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Hi I have been trying to decide if I should by this myself by reading reviews and such but, I plan on rooting the device and installing different launchers and apps and I realize this completely changes the nature of the beast. If you could answer a few questions for me it would be greatly appreciated.
1. How fast/laggy is it. If I install launcherpro will it still work well.
2. How difficult is it to get movies encoded for it and how do they look.
3. Has anyone tried installing news apps for android (NY Times, BBC,CNN ext.) Also is netlix possible?
Thank you
1. I tried Launcher Pro, ADW, and Zeal and there is no lag in any of them. I did settle on Zeal for now.
2. I have about 10 movies that I had encoded originally for my evo and they all play great! Just the simple settings in handbrake will work fine.
3. I have USA Today on there now as well as the engadget program and both work great. Haven't tried netflix, don't have a account.
S300M said:
Hi I have been trying to decide if I should by this myself by reading reviews and such but, I plan on rooting the device and installing different launchers and apps and I realize this completely changes the nature of the beast. If you could answer a few questions for me it would be greatly appreciated.
1. How fast/laggy is it. If I install launcherpro will it still work well.
2. How difficult is it to get movies encoded for it and how do they look.
3. Has anyone tried installing news apps for android (NY Times, BBC,CNN ext.) Also is netlix possible?
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks m8 thats actually a lot of helps a lot. IDK if netflix will work because of all the copyright and DRM but everything else sounds like good news to me. Now if only some could figure out how to get this thing to accept Adhoc networks from my cell phone that eould be great. If anybody else has something to add fell free to go right on ahead.
I actually tried Zeal and didnt like it. I had to put a bunch of icons down in the doc bar to get the doc launcher (the button with all the dots) in the middle where I like it....unless I missed something and dont know how to do it.
I have a huge library of HD (720p BD rips) and SD (DVD rips) movies and TV shows in AVI and MKV containers, will I be able to stream these video files within my home network? (without transcoding)
I'm glad there was already a post for this because I didn't want to create a new thread for it. I was one of the elocity a7 preorders who just had their orders cancelled. (all of us did, elocity insists it's a system error-I call BS) Anyhow i'm trying to decide between the nook color and the gtablet. I really wanted a tegra, but I really wanted a 7 inch device. I know they're not really the same thing, and maybe shouldn't be compared- but can anyone offer some insight as to which they personally prefer? Thanks.
OMG don't get the viewsonic G Tab... I had it for 1 day and had to take it back. Absolutely the worst screen I have ever seen on a device. The worst viewing angles. The nook color is wayyyyy better in my honest opinion and is really fast enough.
xwint3rxmut3x said:
I'm glad there was already a post for this because I didn't want to create a new thread for it. I was one of the elocity a7 preorders who just had their orders cancelled. (all of us did, elocity insists it's a system error-I call BS) Anyhow i'm trying to decide between the nook color and the gtablet. I really wanted a tegra, but I really wanted a 7 inch device. I know they're not really the same thing, and maybe shouldn't be compared- but can anyone offer some insight as to which they personally prefer? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, cool. Thanks alot. I really wanted a tegra...but the NC is the form factor I wanted, and I read nothing but great things about the screen. Just wanted to hear from other geeks whether or not i'm going to end up making a huge performance sacrifice or not.
I had a gtablet too and it really was the worst, even rooted and running a special tegra kernel. The nook is amazing and nearly the perfect tablet for me.
If you are asking yourself this question and seriously considering getting a nookColor, keep in mind that B&N has a deal that ends Sunday if you buy $100 in gift certificates you will get $10 back in gift cards (that are activated the day after christmas). I took advantage of this and bought $300 and got $30 in gift cards back which I'm going to use toward accessories (easel case I'm [email protected]). You may want to double check with your store but the manager at the store I went to allowed me to do this (after reading through the 'terms and conditions' on the website he said there was nothing that said it couldn't be done)
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/gift-card/index.asp?cds2Pid=32280
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/help/help_cds2.asp?PID=32063&popupclose=0
The terms say the gift card has to be bought on b&n.com, but the manager said the promotion was running in-store too so it didn't matter.
So the nookcolor, rooted, is a pretty decent slate/tablet?
I want the nookcolor mainly as a tablet: surfing the web, reading reddit, loading .pdf's of books/medical journals/textbooks to read and study from.
I was originally waiting for the archos 101 for $300.....but it seems like it's never going to come out.
The other thing is, since the nookcolor's screen is made for reading, will there be less eye-strain than with other tablets ( ipad,gtablet,archos 101?)
noodles12 said:
So the nookcolor, rooted, is a pretty decent slate/tablet?
I want the nookcolor mainly as a tablet: surfing the web, reading reddit, loading .pdf's of books/medical journals/textbooks to read and study from.
I was originally waiting for the archos 101 for $300.....but it seems like it's never going to come out.
The other thing is, since the nookcolor's screen is made for reading, will there be less eye-strain than with other tablets ( ipad,gtablet,archos 101?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was wondering this exact same thing, how does this fare as a cheap tablet?
I've done plenty of tweaking and modding with my nexus one so I'm no noob there - is this the deal of the century for someone like me? From what I've seen with a new launcher this thing turns into a serious galaxy tab competitor.
If anyone has any negatives they'd like to list please let me know - I'll probably be buying one of these in a few days.
We are two peas in a pod my friend.
The archos is only $50 more with HDMI,usb ,and a stand. But isn't available yet.
But if the NC screen is better for long-term reading....... who knows.
aaahhh.
Hi everyone, I am seriously considering buying a Nook Color as I really like it's design (something important for me), and want a Tablet device. And at 250$ it sounds like a really good deal. (The Archos 101 here in Greece costs 330 euro -> 440$, so the Nook is considerably cheaper)
My main usage will be: Reading pdfs and watching some .ppt files (I am a senior electrical & computer engineer student and want the Nook for studying), some Web Browsing, and if it is able for some MSN messaging..
Also, I wanted to ask you if it is capable of doing something:
Let's say you are reading a .pdf on your Nook. Is it possible to "handwrite" anything on the .pdf, like you are writing on a piece of paper, and save the file? That would be extremely helpful when studying.
Is there any application that does this?
Thank you very much for your time and help.
noodles12 said:
So the nookcolor, rooted, is a pretty decent slate/tablet?
I want the nookcolor mainly as a tablet: surfing the web, reading reddit, loading .pdf's of books/medical journals/textbooks to read and study from.
I was originally waiting for the archos 101 for $300.....but it seems like it's never going to come out.
The other thing is, since the nookcolor's screen is made for reading, will there be less eye-strain than with other tablets ( ipad,gtablet,archos 101?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
darx said:
I was wondering this exact same thing, how does this fare as a cheap tablet?
I've done plenty of tweaking and modding with my nexus one so I'm no noob there - is this the deal of the century for someone like me? From what I've seen with a new launcher this thing turns into a serious galaxy tab competitor.
If anyone has any negatives they'd like to list please let me know - I'll probably be buying one of these in a few days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
noodles12 said:
We are two peas in a pod my friend. The archos is only $50 more with HDMI,usb ,and a stand. But isn't available yet. But if the NC screen is better for long-term reading....... who knows. aaahhh.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While the NC supplier (B&N and it's mfg'er) have a limited track record, the record of Archos is pretty clear ... roll out products that target the 'latest trend' with software that is usually not ready and move on to the next latest thing within a very short time leaving a trail of unsupported devices. If you can live with buying a new thing from Archos every 9-12 mos and knowing support will be GONE after that then go for it.
As said the Nook may not turn out better, but it can't be worse. It has an up-to-date system now, larger memory, better viewing for it's primary mission. (A70 just getting 2.2 and who know what bugs with it; A101 still not available, what does THAT tell you?)
If you want an android multimedia device then the Archos family may be a way to go, but evaluate it against multimedia devices since that is Archos' focus (assuming they have one), not reading and/or tablet functions.
Probably most people on this thread have reading as a primary, tablet second and entertainment third. The screen is really great, pdf reading is real good other than the swipe down instead of swipe sideways, with the Dolphin browser, root, su, multitouch what's not to like? ... did I mention the screen is great?
Thank you for the very helpful info zdrifter.
Could you also answer this?
I wanted to ask you if it is capable of doing something:
Let's say you are reading a .pdf on your Nook. Is it possible to "handwrite" anything on the .pdf, like you are writing on a piece of paper, and save the file? That would be extremely helpful when studying.
Is there any application that does this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And something very important: Barnes & Noble doesn't ship NookColor internationally. Which eshop would you suggest so I can buy NC and the send it to me here in Greece? amazon.com perhpas? Is there another good eshop maybe?
Thank you for your time.
thereddog said:
I have a huge library of HD (720p BD rips) and SD (DVD rips) movies and TV shows in AVI and MKV containers, will I be able to stream these video files within my home network? (without transcoding)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can anyone answer this for me? Streaming from a Windows PC, of course.
thereddog said:
Can anyone answer this for me? Streaming from a Windows PC, of course.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is this possible on your phone? I'm asking to verify if you want to know if the hardware is capable or if you're looking for an android app that enables you to do it.
Babis_ECE said:
<snip>Also, I wanted to ask you if it is capable of doing something:
Let's say you are reading a .pdf on your Nook. Is it possible to "handwrite" anything on the .pdf, like you are writing on a piece of paper, and save the file? That would be extremely helpful when studying.
Is there any application that does this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Babis_ECE said:
Thank you for the very helpful info zdrifter.<snip>Barnes & Noble doesn't ship NookColor internationally. Which eshop would you suggest so I can buy NC and the send it to me here in Greece? amazon.com perhaps? Is there another good eshop maybe?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't know of any android apps that allow document editing, however if I wanted to annotate a pdf doc, I would put it in my Calibre library, convert it to ePub, load it on the NookColor and annotate away ... .. Calibre is a free program and VERY useful for ereading.
As for foreign sales, don't know a thing ...
Did you read the post from gtablet? There is a wifi suplicant file. I don't have a nook yet but will root and post.
Sent from my Tazz Vanilla using XDA App
I'm considering buying a Nook Color, and I want to hear from those who have bought one and rooted it.
Tell us your stories of cool things your Nook Color does and how you use it from day to day. Convince us that the Nook color is worth buying, especially for the low cost. Also, tell us what the Nook Color didn't do well. Mention specific apps that worked well on the Nook if possible.
TheGeek007 said:
I'm considering buying a Nook Color, and I want to hear from those who have bought one and rooted it.
Tell us your stories of cool things your Nook Color does and how you use it from day to day. Convince us that the Nook color is worth buying, especially for the low cost. Also, tell us what the Nook Color didn't do well. Mention specific apps that worked well on the Nook if possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have used froyo, and Honeycomb on mine... so ill touch lightly on that.
I originally rooted my Nook because, I hated looking at the home screen. I wouldn't mind it if I could add my own books... but that limit annoyed me, since it would cost more than the device to make it look nice.
Anyways I was quite excited to see what I can do, something like Quickoffice HD (ink app). Works amazingly well, I was editing a power point on it... and I had full control over everything. It worked really well, I could see all the slides on the side. It really was a great app to play with, perhaps not to make it, but completely possible to if I had to.
I have been using the pure widgets, and they help a lot with School and keeping life in check. Since I dont need to swap screens to look into it... It looks really nice, and works very well.
Email apps sorta suck... Using the Gmail or the "Email" app it feels lack luster. Its enough to work... but not enough to make you feel like its better than a phone. Mail'd works well, but HTML emails crash it, and theres a lot of loading and buttons dont appear on it.
Movies, and Google maps... Help a lot with looking for something to do. If you have wifi you can get a general location. Its not enough to be very helpful (unless you know the area) but it really is helpful. If you were to use this feature in bulk there would be more enough enough space to see everything.
Youtube, and Pocketcloud... Both work really well, nothing above the top here, but enough to make them viable.
Browser is nice, it loads quite nice. You can get a nice view of screen, and all of that. Not a ton to say here, but completely possible to post on a site on the go.
Games, I dont have a ton of them, but they're far easier to control on the bigger screen. I tried angry birds on my phone and feels too small. On the nook or a nook size device... its very good.
Overall... Theres not a lot that my phone can do, that my Nook cant. A lot of apps are either part of the overlay, but as a whole you can get a lot out of the nook. If you dont mind using exact programs, you will be set. Things like the messenger I use, required wifi off (for whatever reason). So I had to find another, things like this are quite common.
Till honeycomb comes around, which made the nook feel less like a big phone... Tablets are not going to be amazingly above a phone either. With something like the nook, you're getting a really good E-Reader, which can do the rest. If you want some reading, think of it as a cost split.
50% = Good E-Reader
50% = Tablet
A small E-Reader app is nice, but the Nookcolor one looks very professional and sleek.
I bought mine specifically to root, and for one reason: the ability to carry technical documents, and to be able to edit them. Since then, I've found the NC strengths to be the above, plus simple web browsing, calendar/appointments, gmail, RSS, and News feeds. The major drawbacks, IMO, are screen sensitivity on the right hand side and the lack of hardware keys (although Button Savior or softkeys are mostly adequate). Also, some apps can't be used if a popup box is required for setting options; the background and foreground text are displayed in the same color so you just get a blank screen.
Some Good Apps: Google Reader, Documents to Go, HanDBase, Jorte, ColorNote, Evernote, Widgetsoid 2.x, Repligo, Weatherbug
As you can tell, my NC is set up for "business" use...
I ordered the nook before I knew that it can be easily rooted. Now I 'm running froyo from the sd and it's really fast and stable. I 'm still using it primarily to read e-books but it's nice to have a fully functioning tablet around.
I have 3.0 running on it, and it's quite stable. I'm loving this. It's far better than the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and for a fraction of the price. The screen is much nicer and it seems to run faster.
I would like to overclock this in 3.0, but I'm running into some major stability problems. I found this link saying it should work just fine, but I'm not having luck. When I looked at the "official" thread here, it says that it's causing issues and they're trying to fix it. Does anyone know if that's still the case? I found the article on addictive tips dot com.
Anywho, I got rid of my EVO a couple months ago as I simply couldn't justify the large bill every month. For less than 2 months of my cell phone bill, I can buy a Nook Color and get better functionality (easier for presentations with a client, and the larger screen makes it quite easy to navigate and use apps). I'd jump onboard. It can only get better, and it's already pretty freakin amazing.
One app make it entirely worth it... OverDrive. Free ebooks and audiobooks from your local library. Love it.
As a straight reader, I would use my nook a few times a week when I had spare time to read. As a rooted Android tablet, I use it daily and LOVE it. In places were I have wifi - which is around 80-85% of the time, I use it instead of my phone.
Most used apps: K9Mail, Facebook, Twitter, Engadets, XDA, Aldiko, WeatherBug, reading news and playing games like Angry Birds, MathDuko, Tomeno HD. I use Zeam and Softkeys for launcher and back/home buttons. I watch movies occasionall converted with HandBrake.
Missing - hardware home/back button - though Softkeys does a pretty good job. I agree that the screen sensitivity in the corners can get frustrating.
I wish I could more easily tether it to my cell phone. I'd either have to upgrade my phone or try to root my HTC Eris. I could live with messing up my nook but not my phone.
horsemom said:
As a straight reader, I would use my nook a few times a week when I had spare time to read. As a rooted Android tablet, I use it daily and LOVE it. In places were I have wifi - which is around 80-85% of the time, I use it instead of my phone.
Most used apps: K9Mail, Facebook, Twitter, Engadets, XDA, Aldiko, WeatherBug, reading news and playing games like Angry Birds, MathDuko, Tomeno HD. I use Zeam and Softkeys for launcher and back/home buttons. I watch movies occasionall converted with HandBrake.
Missing - hardware home/back button - though Softkeys does a pretty good job. I agree that the screen sensitivity in the corners can get frustrating.
I wish I could more easily tether it to my cell phone. I'd either have to upgrade my phone or try to root my HTC Eris. I could live with messing up my nook but not my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooted my Eris just fine. Running a CM7 Gingerbread ROM and works great!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=945324
Thanks to everyone who shared their Nook Color stories!
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Got the chance to play with the blackberry playbook and this thing is amazingly fast almost as fast as ipad2. Multitasking is mind boggling i tried running 4 hd videos simultaneously and never had a single hickup. I love the interface a lot better than an ipad and android. Hulu works in the browser as its a full web browsing experience. The lcd screen is as good as the ipad if not better as the color is more saturated the only downside is the fewer apps available. The dual core texas instrument 1ghz processor with parallel multitasking does makes the difference its so much fun to use.
mywingtophone said:
Got the chance to play with the blackberry playbook and this thing is amazingly fast almost as fast as ipad2. Multitasking is mind boggling i tried running 4 hd videos simultaneously and never had a single hickup. I love the interface a lot better than an ipad and android. Hulu works in the browser as its a full web browsing experience. The lcd screen is as good as the ipad if not better as the color is more saturated the only downside is the fewer apps available. The dual core texas instrument 1ghz processor with parallel multitasking does makes the difference its so much fun to use.
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Curious, how does one run 4 HD videos at once?
Seems okay but still think I will opt out for the ipad2 just cause its more well put together tablet and it just works. Like the fact you will be able to run some android apps on it, don't like the fact that you MUST have an blackberry(with the bb data plan) to fully use the tablet at times.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
Hotshot205 said:
Seems okay but still think I will opt out for the ipad2 just cause its more well put together tablet and it just works. Like the fact you will be able to run some android apps on it, don't like the fact that you MUST have an blackberry(with the bb data plan) to fully use the tablet at times.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
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I got the first gen iPad but the lack of full web functionality turned me off after a while. Not being able to view... practically half of the internet because of the lack of flash was a big thing for me. That and the fact that, while it's a great machine and great for what it does, it's kind of limited in what all it can really do.
iOS is boring; to me anyway. And after the initial magic and shine wore off... there was really nothing interesting to do with the device.
Yeah I think I am on the same boat. Ios is very limited. Looking into getting the playbook this weekend.
the camera video quality is awesome
Good,good,good
Indeed it is... Can't wait to get my hands on mine.
If anyone is looking for a tower defense game with a twist I suggest checking out Lonely Turret for the Blackberry Playbook (I know the dev ). I've tried the game out on a simulator and became addicted quickly - looking forward to trying it out on the actual playbook myself. But definitely give it a look if you have a playbook and want a good game.
Intesting. I had only heard bad things about the device until now. I wonder if they'll backpedal on the whole "you need a BB phone" fiasco. It really makes no ****ing sense.
CptAJ said:
Intesting. I had only heard bad things about the device until now. I wonder if they'll backpedal on the whole "you need a BB phone" fiasco. It really makes no ****ing sense.
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I don't think they'll quite go back on it; doing so would look bad for the company and show Co dimers a big feature they worked hard on just to To can in the end.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA Premium App
So, coming from Blackberry World and posting from my Playbook, RIM has definitively said the Bridge requirement will be gone by mid June. The standalone PIM apps were demo'd multiple times. And, of course, a Sprint LTE version is coming then as well.
No specific date on the Android player yet, although it was demo'd live as well. The Android apps that were shown were brought over without assistance from the original devs and no source required. It's just a repackage of the apk.
This hardware is fantastic and QNX is blazing fast.
Yeah I really like the look of this tablet. Also all of the things that are flaws with it atm, seem to be getting ironed out by RIM soon. The intuitive way RIM have even done the controls for the Android player are awesome. The only thing I'd say is they could have brought it out in a 7" and 10" model just for choice as if you're really looking for compact, you could pickup the 7" but if you're looking at buying it for the media aspect you could just buy the 10". But it's RIM's first tablet so I can see why they only brought out the one size... Now to start saving.
Oh yeah I'm also wondering how RIM are going to handle the updating of Android apps. It would be cool if there was a program made that would convert the apk's to what ever file type is needed for the QNX OS.
Oh and of course, what hacking (if any) is going to be like. All to look forward to.
Sorry for the delayed response
A 10" version is planned. Expect it before the end of the calendar year.
Also, the .bar file format on the Playbook is not much different from a .apk file. It is just a compressed file with some metadata. All the developer has to do is unzip and rezip their current release essentially. I am sure there is a tool in the SDK for developers to rezip their app.
I would imagine it won't be long before an after the fact tool is available to users so they can take an apk from their phone and turn it into a bar file.
purplebear said:
A 10" version is planned. Expect it before the end of the calendar year.
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Do you know when QNX will be showing up on the smartphones ? I heard OS 7 will be mixed with it ( QNX ).
The Playbook definitely looks tempting, too bad you can't get it here in Australia plus the lack of a 10 incher now means I'm looking for a transformer
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Tempted but hav a xoom n nook plus kindle 2
purplebear said:
So, coming from Blackberry World and posting from my Playbook, RIM has definitively said the Bridge requirement will be gone by mid June. The standalone PIM apps were demo'd multiple times. And, of course, a Sprint LTE version is coming then as well.
No specific date on the Android player yet, although it was demo'd live as well. The Android apps that were shown were brought over without assistance from the original devs and no source required. It's just a repackage of the apk.
This hardware is fantastic and QNX is blazing fast.
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Well that's really good to hear. The sadly I haven't had any time to spend with the tablet itself but from what I have seen it looks like a great product.
The next time I'm around a best buy ill definitely drop by and take a look.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA Premium App
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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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.
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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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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...
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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. .