So the others day I made the plunge from an ipad to the Nook Color. So far im pretty impressed, being the huge gadget junkie that I am. With that being said of course I have a few complaints.
1. Android tablets lack polish. Things on the ipad that just worked seem to require solutions on the nook. I do understand that I'm using a hacked device so i take that into consideration but playing decent quality youtube should be a know brainer
2. The speaker is bad. I know this is intended to be an ebook reader but my kindle is louder, no excuse.
On to the stuff I love.
1. 7" is the perfect size for a tablet, apple should take note.
2. The keyboard is amazing and it will allow you to add words to the built in dictionary. Apple clearly dropped the ball on this.
3. The screen is great, nice and crisp. It's been a joy to read on.
4. The potential, I've grown sick of waiting on apple to add simple features. Android is a blessing. I'm looking forward to new roms and froyo in the near future.
Sent from my Nook Color using XDA App
I agree the 7" is perfect size for a tab. Walkin around with a 10" tab looks retarded.
Missing #5 You saved a boatload of money by choosing Geico (NC)
I have a 10 inch iPad and a 4 inch Galaxy S Vibrant phone. And now a 7 inch Nook Color that fills the gap inbetween.
My list of issues with the Nook.
1. Slower.
Browsing the web, market place, and some other apps feels much slower on the NC than the iPad, even slower than my Vibrant. This is rooted with Dolphin HD. It's acceptable, but wish it could be quicker. And I expect Android 2.2 will help alot (I'm using a custom Android 2.2 ROM on my Vibrant).
2. Screen is tacky.
The screen feels rough or tacky. It's not very smooth at all. Makes pinching and scrolling a little more awkward than it should be. Wish it was smoother, I suppose it will get a little smoother over time. But I don't think it'll ever feel as smooth as the iPad or Vibrant did out of the box. I guess this is some coating on the phone to make reading easier? I might have to try out a screen shield to see if they can offer a smoother finger gliding experience.
3. Battery life.
Battery life is very poor compared to the iPad (probably average for an Android device). With the iPad I never even think about the battery, I always have plenty. But with my Android phone and NookColor, battery is a constant worry and I need to keep the charger on hand.
This items are both good and bad at the same time.
1. Heavy/Sturdy.
It's heavier than I expected. I read it's heavier than the Galaxy Tab and Archos 70. However it also has a very solid sturdy feeling.
2. Ugly/Comfortable.
The bevel is ugly, mostly because of that hideous loop at the bottom. Also that loop makes accessing the microSD slot more difficult than it should be. Also not a fan of the rounded raised bevel around the screen. However the rounded edges and the rubber back do make it comfortable to hold.
What I like about the Nook over the iPad.
1. It's Android.
I'm not an Apple fan. I've really tried my best to avoid buying any Apple products because I don't like the walled garden, locked down, controlling nature of Apple products. Having an Android tablet means I have much greater freedom to what I want with the OS and apps. I imagine there will be some nice custom ROMs I'll be able to install on the Nook some day that will improve the speed issues I have now and add a lot more features.
2. Screen looks great.
While I don't like the feel of the screen, I do love how it looks. It's definitely not better than the iPad, however it's one of the best on an Android tablet. I imagine only the Galaxy Tab equals or betters it. Looks good from any angle.
3. Price.
I think the iPad is a very quality piece of hardware with very polished software and certainly worth the $500 I spent. But the Nook Color is probably even more impressive for what you get at half the price.
Having owned an ipad until last week and currently own two android devices (captivate and nookcolor)
Here are my observations
-Book apps are not that far from each other but the children books score a big thumbs up for nookcolor (not really important for me since i don't have any kids)
-Magazine apps on ipad are much better laid out and more fluid than magazines on nookcolor (ie. car and driver). Also it's currently free on ipad whereas nookcolor requires subscription
-In general, better selection of apps for ipad than nook (nook doesn't have apps and lack of scalable andoird apps for big screens really shows). Ipad has been out for a while and hopefully with the numerous tablet sized android devices flooding the market will rectify this issue
Here is one thing that nookcolor really outshines ipad.
multitasking, multitasking, multitasking
When the apps are parked in the task manager, most apps will restart when you try to access them again. I've also experienced issues with resource management on ipad trying to open PDF documents (1~2MBs in size) even when i had less than five app running (or inactively running) in task manager.
Overall i'm enjoying the form factor of nookcolor for everyday usage and hope that 2.2/2.3 release will bring some more performance to the device. Device isn't slow by any mean and nook ui may deceive consumers as being sluggish but rooted and running adw for launcher makes the device fly.
Okay so playing video kind of sucks and the youtube app doesn't play hd. Just a thought
Sent from my nook color using XDA App
As far as the screen goes, it is better than the ipad for viewing. From my understanding there are 3 layers to the screen to give it good viewing angles and better viewing for reading. The resolution is also great, similar to ipad but on a smaller screen and better pixel density. Better than the Galaxy Tab resolution.
I have a matte screen protector on mine that I purchased from ebay and it makes the screen really smooth and not the sticky feel you get from stock screen. Although, I heard that it does smooth out over time.
Multitasking is great on the NC compared to Ipad and probably due to the 512 vs 256 ram on the memory. The ipad is slicker looking but you also pay more. Speed wise, all we need is a custom kernel and I am sure we can get this thing 1 or 1.2ghz. And the custom ROM with optimization will make this a lot more fluid.
I love the portability with 7" screen and it is heavier than Galaxy tab but feels sturdier.
wendellc said:
The resolution is also great, similar to ipad but on a smaller screen and better pixel density. Better than the Galaxy Tab resolution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The NOOK and the Galaxy Tab has the same screen resolution, I have both if them. However the Tab seems to scale its interface making every app slightly larger, making them have less usable space. I prefere the NOOKs unscaled interface.
Sent from my NOOK Color using XDA App
Tacky Screen
For those complaining about the screen being tacky, I noticed that myself initially (compared to my Droid X). However, it now no longer seems tacky, so either my fingers have worn off from playing with it LOL, or it comes with some sort of initial coating that wears off with use.
jaydon34 said:
So the others day I made the plunge from an ipad to the Nook Color. So far im pretty impressed, being the huge gadget junkie that I am. With that being said of course I have a few complaints.
1. Android tablets lack polish. Things on the ipad that just worked seem to require solutions on the nook. I do understand that I'm using a hacked device so i take that into consideration but playing decent quality youtube should be a know brainer
2. The speaker is bad. I know this is intended to be an ebook reader but my kindle is louder, no excuse.
On to the stuff I love.
1. 7" is the perfect size for a tablet, apple should take note.
2. The keyboard is amazing and it will allow you to add words to the built in dictionary. Apple clearly dropped the ball on this.
3. The screen is great, nice and crisp. It's been a joy to read on.
4. The potential, I've grown sick of waiting on apple to add simple features. Android is a blessing. I'm looking forward to new roms and froyo in the near future.
Sent from my Nook Color using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Watch the 7" comment, which I totally agree with, as you'll have 10" mavens swoop in claiming that 10" is better for video(yeah right), and another smaller subset claiming that 10" is better for reading some technical documents. I've never had a problem with video watching on 7" nor with tech doc reading on a 7".
YouTube: best experience that I've had with video playback on Android devices so far has been with the lowly Augen GT78 sporting a Telechips TCC8902 ARM11 CPU which apparently had an AWESOMELY superior hw video codec support to just about ANY other ARM SoC available, although Tegra 2 doesn't seem to be doing so badly, yet could apparently, use some further driver updates to better support it's video playback capabilities.
Beyond that, yep basic Android UI is pretty "rough" for Tablets, and is why I presume that many manufacturers attempt to slap on a custom UI of some sort although they haven't had much luck so far(I'm looking at you TapnCrap) beyond specialized book reader front ends, e.g. Nook Color, Pandigital Novel, and Cruz Reader.
All this said I still haven't gotten around to picking up a NC yet, as I'm still kind of waiting to see what pops up next year, but may break down next week and just buy one as the gTab(10") is a bit much for comfortable portability and use as a reader... plus the NC has a WAY better screen from what I could tell playing around with a demo unit at B&N the other week...
cutterjohn said:
Watch the 7" comment, which I totally agree with, as you'll have 10" mavens swoop in claiming that 10" is better for video(yeah right), and another smaller subset claiming that 10" is better for reading some technical documents. I've never had a problem with video watching on 7" nor with tech doc reading on a 7".
YouTube: best experience that I've had with video playback on Android devices so far has been with the lowly Augen GT78 sporting a Telechips TCC8902 ARM11 CPU which apparently had an AWESOMELY superior hw video codec support to just about ANY other ARM SoC available, although Tegra 2 doesn't seem to be doing so badly, yet could apparently, use some further driver updates to better support it's video playback capabilities.
Beyond that, yep basic Android UI is pretty "rough" for Tablets, and is why I presume that many manufacturers attempt to slap on a custom UI of some sort although they haven't had much luck so far(I'm looking at you TapnCrap) beyond specialized book reader front ends, e.g. Nook Color, Pandigital Novel, and Cruz Reader.
All this said I still haven't gotten around to picking up a NC yet, as I'm still kind of waiting to see what pops up next year, but may break down next week and just buy one as the gTab(10") is a bit much for comfortable portability and use as a reader... plus the NC has a WAY better screen from what I could tell playing around with a demo unit at B&N the other week...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Other thing to note about ipad is the aspect ratio
I'm so used to seeing widescreen ratio on both tv and pc that when i was watching hulu on ipad, it was somewhat akward
I have to agree with many points of this discussion. I went from an ipad to a rooted NC and am very happy.
1. Love the size, Ive always felt the ipad was too big. I sure ipad 2 will be smaller.
2. I connect alot easier to public wifi, especially when there is a sign in screen. My ipad always had trouble with those.
3. Screen is nice, but sometimes a little too sensitive I think. Opens apps when scrolling through them for example.
4. Love using Google services, Google Talk, Gmail, and live wallpaper. And get latest Google Maps and navigation. Apple always tried to lock them out.
My wishes.
1. Froyo to enable beach live wallpaper. Coming soon, I hope...
2. Microphone. Can one be added on via 3.5mm jack? Would love to make sip calls, but no dice so far.
3. Static wifi, that doesnt sleep. Or at least the option to turn it on and off.
Benny1234 said:
3. Static wifi, that doesnt sleep. Or at least the option to turn it on and off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wvcachi said:
1. How do I keep wifi from turning off when the screen goes to sleep?
- download Spare Parts from the market and set wifi sleep policy to never.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hope that helps.
i agree with most observations comparing an iPad to NC.
I have both right now, and I definitely think when compared to iOS Android lacks polish and is behind in terms of apps.
10 characters
For the most part the apps are almost the same for what I do. Apple just really has a nice way of dummy proofing products with the exception of flash everything works right out the box.
Sent from my Nook Color
Related
Hey guys I just saw this
(Since I cannot post links go to BJ's website and look up "Elocity 7")
Its specs look pretty good plus it has an HDMI output and it already runs froyo. Do you guys think it would be work returning my nook color for one of these? Or do you guys think that the lack of third party support (meaning xda) means that in the long run the nook would be better than the elocity?
The reasons I was considering it was because of the tegra 2 chip, froyo, and the 1080p hdmi output(it would be nice to hook this thing up to our projector and watch movies off of it). Honestly I don't need those features but they would be nice. Thanks.
That thing is $369.99 according to Amazon.com. Also it is currently out of stock.
The NC is currently available at any Barnes and Noble at the cost of $250
tldr; NC is cheaper and available now.
The nookcolor has a higher resolution screen - something I would consider to be important.
sent from my NookColor using tapatalk
eggman618 said:
That thing is $369.99 according to Amazon.com. Also it is currently out of stock.
The NC is currently available at any Barnes and Noble at the cost of $250
tldr; NC is cheaper and available now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well at BJ's its only 299 which isn't too much more than the Nook.
msid said:
The nookcolor has a higher resolution screen - something I would consider to be important.
sent from my NookColor using tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea I have to admit the screen on the nook is very nice... However while I do care about the screen quality I also have to take into account the rest of the features.
mytabletlife.com/2010/12/11/elocity-a7-finally-start-shipping/
I placed an order for one weeks ago from amazon. Hopefully it wont delayed any longer.
dreadlord369 said:
Well at BJ's its only 299 which isn't too much more than the Nook.
Yea I have to admit the screen on the nook is very nice... However while I do care about the screen quality I also have to take into account the rest of the features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While the Tegra 2 sounds nice, if the screen was on par with the NC I would flinch, but it isn't, so the "extras" cant make up the fact its not as readable as the cheaper NC Ereader. I personally have a TV with USB inputs, so HDMI out isn't the happnin feature it all cracked up to be. Once we are Froyo'd, CM6'd, and OC'd to 1.2, I think most of us will be happy as clams
That's just generally the tough call though. While the camera and HDMI are cool, they're not incredibly important. The tegra chip is huge though. If you go for the A7, you're getting a smaller battery and a way worse screen i'm sure. My thing is, I only want to do two things, play games, and read comics. Based on those two requirements alone can anyone suggest which would be better? I'm really torn on this. I think the Nook color is much better looking and the build quality is probably better, but i'm really not interested in reading ebooks at all, comics yes, books no. For me it's purely a tablet device. I know that there is a lot of progress being made on the NC...I guess what i'm asking is, can anyone confirm or deny that they feel the graphics hardware will eventually make me regret picking a NC over the A7?
For that price, you might as well just get Notion Ink's Adam tablet!
$375 for the Wifi only LCD version. Should be shipping out soon too.
Much better specs and a decent screen (10" 1024x600).
Dual Core A9 with Tegra 250, 1GB memory
I don't know about the OP, and i'm not trying to hijack their thread-just looking for similar input. I really like the Adam tablet, but I want a 7 inch tablet. So it's really between the NC and the Elocity for me. I have to decide if sacrificing build quality for a tegra is worth it.
BJs is selling it for $299:
http://www.bjs.com/webapp/wcs/store..._src=14110944&ci_sku=121648111&sc_cid=DF#more
Now, I have a little buyers remorse :T
800x480? What are they thinking, not even a contest IMO.
dvanburen said:
800x480? What are they thinking, not even a contest IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I thought about it. I ordered the Elocity, and then promptly attempted to cancel my order. The only category that the elocity beats the nc in my opinion is tegra, but that's because I don't care about BT, camera, or HDMI out. I prefer the build quality, size, bezel, screen, and battery on the NC. So that's the one i'm going with.
I was trying to decide on the same
I ordered the elocity:
Rationale for me is:
I own an iphone. It's biggest failing for me is the absence of flash.
I have owned but will be returning a g tablet from viewsonic that also is tegra 2 based.
The thing is fast and can easily run full screen flash video without a hiccup.
For me I want this device to be a:
internet and i mean full internet browser
an E-reader
mail and office device
and to have many apps like games news productivity....
The Nook color will not have a way of using another keyboard since no bluetooth or usb.
The processor is way underpowered for flash. Heck flash was stuttery on a galaxy tab.
As far as form factor the specs are near identical in size of A7 and nook
The single button for nook is also an issue unless u do a loto of hacking.
The A7 will have the ability to run honeycomb when it is out and so will have a longer practical lifespan.
The only things better on the nook are the screen though it is unclear yet if the elocity screen will be good or very good (videos of a similar device rebranded seemed to show good viewing angles) and 4 vs. 8 gb of storage (for me not a deal breaker with 16Gb sd cards costing 30$). now sure 800x480 is not as good a resolution, but this is a 7 not 10 inch tab so I am not sure it will make much of a difference. After all this is still better than DVD resolution so should be fine for reading and web.
As for battery life, I think the difference i s 4000 vs 3200 in favor of nook so not a huge difference real life we are looking at probably 1 hour difference, but A7 has ambient light sensor so could be better at battery saving
A7 has ability to output hdmi, so can bring hi def movies downloaded to people homes and watch on their TV
Has webcam to enable videochat
Has bluetooth for connectivity and most importantly the newes latest processor that ensures a much longer time before obsolescence.
Finally from what I read Elocity will have an open source ui which will allow people to really customize it
Yea I would say the biggest thing going for the A7 is the out of box stock froyo so it is easy to customize and things just work for it and the terga 2 is only the second most important. The Nooks processor should be able to watch hd video if it gets optimized.
but wont be able to run flash which for me is a deal breaker
for 399 would rather get ipad with 16gb bluetooth appstore bigger great screen better battery life
but no flash.....
xwint3rxmut3x said:
Yeah, I thought about it. I ordered the Elocity, and then promptly attempted to cancel my order. The only category that the elocity beats the nc in my opinion is tegra, but that's because I don't care about BT, camera, or HDMI out. I prefer the build quality, size, bezel, screen, and battery on the NC. So that's the one i'm going with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree... but BT would be the only thing I wish we had.
Having said that, I feel (IMHO) that Bluetooth is just around the corner. Someone will somehow find a way to use the Droid X drivers and get use of the SoC which presumably has bluetooth capability.
Who knows... maybe B&N might surprise us all and include it in their 2.2 update. Now wouldn't that be a nice belated christmas gift?
Canadoc said:
but wont be able to run flash which for me is a deal breaker
for 399 would rather get ipad with 16gb bluetooth appstore bigger great screen better battery life
but no flash.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My nokia n900 has an A8 clocked at 600mhz (while stock) only 256 RAM, and runs flash like a champ. NC may not run it out of the box, but with 2.2 around the corner, via a custom ROM or an official update from BN, this device will run flash, and it will run it well.
update: crap, BJs already sent out my A7 even though I tried to cancel my order. Well, now I have a boxed NC and A7 for xmas, and one of them has to go back. uggghhh
Canadoc said:
I was trying to decide on the same
I ordered the elocity:
Rationale for me is:
I own an iphone. It's biggest failing for me is the absence of flash.
I have owned but will be returning a g tablet from viewsonic that also is tegra 2 based.
The thing is fast and can easily run full screen flash video without a hiccup.
For me I want this device to be a:
internet and i mean full internet browser
an E-reader
mail and office device
and to have many apps like games news productivity....
The Nook color will not have a way of using another keyboard since no bluetooth or usb.
The processor is way underpowered for flash. Heck flash was stuttery on a galaxy tab.
As far as form factor the specs are near identical in size of A7 and nook
The single button for nook is also an issue unless u do a loto of hacking.
The A7 will have the ability to run honeycomb when it is out and so will have a longer practical lifespan.
The only things better on the nook are the screen though it is unclear yet if the elocity screen will be good or very good (videos of a similar device rebranded seemed to show good viewing angles) and 4 vs. 8 gb of storage (for me not a deal breaker with 16Gb sd cards costing 30$). now sure 800x480 is not as good a resolution, but this is a 7 not 10 inch tab so I am not sure it will make much of a difference. After all this is still better than DVD resolution so should be fine for reading and web.
As for battery life, I think the difference i s 4000 vs 3200 in favor of nook so not a huge difference real life we are looking at probably 1 hour difference, but A7 has ambient light sensor so could be better at battery saving
A7 has ability to output hdmi, so can bring hi def movies downloaded to people homes and watch on their TV
Has webcam to enable videochat
Has bluetooth for connectivity and most importantly the newes latest processor that ensures a much longer time before obsolescence.
Finally from what I read Elocity will have an open source ui which will allow people to really customize it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope it works out for you. Personally, after using my netbook off an on (only used away from the house) I find 1024x600 pretty small for web surfing, much less 800x480. Most phones run this resolution with a 3"-4" screen.
dvanburen said:
I hope it works out for you. Personally, after using my netbook off an on (only used away from the house) I find 1024x600 pretty small for web surfing, much less 800x480. Most phones run this resolution with a 3"-4" screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found this little nugget on the elocity a7 website...this is in their FAQ....anyone want to take a shot at WTF they're trying to say? (or NOT saying)
"Q: If I add an emulator for Super Nintendo, is the screen capable of having multi-touch so that I can run with one hand and jump with the other?
A: Yes, you can install the Super Nintendo emulator, but some of the games may not work properly."
or how about this one?
"Q: Is the touch screen multi-touch?
A: The A7 Tablet supports Multi-Touch functions. The built-in browser and photo viewer support zooming in/out by two of your fingers. However, multi-touch functionality on many third party apps is not supported."
I think they are basically saying that it is application dependent, and not to come crying to them for support if/when third party applications don't work as expected.
Looking forward- can anyone explain the potential of the Nook over other Android tablets?
Any thoughts on the Coby Kryos MID7015 compared to the Nook Color?
On paper, it looks like the advantages of the the Nook are:
- much better screen
- more RAM
- faster processor (?)
- longer battery life
But- Is that worth spending $100 more for the Nook?
Is one more sturdy than the the other?
Does one have better Wifi?
Are there other capabilities that are theoretically possible, but not yet available to the android noob (me)?
Thanks so much for any input!
breebauer said:
Looking forward- can anyone explain the potential of the Nook over other Android tablets?
Any thoughts on the Coby Kryos MID7015 compared to the Nook Color?
On paper, it looks like the advantages of the the Nook are:
- much better screen
- more RAM
- faster processor (?)
- longer battery life
But- Is that worth spending $100 more for the Nook?
Is one more sturdy than the the other?
Does one have better Wifi?
Are there other capabilities that are theoretically possible, but not yet available to the android noob (me)?
Thanks so much for any input!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe its just me... but anyone else getting sick of the nook VS X tablet?
as far as this question, I had a lower tier tablet which I stacked up against my nook. While im not the greatest frame of reference as I was content with just using the internet... The screens were generally less responsive, the apps worked so so... In some cases like the Panimage I had even on lan my nook loaded a page faster (and it was a full page and the pan was loading the same site in mobile mode... it just happens to load my blog that way though)
Take my opinion for what its worth... but for the price the nook cant currently be beat (if rooted), I personally prefer it to a straight up tablet as the E-Reader functions are far beyond any singular app.
For the price the NC has a lot going for it now that it has the market enabled, and almost all of the tablet qualifying apps working. The fact that the screen is sharper than an Ipad and the price/performance ratio vs the galaxy tab is fairly close means its a good value... Go pick one up and compare yourself.. I suspect that any similar price tablets won't give you a better screen as costs are spread out to other tablet features (hdmi out, cameras, gps)...
I have the original. ?..m001.....it's now my 9 year old's. I can't even begin to describe just how much more the the nook does....The nook color is worth 350 imho.....
Go to the store, have them take rhe device oitside diring the day....you'll be sold....very few color devices, ar any price, can be viewed outside. ?...
I think in this case what you are really paying for is build quality, which is kind of difficult to quantify. The Nook Color was designed to compete straddling the niches of the Kindle and the iPad, and accordingly was built very well. A budget tablet companies are competing for a different space in the market and though they may boast a lot of features (HDMI, Bluetooth, cameras) if you don't need these features then paying the same amount for a NC means it goes to build, design, and overall finish.
Edit: I forgot that there may be latent Bluetooth on the wifi chip. We'll just have to see if someone can coax it out.
having owned lots of cheap Chinese imported Android tablets, the Nook is leaps and bounds above them all.
1) Build Quality: It's like comparing a Toyota to a base model Daewoo. I had so many build quality issues with the import tablets it was crazy! Things like the memory card slot spring would break after a week.
2) Screen: Most import tablets are resistive and you're lucky to have multi touch. Trust me, resistive screens suck for finger inputs.
3) Speed: Ok, so my phone is faster than the NC, but the NC is faster than any of those tablets.
You pay for what you get. I had a XPad 701 and a G10+ which was $200 and near the "best" of what you could get at the time. Both pale in comparison to the NC.
Well MID or budget means probably Chinese so not only is it an "eh ok" touch resistive screen, awkward enough for sliding, the manufacturer is out of state so a problem is a month+ waiting for shipping.
B&N has the 1yr warranty and a big reputable place so just knowing i can go get another without waiting is nice.
Let alone the NCs specs beating it, can be rooted, an potential for roms later down the road. B&N has said January theres the update to 2.2 an market (tho thats still a wait an see thing) so thats only a usb2.0 an hdvia output to look forward to.
IMO NC FTW build quality, specs, potential.
Malk3rs said:
Edit: I forgot that there may be latent Bluetooth on the wifi chip. We'll just have to see if someone can coax it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't know about that- Bluetooth would be a nice bonus!
HotShotAzn said:
1) Build Quality: It's like comparing a Toyota to a base model Daewoo. I had so many build quality issues with the import tablets it was crazy! Things like the memory card slot spring would break after a week.
2) Screen: Most import tablets are resistive and you're lucky to have multi touch. Trust me, resistive screens suck for finger inputs.
3) Speed: Ok, so my phone is faster than the NC, but the NC is faster than any of those tablets.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
camwinnn said:
Let alone the NCs specs beating it, can be rooted, an potential for roms later down the road. B&N has said January theres the update to 2.2 an market (tho thats still a wait an see thing) so thats only a usb2.0 an hdvia output to look forward to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok- that sounds promising. If B&N is already releasing an update, that makes me feel like this won't be something that will be almost obsolete in 6 months.
I've been Best Buy and other stores 4 times looking at the Nook, the Coby 7015, and the Huawei S7. The screen on the Coby was kind of a turn-off, since I'm used to staring at my iPhone4. The S7 seemed nice, but not necessary, since I have an iPhone.
Build quality is very important to me- I'm looking for something to use while traveling though Indonesia next month.
I just wanted to make sure the Nook won't be one of those things that I bought, because I thought I needed it, but wound up in a drawer after a few months for whatever reason.
Thanks!
In the end, for me at least, it's also about community support. If you look around, you'll see the Nook Color has it.
IMHO it's useless to have a super duper whopper that you're stuck using stock, no dev support, no manufacturer's support, at 2.1 without a market..
-CC
clockcycle said:
In the end, for me at least, it's also about community support. If you look around, you'll see the Nook Color has it.
IMHO it's useless to have a super duper whopper that you're stuck using stock, no dev support, no manufacturer's support, at 2.1 without a market..
-CC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Xpad was orphaned by the community because the seller stopped selling it after a few weeks. I vowed that I would only buy a tablet that had a huge backing (Samsung Tab or NC were on the top of the list).
To me, the two real competitors out there now (other than iPad) are B&N & Archos. The Archos 70 is about the same price as the NC. It has way better connectivity and is real Android out of the box. It also has the best video drivers out there. I have an Archos 101 and it is very good. I also have an NC. I bought it for the quality of the screen. Basically I bought it as soon as I was convinced I could root it because the base software would be unusable for me. It also works great and it is much better to read with than the Archos. I use ezPDF and Moon Reader on both.
Both Archos and B&N seem to have pretty strong communities. For Archos, this is Gen8, and the folks in that community go way back with Archos. B&N seems to be solidly behind their eBook readers and they have built two very solid products with the NC and Nook Classic, In fact, the NC is now replacing my Nook Classic as my eBook reader.
Beware of companies that will be a flash in the pan. They will be dropped by the early adopter community as soon as the next big thing appears.
The biggest difference to me is the hi-rez IPS capacitive screen. Most of the cheapie tablets have resistive screens and/or cheap TN LCD screens with crummy viewing angles.
I have both a rooted Nook Color and rooted MID7015 running stock OS.
The price difference is < $100 ($250 vs $180 in my case).
The out-of-the-box experience for the (rooted) MID7015 is very poor. It doesn't have multi-touch, a LOT of apps don't work or don't work properly, it maps its extra storage space as /sdcard thus screwing with inserted SD memory mapping, the WiFi is horrible (I found myself having to constantly disable/renable in settings), it runs a 800x480 (I think) resolution, and it's a bit clunky. I have not tested the HDMI. I DID try Cynanogen on it. It improved some things, but a lot of apps still did not work (Angry Birds, Slice It, etc), and WiFi performance was even worse.
By comparison, the rooted Nook has none of these deficiencies, runs at a full 1024x600 res, has multi-touch, apps working correctly, and is a pleasure to use. My only negative experience with the Nook Color so far is that I sometimes see behavior like this which power cycling fixes (and my unit may just be messed up - dunno yet): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiHH6mdH0WU&feature=related
So, in my book, the Nook Color is the clear winner.
just looking for some input here. what does everyone think about the pros/cons of these two tablets? after everything's all said and done, which would you rather invest in?
The nook seems to have a much better screen and a more appealing form factor. it's also $130 cheaper.
the G tablet appears to have a mediocre screen but it already has the horsepower/expandability of tablets that will cost twice as much (ie. xoom). i know the xoom will shred this thing in benchmarks, but for all intents and purposes the g tablet can handle anything software-wise that's currently available with flying colors.
i'm assuming both will have a fully functioning port of honeycomb in the near future (whether official release or custom rom) so software-wise they will probably be pretty similar.
is the tegra 2 and added expandability of the g tablet worth the extra $ and putting up with the marginal display, or is the lower cost/better build-quality of the nook worth accepting the limited hardware? am i missing something in my comparison of the two?
would love to hear from the community on this debate.
How are you planning on using it?
I went with the Nook because I like the form factor, it has a great screen, and more than enough power for what I want it for (e-reader, browser, portable multi-media, simple games, etc). Lacking a mic port and decent sound are the only two real negatives, but headphones do sound quite good.
I don't yet consider tablets to be replacements for PC's or Laptops so far as doing any heavy lifting, but the NC can probably handle the majority of business and entertainment needs for most people (minus phone features, which *may* be partially remedied is Blutooth support is worled out by the awesome XDA people working on custom ROM builds...)
ColoradoPhoney said:
How are you planning on using it?
I went with the Nook because I like the form factor, it has a great screen, and more than enough power for what I want it for (e-reader, browser, portable multi-media, simple games, etc). Lacking a mic port and decent sound are the only two real negatives, but headphones do sound quite good.
I don't yet consider tablets to be replacements for PC's or Laptops so far as doing any heavy lifting, but the NC can probably handle the majority of business and entertainment needs for most people (minus phone features, which *may* be partially remedied is Blutooth support is worled out by the awesome XDA people working on custom ROM builds...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good question, and probably the main factor people will use to decide between the two.
for me, i originally liked the idea of the nook because i've wanted an ereader for awhile, and plan on using it to read magazines, books etc pretty often. but i also want to use it as a multimedia device- streaming video/movies etc. i like the idea of gaming on a device that is larger than my phone. i have lots of fun playing games on my droid x (my two faves are gun bros and dungeon defenders) and the potential for using a tablet device as a killer gaming console seems to be limitless. the G tablet seems to fit the multimedia/gaming niche better, but i think it will be inferior for e-reading because of the screen. i guess my question is: does the superior screen/e-reading capability of the nook (and lower price) outweigh the untapped hardware potential and video/gaming prowess of the G tablet?
I was shopping G-Tablet and Nook as well. In the end I wanted a smaller form factor that can be easily held for a period of time for reading. I'm not a big gamer so Nook is my choice.
I think you would miss Nook's screen if you pick the G-tablet! The IPS screen is just awesome.
Did you look at Tmobile G-Slate as well?
I've owned both... And honestly its hard to compare. Main reason is the size factor. That will ultimately be the deciding factor...
Reading on a 10 inch had its benefits, as well as drawbacks. Holding the Gtab for extended amounts of time is tedious. The quality of the screen (viewing angles) really does not affect ebook reading etc. Honestly unless its laying in your lap flat, you won't notice the loss of angle.
For gaming... There is no comparison. Tegra2 @1 ghz rocks even the most graphic intensive games.
So... I'd say the following in summary=
For heavy reading and light gaming, coupled with moderate productivity and light media... Go with the NC
For light reading, heavy gaming and moderate productivity & media... Choose the Gtab.
Its really a matter of personal preference... Depending on what your ideal usage looks like.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Bandage said:
I've owned both... And honestly its hard to compare. Main reason is the size factor. That will ultimately be the deciding factor...
Reading on a 10 inch had its benefits, as well as drawbacks. Holding the Gtab for extended amounts of time is tedious. The quality of the screen (viewing angles) really does not affect ebook reading etc. Honestly unless its laying in your lap flat, you won't notice the loss of angle.
For gaming... There is no comparison. Tegra2 @1 ghz rocks even the most graphic intensive games.
So... I'd say the following in summary=
For heavy reading and light gaming, coupled with moderate productivity and light media... Go with the NC
For light reading, heavy gaming and moderate productivity & media... Choose the Gtab.
Its really a matter of personal preference... Depending on what your ideal usage looks like.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
uggh... this sucks. i feel like i'm right in the middle of these two categories. maybe i should buy both and see which i like better...
Understandable... That's exactly what i did lol. Also have the Dell streak 7 heh.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
I'm coming off the G Tablet and still waiting for my Nook Color to come in, but I'll chime in with why I returned the Viewsonic.
Ultimately, it came down to cost and quality. There is a lot of hardware under the hood of the G Tablet, but for the $400 I paid, I regretted not just getting an iPad. It was really a build quality thing for me. I was willing to look past the horrendous viewing angles and the weird 3D effect in portrait mode, but I started getting some screen rippling, and the unit would kind of "creak" as if cheaply constructed. The rippling was so small that it didn't bother me, but it sure made me paranoid, because it showed up after just a week.
I will try to post after I've rooted my Nook and played with it a little while to give a comparison, but I'm pretty confident the screen is going to blow away the G Tablet. Probably build quality, too. I don't want it to come off as me hating on the G Tablet, because I really wanted to love it (it was a sweet cbr reader), but I couldn't risk having the thing crap out on me once the warranty ran out. For the money, if the NC dies after a year, I won't feel as duped out of my money and will still be able to replace it with whatever the new thing is.
I should also comment that I'll probably buy an iPad 2 later in the year so I have a big tablet for comics, movies and games and a smaller tablet for e-reading and light multimedia use. Because I do miss my G tablet for the multimedia uses.
cwininger said:
just looking for some input here. what does everyone think about the pros/cons of these two tablets? after everything's all said and done, which would you rather invest in?
The nook seems to have a much better screen and a more appealing form factor. it's also $130 cheaper.
the G tablet appears to have a mediocre screen but it already has the horsepower/expandability of tablets that will cost twice as much (ie. xoom). i know the xoom will shred this thing in benchmarks, but for all intents and purposes the g tablet can handle anything software-wise that's currently available with flying colors.
i'm assuming both will have a fully functioning port of honeycomb in the near future (whether official release or custom rom) so software-wise they will probably be pretty similar.
is the tegra 2 and added expandability of the g tablet worth the extra $ and putting up with the marginal display, or is the lower cost/better build-quality of the nook worth accepting the limited hardware? am i missing something in my comparison of the two?
would love to hear from the community on this debate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Quadrant benchmark for the Xoom is 1826. With Honeycomb and 1.1GHz overclocked kernel, I just got 1728 running the same benchmark on the Nook Color, so i'm not sure I'd call that "shredded"?
Side by side the NC screen destroys the gtabs mediocre screen. Dell streak 7 has a crappy 800x480 resolution and also bad viewing angles.
I returned the g tablet because of the screen and weight. I could have looked past the weight or delt with it but the screen angles were so bad it was a chore to use. anything beyond black text on white was almost impossible to see unless directly in front of your eyes. I really wanted it to work too...
now that I picked up a nc and running honeycomb I'm glad I made this choice. I am also really liking the size and portability of the nc. for $250 I just dont see how you could go wrong
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
ta2025 said:
The Quadrant benchmark for the Xoom is 1826. With Honeycomb and 1.1GHz overclocked kernel, I just got 1728 running the same benchmark on the Nook Color, so i'm not sure I'd call that "shredded"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
quadrant isn't an appropriate benchmark to use when comparing these two devices. besides, when apps start coming out that take full advantage of the tegra 2 it won't even be a discussion. that's not even taking into consideration what the dev's around here will be able to get out of the xoom.
Mikroft said:
Side by side the NC screen destroys the gtabs mediocre screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. Having owned one for a week, I'd say calling the screen mediocre is waaaaay too nice though. The NC is so much better.
While the Tegra2 destroys the NC's 530, it wasn't meant for that. I'd wait for the LG G-Slate pricing, etc. The XOOM is already a fail IMO due it's pricing, data plans and crippled wifi (until someone here at XDA remedies that). If either Tablet were to appear in a WiFi only capacity that'd be sweet too.
cwininger said:
uggh... this sucks. i feel like i'm right in the middle of these two categories. maybe i should buy both and see which i like better...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me reading in portrait mode on gtablet was horrible.Was too long and the horrible viewing angles made it impossible to get proper screen without weird viewing artifacts.....returned it and got the nook.
For flash though, the gtablet ran as well as my laptop
Bandage said:
I've owned both... And honestly its hard to compare. Main reason is the size factor. That will ultimately be the deciding factor...
Reading on a 10 inch had its benefits, as well as drawbacks. Holding the Gtab for extended amounts of time is tedious. The quality of the screen (viewing angles) really does not affect ebook reading etc. Honestly unless its laying in your lap flat, you won't notice the loss of angle.
For gaming... There is no comparison. Tegra2 @1 ghz rocks even the most graphic intensive games.
So... I'd say the following in summary=
For heavy reading and light gaming, coupled with moderate productivity and light media... Go with the NC
For light reading, heavy gaming and moderate productivity & media... Choose the Gtab.
Its really a matter of personal preference... Depending on what your ideal usage looks like.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tend to disagree with this. Hardware is hardware, but unless there is software and a medium for the user to take advantage of the hardware it is as good as a piece of poop in your hands.
Perhaps, with better software, the GTab is a great option, but the screen is still lacking, big time.
For $249 you can NOT do better than the Nook Color. And with the 1.1gHz OC, it flies! As far as a gaming it runs everything I throw at it currently. That being said I still game more on my iPhone and iPad. Not because of the hardware but because of the software selection.
When we start seeing games like "Infinity Blade" on Android ... then I will sell my Apple products, until then I keep both.
The screen and portability won me over
I currently own an ipad and nook and did own a gtab. The screen on the gtab was what killed it for me. It was blazing fast, but get a tiny bit off center and the colors go straight to hell, a little further off center and it becomes unusable. The ipad and nook have amazing screens. I prefer the nook though for its hackability and size. Both the ipad and gtab are a bit heavy and awkward to hold for any length of time. For the money, you really can't do better than the nook right now.
OP: Just curious what you ended up doing, as I'm in a similar situation.
I want an android tablet but I'm tired of waiting for the "really good" tablets to come out. I would like to get something in the mean time until my ideal tablet is released sometime in the future.
I feel like the G tab could last me longer because it has Tegra 2 and a 10 in. screen, but the screen isn't great and is missing gps. The NC has a great screen but older slower processor and the screen is smaller. I plan on using a tablet in a variety of ways. Probably about an equal amount of reading, browsing, gaming and video watching. Another reason the NC is tempting is because it's cheaper and I'm not sure spending more on the G Tablet is necessary if I'm just going to upgrade again in the near future.
Anybody have insight on which one has better battery life?
cwininger said:
just looking for some input here. what does everyone think about the pros/cons of these two tablets? after everything's all said and done, which would you rather invest in?
The nook seems to have a much better screen and a more appealing form factor. it's also $130 cheaper.
the G tablet appears to have a mediocre screen but it already has the horsepower/expandability of tablets that will cost twice as much (ie. xoom). i know the xoom will shred this thing in benchmarks, but for all intents and purposes the g tablet can handle anything software-wise that's currently available with flying colors.
i'm assuming both will have a fully functioning port of honeycomb in the near future (whether official release or custom rom) so software-wise they will probably be pretty similar.
is the tegra 2 and added expandability of the g tablet worth the extra $ and putting up with the marginal display, or is the lower cost/better build-quality of the nook worth accepting the limited hardware? am i missing something in my comparison of the two?
would love to hear from the community on this debate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I own both. If I were constrained to use only one, it would be the Gtablet. Here are the reasons:
1. Froyo is not stable on the NC. Some ROMs are okay but it's not completely stable.
2. The wifi is buggy. If you haven't encountered problems yet it's because you haven't been to a site with incompatible wifi routers. When I travel, I can't afford to have a device that won't allow me to connect. Do a search and you will see all the wifi problems. Here's one recently: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=986133
3. NC is stock eclair while Gtablet is stock froyo. Makes a big difference when it comes from the manufacturer. I know there are smart XDA guys/gals hacking at making froyo work on the NC. I doubt BN will have an update to Froyo - there's no business reason for them to do it.
4. Gtablet has a microphone and camera plus bluetooth.
5. If honeycomb (and I mean if) comes to NC and Gtab, the Gtab will have it in performance.
Good points. What is the most popular rom on the Nook Color?
I think froyo may be the most popular mainly because its safe. I for one love honeycomb. Even with all its little quirks and stuff but the pros far outweigh the cons to me
Sent from one of those missing Droids
Hey there boys and girls. As most of us, im getting tax return money pretty soon, and im of course thinking of the many way to spend it. Im considering getting the nook and putting Honeycomb on it. And im wondering, for those of you that have been using it, how well does it work, and is it worth it... or should i just get me somthing like the Galaxy Tab and wait for 3.0 there.
I had it installed on mine for about a day, then I went back to Froyo. Even though there has been great progress made by awesome devs in porting it to the nook, it remains very buggy.
The code is driverless and drunk.
I won't go into all the little ones, but a big bug was that it hosed my boot partition. Had to revert back to Eclaire before putting Froyo back on.
Bottom line:
A rooted stock eclaire nook color is damn close to a streamlined tablet. It's just missing Flash, also some performance issues.
Nookie Froyo is day by day closer to being the daily driver OS.
HoneyComb is a ways away from being reliable/usable
Hi everyone. First post here, and I think I may get some 'trolling' flack for what I'm about to say, but I gotta say it anyway: If you're considering buying a Nook Color, I would seriously reconsider and look at an Archos 70IT instead.
I actually own both of these devices, and I have to say that the Archos is hands down the better device. It runs Froyo out of the box, and has amazing media playback support. Basically, there ain't nuthin' the the NC can do that the Archos 70 can't do better and faster.
Now, the major complaint with the Archos is shoddy build quality (at least in comparison to the NC), and there's no doubt that that's absolutely true. But I have to say that contrary to what you might think, this is actually an advantage. Yep, an advantage, and here's why: It's waaay lighter. I use my tablet mostly for reading, both books and internet, and I do a lot of that reading either lying on the couch or in bed. And I do it with one hand. Because of the lightness of the A70, I can hold it up for pretty much as long as if I were holding a paper novel, but I cannot say the same for the NC. It is a veritable brick in comparison. With the NC, I constantly have to adjust it in my hand, or change hands altogether, to avoid cramping.
I pretty much only use the NC for amusing myself with custom firmwares (Honeycomb was fun, but as others report, very buggy). When it comes time to actually pick up a tablet for 'real' use, it's the A70 every time.
It's just too bad the A70 isn't getting anywhere near the love that the NC is (i.e. Honeycomb), but I suppose it's no matter anyway because using a different firmware destroys the A70's superb, factory-supplied multi-media experience.
My 2p. Flame away.
I do not own an Archos, but I tend to agree with the last post. If you want a tablet, buy a tablet.
If you want an e-reader, buy the Nook as it can function as both a tablet and a reader.
The Nook lacks several features that most tablets have.
The Nook is a fantastic and capable device, but it is always best to buy something for its native purpose.
@spikey911: But the Archos also works as an e-reader, and for the reason I stated above (lightness), does it better than the NC. I have 3 reader apps installed: Kindle, Nook, and Aldiko, and they all work great.
Another point about the A70 is that contrary to reason, the plastic body is stickier than the spongy rubber coating applied to the back of the NC, and thus it doesn't have a tendency to slip out of my grasp when holding it with one hand. Go figure, but it's true.
Oh ya, and when I wanna watch a movie in bed, I just swing out the A70's kickstand and plunk it down...no need to hold it up. It's a thing of beauty.
I would get the Nook...cheaper and works great!
Slashdot123 said:
I would get the Nook...cheaper and works great!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But not as comfortable to use for reading, has horrible video playback support, and lower CPU speed (without OC). It's cheaper for a reason.
Gotta make sure the OP makes the right decision. Decide what you want to use it for, and if the answer is:
1) as an Android tablet with full Market support
2) as a versatile e-reader
3) as a multi-media device
4) under $300
Then the A70 wins hands down.
My final words. Good luck, Oskiee.
I just got a Nook Color this week and currently have it set up to dual-boot Honeycomb or the stock OS (for video playback). So far I'm pretty happy with it, and it's definitely a very hacking-friendly platform. Honeycomb works surprisingly well and looks slick. It has known issues, but works fine for many essential applications such as the browser, Google Reader, and Fruit Ninja.
According to the Engadget review (engadget.com /2010/12/24/archos-70-and-101-internet-tablet-review/ - remove the space, I'm not permitted to make a link) the Archos 70 has a very glossy screen with poor viewing angles and questionable build quality - I haven't seen it myself. The NC screen is excellent and it feels very solid.
Overall, I'd recommend the Nook Color if you enjoy OS hacking and are willing to put up with some glitches, or if you're satisfied with its out-of-the-box functionality (but then you'd probably not be reading this forum). If that's not what you're looking for, you'd probably be happier with one of the alternatives, but you'll have to make compromises either way in this price range.
imacmill said:
Hi everyone. First post here, and I think I may get some 'trolling' flack for what I'm about to say, but I gotta say it anyway: If you're considering buying a Nook Color, I would seriously reconsider and look at an Archos 70IT instead.
I actually own both of these devices, and I have to say that the Archos is hands down the better device. It runs Froyo out of the box, and has amazing media playback support. Basically, there ain't nuthin' the the NC can do that the Archos 70 can't do better and faster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lower resolution destroys ever wanting one of them for me. NookColor wins in my opinion because of that.
Also, the nook color weighs less than 1/10th a pound more. Actually im reading conflicting results, so im not really sure on the weight difference
MattJ951 said:
Lower resolution destroys ever wanting one of them for me. NookColor wins in my opinion because of that.
Also, the nook color weighs less than 1/10th a pound more. Actually im reading conflicting results, so im not really sure on the weight difference
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Granted, the NC has higher rez, but they're pretty close, and in practical terms, the difference is fairly meaningless. How will you make use of that minor rez difference? For video, with software decoding? In that case, the NC's slower CPU will have to push more pixels...not good. Don't get me wrong. I'd love for the A70 to have the NC's screen, but for my money, the difference is not worth worrying about.
As for weight...since I own both, I'm in a position to say, without citing pound values, the A70 is tangibly lighter than the Nook. Enough so to make one-handed reading comfortable on the A70, but untenable on the NC. Of course this is completely dependant on a person'S hand strength, and while i don't claim to have kung fu grip hands, I'm no weakling either. Your mileage will vary.
I firmly believe that if someone was given the opportunity to use each device for 24 hours, the majority would choose the A70. Since this is not an option for most, they will likely fall victim to the A70's 'questionable build quality, crummy screen' argument (neither of which are accurate), and buy the NC.
imacmill said:
But not as comfortable to use for reading, has horrible video playback support, and lower CPU speed (without OC). It's cheaper for a reason.
Gotta make sure the OP makes the right decision. Decide what you want to use it for, and if the answer is:
1) as an Android tablet with full Market support
2) as a versatile e-reader
3) as a multi-media device
4) under $300
Then the A70 wins hands down.
My final words. Good luck, Oskiee.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Except that the A70 doesn't have the market any more than the Nook Color does. And it's not exactly a tablet for gaming, if that's important to anyone. It does have bluetooth at least.
I will chime in on what swayed me to the Nook.
I look at the what ifs as well as the daily uses. If something goes bad with my Nook, I have a 3 physical BN stores within 25 minutes I can return the nook to. On the very unlikely chance that I have a bricked nook, that does me no good. But I could possible feign ignorance and return it anyway.
With Archos...they have a notoriously horrible track record for warranty work. That is the main reason I went with the nook. I have read over and over again horror stories of working with post sale issues on the Archos line...now take that with a grain of salt because I have not had personal experience...just what I read at other places.
All that said...I love my nook and it does 98% of what I want it to do. The lack is the flash. As for video...I have no issues. I already had many pre converted movies I could plop on it and view. As for a kickstand...there are so many cheap or free things you can do for a stand.
On final thing to consider is outputs...the nook doesnt have them...unless you just want 3.5mm headphone jack. The Archos does.
Good Luck
Hi all,
I am a big Android fan. I currently have a new Note 2 that I replaced my iPhone 5 and iPad mini with (had an S3 and Tab 2 before that). I bought this in the hopes of using the "phablet" as an all-in-one device instead of having both a tablet and a phone. So far its been awesome. Here is my dilemma....
I have just become an avid e-book reader. I gave up paper books when I got the iPad mini. I am finding that the Note 2 is just a little too small to read e-books on. Plus I feel kind of stupid trying to read a book on a phone.
I went out and bought a basic kindle. A button was broken out of the box, and my house doesn't have good enough lighting to see the screen well, so I exchanged it for a kindle paperwhite. I love the paperwhite, and it is insanely easy to read on, especially at night, but I am a little miffed that I spent $120 on something that does one task only, and berates me with advertisements. For $80 more I could have a N7.
That being said, I bought an N7 when it first came out, and wasn't too impressed. The device itself is awesome, but I noticed I kept going back to my laptop to get any real work done. I only used it to check emails occasionally or watch netflix in bed. It was too small to read PDFs on for class, or do any intense internet browsing/research. Essentially it was a $200 toy, so I got rid of it. I thought it was stupid to have a smartphone, tiny tablet, and macbook air. Now I am seriously considering getting rid of the paperwhite and picking up an N7 instead.
Budget is a real issue here, as I am a student. I have read on here and other forums that people felt having a note 2 and N7 was pointless as the devices are pretty redundant, and the difference in screen size is negligible. Does anyone here have both? If so, how do you feel you use the two devices? Do you regret purchasing them together?
Also, how much bigger is the N7's actual, usable screen space? With the nav buttons at the bottom and the status bar at the top, they seem to take up a pretty big chunk of an already small tablet screen.
Mainly though, how is the N7 as an e-reader? No one can seem to agree on whether or not there is an eyestrain problem with LCDs and whether they cause insomnia when compared to e-ink, so its hard to really make that determination. Is it really worth the extra $80 to get the N7 over the kindle paperwhite, or would I be wasting money as the size is essentially the same as my note 2?
I have a Kindle Keyboard I bought in mid-2011. The main things I hated about it were A) no backlit screen making reading in the dark with a little booklight a chore, 2) inability to display photos and pics in books (some drawings display, but often too small to be useful). I did like the long battery life and the anti-glare screen, but eventually I wanted something that did more. I mostly got the N7 for books and magazine reading, but being able to play games and fly my drone with it are a major bonus. I would never waste money on a dedicated reader again. I gave the Kindle to my mom since she's easily overwhelmed by anything with multiple uses.
Miami_Son said:
I have a Kindle Keyboard I bought in mid-2011. The main things I hated about it were A) no backlit screen making reading in the dark with a little booklight a chore, 2) inability to display photos and pics in books (some drawings display, but often too small to be useful). I did like the long battery life and the anti-glare screen, but eventually I wanted something that did more. I mostly got the N7 for books and magazine reading, but being able to play games and fly my drone with it are a major bonus. I would never waste money on a dedicated reader again. I gave the Kindle to my mom since she's easily overwhelmed by anything with multiple uses.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree that the kindles without a built in light are very difficult to read on. The paperwhite is an entirely different beast though. My main problem with it is that I don't want ads when I paid a $120 for a product, yet Amazon has managed to really squeeze every last little inch of the screen with ads, which is extremely frustrating. I am just hesitant to drop $80 more on a device that may not be as good for reading on, and is not that much bigger than my Note 2. Do you happen to know what the usable screen size is on the N7?
I read a lot on my seven. I like it. Easy to read on... I like it although it don't mind reading on my s3,either with the aldiko app. It's a solid device, but rasping outside or stain the Beach or whatever is easiest on the reading devices.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
As far as reading goes, the usable screen of the N7 is larger than that of a page in the average paperback book. At night I like to use white text on a black screen because it is easier to read in the dark and causes less eye strain. I don't think the Kindle offers that option.
Miami_Son said:
As far as reading goes, the usable screen of the N7 is larger than that of a page in the average paperback book. At night I like to use white text on a black screen because it is easier to read in the dark and causes less eye strain. I don't think the Kindle offers that option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you think it would be redundant with a Note 2? The Kindle is technically only .5 inches bigger than the Note 2, but the square screen makes it easier to read than a 16:9 aspect ratio where you are constantly moving your eyes vertically.
Nexus 7 for sure. You have more options and more media
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
androidairlinepilot said:
Do you think it would be redundant with a Note 2? The Kindle is technically only .5 inches bigger than the Note 2, but the square screen makes it easier to read than a 16:9 aspect ratio where you are constantly moving your eyes vertically.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't read with the N7 horizontally, only vertically, because I wear progressive lenses and a wide screen makes me have to turn my head from side to side or my eyes will move beyond the reading portion of my glasses. The Note 2 is only 5.5", so I'm not sure why you're comparing the N7 to it. The only advantage I can see is that the Note is also a phone, but my N7 does not require a separate data plan and I can easily tether it to my S2 by turning it on as a wifi hotspot. I forgot to mention that white text on black also uses less battery on the N7.
If you're wanting something that can do more but don't wanna spend $200 for a nexus 7,get a nook color and put cm10 on it. My wife asked for a simple ereader for christmas and I instead got her a nc and put cm on it and she loves it. Granted it won't give you the same level of performance the n7 will, but it is a great ereader and has a screen designed to reduce eyestrain. Advantages of cm? Simple 1 bookstore vs all bookstores, and you can rent books through amazons library system on it and overdrive.
Hardware is a bit dated for extreme web browsing and high definition media but if you just want an ereader with a little more punch than a simple e ink one, a cm powered nook color is perfect! I got hers refurbished for $100 off overstock.com.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
Well if your leaning towards the nexus 7, and only going to do reading and simple stuff. It might be worth it look around craigslist for a eight gig model.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
If you want to read books mainly on your device, get a kindle, any kindle. Because reading on a tablet (or a pc) ruins your eyes, that is a fact.
So you need to decide your purpose about buying the device you'll buy. If it's for book then get a kindle or nook. If it's for apps and little amount of reading get Nexus.
I hope you don't ignore my warning about eyes, any screen other than e-ink ruins eyes, you'll end up with glasses before you're old.
Another option. You can pickup a refurb NookColor for $140 or less.
Its an old platform, for sure, but its still getting Dev support on XDA. I am currently running 4.1.2 on my 2yo NC. Build quality is outstanding.
This is a very versatile device. You can run dual boot from a SD card, you can Manual Nooter (run stock & android from internal ) or you can just run a custom ROM from internal. If you're lazy, you can buy an SD card already programmed for you.
And it accepts an SD card up to 32gb. Plus you have the option of OTG storage for movies.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Dharkan said:
If you want to read books mainly on your device, get a kindle, any kindle. Because reading on a tablet (or a pc) ruins your eyes, that is a fact.
So you need to decide your purpose about buying the device you'll buy. If it's for book then get a kindle or nook. If it's for apps and little amount of reading get Nexus.
I hope you don't ignore my warning about eyes, any screen other than e-ink ruins eyes, you'll end up with glasses before you're old.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22762257
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
I'm using my N7 to read books and it is in no way straining my eyes (I could tell if it did, my eyes are very sensitive to brightness, too much of it and they physically hurt).
Cool Reader is the program I go with in terms of reading, and I set it to a black background and light grey letters on screen.
Granted, that makes it harder to read in sunny conditions, but when I go to work it is usually still dark, so that is not really a concern for me.
Dharkan said:
If you want to read books mainly on your device, get a kindle, any kindle. Because reading on a tablet (or a pc) ruins your eyes, that is a fact.
So you need to decide your purpose about buying the device you'll buy. If it's for book then get a kindle or nook. If it's for apps and little amount of reading get Nexus.
I hope you don't ignore my warning about eyes, any screen other than e-ink ruins eyes, you'll end up with glasses before you're old.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? And by what authority do you make such a statement? Are you an optometrist? Do you have some clinical studies to back up your broad statement? What a crock.
From Brian's link above:
CONCLUSIONS:
It is not the technology itself, but rather the image quality that seems crucial for reading. Compared to the visual display units used in the previous few decades, these more recent electronic displays allow for good and comfortable reading, even for extended periods of time.
© 2012 The College of Optometrists.
Yeah I never have suffered eyestrain from my phone or tablet.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Kindle or N7? Neither
From what it sounds like, your only real beef with the Kindle is the ads. Get yourself a Nook Touch With Glowlight. 1 - no ads. 2 - it's Android based - so if you want to root it, and do some goofy stuff with it (or just clean it up to look as nice as possible using whatever reader you want - like I did) you have that option. It's also more comfortable than the Kindles, less likely to slip out of your hands (with rubberized back). I've seen a *slight* difference between the screens, as far as contrast, but either will look perfectly fine.
As far as the eye strain is concerned. To each their own, I suppose, but I've noticed when I stopped reading on my Nook, and started reading on my N7, my eye strain did increase. After my 2 hour reading sessions are over, the N7 did make my eyes feel a little bit more worn. To be fair, it could be the font size, or spacing, or any of a number of other issues, but I tried to set the N7 to have the most comfortable sizing, just like on my Nook, but I still feel like the Nook is the better way to go between the two strictly for reading. Now my N7 is delegated to gaming, watching Netflix, and helping me with writing ideas on the go (was doing that with my phone, but the N7 is easier to mess with in that regard).
All that said, I *LOVE* my N7, and am always finding new fun uses for it, and will continue to enjoy it until it stops getting updates from Google (prime reason I GOT the Nexus instead of another tablet), nor would I ever give up my Nook, unless it's to get a better e-ink reader.
There's one other PHENOMENAL reason to have an e-ink reader... my Nook 7 has about an 8 hour battery - ish... my Nook - I only have to charge it every few weeks, and even then, it's just because I don't like fully discharging Lithium Ion batteries... I do believe the eink displays are fully capable of 2 month battery life.
androidairlinepilot said:
I agree that the kindles without a built in light are very difficult to read on. The paperwhite is an entirely different beast though. My main problem with it is that I don't want ads when I paid a $120 for a product, yet Amazon has managed to really squeeze every last little inch of the screen with ads, which is extremely frustrating. I am just hesitant to drop $80 more on a device that may not be as good for reading on, and is not that much bigger than my Note 2. Do you happen to know what the usable screen size is on the N7?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got both the paper white and Nexus 7. I prefer reading on paperwhite.
As for the add you can pay $20 the difference between the add free and add paperwhite to get ride of ads
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
I've read lots of books on the Kindle Paperwhite, the Nexus 7 and the LG Nitro HD. All have strengths and weaknesses depending on the reading conditions.
The Kindle Paperwhite is outstanding in the daytime both outside and inside. It can be jailbroken and alternate fonts can be added. I like Chinacat and Koorkin Pro fonts (and yes, I purchased a license to the latter). They both have a smooth line texture. I don't like the LED color. It is too blue. Amazon should use warmer color LEDs which cost only a few more pennies. Additionally, the lux distribution is not uniform like a backlit LCD. Hopefully Amazon will obtain newer better light pipe/films on future models.
The Nexus 7 is good at night with white or gray characters on a black background. I don't really like the black letters or the sepia setting. The letters don't seem very sharp... Lots of jaggies... However, for browsing online articles it is great.
The LG Nitro HD is superb indoors in low light or at night. The color scheme is precise and accurate. The fonts are pristine - maybe the 326ppi is the reason. I wish LG would release a 7 inch tablet with a similar quality IPS display. I don't care about looking geeky. I wish I was ignorant so that I could experience sustained bliss.
I must be getting old because I'm about to say - I've been reading on computer monitors for 30 years without any eye strain or vision deterioration. My vision is 20/15 in both eyes. All of these devices are excellent. I read with all of them.
In other words, you can't go wrong with any of these devices...
Tl;dr - N7 is a good buy if you want to do more than read books. If you want to continue using your note 2 for that, just use the paperwhite. ALSO. Make sure you go and play around with the N7 in store for a while before deciding. That might change your mind.
Oh snap. I was about to post this exact topic 2 days ago. I caved and ended up getting a n7 last night. It's just better in my opinion and a few reasons I decided on it. I am an avid reader. I tend to read light novels, manga, novels, textbooks etc. I was all for the paperwhite, but it doesn't seem to handle pdfs all that well and it also can't run the kindle edition of one of my books which is a print replica. So that pretty much threw me towards the n7. The eink display and battery life was really what had me going for the paperwhite, but I charge my devices once a day anyway and if it can last me the day then it's fine. The main purpose of the n7 I bought for myself is to read textbooks in class as well as using it at home instead of my phone. Even though I have a galaxy note, the difference in the screen size is very noticeable. I would recommend the eink reader if you really want something that lasts for 80 hours, want a screen that can be read in any lighting, and do not want to do anything besides reading.
Budget is a real issue here, as I am a student. I have read on here and other forums that people felt having a note 2 and N7 was pointless as the devices are pretty redundant, and the difference in screen size is negligible. Does anyone here have both? If so, how do you feel you use the two devices? Do you regret purchasing them together?
Also, how much bigger is the N7's actual, usable screen space? With the nav buttons at the bottom and the status bar at the top, they seem to take up a pretty big chunk of an already small tablet screen.
Mainly though, how is the N7 as an e-reader? No one can seem to agree on whether or not there is an eyestrain problem with LCDs and whether they cause insomnia when compared to e-ink, so its hard to really make that determination. Is it really worth the extra $80 to get the N7 over the kindle paperwhite, or would I be wasting money as the size is essentially the same as my note 2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also a student and bought the N7 over the paperwhite. The screen size difference is definitely NOT NEGLIGIBLE. Whoever told you that probably has not used both of them side by side. Although I feel I might switch out my galaxy note for a s3, but I might already be used to the size of the phone to downgrade the screen size. I do not regret purchasing and owning both.
I think someone said it's like 60% bigger or something like that (off the top of my head what I remember seeing in another thread). Also, if you use expanded desktop mode, you can get "hide" the nav buttons and if you're using paranoidandroid, you can use PIE which should help. I already said I use the N7 primarily as a e-reader. I use mantano reader and feedly most of the time and to reduce eye strain, I use lux auto brightness (you can also use screen filter). If you think that computer screens give you eye strain, you probably don't use f.lux on your computer. I wish there was a android version of it, but Lux auto brightness is the closest thing. Also, from the pricing that I saw, they came out to be equal so I went with the n7 (paperwhite 3g + no ads vs n7 16gb).