Database Users

Help enhance my demo Xoom at [redacted] to increase sales!

I'm an employee at [removed (PM me if curious)] and we are selling WiFi Xooms. We haven't sold ANY yet! I need some help and advice.
First I need to solve a problem. Some SOB uninstalled the Google Books app, and a factory restore not only didn't fix that, but it wiped the bundled in music as well! I figure I can just make a dummy account for the Xoom and reinstall the Google Books app, but I need to add music so that people can try the music app and test the speakers.
How can I put music on the Xoom so that the music app will have nice album art like before?
Second, I need a way of locking certain apps and settings IE, I need a child-proofing app. The Xoom didn't come with any kiosk software so any Apple fanboy can sabotage the tablet! I also could use a way to return the tablet to a default demo setup, just in case something does happen, like Ti Backup. (The boss says I can't root it )
Is there any app that allows me to "Lock" the settings and/or access to certain apps?
And finally, I need suggestions on apps that show off the functionality. Bonus points for things the iPad CAN'T do. I need apps that show off the power and graphics ability of the Xoom. They have to be fairly easy to use as people might open them themselves, but others I can use to quickly demonstrate features.
Also, I need apps that don't use an internet connection, as sometimes the public wi-fi goes down. That way if it does go down, I can still demonstrate the Xoom's abilities.
Help me sell Xooms and show up all those iSnobs that come into my store!

TheGeek007 said:
I'm an employee at [removed (PM me if curious)] and we are selling WiFi Xooms. We haven't sold ANY yet! I need some help and advice.
First I need to solve a problem. Some SOB uninstalled the Google Books app, and a factory restore not only didn't fix that, but it wiped the bundled in music as well! I figure I can just make a dummy account for the Xoom and reinstall the Google Books app, but I need to add music so that people can try the music app and test the speakers.
How can I put music on the Xoom so that the music app will have nice album art like before?
Second, I need a way of locking certain apps and settings IE, I need a child-proofing app. The Xoom didn't come with any kiosk software so any Apple fanboy can sabotage the tablet! I also could use a way to return the tablet to a default demo setup, just in case something does happen, like Ti Backup. (The boss says I can't root it )
Is there any app that allows me to "Lock" the settings and/or access to certain apps?
And finally, I need suggestions on apps that show off the functionality. Bonus points for things the iPad CAN'T do. I need apps that show off the power and graphics ability of the Xoom. They have to be fairly easy to use as people might open them themselves, but others I can use to quickly demonstrate features.
Also, I need apps that don't use an internet connection, as sometimes the public wi-fi goes down. That way if it does go down, I can still demonstrate the Xoom's abilities.
Help me sell Xooms and show up all those iSnobs that come into my store!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
10% of your commission, and you got a deal
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

TheGeek007 said:
I'm an employee at [removed (PM me if curious)] and we are selling WiFi Xooms. We haven't sold ANY yet! I need some help and advice.
First I need to solve a problem. Some SOB uninstalled the Google Books app, and a factory restore not only didn't fix that, but it wiped the bundled in music as well! I figure I can just make a dummy account for the Xoom and reinstall the Google Books app, but I need to add music so that people can try the music app and test the speakers.
How can I put music on the Xoom so that the music app will have nice album art like before?
Second, I need a way of locking certain apps and settings IE, I need a child-proofing app. The Xoom didn't come with any kiosk software so any Apple fanboy can sabotage the tablet! I also could use a way to return the tablet to a default demo setup, just in case something does happen, like Ti Backup. (The boss says I can't root it )
Is there any app that allows me to "Lock" the settings and/or access to certain apps?
And finally, I need suggestions on apps that show off the functionality. Bonus points for things the iPad CAN'T do. I need apps that show off the power and graphics ability of the Xoom. They have to be fairly easy to use as people might open them themselves, but others I can use to quickly demonstrate features.
Also, I need apps that don't use an internet connection, as sometimes the public wi-fi goes down. That way if it does go down, I can still demonstrate the Xoom's abilities.
Help me sell Xooms and show up all those iSnobs that come into my store!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, if the person wiped this and the device will not reset it when it is wiped you need to call Moto and let them know or call your Home Office and let them know. PM me what store you work for and I will try and help as best I can.

Verrrrry interesting original post...
I'm guessing Best Buy. First thing:
Move it out of the stinking netbook aisle at the very back, put it in a more prominent place, where it deserves to be. If you hide stuff like that, people aren't gonna see it, therefore they aren't gonna buy it. This should be basic stuff for a retail chain, but for some reason these types of things slip their mind. When I went to bestbuy to get my xoom, I wouldn't have even known it existed if I hadn't done some research beforehand, and the tablet was waaaaaaaaaaay in the back of the netbook section, and I mean the VERY back...last "stall" there.
As for your boss, I think he can take the hit on ONE xoom to sell many of them. Tell him that the most effective way to "ipad baby-proof" the thing is to root it and install TitaniumBackup. He probably thinks rooting means radically changing things, which currently, it doesn't. You're going to have to explain it to him, probably in baby terms if he's anything like most managers I've had, who didn't know their butt from a hole in the ground. If you put it in terms of profitability, he MAY understand.
As for cool apps, just give the sales force a demo model to play with when they're not doing anything else. Let them get to KNOW the device. When I go to buy something, it's not so important for the sales person to know what they're selling me because I already have done a ton of research, but I am not your typical customer. You're going to get a lot of people in there who aren't really that tech-savvy, so if the sales people on the floor know how to use the device, they can demo some of the cooler features to the people.
For example:
Your grandmother walks into the store, she's looking for something to use to email her grandchildren, perhaps a video chat occasionally and she wants something EASY to use, fairly inexpensive and something she's not going to have to pay the geek squad to set up. Well, right this way ma'am, I have something that would be perfect for you, <insert sales demo here>... unit sold.
Another example:
Younger person comes into the store, looking at iPads. Ask them what they're looking to do with the device. If your sales force KNOWS both the iPad and the Xoom, it's kind of a no-brainer to be able to make the best sale for the customer and isn't that what business is all about?
I rarely go into a superstore like Best Buy and find truly knowledgeable people when it comes to the latest electronics. The BestBuy in South County, Missouri lost a sale not too long ago from me because they told me I couldn't buy the Verizon Xoom off contract, which is nonsense. So I simply went to another store and bought it. Perfect example of a person not knowing what the heck they're talking about.
I realize that there are a LOT of new products out there, but it's the responsibility of the store's employees (and ultimately the store's management) to LEARN about these devices so that when people ask BASIC questions, they can answer them.
It wasn't too long ago that I attended a sales lecture at college. Younger people (age 35 and under) normally knew what they were going after when they went to buy tech, and often preferred to be left alone to fiddle with the product a bit and basically only needed help during the actual sales process (or the retrieval process if the item was locked in a secure case). People 35 and over almost universally wanted help from start to finish because their understanding of the tech wasn't always so great. To sell to that person over 35, which is going to be a sizable portion of your business, your employees need to know that device and demo what it it can do on a moment's notice.
So, to me, you've got the "location, location, location" problem and also the "knowledge, knowledge, knowledge" problem if you haven't sold any of these things yet.
Here's something you can do, which will really appeal to older folks... set up one xoom on one side of the aisle, set up another one in sight of the first, but farther away, perhaps on the other side of the aisle. When someone comes in and asks what the xoom can do, just turn on video conferencing and SHOW them how cool it is. Have your sales people be able to demo the different features.
You can also show them how much FASTER the xoom is rendering web pages than the iPad. Everyone loves to save time, irrespective of age.
Another thing the xoom does EXTREMELY well is reformatting text. It will automatically reformat the text when you zoom in on a website, to make it readable. In fact, it makes the text beautiful.
You can show them how they can have live widgets on their home-screens, and the iPad can't.
Honestly, if people knew what the xoom could do, who in the hell would buy an iPad anyway???
Motorola made a HUGE mistake with their superbowl commercial too, they didn't show what the xoom could do. Nobody is going to buy a device like this because it looks cool. Sure, that's something they think about, but that's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down their list, probably down around "what kind of towel do I need to use to clean the screen" or something. What matters most is functionality and price. If it doesn't do what I need it to do, if it doesn't enrich my life in some way, what good is it??
I guarantee you that if you gave me 10 minutes with 10 people who were going to buy an iPad, and they gave me a fair chance to demo what the xoom could do, at least 7 of those would buy the xoom instead. The number would be even higher if it was just a basic netbook buyer, because a good netbook is even MORE expensive than the xoom.
It baffles me that these things aren't FLYING off the shelves. I think that's mostly due to bad sales tactics and poor marketing. It's unfortunate too because it's such an amazing device.
Oh yeah, FLASH. iPad can't give you the web like a desktop can, but xoom can.

Didn't you say you worked at (Hint - That was easy) - Anyways when I purchased my XOOM from (Staples) it was right in the front near the registers? Had its own display with other accessories, etc. I've been in retail sales before and the only way I would imagine to make more of a push on the product is have both positive and negative reviews about the product compared to other competitors. I believe in 100% honesty and if you are straight forward with a customer and tell them the benefits and disadvantages of the unit compared to what’s on the market currently they will appreciate it. Honesty in my opinion goes a long way then any marketing gimmick a retail chain will try to implement on its staff or customer.

stevenege said:
Honestly, if the person wiped this and the device will not reset it when it is wiped you need to call Moto and let them know or call your Home Office and let them know. PM me what store you work for and I will try and help as best I can.
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Click to collapse
Oh it boots, but its missing the Books app and the music that was preloaded. Hence my problem. I guess doing a factory restore from recovery mode won't get back the music. :/

if you have a Nexus or some other phone that can do mobile hotspot on display or some phone that can do mobile hotspot, that'll be your best chance of getting internet connection. from there you can reinstall anything.
i think most of the displays i've seen failed because of the lack of internet. every ipad i've seen always had internet connection. impressed with some of the free games like Gun bros or dungeon and defenders

vkuber said:
Didn't you say you worked at (Hint - That was easy) - Anyways when I purchased my XOOM from (Staples) it was right in the front near the registers? Had its own display with other accessories, etc. I've been in retail sales before and the only way I would imagine to make more of a push on the product is have both positive and negative reviews about the product compared to other competitors. I believe in 100% honesty and if you are straight forward with a customer and tell them the benefits and disadvantages of the unit compared to what’s on the market currently they will appreciate it. Honesty in my opinion goes a long way then any marketing gimmick a retail chain will try to implement on its staff or customer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Darn! I made it too easy. ^_^
I'm very honest in my sales, I always mention its V1.0 of the software and that the apps aren't there yet. Its very hard to explain its potential without demonstrating it somehow.
And yes we have an endcap right near the registers with lots of accessories. The Xoom deserves a prominent place in our store TBH.
It really irks me, people come in to the store and in that sheepish voice ask "do you have any iPads?". By the time I say "No. But I would love to show you our android ta..." they are halfway out the door.
Still looking for a "kiosk-mode" or "kid-safe" app that locks the device settings in some way. That and apps that really bring out the Xoom's best qualities.

Hey check this out for app locking. http://htcdev.net/topic/1224-kid-mode-for-your-tablet-and-smartphone/
Sent from my HTC Incredible using XDA App

Also, I'm looking for a way to keep the device on and at full brightness 100% of the time (it will be plugged in 24/7). I know under apps/development you can keep it from powering off while charging, but that doesn't keep it bright.
I'll look into zoodle, but perhaps "kid-mode" is too much control. But its a start. Thanks. ^_^

TheGeek007 said:
Also, I'm looking for a way to keep the device on and at full brightness 100% of the time (it will be plugged in 24/7). I know under apps/development you can keep it from powering off while charging, but that doesn't keep it bright.
I'll look into zoodle, but perhaps "kid-mode" is too much control. But its a start. Thanks. ^_^
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download Quick Settings (Free) from the market. Once installed, in the menu, choose customize and drag the Screen Timeout to the top area. You can set it to "Never Timeout". This appears to keep the screen from dimming, at least in the 5 minutes I tested it.

Gotta say +1 on the bad placement at best buy. They even had a whole featured section called "tablets" with the streak, galaxy, Ipad, etc. I had to ask someone if they were selling xooms. They were out (this was wifi release day) but they directed me to their demo model all the way on the other side of the store BEHIND all the computers, near the random stereo cables. Went to staples and it was front and center and in stock. Sorry BB, I came to you first and you let me down.
But forget about attracting new people to buy the xoom, put it somewhere that I can find it if I came there SPECIFICALLY for it.
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk

My suggestion would be putting the wallpaper of android that came preinstalled. Put games like gunbros,dungeon defenders, cordy on the center homescreen. Also gmail widget. And YouTube app is very pretty and lots of people use it and it'll be a very good bet to get people. Also, sideload Amazon appstore as well as the market on there. Picsay also is an awesome little app. Good luck.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

Are you allowed to lock apps with a password? If so, there ares dozens of solutions already in the Android market:
https://market.android.com/search?q=app+password&so=1&c=apps
Just apply a password to the apps you want to protect, at least I assume its thats simple... I haven't tried these apps myself, so you'll have to experiment.

TheGeek007 said:
I'm an employee at [removed (PM me if curious)] and we are selling WiFi Xooms. We haven't sold ANY yet! I need some help and advice.
First I need to solve a problem. Some SOB uninstalled the Google Books app, and a factory restore not only didn't fix that, but it wiped the bundled in music as well! I figure I can just make a dummy account for the Xoom and reinstall the Google Books app, but I need to add music so that people can try the music app and test the speakers.
How can I put music on the Xoom so that the music app will have nice album art like before?
Second, I need a way of locking certain apps and settings IE, I need a child-proofing app. The Xoom didn't come with any kiosk software so any Apple fanboy can sabotage the tablet! I also could use a way to return the tablet to a default demo setup, just in case something does happen, like Ti Backup. (The boss says I can't root it )
Is there any app that allows me to "Lock" the settings and/or access to certain apps?
And finally, I need suggestions on apps that show off the functionality. Bonus points for things the iPad CAN'T do. I need apps that show off the power and graphics ability of the Xoom. They have to be fairly easy to use as people might open them themselves, but others I can use to quickly demonstrate features.
Also, I need apps that don't use an internet connection, as sometimes the public wi-fi goes down. That way if it does go down, I can still demonstrate the Xoom's abilities.
Help me sell Xooms and show up all those iSnobs that come into my store!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quick list:
Flash (47% of all web sites have flash according to a research firm as of today)
Higher quality cameras (Many times better then the iPad 2)
Excellent battery life
A solid screen. (It might help if you turn the brightness off auto and place it at 100%)
Put it next to the ipad2's, not by netbooks. (some kind of DroidDoes-eque banner would be great, but I can understand that could be hard to get.)
A SD slot (stress that it WILL happen soon. (like may)
4G upgrade (Stress it's FREE, something the iPad 2 will never have, and that it's a hardware upgrade and will only take a matter of days)
I would load up a couple of graphically advanced games on the main home screen. (like maybe GunBros and SpeedX 3D, both of which are fun, free, good looking games)
Stress how open it is to making it individual (ease at which to customize)
If the person looks tech savy, be sure to say the boot loader is unlockable.
Stress the widescreen (16:9) over the "full screen" (4:3) iPad
Use some of the tablet optimized apps to show the multipane options. (show this next to the iPad as an OS designed for a tablet screen, not a handheld screen.)
And lastly for my list, compare the browser to the ipad browser, with tabs and a fuller experience. it earns high marks.
Hope this helped and wasn't too repeative.
(p.s. on the hole lack of books app, just go through and reinstall the apps and register with the same account as the Xoom is on.)
p.s.s. just customize it, make it look like a person uses it, not like it just came from a factory.

Another thing you can show them...
HDMI Out, with HD support. They could even do video chats on their TV (something the ipad can't do w/o an expensive add-on, and even then it doesn't look very good due to it not being HD and being in 4:3).
The ONE area where the ipad beats the xoom is standby battery. But for all that battery, you give up all the cool widgets and what makes android cool. So to me, it was a no-brainer.
If you have the authority, send a demo xoom home with your sales associates, let 'em keep it for a weekend or something so they KNOW what all they can do with it. Encourage them to play with it and do whatever they want. Once a person gets ahold of this device, they'll realize how amazing it truly is and they'll start to spread that enthusiasm to customers. I loved my android phone at first, but after a week of playing with it, I wouldn't trade it for a dozen iphones.
It's all about getting these things in peoples' hands. If they can SEE what it does, they'll want one, it's just that simple. It beats the ipad in virtually every area. When you couple that with the fact that the xoom is incredibly customizable, themeable, unlockable and the browsing experience is so much better, it's a winner of a tablet.
If they want a tablet to play the guitar, drums or some other synthesizer nonsense, then the ipad is for them. If they want to CONNECT to other people and experience the web as it's meant to be, they need the xoom.

Google maps with 3d buildings look great on zoom.
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk

Prepare your Xoom with Moboplayer and load it up with some movies in different formats with all different kind of subtitles (.srt, .ass (this is a subtitle format), and be sure to get some .mkv with built-in subtitles). Then choose the correct subtitle for the correct customer.

>It really irks me, people come in to the store and in that sheepish voice ask "do you have any iPads?". By the time I say "No. But I would love to show you our android ta..." they are halfway out the door.
I don't know what you can do for the Xoom, but it'd help your sales pitch by not starting with a "no."
That said, there isn't much you can do or say, other than to wait for Moto to drop its premium pricing--or until it releases the 16GB SKU at a more competitive price.
http://ubergizmo.com/2011/04/16gb-motorola-xoom-on-its-way

Most people don't want a Xoom and you can't make them.
Sent from my Captivate

why did you pick this over nook tablet?

just curious to see your reasoning...

Bought both and returned the nook tablet.
the NT was far too restrictive.. they lock you down into their little world.
At least with the fire I have some options

Cheaper, its amazon, oh and the boot loader isn't locked.

Instant video app.
I have other tablets with more storage and functionality, but they don't stream Amazon instant video without some stuttering.
Still haven't decided if this is enough for me to keep the tablet.

Because ....
... my wife ordered it before the Nook tablet was announced. But now that both are public, I'm happier with the (fairly open) Kindle than I would be with the (locked down) Nook.

I'm an Amazon Prime member, and the ecosystem Amazon provides is much better than Barnes and Noble.

The only tablet out there that plays Netflix,Amozon VOD and stream espn3 without issues. Also like the UI. It does what I need it for with minimum of screwing around and now that I have rooted and installed market and side loaded some apps, it's perfect for my needs.
This is from a guy who has bought or used most of the tablets that has come around recently including i pad. I bought one for wife initially and ended up getting one for myself.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk

I'm a amazon prime member, so easy choice for me! also I enjoy the form factor of the kindle better than the nook (what in the world is that little hole for?)

Price and I have always wanted a kindle
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk

Mainly the build quality of the device it feels solid in hand as oppose to the flimsy feel of the nook tablet. I don't like the extra weight of having a case so the kindle fire is perfect and also the unlock bootloader.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using xda premium

The interface, the entire experiance. I like that amazon is truely offering a different experiance and bundled it in all in a nice package. I mean, no offence to other manufactures, but I feel like amazon really brought something to the table that is truely unique. I mean look at the vast options of honeycomb tablets, or gingerbread tablets, their all pretty much the same, they may have some skins on top, but underneath their all just the same old interface, don't get me wrong, I love android, but what amazon has done is organize everything that I do into a neat package. I can click on a section for the launcher and I am presented with specific content, I love that if I want to catch up on some shows, I can click the videos tab, or play a game click on my apps tab, and from there I can quickly access the app store, it all just makes sense to me.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using xda premium

I have about 300 dollars worth of Kindle books. Simple as that, really.

Before the Nook Tablet announcement I pre-ordered the Kindle:
-Price (I even bought the cover with a $20 credit)
-All my Kindle books available out of the box, without waiting for a root or hack
-Easier to buy from Amazon, free two-day shipping as a Prime

Best buy gave me a 50$ dollar gift card by accident.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium

pitnefor, in which way?

guys when i went to bestbuy, netflix was laggy. it seems to be that way on the reviews i've watched too. plus, they've achieved full root with the nook. the bootloader point still stands though...what about the gig of ram, and one piece screen?

i agree daggy. but it stuttered when i tried to play with it.
and to everybody who talks about cost, if that wasn't an issue would you still stay with your kindle?
plus, it has one button. what recovery will you use? one where you press that button a certain amount of seconds to scroll up, down, etc. ? thanks

rockstarar said:
i agree daggy. but it stuttered when i tried to play with it.
and to everybody who talks about cost, if that wasn't an issue would you still stay with your kindle?
plus, it has one button. what recovery will you use? one where you press that button a certain amount of seconds to scroll up, down, etc. ? thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They have a touchscreen recovery in the works apparently.
Also I would never trust any test that uses internet in bestbuy. I worked there for a year and it was the worst. They didnt even have a separate network for the display equipment, so if people kept going on sites, it would crash up the sales machines and you couldn't punch in/out.
Horrors.
We had to use a verizon mifi to get any real work done.

rockstarar said:
i agree daggy. but it stuttered when i tried to play with it.
and to everybody who talks about cost, if that wasn't an issue would you still stay with your kindle?
plus, it has one button. what recovery will you use? one where you press that button a certain amount of seconds to scroll up, down, etc. ? thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You commented about stuttering in 2 of your 3 consecutive posts.
I believe this thread is the "why you picked the Kindle over the Nook Tablet", not the "why I like to bash Kindle thread".
I will say that I have no issues playing video on my Kindle Fire. Netflix, Prime, or the conversions to MP4 I've loaded onto my device.

sodaboy581 said:
You commented about stuttering in 2 of your 3 consecutive posts.
I believe this thread is the "why you picked the Kindle over the Nook Tablet", not the "why I like to bash Kindle thread".
I will say that I have no issues playing video on my Kindle Fire. Netflix, Prime, or the conversions to MP4 I've loaded onto my device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, i know what the thread says, i created it. yes, i did comment about it because i noticed it but thelgow is right (thanks thelgow). thanks for your input too soda.
but again, if the NT and KF cost the same, which would you all buy then, and why?

[Q] Kindle vs Note -

Just picked up a used i9100 for the wife here. Then I noticed the Note. I thought I probably should have given her my i(100 and purchased a note since I am a gadget freak and my eyes are not what they used. She wanted to buy me a Kindle Fire for Christmas but I really did not think I would use it as I already have the i9100 and could not see the benefit other than a limited product with a larger screen. Been following these development threads though to see what capabilities are being developed.
The question is. Why would not people buy the Note and have the best of all worlds? Other than the financial reasons of course. Do people carry this around with their Android phones?
Is the Fire able to be turned into a full fledged Captivate type product without the communications of course?

My phone is not a tablet. I take it with me everywhere (My wife thinks it is perm attached to me). I don't take a tablet with me everywhere.
I use my tablet for things that I don't use my phone for because it has a larger screen.
I many times use my phone and tablet at the same time (support calls). This is harder to do with just one device without accidently hanging up or having the battery bomb on you.
As for WiFi, I would only buy a WiFi enabled device rather than a 3g device because I already have a paid 4G hotspot. Makes no sense to purchase another data plan for every device I need network access for when I can share the one device.
I prefer this over tethering to my phone because 1) It is faster, my phone only has 3G now 2) It doesn't affect my phones battery which lets me use it longer 3) It has its own separate data plan I can keep track of.

They are two completely different devices. Use each for a differrent task.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk

tbong777 said:
Just picked up a used i9100 for the wife here. Then I noticed the Note. I thought I probably should have given her my i(100 and purchased a note since I am a gadget freak and my eyes are not what they used. She wanted to buy me a Kindle Fire for Christmas but I really did not think I would use it as I already have the i9100 and could not see the benefit other than a limited product with a larger screen. Been following these development threads though to see what capabilities are being developed.
The question is. Why would not people buy the Note and have the best of all worlds? Other than the financial reasons of course. Do people carry this around with their Android phones?
Is the Fire able to be turned into a full fledged Captivate type product without the communications of course?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm running CM7 on my kindle fire, so now it looks and feels nothing like it did out of the box. I have the kindle app on it for books, so I did not lose that functionality. I gained a ton more by putting a custom ROM on it.
Basically the kindle fire is an Android tablet waiting for someone to free it once it gets a home.
CM7 Infuse - XDA Premium

marty331 said:
Basically the kindle fire is an Android tablet waiting for someone to free it once it gets a home.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreeing here 100%. There are things I use a phone for (calls, texts, quick searches, facebook/reddit mail) and then there are things I use a tablet for (books, longer internet reads, articles) and then there are things that I use a notebook for (games, work, typing). I'm a firm believer in the "right tool for the right job" methodology, and the Kindle Fire does everything between the phone and the notebook.
Can't beat $200 for something that does everything I need it to in order to fill the space in between!

Has anyone else emailed Amazon about root?

I don't think they notice the full potential their device has because people aren't speaking up about it. I think if enough people here email them, asking for them to open the device up for us, they'll see the benefits of us having root access.
I just wrote those one to them.
I sincerely hope this message is read with an open mind by those in charge of the Amazon Fire TV device. Please, PLEASE make sure this gets to the right people who can make a change.
First off, I'm a die hard fan of Amazon, especially ever since I first got my Prime account. I've had issues with orders in the past, as well as products and the Amazon team has always, ALWAYS had my back, which is why I generally do all my shopping strictly with Amazon, even if I can find it cheaper elsewhere, because I know if issue arise, Amazon has my back.
To the point!
The Amazon Fire TV is probably one of the most nifty devices for steaming that has ever come out. It dominates the Roku which I was a huge fan of. The hardware in this little thing is just downright impressive for what it is, especially with it running Android. The possibilities were endless!
So the issue? I'm speaking for hundreds of people, who all should speak up but don't have the time or will to do so.
The biggest benefit of the Fire TV is the fact stated above, it runs Android. We can do so much amazing things with an operating system as open as Android. The problem we have though, as a large community who love to tinker, such as those of us who are part of the XDA community, is you're not allowing us the full potential of the hardware.
The main reason I bought the device wasn't just because it was Amazon backed, and it ran Android, but because it had root access. With that I was able to run my emulators and play NES games and so forth from the comfort of my couch without having to lug out a computer and have the inconvenience of needing a keyboard and mouse to start it all up.
I had the convenience to put a web browser on it so I could run a wireless keyboard to it if I needed to search for something quickly online instead of going into the other room to turn my computer on or find my tablet.
The device ships with a very limited built in storage which is not very good for installing apps. Just installing Bard's Tale eats up almost the entire storage. With root access we could run external pen drives to allow extra storage.
I want you to really think about the potential your device has. You will lose NOTHING by allowing us to root. You will lose NOTHING by allowing us access to the bootloader for custom roming.
Look at Android phones right now, those that are unlocked, like the Nexus devices are among the most popular because of what we're able to do with it. People buy them SOLEY because they know they can Rom it, customize it and so forth.
People see right now that we can't get root access working again and we're losing a lot of options we once had and it's turning people off.
If people see that Amazon took it's community into mind and let us have our root access....people will respect that and buy more of your devices! It's a Win - Win!
I mean really think about it, what are you going to lose? Some people possibly bricking the device? That's their problem, not yours. Warranty is void when tinkering, plain and simple.
Right now, without root access, we're not much better off than owners of the Roku. No enthusiasts bought the Roku because all it is, is a steaming device. Us tech junkies such as myself, bought the Fire TV soley because it allowed more freedom to do more with my device.
So please, I speak for many, open up the flood gates for the community and give us an unlocked bootloader, or at least just make root access easier to acquire!
Sincerely,
An Amazon Junkie
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Spykez0129 said:
I don't think they notice the full potential their device has because people aren't speaking up about it. I think if enough people here email them, asking for them to open the device up for us, they'll see the benefits of us having root access.
I just wrote those one to them.
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Amazon is notorious for locking down their devices extremely hard. I doubt the Fire TV will be any different. And then you have the fact that the content providers don't really want it. Piracy and all that nonsense they like to say.

The added bonus for a rooted Fire TV is Play Store access complete with a fully functional compatibility filter.
Since I actually (re-)gained access to the Play Store,I was able to use my existing acount from my GS7 to install a paid app on my Fire TV that I once had on the GS7 without needing to buy it again.
I want an unlocked bootloader so I can get the multitasking GUI of a modern Linux Distro.
Maybe if the ARM Linux build of Dolphin with OpenGL 2.0 is found,anyone could use Freedreno to actually get it running on a Fire TV!

Id be more or less happy without root if they'd bake in A) Sideloaded apps showing on the menu and B) External storage
Its cool to be able to do other stuff but these are the deal breaks for me. The internal storage on this thing is so ridiculously small, I have no idea how it made it through Q&A. Id have paid the extra $10 for more memory if they offered it.

retroben said:
The added bonus for a rooted Fire TV is Play Store access complete with a fully functional compatibility filter.
Since I actually (re-)gained access to the Play Store,I was able to use my existing acount from my GS7 to install a paid app on my Fire TV that I once had on the GS7 without needing to buy it again.
I want an unlocked bootloader so I can get the multitasking GUI of a modern Linux Distro.
Maybe if the ARM Linux build of Dolphin with OpenGL 2.0 is found,anyone could use Freedreno to actually get it running on a Fire TV!
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Why on earth would Amazon support the Play Store when they have their own app store? The idea is to generate revenue, not funnel it elsewhere.

rbox said:
Amazon is notorious for locking down their devices extremely hard. I doubt the Fire TV will be any different. And then you have the fact that the content providers don't really want it. Piracy and all that nonsense they like to say.
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Ya I get that but there were phone companies that said the same thing, then when people took a stand to go to phones that were unlocked, the manufacturers saw the potential. If enough people bug Amazon about it, it has the potential to make them see the benefit.

Amazon hasn't gotten as big as it is by making poor business choices (Fire phone notwithstanding). We tend to forget that the vast majority of people who buy a fireTV don't have a clue what rooting is, much less its benefits. The bottom line for Amazon is that they will make a helluva larger profit keeping their customers within their own ecosystem than any increase in FTV sales that might occur by appealing to those would prefer a box they can root.

Kindle on Watch: Wear or Vanilla?

Hi all!
I've always found this forum extremely useful, but it's the first time I find the topic I'm interested in is't already touched. Let's change that.
I want to read on my watch.
I see there are several apps to do that on Android Wear; however you have to load text files to them. Instead, most of my books are on the Amazon Kindle platform; which unfortunately doesn't seem to support wear at all, nor it supports exporting its books to anywhere else at all.
After researching, it seems I have two options:
1) buy a full Android watch-phone, like the No.1 D6
2) buy an Android Wear device and try to sideload the Amazon Kindle app
Both options come at about 100$ of cost, give or take.
Downside of full Android: they usually are made by shady Chinese companies; it's common to have them even blatantly lie on specs, so it's really a bet on the quality of what I'll get. What is sure is that most use an outdated version of Android; 4.4 is the most common and 5.1 the most recent I could find.
On the upside there is probably more choice of forms and size.
Downsize of Wear is of course that I'd have to hack it; no problem with that, but I'd like to have some idea of what are my odds of succeeding before spending a somewhat relevant amount of money. Several apps are known to work, but several others crash, and for all my searching, I couldn't find someone having attempted to sideload the Kindle app.
What do you guys think?

għassa said:
What do you guys think?
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I think you have really good vision [emoji6]

afblangley said:
I think you have really good vision [emoji6]
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I have not, but I know what I'm doing
I didn't mention it since it's not directly related to the problem, but i plan on using the "word runner" feature of the Kindle app.
When I use it on the phone it feels like a waste... it literally only uses an area which is roughly that of a watch! Hence the idea.
There are plenty of apps doing this on Wear... but as I said, no way to get Kindle books there.

I haven't tried, but how difficult is it to hack the kindle e-book format? maybe you can bust your text free.

I will try to install Kindle on my Ticwatch E today.

I tested a few things on my Ticwatch E which is a Wear OS (formerly Android Wear 2.0) watch. I can confirm that the Kindle app does not work. You can access your Kindle books on the web with the Kindle Cloud Reader at www.read.amazon.com. I installed many web browsers on the watch, but the only one that worked was FireFox. It did not work completely. I was able to access www.read.amazon.com, but it was slow and I couldn't scroll the web page up and down. It was unusable. You can convert your Kindle books to PDFs with a program called EPUB converter. I would guess that you could succeed with the Kindle app and the Kindle cloud reader on a Chinese Android watch. I, however, think that it's not worth $100 for a Chinese Android watch (except maybe a Ticwatch 2). If those Chinese watches were about $50, I would probably get one. I am very happy with my Ticwatch E which costs about $150. Hope this helped.