N2Aos New service gives you the tools to easily root your Kindle Fire, and can even do it remotely if you’re not the tech-savvy user. Plus: a free recovery utility.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Turn your Kindle Fire into an Android 4.2 tablet - CNET (blog)
Now there’s an easy and automated way to root your Kindle Fire.
(Credit: N2A)
For a long time I’ve been a fan of N2A Cards, Which sells a simple plug-and-play way to turn Barnes & Noble’s Nook tablets into full-blown Android tablet. After all, if you’ve got good hardware, why not unlock its maximum potential?
Now Kindle owners can get in on the action. N2A’s new service will N2Aos install Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) on your first-or second-generation Kindle Fire, Amazon’s heavily customized Replacing – and, some would say, limited – operating system with the real deal.
There are, of course, a few important considerations. The first is because que Fires have no microSD slot, you can not just pop in the card and dual-boot the way you can with the Nook. Installing Android proper means downloading an installer to your PC and wiping the Kindle OS – and all your downloaded content along with it.
Consequently, you’ll lose access to Amazon Prime streaming video – not a big deal if you’re not a Prime subscriber, but unfortunately there’s the Amazon Instant Video app available for Android. You can restore your books via the Kindle app, but that’s it.
I took the service for a test drive on a 2nd-gen Fire. (The developer will soon add support for HD models.) After connecting it to my PC and running N2A’s compatibility checker, I downloaded the installer and watched it do its thing. The process took about 10 minutes (no touching!), Which after my Fire was transformed to a Jelly Bean-powered tablet. That simple. Literally.
And you get the full Android experience here, including access to the Google Play store and all the other features Offered by Android 4.2 (excepting what’s not available in hardware, of course). I ran my usual stable of test apps – Agent Dash, Flipboard, Netflix, USA Today – and all of them worked flawlessly. I frequently did miss having physical volume-control buttons – though N2A’s Android build includes convenient virtual buttons on the home screen – but that’s Amazon’s fault.
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Tech-savvy users will note that you do not need to pay for the privilege of rooting the Kindle Fire and installing Android, that some fairly straightforward DIY options costing $ 0 can be found online. However, here you’re getting the benefits of simplicity and technical support, both of Which are important for users who might be nervous about tinkering with Their Kindle’s virtual innards.
In fact, N2A even offers a Pro-level support option includes que remote setup, meaning you let the tech access your PC remotely and handle all the installation steps for you – including any troubleshooting que might be required. That option (good for one month of service Pro) just adds $ 7.99 to the price tag – not bad for automation and peace of mind.
Speaking of Which, if you decide you do not like the N2Aos or plan to sell your Kindle and want to restore the stock OS, N2A offers a free utility – the aptly named Restore2Stock – that will give you back Amazon’s OS, good as new.
N2Aos The software costs $ 19.99. That’s not a bad deal for breathing new life into an older Kindle Fire, freeing yourself from Amazon’s special-offer ads, opening the door to a larger library of apps, and Gaining access to e-books from other sources (Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and so on).
Your thoughts?
Read the full CNET Review
Amazon Kindle Fire
The bottom line: Though it lacks the tech specs found on more-expensive Apple and Android tablets, the $ 199 Kindle Fire is an outstanding entertainment value que prizes simplicity over techno-wizardry. Read Full Review
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