Database Develop

[Q] So, how long will we have root?

I'm considering buying a Nook Color, but I have a few concerns.
1. Is the root software-patchable? I've been living in the iPhone Jailbreaking scene lately, and none of the terms (bootrom, userland, etc.) seem to apply here, so I'm having a hard time figuring out if we'll end up unrooted.
2. If B&N does patch the root, can we still load applications? I'm very confused about the correlation between root access and sideloading. Are they one in the same at this point?
3. Again, assuming B&N patches the root, will it be rooted again? I don't want to be stuck with a device that can't run 3rd party applications.
Thanks

root will be reverted with an update, whether or not the update will still allow the current root method to work is up in the air they would have to change how the system sets boot priority which may not be as feasible as one would think depending on the way they plan for updates to work and such (but i havnt looked into this)
root is the only way to sideload apps so when an update comes you'll loose the ability to sideload whether or not your apps that are installed is debatable most of the time an update doesn't wipe the data partition but since this isn't an android phone and data is strictly stored in the data partition who knows
when/if root is fixed it would happen again most likely i don't know of any android device that wasn't re-rooted after an update especially if the smart folks that got root in the first place can find a way to flash roms that arnt singed by B&N

I'm pretty sure that we can just disable automatic updates first and there are already successes at installing stock froyo for example.
/mr

A better question is "When will the new hardware revision that locks down the current root method come?"
Buy a dart set and a calendar.

I think pokey9000 mentioned that the unit will always boot off of SD card if installed and bootable, before the units ROM - This means you will always have some method of fixing any issue. Don't quote me, but I think he also said only thing B&N can really do is make it annoying... (something along the lines).
-CC

EugeneKay said:
A better question is "When will the new hardware revision that locks down the current root method come?"
Buy a dart set and a calendar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, what "new" hardware that locks down the current root? That I am aware of this was only an issue with the Original Nook and does not apply to the Nook Color...
-CC

mrintegrity said:
I'm pretty sure that we can just disable automatic updates first and there are already successes at installing stock froyo for example.
/mr
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At the moment nobody knows how OTA's are applied and which system application is responsible for them. So currently we cannot disable automatic updates... I've been playing around with the data partition for quite some time now to figure it out from various database files, and it seems like the device manager application does the updating as FOTA (firmware over the air) entries exist in that app's DB.
There is a setting that is currently at "auto" and I changed it to "manual". Whether this actually has any effect on a possible future upgrade remains to be seen though.

clockcycle said:
Sorry, what "new" hardware that locks down the current root? That I am aware of this was only an issue with the Original Nook and does not apply to the Nook Color...
-CC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The inevitable hardware revision change that will not boot from the SD by default, or introduces some sort of checksum requiring a signed image in order to boot from the SD.

Question is, does B&N really care that much whether or not we have root access ? I wonder what the total percentage of sold NC's are "rooted". It might not even be worth it for them to hassle with.

stwallman said:
Question is, does B&N really care that much whether or not we have root access ? I wonder what the total percentage of sold NC's are "rooted". It might not even be worth it for them to hassle with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And it seems like B&N is pretty chill about it anyways. They have the SD card boot before ROM for Christ's sake haha

heads up: i got word the update is coming very soon. fixes some wifi issues and who knows what else.

cabbieBot said:
heads up: i got word the update is coming very soon. fixes some wifi issues and who knows what else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who'd you hear that from? Or is it don't ask don't tell?

As a Series 2 Tivo user I can speak of this "enhancement."
Series 2 DVRs produced after a certain date used a new EPROM, which had a factory default on it so that if the power went out everything in the linux OS, which was not in the original kernel was wiped clean!
And of course this EPROM was soldered to the motherboard. There was a side industry of a few very good solderers who you could ship your Tivo unit to and they would remove the EPROM, install a socket and then there were modified EPROMS out there which allowed you to install things like telnet, ftp, etc.
Personally, I never tried it, but knew some who did.
later,
Robert
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clockcycle said:
Sorry, what "new" hardware that locks down the current root? That I am aware of this was only an issue with the Original Nook and does not apply to the Nook Color...
-CC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Robertjm said:
As a Series 2 Tivo user I can speak of this "enhancement."
Series 2 DVRs produced after a certain date used a new EPROM, which had a factory default on it so that if the power went out everything in the linux OS, which was not in the original kernel was wiped clean!
And of course this EPROM was soldered to the motherboard. There was a side industry of a few very good solderers who you could ship your Tivo unit to and they would remove the EPROM, install a socket and then there were modified EPROMS out there which allowed you to install things like telnet, ftp, etc.
Personally, I never tried it, but knew some who did.
later,
Robert
-----------------------------------------
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Click to collapse
Sounds like a lot of extra work, testing, etc. to implement something like this for a $ 250 eReader. Can't see B&N going to all that hassle. As long as they are at least breaking even on the NC (which I'm sure they are), they probably don't care that much about nooters.

It's a business decision, really.
1) If they think they're losing money because of the root, then they'll try to shut it down. The hardware isn't losing them money I think, it just doesn't make any money, so people who buy it only to root and never buy from B&N probably aren't costing them any money. It's just that if no one buys books and magazines from, B&N, they'll get worried.
2) Or, B&N might not care. The more people using the Nookcolor, the more word gets around, the more people use the NC, maybe some of them will even buy content from B&N.
Or they might a take a middle path and try to lock it down, but then not worry too much about people rooting it again.

I don't think B&N is to concerned as they release the source code for the device.

Ypocaramel said:
It's a business decision, really.
1) If they think they're losing money because of the root, then they'll try to shut it down. The hardware isn't losing them money I think, it just doesn't make any money, so people who buy it only to root and never buy from B&N probably aren't costing them any money. It's just that if no one buys books and magazines from, B&N, they'll get worried.
2) Or, B&N might not care. The more people using the Nookcolor, the more word gets around, the more people use the NC, maybe some of them will even buy content from B&N.
Or they might a take a middle path and try to lock it down, but then not worry too much about people rooting it again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would say it is almost null.
Even if we load kindle, there isnt much from kindle which I cant get from B&N. Even if the free books are more common there, google books (which even noted nook in the ad's...) had many of the same free books as kindle, and B&N has many classics for free themself. Also kindle app cant beat out the actual E-Reader functions that the nook has (atleast in my opinion)
Its clear that a lot of the root concept matches their plans. With the appstore coming its clear that they wanted to make the nook more than an E-Reader... Also with that no matter how poor next to the root many will just complain for a nook version over risking it to hack. If anything it will be buzz and is easy marketing for them.

I think there is one more reason that B&N will leave rooting alone. Even if rooters never buy a book from B&N, the volume of units sold tends to keep the cost down. For B&N, this is just a window of opportunity until more solid, Google-supported Android tablets become ubiquitous. Volume sold will be key for B&N remaining in the market for single purpose eReaders against Amazon. Moreover, if B&N has any aspirations of staying in the tablet market, the rooters are key early adopters.
If I were them, I would quietly support the rooter community. Any improvements they choose to adopt can be freely taken back by them with Open Source. One senior level engineer tracking the community will find ample opportunity to recover stuff to improve B&N's product. That could really help B&N to compete.

If they leave it alone it might actually GAIN them some sales from people like me(and other hackers) that wanted a tablet but didn't want to drop $600 or be stuck with a contract. When I found out the NC could be rooted and apps could be loaded and I bought one the same day. It's just an added bonus that this is also a nice e-reader as I was looking for one of those as well. I got both things I wanted for $249. Maybe they made it easy to root because they WANTED the word to get out that its pretty easy to root(which makes it like a tablet) to boost sales for people like us

Withfeeling said:
I think there is one more reason that B&N will leave rooting alone. Even if rooters never buy a book from B&N, the volume of units sold tends to keep the cost down. For B&N, this is just a window of opportunity until more solid, Google-supported Android tablets become ubiquitous. Volume sold will be key for B&N remaining in the market for single purpose eReaders against Amazon. Moreover, if B&N has any aspirations of staying in the tablet market, the rooters are key early adopters.
If I were them, I would quietly support the rooter community. Any improvements they choose to adopt can be freely taken back by them with Open Source. One senior level engineer tracking the community will find ample opportunity to recover stuff to improve B&N's product. That could really help B&N to compete.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont mean to sound like an ass, but we would be trend setters =P not early adopters

share your experiances with the nc

i was mislead so im gonna go back and double check at BB to see if what i remember is right or my mind played a trick on me
share your experiances you have had

I rooted mine two hours after buying it, and it's slowly replacing my laptop for web surfing, last.FM, etc
I've wiped mine a few times due to issues i've created tinkering with it....but I love it just the same
Sent from my Nook Color using Tapatalk

As soon as I can get RDP or VNC to work it will replace my laptop when I'm on the move. It is very capable for a tablet.

i just wish it had 3g not every place has free wifi

I used mine about 2 hours total to make sure it was working, then I updated it to 1.0.1, Auto-Nooted it, and have been installing apps and playing with it since. Not a single problem so far except for one which hopefully will get resolved sometime.. I really love my Delicious Bookmarks app, but it requires going into the Accounts and Settings and adding an account, can't do that right now.
I haven't tried the B&N Store or Lend Me since rooting, per http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=873975 <--this thread
Otherwise zero problems, it's working great. I'm using FBReader to read my epubs like I always have. The Softkeys are slightly quirky but I'm getting used to them... and like seems to be totally normal on dual-storage devices, some apps aren't looking in the place I'd expect them to, such as WallSwitch (automatically switch wallpapers) is looking in /system/media and not /sdcard or such like I'd expect it to.. I might wind up pushing my pictures there /system has 160M free, no biggie
EDIT: After running the built-in B&N Gallery app, it seems like it spawned a media search and WallSwitch now shows my Backgrounds folder. Yay.

I have had a very good experience with mine so far- problems, glitches, I have minorly screwed it up a few times.
So far I have not screwed it up totally but I will feel much better when we have a full Recovery.
What I like:
The hardware itself, quality and capability seems quite good. Screen is excellent, especially for such a cheap device. WiFi works well- better signal strength than some expensive laptops I have used.
The mod community for rooting and doing so much excellent work already, and hopefully even greater things to come.
What I don't like:
The crippled version of 2.1 B&N has installed.
The lack of GPS and Bluetooth
the lack of portrait mode in B&Ns included software (eReader and many other sections.)
I knew there were many limitations for the stock NC when I ordered mine so I really am not complaining. I don't even mind the lack of cell service since it is pretty easy to connect to an adhoc wifi tether.
The only reason I considered an NC is because they had been rooted a few days before I ordered.
The whole experience is very familiar to me- I first got a Moto Droid shortly after they were first rooted and spent quite a while happily trying many things - and using recovery often.
It is my fervent hope that the devs are as successful with the NC as they were with the original Droid.
Even as the NC is as I type this it is a very good value and tablet.
If we are lucky, it will be a great one soon.

I bought mine solely for the purpose of reading with the added bonus of web surfing and the occasional movie while on the go. I got mine in November before the root and didn't realize there wasn't flash support until I got it home and started playing, went to youtube and got the crummy "mobile" version where the video looked horrible and audio was out of sync. I stumbled across XDA while looking for some kind of a flash hack and rooted after a week of debating whether I should. I'm glad I did.
Thanks to the root, the NC has gone from mundane to a very worth-while device. I love all the stuff I can do thanks to the app support. The youtube app and Dolphin HD alone make it worth rooting.

I was saying in another thread that I had gotten the NC primarily as a reading device, I love periodicals and the NC is pretty good for those. I was on the fence about getting it for a while, the fact that it could be rooted sealed the deal.
I wound up having to exchange my first NC (thankfully the factory reset went very smoothly) due to serious screen flicker issues when the device was set at a mid-level brightness. My second one is much better, though I can still detect a tiny bit of visual flicker under certain lighting conditions.. not a deal-breaker tho.
Couple issues that I've come across :
1. I screwed up the driver install on my PC the first time I tried it, didn't have the INI file in the right place and couldn't side-load anything on to my NC or access it as a storage device. Totally my fault for botching that one. Second try worked fine.
2. My YouTube app no longer launches, it just flicks on for a sec and goes back to the desktop. Probably need to re-install it.
3. Some memory issues when using ACV (comic viewer) to view CBR files. Frequent issues loading pages from the archive files. No issues at all if I extract the images to folders first and load that way, though so it's all good for my comic reading
4. Some apps that I wanted to download like SwitchPro Widgets don't show up in the market for me. Have to side-load them (which stinks since I paid for it and won't be able to get updates directly from the market).
I haven't had the stones to attempt installing the new market app. The old one works well and I'm not a big risk-taker Other than that, the NC is the little tablet that could! It's a fantastic way to get an Android tablet and very capable e-reading device for an extremely reasonable price.

We have 2 of these at home. It has already replaced my laptop at home, Using it mainly for web surfing and reading. I don't mind too much that it does not have 3g since I use my phone to tether when I am on the go. The screen size is just perfect. I just can't see myself trying to carry around anything larger, I love the portability of this thing. I don't know what Steve Jobs meant by saying that people don't want 7" tablets
The rooting process was simple enough and the only problems I had was youtube not working. I did a command in adb that was posted in another thread for the fix. I don't know about the problems with the lend me feature since I have not tried.
I went to my local best buy and barnes and noble yesterday and they are all sold out of the nook color. The nook color seems successful only being launched a month ago, I would not hesitate in getting one. I am very pleased also with the support that it is getting here on XDA.
My wife's NC is still stock but after I showed her what it can do rooted she is thinking about it. It was her idea in the first place to get these things. I was really looking to get a Galaxy Tab but the NC has satisfied my needs @ only $250. I guess I will spend the money I saved on a new Android phone after CES

wendellc said:
The screen size is just perfect. I just can't see myself trying to carry around anything larger, I love the portability of this thing. I don't know what Steve Jobs meant by saying that people don't want 7" tablets
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he meant was that he doesn't want to sell one, therefore nobody should use them.
And remember, you are talking about the guy who tells people how they are supposed to hold their phones.

I bought one last night fort my wife.rooted it right away and toyed around with for a little bit before bed..
What directory do downloaded files from the internet go to? my evo downloads go to a download folder on sd card but I couldnt find it on the NC. Bash me if you must but give me an answer. TIA

I picked mine up on Black Friday. Had to do some sweet talking... the ones in the store were spoken for already. Well, needless to say I got it, and it's saved my shoulders. Using my 15.6 inch laptop during the 40 min train commute was nice and all but hauling it from car to train, train to office and vice versa wasn't exactly ideal. I'm not a small guy or anything, but HP sure doesn't make things light
So far my NC has been a very worthy companion. It's gotten plenty of looks, comments, oooohhhhs and aaaahhhhhs after I show them Angry Birds and other things. I tether it to my TP2 and I've got internet. I use it in the coffee shops, during lunch to read, at home for a quick browse, at work as a file transfer medium, all in all it has become an indispensable companion. And that's even without BT and Flash. It would be nice if it had a GPS but quite irrelevant really... my TP2 covers that function very nicely. Nedless to say I'm extremely happy with it. One of the best purchases I ever made!

It's great and very encouraging to read all these positive comments about the NC. I have been lurking here since soon after the NC came out and was very happy to hear when it got rooted.
So far I have only played with a stock version in BB, but I'm about 99% sure there is one wrapped and already under the xmas free for me. Thx wifey! Can't wait to officially join the NC group on Xmas day.

AZBrauMeister said:
It's great and very encouraging to read all these positive comments about the NC. I have been lurking here since soon after the NC came out and was very happy to hear when it got rooted.
So far I have only played with a stock version in BB, but I'm about 99% sure there is one wrapped and already under the xmas free for me. Thx wifey! Can't wait to officially join the NC group on Xmas day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your wife will regret the purchase when your attention span is completely on the NC and not her, lol...
Its a sweet device that will only get better form here on out. Once bluetooth, nav, and a nice EQ music app (like powerAmp) are up and running, this device can become a phone companion (for roaming wifi), nettop replacement, and even a capable a carputer - nav, OBD2 reader/code clear app, and audio source (bt calls and music).

norkoastal said:
snip*
Its a sweet device that will only get better form here on out. Once bluetooth, nav, and a nice EQ music app (like powerAmp) are up and running, this device can become a phone companion (for roaming wifi), nettop replacement, and even a capable a carputer - nav, OBD2 reader/code clear app, and audio source (bt calls and music).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How will peripherals be connected? Does the hardware support USB to go, or do you think there is a BT chip onboard but inactive? Because that would be sweet!

CBJamo said:
How will peripherals be connected? Does the hardware support USB to go, or do you think there is a BT chip onboard but inactive? Because that would be sweet!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1a. By BT (once unleashed)
1b. ?? The BT chip is there (multi function chip), but needs some ROM goodness to "enable."

norkoastal said:
1a. By BT (once unleashed)
1b. ?? The BT chip is there (multi function chip), but needs some ROM goodness to "enable."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be fair, the BT **SHOULD** be there, based on the listed specs, but custom hardware for things like this is not uncommon, so i won't dream about BT until we really get it.

wendellc said:
I love the portability of this thing. I don't know what Steve Jobs meant by saying that people don't want 7" tablets
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
RoboRay said:
What he meant was that he doesn't want to sell one, therefore nobody should use them.And remember, you are talking about the guy who tells people how they are supposed to hold their phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I predict that in 2011 Jobs will announce a new breakthrough in Apple engineering, and will release a 7" tablet. At that time he will also rename the two tablets; MINiPAD and MAXiPAD... I'm just sayin'...

Oh you mean the nanopad... I have that already trademarked... Jobs, we know you're lurkin.. Call me up to negotiate leasing rights.
On that note B&N should let XDA release NC2... Nothing but free droid books loaded upon purchase.

Picked mine up last night and the root process went very well. Couldn't be easier -- thanks to all the hard work by the guys here and at NookDev.
I picked up a Galaxy Tab but returned it before I opened it. I just couldn't justify $600 for that device so, while the Tab has a few more features (2.2, GPS, etc.) this is an awesome little tablet for the money.
Couldn't be happier.

[Q] Ready to get a NC next week...I think :)

I think I am ready to make the leap. I've been reading reading and reading some more. I will root it of course. My main objective is to have a tablet-like device, running a droid os. I am priced out of the "real" tablet market. Waiting for a tablet with Honeycomb might cost me 3x what a NC will cost. From what I've gathered on xda, I can make my NC function as a tablet (for the most part).
One of my concerns/questions is - I am actively searching for a job. I need to be able to send out my resume, go to job applications, fill in forms, etc. I have my resume saved as a google document. Will I be able to open and edit my google documents? I am currently running Froyo on my Evo and am able to do so there. It's a huge plus that my Evo can serve as a wifi connection to a NC as well.
Any tips, cons, "be careful of..." tips you care to share would be much appreciated. It appears as though there are two ways to root?

I've used Google Docs on my NC just fine.
Sent from my Nook Color

eyecrispy said:
I've used Google Docs on my NC just fine.
Sent from my Nook Color
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been able to access google docs, but haven't figured out how to edit. Forms haven't been an issue so far.

I believe the only thing the NC lacks is camera and GPS, having said that the the NC is an awesome cheap powerfull tablet. Drop one of those swipe keyboards it would be great for editing documents. When it comes to rooting I would suggest the autonooter for 1.0.1, couldn't be any easier.
Sent from my rooted Nook Color

To slugbug2010:
If you're serious to actually bring Droid 2/X Android 2.2.x (or maybe even AOSP 2.3.x) to NookColor, don't forget to port their "hardware" accelerated 2D/3D drivers and overlay.
Though I suspect it's exactly what CM7 for NC team is struggling with since January 10 (when NC was reported as booting and running CM7).
aludal
----------------------------
fineoils.blogspot.com

slugbug2010 said:
I think I am ready to make the leap. I've been reading reading and reading some more. I will root it of course. My main objective is to have a tablet-like device, running a droid os. I am priced out of the "real" tablet market. Waiting for a tablet with Honeycomb might cost me 3x what a NC will cost. From what I've gathered on xda, I can make my NC function as a tablet (for the most part).
One of my concerns/questions is - I am actively searching for a job. I need to be able to send out my resume, go to job applications, fill in forms, etc. I have my resume saved as a google document. Will I be able to open and edit my google documents? I am currently running Froyo on my Evo and am able to do so there. It's a huge plus that my Evo can serve as a wifi connection to a NC as well.
Any tips, cons, "be careful of..." tips you care to share would be much appreciated. It appears as though there are two ways to root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only tip I can think of, right now, is to either order one now (they're still backordered on BN.com at least from my browser. And most BB's and Wally world's are sold out). Try to find a place local, that has some left.
I take that back. Some of the Walmarts that were showing out of stock back when I got mine are now showing as stocked. Meh.

Dang. My local b&n had tons left. Im sure your local store will have some in stock.

Talk me into getting a Nooc Color

Ok sorry to start another thread but my last one was asking about gameing on the NC so i figured i would start a new one. I would like to get a NC but i need that one last push. One of the things i was reading is aboyt Honeycomb. It is cool to me that you guys have HC running on this thing. I was reading the HC thread and on the last page somebody posted about people not being able to burn to a sd card. This is useing that method correct, it is just some people cant seam to get the burn to go through right.
PS. Just noticed i spelled Nook wrong lol

First of all, are you old enough to be on these forums?
And second, you shouldn't need a push. For $249 it is a steal of a deal, just be aware of it's limitations.
Making a whole new thread about this is completely pointless and just taking up bandwidth.
I am going to also help you with your grammar, because it's incredibly annoying.
If you have a word like "game" and you want to make it into an action by adding "ing" to the end, you drop the "e" ... meaning that it would be spelled "gaming" and not "gameing".

Yes i am old enough to be on these forums. How do you think i would purches a Nook Color otherwise. I said sorry for the new thread in my origanal post. Also i am sorry my grammer is not perfect. XDA seems like a great place but maybe i should take my questions elsewere from now on. Sorry for the waste of bandwith, bad grammer, and the annoyance.

Melrin1 said:
Ok sorry to start another thread but my last one was asking about gameing on the NC so i figured i would start a new one. I would like to get a NC but i need that one last push. One of the things i was reading is aboyt Honeycomb. It is cool to me that you guys have HC running on this thing. I was reading the HC thread and on the last page somebody posted about people not being able to burn to a sd card. This is useing that method correct, it is just some people cant seam to get the burn to go through right.
PS. Just noticed i spelled Nook wrong lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe that Honeycomb is not ready for prime time yet, and that a lot of games will not load on it, at least that is what I am getting from these forums. That said, the Nook Color is a very nice piece of equipment, and I love it simply for all the things it can do, like run Last.fm as well as Pandora for listening to my niche musical tastes. I can read Nook books as well as Kindle books, and there is an app for Google books too. I played with Google Maps, and while the NC does not have GPS, it does present the location to the wireless access point you are using, which is kinda cool. Just connect to a wifi network and it will tell you where you are. I have 1.1.0 rooted (auto-nooter-3.0.0.zip) and the Zeam launcher is pretty cool. I am going to likely move up to Honeycomb as soon as some of the kinks are worked out, which I am sure it will be in time. I am also looking forward to seeing what Barned & Noble will do with it in the future. My one thing I would like to see is the ability to charge from a USB port on my PC or Laptop. Dolphin Mini browser is a good one, and I like it better than the stock browser. I have never owned another tablet, or android phone for that matter. I love that I can carry it in the case I bought for it and it looks like another book, more or less. I have already dropped it 3 or 4 times and it has not suffered one bit from my abuse. So go buy a Nook Color, will ya??
migrax

Your grammer and spelling are pretty bad but I won't pretend to know why. With that said I dont think you should come to a forum like this ask such a question. Its awesome. Do your research and decide for yourself.

Thank you migrax for your post. XDA is great so i will still observe and learn. Maybe one day when i can awnser another persons question with correct grammer and spelling i will.

Having not seen your "other" post, I'll just say that for me, I was looking at eReaders... I could buy a Kindle, and read Kindle books. I could buy a Kobo, and hate myself in the morning... I could buy a Sony eReader, and read Sony eBooks.
Or, I could buy a Color Nook, spend 10 minutes with it and a 1gb microSD card, and use it to read Barnes & Noble books, Kindle Books, Google books, and pretty much any other format that might be out there for Android (including my local library).
... AND I can browse the web, launch a VNC session to my desktop, control my Home theater PC, listen to music, play games, read my email, my calendar, my task list, download files from my desktop over the LAN, log into my work wireless network, take notes, etc....
AND then I can download a version of Froyo to use, or experiment with the newest version of Android OS (I'm a wanna-be developer, and an actual tablet is far superior to the emulator with the SDK-- which is funny, since that's what's been ported to the Nook. I don't recommend HoneyComb for daily use yet), and easily reset the thing to factory default if I need to return it for service.
There are cheaper tablets-- they invariably have resistive screens, and less resolution. There are cheaper eReaders-- but they tend to be restricted to one retailer.
The color nook is hard to match for price, functionality and quality.
I do have a couple complaints-- the buttons rattle, the sd card slot is hard to work with, and it can only be charged by the included cable while plugged into the AC adapter. I'd trade the fast(er) charging for being able to charge with any microUSB connector plugged into a computer.

ufgrat said:
... I'd trade the fast(er) charging for being able to charge with any microUSB connector plugged into a computer.
Click to expand...
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You can. I do this all the time. You just won't see the charge notification on the screen. And when we say slow, we mean SLOW....

With NookieFroyo the charge indicator in the status bar shows charging.

[Q] New Nook owner questions

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. .