Nook Tablet update blocks users from loading 3rd-party apps
updated 06:40 pm EST, Tue December 20, 2011
Users forced to use Barnes & Noble app store
Barnes & Noble has reportedly closed a loophole that had allowed Nook Tablet owners to load apps from third-party sources. The company has begun circulating a software update, version 1.4.1, that is said to prevent the tablet from loading new apps that haven't been obtained through the official Barnes & Noble app portal, however users report that third-party apps installed before the update arrived remain on the devices.
Like Amazon's Kindle Fire, the Nook Tablet focuses on a separate app store that lacks the selection of Google's Android Market. Both devices also run Android, enabling users to exploit software vulnerabilities to gain root access and avoid the built-in limitations, however the loophole for the Nook Tablet did not require any complicated hacks.
Barnes & Noble has yet to publicly comment on the move. [via eBook Reader Blog]
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Apple's way IS
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