Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2016/09/08/how-i-rooted-my-amazon-android.html
…
1 Like
Ah, memories of getting Cyanogen onto my HP Touchpad back in the day…
3 Likes
We are a big Kindle family with a number of devices ranging from the Kindle 3 to the Fire 8.9. I briefly considered taking one of our spare Fire HD 7’s and installing CyanogenMod on it. The problem is… I’d still like to use it to read Kindle books and, frankly, the Kindle reader for Android sucks if you have a large collection. Apparently, the bigger the collection, the slower and more of a memory hog it gets.
A shame since the Kindle itself is Android based…
1 Like
I really prefer the Amazon version of Android on the tablet, for using Amazon services. I watch a lot of my “TeeVee” via Amazon Prime – and Prime offers a pretty stellar feature for tablet users: download the movie. The tablet OS’s integration with this is great. I browse movies, tap download and they are easy to find and play. No messing with “Which VLC today?” or “Plex hates this video for some reason.” Nothing like that.
That is enough to justify keeping a simply rooted version of their OS to the pure Android ROMS.
Where did you find one for $60? The ones you linked to are $250+…
I ordered from the used list on Amazon. I also ordered a 16GB but got 64GB device as the seller didn’t have the 16GB in.
I think stuff comes and goes. When I grabbed the link I saw one or two decent looking deals still in there. Ebay is also an option that may give you more upfront knowledge about version of OS. I had no idea what rev I was getting, but I ordered before I knew 4.5.5.2 existed and could lock me in.
I sort of doubt most resellers are going to charge these up and put them online to update for you, but knowing before buying is always better. Looking now, Ebay sellers offer more info than the Amazon sellers.
2 Likes
Meanwhile, I’ve been trying to root my phone for months, without success. And it’s a phone that’s pretty much useless if not rooted (a Sony Xperia M4 Aqua).
I’m frustrated.
Kingroot seems like it may come with adware that injects shady ads into sites.
Had problems on my S5 after doing a factory reset and rooting with KingRoot.
After installing SuperSU and removing KingRoot, don’t seem to get those shady ads anymore on this and other sites.
1 Like
I’ve always used Odin for flashing/rooting, haven’t had a one-click root program since about Android 2.21 or so.
Of course, adblock programs are a major benefit of rooting 
1 Like
Cool, thanks for the info!
After over two years of constant use (we’re big fans of both Amazon Books and Amazon Prime Video in our family, and have bought many Fire tablets over the years) I opened the cover to find the glass on my HDX 7 shattered last week, and the touch screen inoperative.
I considered buying a used HDX 7, but instead went ahead and bought the current model Fire 7, and I’m very glad I did.
First, it is MUCH faster the the HDX 7, almost a night-and-day comparison. The 16GB of storage the Fire 7 came with was paltry, but I poped a 128GB SD card into the expansion slot for <$40, and now it’s got more than twice the storage of my HDX 7. Also, the improved OS and UI design is very nice, although I wish you could select the sort order for program names.
I don’t use the new Blue Shade function so I can’t comment on that - I know a lot of people like them, but I don’t have a use for apps like f.lux, and don’t get any personal benefit from them.
Do I miss the external stereo speakers, automatic screen brightness, and automatic screen shutoff on cover close of the HDX? The external stereo speakers were no loss - I always use Bluetooth headphones when watching video or listening to music, and the screen timeout is a good enough replacement for the cover close screen off on the HDX. I do definitely miss the automatic brightness control - I frequently read late at night and have to turn the brightness down, and then in the morning have to turn it back up again.
But all-in-all I’m thrilled with my new Fire 7, and the price absolutely can’t be beat.
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
