Last week, Amazon announced a slew of new Kindle devices, including the all new Ice Cream Sandwich-equipped Kindle Fire HD. A lot of folks are really excited to get their hands on one, but developers and rooters alike may not be too happy when they set their eyes on the new device. It turns out that Amazon locked up the bootloaders of their 2nd-generation Kindle Fires using the same techniques that are used on most “high-security” devices.
The locking technique used is said to be similar to that of the Nook Tablet. However, a slight workaround for that was found when an SD card was used as an alternate bootloader of sorts. However, the Kindle Fire’s lack of an SD card slot could pose as a challenge for developers who want to find workaround. Community discussions are ongoing as we speak about possible ways to circumvent the heavily-locked bootloader.
Let’s hope that these guys eventually do find a workaround, since the new Kindle Fire HDs have the potential of being a wonderful Android tablet once rooting can be set in. The Kindle Fire HD comes in both 7-inch and 8.9-inch flavors. If the high-res displays don’t appeal to you, maybe the $199 price tag will. The Kindle Fire HD 7-inch is already on store shelves, with the 8.9-inch version coming later in November.
Testers and developers are undoubtedly working around the clock to find a workaround for the Kindle Fire HD’s stubborn bootloader, and since the devices will be plagued with advertisements and other nonsense, rooting will only be that much more desired. Then again, the Nexus 7 looks pretty good too.
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[via Phandroid]
