbox is also your friend.

    (I don't have a dog in this fight, just offering another option for those who might see it.)
  • jaredjared College Station, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    Hopefully the Nook Tablet will be as easy to toy with as the Nook Color.

    Looks pretty promising on specs - http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/nook-tablet-vs-kindle-fire-how-the-specs-compare-2011117/

    Decisions, decisions :D

    Edit: here is the ipad2 in the mix http://www.geek.com/articles/mobile/ipad-2-vs-kindle-fire-vs-nook-tablet-specs-showdown-20111114/
  • Cliff_ForsterCliff_Forster Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    If all your content is on the cloud?
  • MiracleManSMiracleManS Chambersburg, PA Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    And like that...the Kindle Fire was rooted:

    http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1348830
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    Yeah, it wasn't locked down at all. Jeff Bezos himself he wouldn't try to stop people. Kernel source was uploaded yesterday evening, as well.
  • MiracleManSMiracleManS Chambersburg, PA Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    I'm still surprised that they took that route. Glad they did, I can imagine it won't take long to get an AOSP rom on that thing.
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