Nook HD and Nook HD+ drastic price cuts extended!

[DreamWriter]

Barnes & Noble has decided to extend their Father's Day promo pricing on the Nook HD and Nook HD+. The 7-inch Nook HD tablet now starts at $129 (down from $199), and the 9-inch Nook HD+ tablet now starts at $149 (down from $269).

I'm very tempted to buy a Nook HD+ at that price. I know that these tablets now include Google Play, but does anyone know if the Amazon Appstore can be loaded without any modification to the tablet?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by DreamWriter

Barnes & Noble has decided to extend their Father's Day promo pricing on the Nook HD and Nook HD+. The 7-inch Nook HD tablet now starts at $129 (down from $199), and the 9-inch Nook HD+ tablet now starts at $149 (down from $269).

I think "extended" is a euphemism for permanent markdown until sold out

I'm very tempted to buy a Nook HD+ at that price. I know that these tablets now include Google Play, but does anyone know if the Amazon Appstore can be loaded without any modification to the tablet?

It doesn't look like it. Downloading from "unknown sources" has been hidden.

[afv011]

Indeed, this smells of firesale to clear inventory.

[DreamWriter]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I think "extended" is a euphemism for permanent markdown until sold out

Originally Posted by afv011

Indeed, this smells of firesale to clear inventory.

Yes, I think so too. That doesn't bother me, though. Those tablets have nice specs!

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

It doesn't look like it. Downloading from "unknown sources" has been hidden.

That's what I thought, but I wasn't sure. I have a lot of apps from Amazon, so I may need to pass on the Nook HD+ if loading the Amazon Appstore isn't a very simple procedure.

[graycyn]

I don't think you can side load any apps, so no Amazon app store. Not a problem for me, other than a couple games I like that I got as FAOTD. I picked up the Nook HD+ on the Father's Day sale, it's a nice device. Only a few of my regular Google Play apps weren't compatible. I really like the screen size for magazines and web browsing. Yet the weight is not bad at all.

[Rbneader]

For the lower prices, I think these tablets are near the best you can get. Even at the original prices they weren't bad. It's kind of too bad that we're tablet saturated in my house. I'd jump on this otherwise.

I don't know if you can install the Amazon app store out of the box, but rooting my HD+ was actually pretty easy.

You can pay $10 -$20 to have a card and everything set up for you,
OR
Here's the procedure to DIY:

Download files from XDA ( http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=2062613 )
Write to SanDisk class 4 microSD card
Put into tablet
Start tablet up
Root
Restart

It's really very easy. The instructions look a little long, but after I read them a couple times it was pretty straightforward.

[DreamWriter]

Originally Posted by Rbneader

Here's the procedure to DIY:

Download files from XDA ( http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=2062613 )
Write to SanDisk class 4 microSD card
Put into tablet
Start tablet up
Root
Restart

It's really very easy. The instructions look a little long, but after I read them a couple times it was pretty straightforward.

Thanks for the link. I discovered that XDA thread when searching earlier today, but it just confused me even more! Your explanation does makes the procedure sound much less complicated.

[Rbneader]

Originally Posted by DreamWriter

Thanks for the link. I discovered that XDA thread when searching earlier today, but it just confused me even more! Your explanation does makes the procedure sound much less complicated.

Glad to help!

LeapInLar explains a lot of stuff in the thread, so that makes it look longer than it really is. The actual process is pretty simple, s/he just wants to make sure you understand everything and don't have problems. Really, the most complicated part is picking the right files to burn to the SD card, but the filenames are pretty clear.

If you have any more questions, I'm happy to help, or the people at XDA are usually very friendly and glad to answer questions.

[afv011]

Originally Posted by DreamWriter

That's what I thought, but I wasn't sure. I have a lot of apps from Amazon, so I may need to pass on the Nook HD+ if loading the Amazon Appstore isn't a very simple procedure.

You can sideload apps using ADB. Alternatively you can root and toggle the "allow unknown sources".

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Rbneader

LeapInLar explains a lot of stuff in the thread, so that makes it look longer than it really is. The actual process is pretty simple, s/he just wants to make sure you understand everything and don't have problems. Really, the most complicated part is picking the right files to burn to the SD card, but the filenames are pretty clear.

If you have any more questions, I'm happy to help, or the people at XDA are usually very friendly and glad to answer questions.

What about the alleged propensity of these devices to factory reset themselves if they have been modified, especially if they have been rooted?

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by afv011

You can sideload apps using ADB. Alternatively you can root and toggle the "allow unknown sources".

If busybox is installed via ADB without rooting, will (all or any) busybox command work?

[afv011]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

If busybox is installed via ADB without rooting, will (all or any) busybox command work?

As far as I know, to install Busybox you need to root first. Busybox needs to reside in /system/bin or /system/xbin, and you can only write there if you have root access.

[Rbneader]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

What about the alleged propensity of these devices to factory reset themselves if they have been modified, especially if they have been rooted?

I *think* you're talking about getting trapped in a reboot loop that the device factory resets itself to get out of. That's never happened to me. The system will do a forced reboot if something changes in the /system folder. I've had that happen a few times, but I've never had it factory reset on me. Just don't install apps at random and it shouldn't be an issue.

The super-safe way is to root, enable sideloading and whatever else you want, then un-root. Disabling the root access is easy. It follows the exact same process as rooting, only you select the unroot zip instead of the root zip. It's explained in the same thread I linked. That way, no app can make changes to the /system folder and nothing will cause the tablet to reboot. Downside is, you lose root functionality and apps that require root can't run.

[koland]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

It doesn't look like it. Downloading from "unknown sources" has been hidden.

Apparently completely disabled. I can not only NOT load the Appstore (and my apps there, including some unlock keys), I also can't load an app that is direct from a company (so, no controller for my A/V receiver or audio jukebox, for example).

It does have some pluses (and is nice to read books "in store" when at B&N).

[wizzard]

These are great tablets especially at this price. However I hate the proprietary connector so will pass. If it was microUSB I'd be on it in a flash.