Database Develop

[Q] Should I get a Nook Color?

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

Read 90% of time, stock, root to 2.1 or froyo?

Just bought a NC. Thought about a gtablet, but the complaints about the screen were too hard to ignore.
I plan on surfing the web and reading books about 90% of the time. Watching a flash video on espn.com here and there would be nice, but not essential since I always have a laptop and droid x with me. No interest in playing games or watching movies on it.
Should I just stick with stock or root it? And if rooting is the way to go, will my 2gb class 2 Sandisk microsd card do, or do I need something else?
And is the market nook app the same as the stock reader or worse?
Thanks.

I would root it, do some of the mods....you really will enjoy it.

You can root it and still use all of the stock B&N software. Rooting it will give you full access to the Android market and allow you to install apps such as Dolphin Browser (much better than the stock one IMHO). Alas it still will not have flash support, but B&N is supposed to be adding it in an update before too long.
A two gig card should work fine for rooting your NC just be sure to read all of the instructions and cautions thoroughly.

I would definitely root it. I use my Nook for reading about 90% of the time as well, but rooting definitely improves the functionality aspect of the reading experience, such as being able to read comic books, download library books directly to the device, putting your sideloading books directly on the homescreen, etc.
Not to mention you'll still have full access to all of your BN features.

I assume you mean go with 2.1 for now instead of froyo?
Thanks.

Travels said:
I assume you mean go with 2.1 for now instead of froyo?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, in other words, root the ROM as-is, so you have all of the B&N functionality, plus you can add to it. My wife uses her Nook for Facebook and reading.
I updated to 1.0.1, nooted, installed ADW, Facebook, some misc other stuff. Her softkeys are set up the same way as I suggest to everyone (see signature), ADW is the default launcher WITHIN Softkeys. She hits the button in the status bar to get to the B&N apps, otherwise she launches Facebook or what not from ADW Launcher.
It's simple and works great for her.

Go 2.1. There are fewer caveats and its a tad more stable. You can always go 2.2 after its up to snuff.
Sent from my Droid using XDA App

Go for ooted 2.1, doesn't break B&N reading software and adds lots of features.
And yes to root even a 1 GB sd card would do, autonooter image is like 40 Mb.

You'll be amazed with what you can do with just the plain ROOT

If you only really want to read or surf, the Nook is terrific at those things. However, maybe one of the cheaper tablets would also do well at these? Like Pan Digital Novel, or a Coby or something? Or am I being a crazy person?

Root it! I thought BN interface was painfully slow. Us zeam, launcherpro or adw launchers and then just put the library and shop icons on your home screen. I like that setup much nicer and easier to use.

I use it as a reader about 80% of the time now, and I'm still glad I rooted. It means I can use the Kindle app or the Alkiko app, it means I can customize my homepage much better, it means I can download apps that allow me to transfer files wireless etc.

Just rooted, thanks all

markiejones said:
If you only really want to read or surf, the Nook is terrific at those things. However, maybe one of the cheaper tablets would also do well at these? Like Pan Digital Novel, or a Coby or something? Or am I being a crazy person?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@markiejones: lol it seems you are indeed being a crazy person.
the Pandigital novel is pretty much junk. It is low quality materials at a bargain price. Browsing the web or reading is not a very pleasant experience on the device.
The Kobo is another bargain reader. It has no web browsing whatsoever and is limited severely by it's eInk screen in terms of capability, and has a fairly small storage capacity.
Both devices also run on a pretty meager processor, contributing more to their inefficiencies.

You mean people actually buy these things to read with them?

You're probably right, but the second device i was referring to was a Coby Kyros 7015 which is an actual tablet and considered" not bad"
Sent from my Nookcolor

[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...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A completely stock NC can't access the marketplace.
OP, look for the "manual nooter" thread, probably in the Dev subforum. Nootering is the closest to stock you can be and use the non-B&N marketplace.

so i just got a gtab and was playing around with it. got a custom mod on there(vegan 5.1.1, love it) and my mom saw me saying "is that an ipad?". told her no, showed her some of the features and she suggested we get something like that for my grandma. without knowing really much about the nook color at all i do know this would probably be a better option for her than an ipad or gtablet.
just wondering if there are stable enough roms out there where i could do everything at once when i buy it and kind of show her how to navigate websites, email, watch videos, etc(pretty much basic computing, shes old lol) over a weekend when shes here(she lives 6 hours away and coming to visit next week)? because once she leaves i won't be able to update or help her troubleshoot it till like Christmas.

nuttybardude said:
so i just got a gtab and was playing around with it. got a custom mod on there(vegan 5.1.1, love it) and my mom saw me saying "is that an ipad?". told her no, showed her some of the features and she suggested we get something like that for my grandma. without knowing really much about the nook color at all i do know this would probably be a better option for her than an ipad or gtablet.
just wondering if there are stable enough roms out there where i could do everything at once when i buy it and kind of show her how to navigate websites, email, watch videos, etc(pretty much basic computing, shes old lol) over a weekend when shes here(she lives 6 hours away and coming to visit next week)? because once she leaves i won't be able to update or help her troubleshoot it till like Christmas.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This might be better in its own thread if you want more replies, but I can tell you my own experience with customized tech devies as gifts to people who aren't tech savvy and can't or have no interest in learning. Never works out well, for me.
If your grandma likes to keep up with and learn about the latest gear, or if she's interested in starting, a rooted or moded NC would be good. But if she's not, you need a device you can set up for her once and have it run without need for updates or maintenance for a long period of time. Something she can just use. In that case the extra expense is worth it.
Also, a screen larger than the NC's would probably be easier for her, depending on her sight.

Nora D said:
Also, a screen larger than the NC's would probably be easier for her, depending on her sight.
Click to expand...
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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. .