USB Debugging, Screenshots, & Rooting
Amazon doesn't include drivers that support the native Android Debug Bridge for Android's SDK, which means you need to perform a manual modification for Windows to recognize the tablet (a necessary step if you want to take screen shots on it).
- Turn on "Allow Installation of Applications From Unknown Sources" in Kindle Fire
- In Windows, put following device descriptions into the [Google.NTx86] and [Google.NTamd64] sections of extras\google\usb_driverandroid_winusb.inf:
;Kindle Fire
%SingleAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_1949&PID_0006
%CompositeAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_1949&PID_0006&MI_01 - Add 0x1949 into the .android/adb_usb.ini file in the Home directory by using following command from the shell prompt.
In Windows:
echo 0x1949 >> %HOMEPATH%.androidadb_usb.ini
In OS X:
echo "0x1949" >> $HOME/.android/adb_usb.ini
- In Windows: Restart. Plug in the tablet, and when driver installation fails, select "Have Disk" under "Device Manager." Select the driver named "Composite ADB Interface."
Disable Cloud Acceleration for Amazon Silk
- Open up the Web browser on Kindle Fire.
- Click on menu button and go to settings.
- Scroll down and uncheck "Accelerate page loading"
USB Charging
The Kindle Fire will only charge when you plug it into a computer's USB port if it's mounted as a storage device. The tablet will not charge if you are using it.
Install Android Marketplace (Warning: Requires Rooting):Link
Generate APK using Secondary Android Device: Link
APK Download from Our Lab:
- Adobe Flash 11.1 - Download
- Astro 2.1.8 - Download
- Firefox 2.0 - Download
- Meridian 2.1.5 - Download
- mVideoPlayer 2.9.1 - Download
- Skype 2.5 - Download
You must first enable "Allow Installation of Applications From Unknown Sources" to install these APKs. Install Easy Installer from the Amazon Appstore or follow the Backup menu options from Astro for easier app management.
- Meet Amazon's Kindle Fire
- Quick Navigation Tour
- Books And Documents: Not Quite An e-Book Reader...
- Video And Music: Amazon Prime Members Rejoice
- Amazon Appstore Is Not Android Market
- The Shopping Experience: All About Amazon
- Amazon Silk: Assisted Web Browsing (Sort Of)
- Web Browsing: The Same Old Android Restrictions
- TI's OMAP 4430: CPU And GPU Performance
- An Experiment: Gaming Performance, Tegra 2-Porting
- Storage Performance: Slightly Faster Than USB 1.0?!
- Display Performance: IPS Confirmed
- Display Performance Examined: Very Bright, So-So Gamut
- Benchmark Results: Battery Life And Recharge Time
- Benchmark Results: Real-World Performance
- Benchmark Results: Wireless Performance
- Awesome For Amazon Addicts
- Appendix A: Background Information On Our Benchmarks
- Appendix B: Notes For Kindle Fire Owners




Ummm.... what?
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com
Ummm.... what?
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com
Just give him the 6990, the poor fellow just wants to play BF3.
Ever heard of bots? There're tons of those on Tom's nowadays.
A GPU of a 560 Ti level maxes it out @ 1080p, no need for a 6990.
Back to topic...
ROFL, and who needs a tablet without all that? That's right, Amazon fanboys. That company is an utter POS that is not unlike Apple, designing underpowered useless products and delivering them as "innovative". The only "innovative" thing here is a complete dependency on the company's online services... oops, nevermind, Apple did it first
And do not say "ya, but you can root it!!!". That's nice, people can jailbreak their iPads. You cannot include rooting and jailbreaking when you talk about something being open
The Fire doesn't have either of those things. Not going to work. You should check out the specs of the Fire first.
Oh yeah? You bought a Fire?
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com
This article is a big fail.. they should have included it to compare.
Just sayin...
You can say the same thing with the Ipad and the Itunes store. Except for the fact that Amazon isn't making money with just selling the Kindle Fire alone.
Still though I like both the Ipad and Kindle Fire.
Also, I want to elaborate on the GPU. The OMAP 4430's SGX540 runs at 300MHz, not 200MHz, so those figures are a little misleading.
It seems like a good product from Amazon, but for my expected use, it isn't sufficient. I mainly use my iPod touch to read comics in JPEG format, so not being able to install many apps + having limited space really hurts.
Glad you liked it! Most of the time I cringe when the table discussion turns to tablets. A lot of tech reviewers aren't even really technies. They come from a Communication background, which is why the Fire is always pitted in a iPad 2 fight. Plus, the investors want the Apple fight cause they only see things in terms of units sold.
The engineers and consumers want a comparison based on features and usability. And the executives and PR people want a comparison based on demographics.
The truth lies somewhere in the middle. For me, this tablet is very attractive, but then again, I like amazon. If you're not part of that crowd, it's a harder purchase to justify in the long run.
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com