Rooting an android tablet

Discussion in 'Science and Technology' started by TowerPower, Jan 9, 2014.

  1. TowerPower

    TowerPower Commander Red Shirt

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    Nov 22, 2006
    Not sure if this is the appropriate thread for this topic, so a mod can move if need be.

    I bought (and returned) a Klu LT1041-B android tablet from hhgregg. Link here:

    http://www.hhgregg.com/klu-by-curtis-10-4gb-android-4-1-jelly-bean-touchscreen-tablet/item/LT1041

    I am new to Android and ran into a few problems.
    1) The unit has version 4.1 operating system. Can this be upgraded?
    2) Also along with 4.1, it apparently does not allow app installation to the SD card.

    Thus, Google Play store cannot be loaded, and I am unsure if the OS can be upgraded to a version that allows app install to the SD card. The unit only has 4GB memory, so I understand that loads of apps cannot be installed unless the SD card can be used for install. Also being able to upgrade to a newer Android OS is desirable. The company website is not helpful, and my posts over at AndroidForums.com are unanswered.

    I would really appreciate it if anyone has experience in getting this model rooted, or has advice on another unit that is good, and NOT expensive. The Klu has HDMI, miniUSB, USB, and SD access, which is great, but I can't see it being very useful at this point. I don't want to spend several hundred dollars on an expensive unit like the Samsung Galaxy as I don't have the need for a top end unit. Mainly just want to install apps, watch video, etc.

    Can anyone recommend a cheap unit that can use Google Play, and has the connections above with at least 8GB memory, and expandable, and upgradable?

    Thanks.
     
  2. Lindley

    Lindley Moderator with a Soul Premium Member

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    Bonney Lake, WA
    You usually don't install to the sdcard, but apps may use the sdcard to store their data.
     
  3. TowerPower

    TowerPower Commander Red Shirt

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    The latest version of Android, Kit Kat, allows install to the SD card. That can be important if you have only 4GB flash primary memory.
     
  4. Lindley

    Lindley Moderator with a Soul Premium Member

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    I can see how it would be useful.
     
  5. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Location:
    Northern Ontario, Canada
    I originally had bought a Coby Kyros for many of the same reasons and faced the same problems. There were just too many limitations, and after lots of research on my part, found out that my version of the tablet couldn't be rooted. It was a frustrating experience as everything was walled off, with only a grey-market download app with apps that I didn't want to trust, and so I never ended up doing anything with it. Last Christmas, I got a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0+, which was a much better experience. In my opinion, you really get what you pay for when you buy technology like this, especially if a product is not officially supported by the OS manufacturer. That's the problem I ran into.
     
  6. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    Just around the bend.
  7. GalaxyX

    GalaxyX Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Location:
    Canada
    If you have a popular phone it's easier to root than others. I have a Sony Xperia Z Ultra, and I haven't found a procedure I'm confident enough to try without risking bricking my phone.

    Funny enough I wanted to root so I could move shit over to the SD card. If Sony releases Kit Kat soon, my need to root won't be as urgent. Not that it's really urgent now to begin with.
     
  8. Ar-Pharazon

    Ar-Pharazon Admiral Premium Member

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    Far North Chicago Suburbs
    ^ That's probably true. I found tons of help on rooting the Galaxy S4, which I did without any trouble.

    I think you can flash to a different OS on any device, but like rooting, if you mess it up you have a brick.
     
  9. Venardhi

    Venardhi Vice Admiral Admiral

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    The Great Wide Somewhere
    What is your budget exactly? There is a big difference between the selection at $99 and the selection at $199 or 299.
     
  10. TowerPower

    TowerPower Commander Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2006
    Trying a Lenovo S6000 now. Looks nice but can't figure out how to take a screenshot. None of the button combinations seem to work. Guess that function is not in the tablet design. Trying to find an app that takes screenshots on an unrooted device. Any ideas?

    EDIT: figured it out thanks to the Lenovo forum.
    The solution is to press the power button and then immediately press the volume down button. Can't press the volume button first or screenshot will not work. Apparently this is a standard feature of Android 4.2. Thought someone else might need to know.
     
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2014