I wrote about the Android app TouchDown by NitroDesk as an ‘App I Can’t Live Without’, so naturally when I got my Kindle Fire, one of the first things I did was load up TouchDown from the Amazon Appstore for Android to configure my work email account.
The problem came when I went to switch from a ‘trial’ to licensed mode. On any other Android device I would simply download the TouchDown License from my ‘purchased apps’ on the Android Market. But, since there is no access to the Android Market, I couldn’t do that on the Fire. Further, when I asked the developers, they said that different terms and conditions and contractual details between markets means that my Android Market version is no good on the Fire – I had to pay $9.99 again! In this case it was a no brainer – I like the Fire enough to keep it for a while, and when I label an app as a ‘system seller’ you can be SURE I will be willing to pay $10 to keep it available!
Add to this the word that the Nook Tablet is limited to 1GB on-board storage for non-B&N content, and that it might be non-hackable, and you have a very ‘caveat laden’ new set of tablets vying for the consumer space this holiday season.
We knew these things were full of compromises – but with each passing day we learn of more and more compromises!
What do you think? Does any of this stuff concern you or put you off buying one of these for the holidays?