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Hi all,
I'm contemplating getting a nook but I have a few questions first.
When rooted, what exactly is the nook capable of? Aside from angry birds, that is. Can I use it as a doc editor/viewer? Will I be able to track down an app to make it like like the notepad on the ipad (the one were you can write things directly on the screen with a stylsu)? Or something similar, for taking notes.
How does the ereader work? I was curious about how the B&N stuff works on it, specifically the function where you can read books for an hour in the stores with it. Is this an app or something that works throught the browser, that detects the in-store wifi?
That said, I'm most likely going to get one. I just want to make sure it fits my needs and doesn't break my grad-student budget.
Oh, one last thing: does it read comics/graphic novels?
Thanks!
-- Grey
Well it has the market enabled so you can load any app that you want.
You can use it to edit and view documents if you load an app with that ability. (Documents to Go?)
I loaded aldiko for reading books but you should be able to continue using the B&N reader.
Can't answer the question about 1 hour of reading in store.
XDA app, K9 email, winamp, facebook and Dolphin HD web browser are a few of the handy apps I've loaded.
Thanks for the quick reply!
So, in your opinion, is it worth the price?
I've been checking the various fora; I've learned a lot about the nook. I want to ask are there any, let's say, "game-breaking" bugs? It seems like many minor things, but nothing catastrophic.
Thanks,
-- Grey
If you like to tinker, this is a good tablet for you. If your looking for something that just works, and is simple to setup, then you probably want to look elsewhere.
Its worth whatever price your willing to pay.
Is the hardware good? YES
Is the build quality good? YES
Is it missing features of a full tablet? YES
Its up to you if the things its missing is a deal breaker or not. (dedicated hardware keys,bluetooth,gps,etc...
If you don't like it, you can always return it. Thats the beauty of buying from a local store.
If you root it you will open up a lot of possibilities, such as installing apps from the regular market, side loading apps that you have the apk for, etc. From that perspective it can be quite functional...I have Docs to Go and use it in conjunction with my DropBox.
However you will lose in-store features with root...no special coupons, no in-store reading, etc. I don't know anyone rooted who still kept in-store features.
The one ding I give it is that I can't stand typing on it. It's too big to hold "phone style" and I find it awkward to hunt and peck with one hand. This desperately needs Swype, however so far no go with that.
The Nook does magazines with color/graphics so I don't know why it wouldn't do comic books.
The reading experience on it is good in my opinion, and even better I loaded the Kindle App as well so now I have access to the Nook books AND Kindle books. And the Kindle app was just enhanced to allow magazines/newspapers, and I think you can now annotate, etc.
I would say this...if you are buying it as an ereader with the hopes you can do some tablet stuff on it, you'll love it. If you are buying it as a tablet with the thought you might read on it, maybe not so much.
It is wifi only so if you don't have constant access to wifi you are going to need a phone capable of wifi hotspot (or a mifi)...these features cost more money to activate with your cellular company (unless you have a rooted Android phone in which case there is a fix posted in the forums on how to get wireless tether working).
Again, thanks for the advice.
I just played with one in-store. It seems kinda neat, I would say missing features but there wasn't an employee there to show me how to use it. It's possible I overlooked some stuff.
Is there an sd card slot on the device? I didn't see one on the test nook, but perhaps under the back cover. Can the back cover be removed?
I'm going to keep playing with it to see if I like it. And I'm definitely going to keep reading the fora here and at nookdevs to see how this device evolves over time.
Thanks!
-- Grey
greymalken said:
Again, thanks for the advice.
I just played with one in-store. It seems kinda neat, I would say missing features but there wasn't an employee there to show me how to use it. It's possible I overlooked some stuff.
Is there an sd card slot on the device? I didn't see one on the test nook, but perhaps under the back cover. Can the back cover be removed?
I'm going to keep playing with it to see if I like it. And I'm definitely going to keep reading the fora here and at nookdevs to see how this device evolves over time.
Thanks!
-- Grey
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes SDCARD opening is back - bottom left as you face it...Go online to B&N and download the manuals - lots of good info...BTW, before I rooted it took about 3 hrs to charge - wall only - while B&N states NO usb charging after rooting the USB does charge. Yet takes about 6 hrs now on wall, did not see how long on USB next time I will try that. Not sure if I did something or that is the trade-off of rooting...
IMHO, the best bang-for-the-buck...Android, reads various formats, tons of apps and really can replace laptop for web/e-mail/music/pictures and up to 32GB of storage...Plus I can connect to my phone when not around wifi...
Just bought a NC. Thought about a gtablet, but the complaints about the screen were too hard to ignore.
I plan on surfing the web and reading books about 90% of the time. Watching a flash video on espn.com here and there would be nice, but not essential since I always have a laptop and droid x with me. No interest in playing games or watching movies on it.
Should I just stick with stock or root it? And if rooting is the way to go, will my 2gb class 2 Sandisk microsd card do, or do I need something else?
And is the market nook app the same as the stock reader or worse?
Thanks.
I would root it, do some of the mods....you really will enjoy it.
You can root it and still use all of the stock B&N software. Rooting it will give you full access to the Android market and allow you to install apps such as Dolphin Browser (much better than the stock one IMHO). Alas it still will not have flash support, but B&N is supposed to be adding it in an update before too long.
A two gig card should work fine for rooting your NC just be sure to read all of the instructions and cautions thoroughly.
I would definitely root it. I use my Nook for reading about 90% of the time as well, but rooting definitely improves the functionality aspect of the reading experience, such as being able to read comic books, download library books directly to the device, putting your sideloading books directly on the homescreen, etc.
Not to mention you'll still have full access to all of your BN features.
I assume you mean go with 2.1 for now instead of froyo?
Thanks.
Travels said:
I assume you mean go with 2.1 for now instead of froyo?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, in other words, root the ROM as-is, so you have all of the B&N functionality, plus you can add to it. My wife uses her Nook for Facebook and reading.
I updated to 1.0.1, nooted, installed ADW, Facebook, some misc other stuff. Her softkeys are set up the same way as I suggest to everyone (see signature), ADW is the default launcher WITHIN Softkeys. She hits the button in the status bar to get to the B&N apps, otherwise she launches Facebook or what not from ADW Launcher.
It's simple and works great for her.
Go 2.1. There are fewer caveats and its a tad more stable. You can always go 2.2 after its up to snuff.
Sent from my Droid using XDA App
Go for ooted 2.1, doesn't break B&N reading software and adds lots of features.
And yes to root even a 1 GB sd card would do, autonooter image is like 40 Mb.
You'll be amazed with what you can do with just the plain ROOT
If you only really want to read or surf, the Nook is terrific at those things. However, maybe one of the cheaper tablets would also do well at these? Like Pan Digital Novel, or a Coby or something? Or am I being a crazy person?
Root it! I thought BN interface was painfully slow. Us zeam, launcherpro or adw launchers and then just put the library and shop icons on your home screen. I like that setup much nicer and easier to use.
I use it as a reader about 80% of the time now, and I'm still glad I rooted. It means I can use the Kindle app or the Alkiko app, it means I can customize my homepage much better, it means I can download apps that allow me to transfer files wireless etc.
Just rooted, thanks all
markiejones said:
If you only really want to read or surf, the Nook is terrific at those things. However, maybe one of the cheaper tablets would also do well at these? Like Pan Digital Novel, or a Coby or something? Or am I being a crazy person?
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Click to collapse
@markiejones: lol it seems you are indeed being a crazy person.
the Pandigital novel is pretty much junk. It is low quality materials at a bargain price. Browsing the web or reading is not a very pleasant experience on the device.
The Kobo is another bargain reader. It has no web browsing whatsoever and is limited severely by it's eInk screen in terms of capability, and has a fairly small storage capacity.
Both devices also run on a pretty meager processor, contributing more to their inefficiencies.
You mean people actually buy these things to read with them?
You're probably right, but the second device i was referring to was a Coby Kyros 7015 which is an actual tablet and considered" not bad"
Sent from my Nookcolor
I've just sold my netbook and now i'm buying a tablet.
Here is the best place to ask this because you guys unlock the full potential of the devices, so: should I get an Ipad or a Nook Color?
I have decided for an Ipad 2 long ago because IOS has the best support for medical apps (that I use a lot). For example I have an android phone (Defy) but keep carrying my ipod touch just for the medical apps that simply doesn't exist on Android Market. This week i'm in doubt because someone offered me a new Nook Color for HALF the price of the Ipad 2 32GB Wifi.
I've searched for NC capabilities and now it's running Gingerbread and soon Honeycomb, and it's pretty snappy (same specs of Defy), so now i'm just lost.
So, should I get a Nook Color? What about medical apps, battery life, multimedia capabilities, browser performance?
Thanks in advance!
Sadly I don't think the Nook Color competes with the Ipad2. And I honestly don't know if it's going to have the medical apps you need, being you have a defy shouldn't you know what it does or doesn't have?
The nook color is smaller and easier to use on the go.
With a custom rom (cm7), battery life isn't the best (4-7hrs continuous use).
Browser is very nice with Opera Mobile.
Videos play very nicely on it in my opinion, others are still having trouble with it or care far more for hardware acceleration on 720p videos =\.
The nook color is $250 retail... So if you're getting it for half of what the Ipad 2 is going for (depending on where you're getting it, you're getting it for the same price as retail or ripped off.)
That said, if apps are your thing, IOS has had more time to mature. If customizability and price are your thing, nook color all the way.
But, at the Ipad2 price point a Xoom (wifi) or the Asus EEEtransformer (not out yet) would be a better comparison for price.
Edit: I see you're not based in the U.S, so I understand now that the Ipad 2 or NC could be far more where you live. In that case, you might want to get the Nook Color (apps from ios are continually making their way to android) and just wait for the apps. And just keep using your ipod touch for what's not available yet.
Gin1212 said:
Sadly I don't think the Nook Color competes with the Ipad2. And I honestly don't know if it's going to have the medical apps you need, being you have a defy shouldn't you know what it does or doesn't have?
The nook color is smaller and easier to use on the go.
With a custom rom (cm7), battery life isn't the best (4-7hrs continuous use).
Browser is very nice with Opera Mobile.
Videos play very nicely on it in my opinion, others are still having trouble with it or care far more for hardware acceleration on 720p videos =\.
The nook color is $250 retail... So if you're getting it for half of what the Ipad 2 is going for (depending on where you're getting it, you're getting it for the same price as retail or ripped off.)
That said, if apps are your thing, IOS has had more time to mature. If customizability and price are your thing, nook color all the way.
But, at the Ipad2 price point a Xoom (wifi) or the Asus EEEtransformer (not out yet) would be a better comparison for price.
Edit: I see you're not based in the U.S, so I understand now that the Ipad 2 or NC could be far more where you live. In that case, you might want to get the Nook Color (apps from ios are continually making their way to android) and just wait for the apps. And just keep using your ipod touch for what's not available yet.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the quick answer!
You're right, here in my country the gadgets are MUCH more expensive than in the US, the taxes over these products are over 60%! And the only tablets officially available here are Ipad 1 and GalaxyTab.
And here the Ipad is the gold standard for everything, brazilian magazines and newspapers are released only on Itunes, no Android support here...
But it's good to know that the Nook is getting so neat, coming from a cheap reader to an almost full fledged tablet.
What in the medical field do you do? I have friends in medical school that swear by the iPad and its app, specifically the anatomy ones. I'm about to start and settled on the nook due to my personality. I know the iPad will distract me into another level. While the nook is hacked together enough where it gets my tasks in order and allows me to read PowerPoints but doesn't make me want to play games on it all day long. The fact that it's 300 dollars cheaper and only 7 inches didn't hurt either. The only thing I've been wishing for is Google body.
scl23enn4m3 said:
What in the medical field do you do? I have friends in medical school that swear by the iPad and its app, specifically the anatomy ones. I'm about to start and settled on the nook due to my personality. I know the iPad will distract me into another level. While the nook is hacked together enough where it gets my tasks in order and allows me to read PowerPoints but doesn't make me want to play games on it all day long. The fact that it's 300 dollars cheaper and only 7 inches didn't hurt either. The only thing I've been wishing for is Google body.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a physician, working with primary care/family medicine and applying for residency.
My use for a tablet will be internet browsing, medical apps, ppt viewing, pdf/ebook reading and some music apps in my spare time.
On IOS I use Lexi-comp, skyscape, medcalc and isilo reader.
The iPad is better hardware by far. If you jailbreak it you can do all sorts of good stuff.
The screen on an iPad can be written on with a stylus easily. I love android but apple hardware is sexy.
hirano said:
I'm a physician, working with primary care/family medicine and applying for residency.
My use for a tablet will be internet browsing, medical apps, ppt viewing, pdf/ebook reading and some music apps in my spare time.
On IOS I use Lexi-comp, skyscape, medcalc and isilo reader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
About to start residency do you think you have time to worry about following forums, troubleshooting, doing workarounds, flashing and tinkering? If you think you do, then grab the nook Color. The thing about Android for me is, it's never been set it and forget it. I'm always changing something. To be frank, if you expect to use your device in your profession and not just after hours and not have to worry about it not booting because you overclocked it too high, I'd spring for the iPad. This is coming from someone who can't stand Apple, owns none of their products, and is typing this on a nook Color.
To muddy he waters a bit more, my NC running CM7 is pretty much set it and forget it. Even overwriting with nightlies every few days takes about 10 minutes and I'm back to running my NC perfectly afterwards.
My counterpoint is that if you use a tablet for any document that is rich in illustrations/graphics, the NC's screen and hardware will not cut it. I would suggest an iPad above all else for that reason.
scl23enn4m3 said:
About to start residency do you think you have time to worry about following forums, troubleshooting, doing workarounds, flashing and tinkering? If you think you do, then grab the nook Color. The thing about Android for me is, it's never been set it and forget it. I'm always changing something. To be frank, if you expect to use your device in your profession and not just after hours and not have to worry about it not booting because you overclocked it too high, I'd spring for the iPad. This is coming from someone who can't stand Apple, owns none of their products, and is typing this on a nook Color.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lack of time is an issue for sure, but I love tinkerin with my gadgets.
Are the custom Nook roms stable?
Can it run Froyo, Gingerbread or Honeycomb 100% functional?
Ultimately I want that my gadgets "just work".
lechiffre said:
To muddy he waters a bit more, my NC running CM7 is pretty much set it and forget it. Even overwriting with nightlies every few days takes about 10 minutes and I'm back to running my NC perfectly afterwards.
My counterpoint is that if you use a tablet for any document that is rich in illustrations/graphics, the NC's screen and hardware will not cut it. I would suggest an iPad above all else for that reason.
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Click to collapse
Good to know that Cyanogen is THAT stable on the Nook. And what do you mean by "won't cut it"? The Nook can't handle PDFs or image rich documents in a snappy way?
id say Ipad 2 or Xoom
hirano said:
Good to know that Cyanogen is THAT stable on the Nook. And what do you mean by "won't cut it"? The Nook can't handle PDFs or image rich documents in a snappy way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's correct.
If you're reading epub then NC is the way to go. If you're doing PDFs then you'll definitely want a bigger screen.
The real question is, do you need a tablet right now? and do you mind being locked down to iTunes?
If waiting is an option you might be interested in the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 that's set to come out in June. Stock Honeycomb. No Apple lock-down.
FYI CyanogenMod 7 is perfectly stable and I just used my NC (running CM7 nightlies) for a month-long vacation abroad without issues. On iPad I find typing a chore because the slab is so huge, and you can't travel without fearing an iPad will be crushed or torqued.
I personally find that the 7" screen is far more portable. As far as PDF's go, so long as it's not heavily illustrated (as in the book is just scanned in and is 500mbs, not ocr'ed, etc.) then it will do fine. In fact I love reading on the nook color with Ezpdf reader.
But Ipad has the software right now... In the end though, it's just a big Ipod touch.
Right now and for the foreseeable future (the next 12 months) iOS is the way to go if you need a polished machine for real work. The application library is simply going to blow away anything Android has, not to mention Honeycomb. And because of the Apple "cachet" one would expect that medical and legal applications would find a much larger market on the iPad than any given Andoroid device.
The Nook Color, right now is one of two things:
1) A nice, highly portable e-reader that can surf the web (for those who don't root)
2) A cheap tweakable hobbyist machine for those who want to explore the ponetial of tablets without dropping five bills on an iPad.
I love my Nook Color, but I don't actually expect to get "real work" done on it.
I love my NC. It is just more portable than the ipad or ipad 2. plus the price is much more acceptable to me. However, like other users have said, ios is more mature. I use my NC for lots of things, but some medical applications are currenly available only for ios (for now, many are getting written for android with the increased popularity of android tablets). I have CM7 running off of an sd card and have had no stability issues.
I use docs2go for my doc and pdf files and they seem to render pretty well on it. I have medscape, lexicomp, and epocrates on my nook and they run quite well (medscape and epocrates are free). On my android phone i have some skyscape applications (skyscape is one of the best sources for medical texts in my opinion). Look at skyscape.com for their selection. They are not cheap, but they are very thorough and can find may of the texts that you will be required to have are in full version on that site. They also make apps for ios.
dsf3g said:
2) A cheap tweakable hobbyist machine for those who want to explore the ponetial of tablets without dropping five bills on an iPad.
I love my Nook Color, but I don't actually expect to get "real work" done on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No offense, but perhaps you need to give you NC another shot. Frankly, aside from updating CM as they com out with better builds (which takes 10 min, and is nothing more than an update like in Windows, which does not destroy anything), i haven't tweaked in some time. But what i DO use it for, is checking mail while out of the office, looking up things online, reading and editing work documents anywhere (thank you Quick Office), having fun with it when i need some R&R, and having quick access to both my calendar and gmail.
Why you don't think you can get "real work" done on it is beyond me...
I think the samsung gtab will be 350 for work only if your not interested in bn reader for magazines
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
mjb413 said:
I love my NC. It is just more portable than the ipad or ipad 2. plus the price is much more acceptable to me. However, like other users have said, ios is more mature. I use my NC for lots of things, but some medical applications are currenly available only for ios (for now, many are getting written for android with the increased popularity of android tablets). I have CM7 running off of an sd card and have had no stability issues.
I use docs2go for my doc and pdf files and they seem to render pretty well on it. I have medscape, lexicomp, and epocrates on my nook and they run quite well (medscape and epocrates are free). On my android phone i have some skyscape applications (skyscape is one of the best sources for medical texts in my opinion). Look at skyscape.com for their selection. They are not cheap, but they are very thorough and can find may of the texts that you will be required to have are in full version on that site. They also make apps for ios.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like you're doing with your nook all the things that I want to do.
I have tried medscape, isilo and pdf reading (repligo) on my Android phone that is fairly similar to the Nook Color (Defy, 800mhz, 512MB ram) and the performance and usability are quite good.
hirano said:
On IOS I use Lexi-comp, skyscape, medcalc and isilo reader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All of those apps are in the android market most of the better medical content providers have made their products available on both iOS and android. Medscape took a long time to get there
The Nook isn't as good as the iPad for reading PDFs and powerpoints however, mostly due to the smaller screen. This is esp. true for documents with two or more columns.
If money is a concern, you may be better off looking for a cheap 10" android tablet or a first generation iPad. If money is NOT a concern, I don't think you'll be unhappy with an iPad 2
What specific applications do you need?
If you don't need proprietary reference materials, then android has everything you need. I use Epocrates and some medical calculators, and hit Wikipedia if I want to refresh my memory on something. UpToDate is always an option for more in-depth reading.
For documents, I recommend converting all of your old material to text format, and using any of the myriad notepad apps on android. Or you could use Google Docs.
The NC is very stable, even with a modded ROM. I use rooted stock - it does everything I need and is trivially easy to do. I keep Froyo, CM7, and Honeycomb on SD cards to play with. The stickies may installing these ROMs quite easy. You can always install onto an SD card, in order to keep the NC itself stock.
The main disadvantage to the NC is the 7" form factor, which is also its main advantage. I played with an iPad in the store, and it is sooo much more cumbersome to hold than the NC. However, even if you wanted the larger screen, I would strongly consider an android 10" tablet.
I searched the forums for this, but I never found any straightforward (or in plain and simple English) answers that helped me. I don't know how to root or how to mod my devices or even some of the terminology. I also know that some of you might laugh at me for my lack of knowledge, but I get that anyway for how I walk sometimes (I have MS) LOL.
I just bought a New Nook Color today (yay for me!). I have a Samsung Epic 4g. I used an app called Application backup that gets all of the APK files into a zip file on the SD card. I have a 16gb SD card. I transferred my info from my 16 GB card to another 16 GB card via my computer. I put the 2nd SD card into my Nook and the Nook did not recognize any of the Apps from my phone. I figured that since they are both running Froyo, that it would work. What did I do wrong?
Also, I figured that since I upgraded the Nook to B&N's new Froyo, that I would be able to get onto the Android Market, not just B&N's somewhat crappy App store. How can I access the Market from my new Nook Color?
Also, can I run Google Voice and make calls from my new Nook? Just wondering, it's not necessary, but I would like to at least text message from it, if possible. Also, can I really get that Playon app and play Netflix and Hulu content as well? That would be amazing!
Thank you in advance for taking the time to help this big ol' dummy!
There's plenty of easy to follow guides about how to root, flash custom ROMs, etc all over this part of the forum, just gotta go looking. You'll need root to watch the Netflix app on your NC, same with getting the market.
There's an easier way to install the apps on your NC. Just download the Appbrain app on both NC and your phone, then you can see the list of apps on your phone and install them on your NC as well.
I've got a rooted NC with phiremod installed, so I can't tell you how to access the market on any unrooted device. Hope someone else can help you with that.
holgalee said:
There's an easier way to install the apps on your NC. Just download the Appbrain app on both NC and your phone, then you can see the list of apps on your phone and install them on your NC as well.
I've got a rooted NC with phiremod installed, so I can't tell you how to access the market on any unrooted device. Hope someone else can help you with that.
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Click to collapse
A completely stock NC can't access the marketplace.
OP, look for the "manual nooter" thread, probably in the Dev subforum. Nootering is the closest to stock you can be and use the non-B&N marketplace.
so i just got a gtab and was playing around with it. got a custom mod on there(vegan 5.1.1, love it) and my mom saw me saying "is that an ipad?". told her no, showed her some of the features and she suggested we get something like that for my grandma. without knowing really much about the nook color at all i do know this would probably be a better option for her than an ipad or gtablet.
just wondering if there are stable enough roms out there where i could do everything at once when i buy it and kind of show her how to navigate websites, email, watch videos, etc(pretty much basic computing, shes old lol) over a weekend when shes here(she lives 6 hours away and coming to visit next week)? because once she leaves i won't be able to update or help her troubleshoot it till like Christmas.
nuttybardude said:
so i just got a gtab and was playing around with it. got a custom mod on there(vegan 5.1.1, love it) and my mom saw me saying "is that an ipad?". told her no, showed her some of the features and she suggested we get something like that for my grandma. without knowing really much about the nook color at all i do know this would probably be a better option for her than an ipad or gtablet.
just wondering if there are stable enough roms out there where i could do everything at once when i buy it and kind of show her how to navigate websites, email, watch videos, etc(pretty much basic computing, shes old lol) over a weekend when shes here(she lives 6 hours away and coming to visit next week)? because once she leaves i won't be able to update or help her troubleshoot it till like Christmas.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This might be better in its own thread if you want more replies, but I can tell you my own experience with customized tech devies as gifts to people who aren't tech savvy and can't or have no interest in learning. Never works out well, for me.
If your grandma likes to keep up with and learn about the latest gear, or if she's interested in starting, a rooted or moded NC would be good. But if she's not, you need a device you can set up for her once and have it run without need for updates or maintenance for a long period of time. Something she can just use. In that case the extra expense is worth it.
Also, a screen larger than the NC's would probably be easier for her, depending on her sight.
Nora D said:
Also, a screen larger than the NC's would probably be easier for her, depending on her sight.
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Click to collapse
This is a very good point. I thought about getting a tablet for my dad, and the same considerations occurred to me. If your grandmother is using it primarily to read books, then the small screen isn't as much of an issue, since the fonts can be sized up in the reader app without much detrimental effect. But scaling up a large font in the web browser will likely make the web browsing experience painful, since many websites are so tightly formatted. "Zoom in and pan around" is a horrible way to use the web... Also, the smaller the screen is, the finer the motor control necessary to operate the touch screen controls, which may be another issue for an older person.
I came to the conclusion that a 7-inch tablet just isn't going to be very useful for an elderly person, and the Nook has enough little quirks when used as a tablet that it would likely be a frustrating experience for a non-techie person.
I really would not recommend CM7 NC or even rooted stock NC for an elderly person or technologically illiterate person for a couple of reasons:
1. The default UI is nowhere near as non-techy-user-friendly as iOS (I'm OS-agnostic, hate proprietary software, but hey, it's true) and there's no locking down of features (admin mode vs limited user, etc) to prevent someone accidentally damaging the install or removing something they shouldn't. Maybe you could find a heavily modded theme to be friendlier.
2. The screen is, at 7", perfect for me as a reader but my (elderly) mother complained about the small screen size (needing much bigger fonts). You can fix that somewhat by (obviously) using bigger fonts in CM7 and also by editing the lcd density, but the latter can cause issues with some apps. It's not exactly difficult to fudge fingering through the menus and opening apps by accident, or just mistyping because of the smaller keyboard.
I told my mother, who was liking my (CM7) Nook despite complaining about eye strain and fingering issues, that she was probably better off spending $100 more on the upcoming 9.7" Amazon tablet this fall if she could wait. While it's probably going to be as locked down as the iPad to begin with, I won't have to worry about bugs in nightlies (or even stables, e.g., no deep sleep in pre-.32 releases) or whether or not she'll accidentally break some app etc. While it sucks to be limited to 1 ereader store (technically), if Amazon allows generic ereader apps like Bluefire or Aldiko she could still have access to epubs from competing stores if she needed it. If it ends up being rootable to allow 3rd-party apps and Google Android Market then it's a win-win with a polished, user-friendly modded android OS from Amazon.
I'm not bashing the Nook or CM7 - I love mine and I love being able to tweak and experiment with it, but it's not something that a non-techy would be able to tread fearlessly in -- look how many threads here are posted with people being lost about doing a basic SD CM7 install or following one of the step-by-step rooting guides.
Responding to the grandma tangent, I think everyone is underestimating the appeal of the stock Nook Color for people who don't know what they're doing. There are plenty of non-tech-savvy people over at mobileread (well, tech savvy enough to post on a forum, but otherwise...) who are thrilled with their stock NCs. Three-million-plus of these things have sold, and most of those people are not rooting them or putting on custom ROMs.
Someone familiar with Android devices who goes into it expecting an Android device might find it limiting, but for someone with no clue, the fact that it only does a few things is a pro, not a con.
Skunkeye said:
But scaling up a large font in the web browser will likely make the web browsing experience painful, since many websites are so tightly formatted. "Zoom in and pan around" is a horrible way to use the web...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't remember just how the NC stock browser works, but most Android browsers are smarter than that. Often a double-tap on a column of text will get it centered at a manageable size, and if not you can zoom to the desired text size and double-tap again to reflow it just like a book. Whenever I come to an article of more than a few paragraphs on my PC, I stop and pick up the NC for a more comfortable reading experience (or send the link to the NC for later, depending on what I'm doing).
I don't think anyone is underestimating the stock Nook Color for what it is. But the original question was about "stable ROMs" and the comparison of the Nook vs. a full Android tablet or iPad. I'd have no problem giving almost anyone a Nook Color if it was left as an unrooted, stock device (because tech support would then be B&N's problem!), with the understanding that it was going to be used as intended: as an excellent e-reader that happens to do a little bit of internet stuff sort of passably well.
But if you're talking about putting Cyanogen or something on the thing and sending it to grandma's house six hours away and hoping for everything to go smoothly (which was, I think, nuttybardudes's intent), I think that's very likely to end up in frustration for everyone involved.
Agreed. I'm saying he's overthinking it--just buying a NC and handing it to her (well, maybe helping her register it) may be his best option. .
I currently have an ASUS Transformer Tablet running Honeycomb 3.2. My wife is interested in the Nook for reading, magazines, etc.
I think there is a Nook app for android as well. Can anyone help me decide if it's worth it to buy her the Nook, or not?
What does the nook have or not have that a full honeycomb tablet has?
What does the Nook app for android have/not have that the Nook may have?
Pro's/Con's for each way?
Not looking to Root the nook either to put full android on it, unless its easy and pretty much harmless.
Thanks for the help all!
p.s., how to i add my signature? i cant find it anywhere!
I have had both (returned the tf101 due to a hw bug - not a fault of the transformers design, just a normal qa bug). The current nooo application now has everything. Even magazines, which I remember being absent when I triedthe nook android app a while ago.
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk
pros: $250.00 cons: $350.00
to edit your signature, just go into private messages
dandunn98 said:
I currently have an ASUS Transformer Tablet running Honeycomb 3.2. My wife is interested in the Nook for reading, magazines, etc.
I think there is a Nook app for android as well. Can anyone help me decide if it's worth it to buy her the Nook, or not?
What does the nook have or not have that a full honeycomb tablet has?
What does the Nook app for android have/not have that the Nook may have?
Pro's/Con's for each way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The stock nook reader can do the children's books (lots of animation and "read to me"), the Android app can't. Otherwise, for grownups, they're pretty much equivalent.
The Nook doesn't have a phone, cell network, camera, microphone, video out, or bluetooth with reasonable range. These are some of the reasons that the price is so good.
When you run CM7, it does have host-mode USB (albeit a little hacky at the moment).
Not looking to Root the nook either to put full android on it, unless its easy and pretty much harmless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Booting CM7 off the SD is absolutely harmless, and very easy the third or fourth time you do it...
If the goal is to end up with a device that is good for reading books the Nook Color is a great solution. You might want to root it, very easy, and leave it running the stock OS. That will open up the NC to running apps and getting to the standard Market, but leaves the unit with the reader centric interface. I have mine this way and prefer that to a generic Android experience such as CM7. I usually prefer the bigger screen of the Transformer to the NC for general tasks like web browsing.
so what in lieu of the missing hardware (camera, gps, etc), what software limitations is on the stock nook color? Can you install apps from android market?
dandunn98 said:
p.s., how to i add my signature? i cant find it anywhere!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
couldn't find the signature under private messages
dandunn98 said:
so what in lieu of the missing hardware (camera, gps, etc), what software limitations is on the stock nook color? Can you install apps from android market?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock is crap IMO. Its only good if your just going to be reading books. Cm7 makes this thing the best tablet for your money. It is crazy easy to install and you get the full android tablet experience for less than half the price of the big boys. Yes it is missing a camera and GPS but why would you ever need that on a tablet?
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk
And there is no market access on stock unless you root it.
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk
I have both and each has its place in my tablet world. I like the portability of the Nook and its gorgeous screen. The Transformer screen is equally impressive looking. Would highly recommend CM7 for Nook as others have suggested. When I need to use an app like Google Goggles, or other apps that use camera/video capabilities, the Transformer is the obvious choice and is quite capable. I have not yet had success with USB camera or headset with Nook but still have hope thanks to the devs continuing work. I have used GPS with both (using bluetooth GPS on the Nook). I use the Transformer as my "cell phone" now with my 3G mifi device (using the GrooVeIP app). I believe your household would enjoy having both.
With the nook app you have access to a lot less magazines because of liscense agreements. On the stock nook you have access to all magazine subscriptions like GQ and Vanity Fair.
Sent from my NookColor using XDA Premium App
soo much good info so far. i'll have to investigate this CM7. don't know much about it at all
I also have both Transformer and Nook.
They each have their place. I almost always have the rooted nook with me. Keep in mind that you can find refurbs for $180 to $200.
Also, when you root to a sd card, you don't change the underlying software in the main memory of the nook. If you have a problem with your nook, just pull the sd card out and reboot it to stock.
Once rooted, you can add the software reader from Kindle and Sony. This means you can comparative shop to find the book you want. When it is stock, you can only buy from BN or borrow from your library.
advocate2 said:
I also have both Transformer and Nook.
They each have their place. I almost always have the rooted nook with me. Keep in mind that you can find refurbs for $180 to $200.
Also, when you root to a sd card, you don't change the underlying software in the main memory of the nook. If you have a problem with your nook, just pull the sd card out and reboot it to stock.
Once rooted, you can add the software reader from Kindle and Sony. This means you can comparative shop to find the book you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This all sounds great, and i like the SD card root you guys are talking about. I haven't rooted an android device before so it's new to me, and i know theres TONS of posts regarding it as well. I have jailbroken iphones/ipod touches so i know the concept of it all.
With root, can you obtain paid programs at no charge, like jailbreaks?
dandunn98 said:
With root, can you obtain paid programs at no charge, like jailbreaks?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please don't go there.
Rodney
rhester72 said:
Please don't go there.
Rodney
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
understood. I'm all for giving credit to people for apps, and all. I just enjoy testing them before buying.
With the cost of most android programs being low, there should never be a reason to look at pirated software. The software development we have today is a testiment to the hard work of many talented developers who would not continue if their work was not appreciated.
The Nook color , like most any tablet/reader device, should be considered for purchase based on filling a specific need. For reading, I have not found another device that provides anything close to the experience of the nook. For less than $250.00, you have a color screen that rivals tablets costing 2-3 times the nook. The fact that the nook boots from an sd card allows you to have a full android experience while retaining the stock nook reader.
For those wishing to expand the stock nook, cm7 provides a rich android experience with multimedia and the (almost) entire android market for apps. The market is now "device aware" and will only allow download of apps compatable with the device.
As for USB use, I am using a logitech bluetooth keyboard to type this message and use USB host mode to connect my digital camera to the nook to transfer photos directly for better viewing.
If you require all the functions of a full tablet (camera, GPS, ect:.) The nook might not be for you but if it is a secondary device that you can use to enrich your life with it's many capabilities, you will not find a better value on the market.
I'll get off my soapbox now and let you get on with that nook purchase.
Sent from my Wonderful Nook Color using Tapatalk
dandunn98 said:
With root, can you obtain paid programs at no charge, like jailbreaks?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you mean to "sideload" apps then yes
A few weeks ago Staples had a coupon for $100 off all tables, including the Asus Transformer. This week Target is giving a $100 gift card to anyone who purchases an Acer Iconia (effectively making the price $299). For just $50 more than the cost of a new Nook Color, it's a no-brainer to get the Honeycomb tablet.
Both of the deals mentioned above seem indicative of price drops in the Android tablet market. Anyone who missed out on the above deals, just wait, and you'll see more like them.