Nook Tablet Update Kills Root and Sideloading
Nook Tablet Update Kills Root and Sideloading
Posted 12/20/2011 at 3:48pm
| by Ryan Whitwam
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Owners of the Kindle Fire were certainly fired up when Amazon disabled root access in the newest firmware update, but Nook Tablet users have even more reason to be upset. The newest update to Barnes and Noble’s device not only kills root access, but blocks the installation of third-party apps completely.
Before the new 1.4.1 update, users had the option of installing Android APK files with a browser workaround. Despite Barnes and Noble’s changelog indicating 1.4.1 brings only “minor system enhancements,” users are not fooled. Anything that has already been installed on the tablet will remain active, but no new apps can be added for the time being. Without a new root method, shoehorning more apps into the Nook’s closed-down software will be tough.
The update is being pushed automatically to Wi-Fi connected Nooks. Anyone that wants to avoid the update will need to stay off Wi-Fi, or use root access to block updates. Any Nook owners out there a little miffed?
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xxcarrier
December 21, 2011 at 5:43pm
I would consider buying B&N apps if they actually HAD the apps I want, such as Zinio, a video streamer such as PlayOn, and news apps such as BBC. Instead, we have a handful of months-old, warmed-ever Nook Color apps with little else. If they want to sell apps, then at least have some to sell!
But, Barnes and Noble is treating the Nook Tablet as yet another reader -at $50 above Amazon's Kindle Fire.
Fortunately, I downloaded the apps from Amazon that I needed to make the Tablet usable to me, no thanks to the B&N store and many thanks to the Android app store.
If B&N had a decent range of apps -free or paid- then this block would not be as much of an issue, but instead, they chose to block Android apps, which they initially allowed.
I will not recommend the Nook Tablet to anyone until we have the same -albeit limited- accessibility as the initial version had.
xxcarrier
December 22, 2011 at 6:47pm
Update to my own posts: I just called a B&N store and asked for a Nook seller; he was clueless about the upgrade and even suggested to reset to default settings. Clearly, the higher-ups at B&N did not inform their hapless book sellers/computer experts about the effect of this "upgrade."
Since he took my ranting and raving at him well enough, I advised him to search the internet for what to expect.
leo655
December 21, 2011 at 11:37am
The folks that bought these thouught they were getting a deal, instead they got dealt and bad hand. XDA can fix the probelm but how many of the users can actually do the fix? How many times will XDA have to put out a fix?
At some point these will all wind in a bin at the Salvation Army or Goodwill resale stores.
orca11
December 21, 2011 at 7:47am
Got one for my wife for Christmas... I'll be taking it back tomorrow and getting a real tablet. No one locks me out of my own @!#$#@ hardware.
Wingzero_x
December 22, 2011 at 7:16am
Acer Iconia 501 isn't that much more, and is pretty sturdy and easy to us. Only thing I hated was the short charging cable. I believe the other issue I had is now a nonissue (that being Netflix not working due to it not being a specific Android device)
Eoraptor
December 22, 2011 at 11:02am
yeah, except you couldn't get me to use another acer poduct if you paid me for the privledge. when laptop frames literally disintegrate after 2 years? hu-uh, no thanks. I was mildly interested int he iconia laptop foldable, but that was the limit of my concern for Acer
Scatter
December 21, 2011 at 9:11am
And you really weren't expecting this when you bought it?
/shrug
Eoraptor
December 20, 2011 at 7:12pm
between Kindle and Nook, I'd swear someone was making a concerted effort to kill the tablet market in its crib. I mean... can they seriously think that these lockdowns are GOOD business moves on tablets which can surf the web? pretty quickly customers are going to go to a website, see that killer app, say "hey, my nook/fire is an android tablet, right?" try to get it, and hit the wall.
then again, this is what happens when you try to copy Apple.
Eoraptor
December 21, 2011 at 12:10pm
the walled garden approach "you WILL buy your apps only from us, and you will NOT have hardware level control over your own bought and paid for device" just like iPad.
xxcarrier
December 21, 2011 at 7:35pm
Then, B&N needs to also copy Apple by actually having apps to sell in the first place.
I'd buy B&N apps if they had more than the months-old Nook Color apps to sell. Instead, B&N blocks off apps and refuses to make any of their own apps.
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