Database Develop

Nook Color getting 2.2 & Market update in January

From Engadget:
You had to know the hacking community was going to have a field day with the Nook Color -- a $249 Android Tablet hiding behind with a thin e-reader coating. Indeed it didn't take long to get rooted nor for Android 2.2 to get installed on there, but that particular hack comes with an interesting potential side-effect: small-scale thermonuclear explosions. Enabling FroYo requires disabling the device's battery monitoring process, the very one that would be responsible for shutting down the device before the cells start overheating and, ultimately, going critical. Yeah it's unlikely, but it could happen. Meanwhile, another hack has enabled the Android Market, but those instructions begin with a very daunting warning: "Very smart people have failed at this. If the following instructions confuse you, you might want to wait until an easier method has been developed."
And, thankfully, there is a much easier way coming, with Barnes & Noble confirming that Android 2.2 will be officially coming to the Nook Color in January. Yes, Android 2.3 is what's happening, but this is still an exciting upgrade as it will finally also allow access to a traditional Android home screen and even enable the Android Market. In other words, it should work just like an Android tablet, Kindle app and all.
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And here I was thinking I would return my NC to B&N tomorrow. What to do what to do..

Assuming the report is accurate, I guess B&N really is embracing Android. A happy surprise. If you read the original link, then it says it'll also have the 2.2 launcher, switchable between B&N and stock Android.

Hopefully there is a leak soon I am an impatient person

great great great news. Wow, i might have to pick up a spare. going to get very interesting come January. Also hoping for a nice leak soon

This means I will be buying a Nook Color as soon as this is available in January. It will do everything I want a tablet to do right now.

I still can't get it to run smoothly. My EVO scrolls home screens and web pages much smoother than my NC. Even with SetCPU set to performance, it's just a tad slow. I wonder how it would run with 2.2 on it, sucking more power.

I've debated the two avenues that BN can take with this with friends. Either lock it down like Apple and try to stay ahead of the hacker community and force people to use their products or open it up and cater to all and potentially lose a little profit from forced content purchasing. I personally think the later will actually spur more content sales as the positive reaction to how they are handling all this will spur more device sales and ultimately more content.
I don't think they are loss leading this device, even if it's a very small profit margin. Most people I know buying it are older and they don't care at all about android. They are buying BN books and content and using it like BN planned. I'm assuming here, but it's probably a small percentage of users rooting it and clamoring for full functionality. BN, seemingly to me, are open to this and catering to that smaller percentage. In doing so, they are creating so much more positive hype for their machine leading to probably a WHOLE lot more device sales and publicity overall which will probably get them even more content sales.
The few things I wanted with the device have been unlocked. I'm as happy as can be with it now. If this is true, most likely they are going to implement those changes officially in some form down the road. Better for everybody.
This seems to be win win for everybody. Hopefully when they officially update their software, they take into account many of the elements that have been unlocked and why people are unlocking those functions.

I think that the day they release 2.2 with a vanilla launcher option we should all buy a book or 2 from the b&n ebook store to show our appreciation.

I think this is important to note:
" I was told that Nook users may not have access to the full market."
(This is a quote from the SmartPhoneMag.com article referenced by Engadget).
I don't believe it will have the standard market on it - it will still be B&N's proprietary market.

I hope they enable my location.

stwallman said:
I think this is important to note:
" I was told that Nook users may not have access to the full market."
(This is a quote from the SmartPhoneMag.com article referenced by Engadget).
I don't believe it will have the standard market on it - it will still be B&N's proprietary market.
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I'm not sure about that. I think it will be a non-copy protected market, or no paid apps. Unless they make users do the normal Android setup wizard, you don't tie your Nook to a particular account.
We'll just have to see though, as we can speculate anything (and often do!)
thecalip said:
I hope they enable my location.
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How would they do that? Off a WiFi location? No GPS, and no cell function kind of limits the feature.

For Pete's sake B&N! Just give us 2.2 with a home switcher to your B&N home Screen and FULL Market Access, gmail app, etc....
Enough already with this proprietary garbage!
Capt Picard: "Number One.. Make it so!"

HeroHTC said:
For Pete's sake B&N! Just give us 2.2 with a home switcher to your B&N home Screen and FULL Market Access, gmail app, etc....
Enough already with this proprietary garbage!
Capt Picard: "Number One.. Make it so!"
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I'm pretty sure it's Google limiting market access, not B&N. According to Android's use, you can't have the Market (or any other Google apps) installed without 3G access, which the Nook doesn't have. The other companies who have skirted this requirement have gotten into trouble over it.

Marketing 101: How do you win the Tablet wars, market it first as a $250 ereader/tablet, then 2 months later release the update that turns it into a full Tablet/ereader right after CES which this year is all about Tablets all costing twice as much tied to carriers.

Bunch of BS! Google gives a crapload of stuff for free and they cover this tiny little 3g thing. I don't get it... the more users out there the more downloads and the more revenue for Google. Granted with the 3G access they can somehow figure out who did what, but there isn't a single person here who's used the market to download only free stuff.

devis said:
but there isn't a single person here who's used the market to download only free stuff.
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Sure about that?
I can say for one I have never paid for an app.
Never pirated one either.
There are plenty of free things out there...I have no need for anything paid.
To say nobody downloads only free stuff is just plain wrong.
Not to say I won't ever buy something, but haven't needed to yet.
I think I am going to wait and see with this market thing. Full market...I will buy for sure. Something else...will think about it after root for the new version is out.

danbutter said:
Sure about that?
I can say for one I have never paid for an app.
Never pirated one either.
There are plenty of free things out there...I have no need for anything paid.
To say nobody downloads only free stuff is just plain wrong.
Not to say I won't ever buy something, but haven't needed to yet.
I think I am going to wait and see with this market thing. Full market...I will buy for sure. Something else...will think about it after root for the new version is out.
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as they said in "Life of Brian" - there's always one

I spoke today with a Barnes & Noble representative who showed me the forthcoming update on his company Nook which is slated for this January. The 2.2 Android update is a game changer and literally turns the e-reader into a near full Android tablet device.
The 2.2 update, or overhaul if you prefer, will give you access to a retooled Android Market, the typical Android home screen and even has pinch zooming with the browser. The Android Market app was still under development and was not on the device to see. I was told that Nook users may not have access to the full market. The Nook I looked at had apps loaded via the SD card slot and seemed to run fine. The device will still give you access to all of your Nook material via the current interface that will be swicthable for the user.
The update addresses performance and battery life concerns according to the rep I spoke to. The update on his Nook was still in beta so it lacked some polish but seemed to work smoother than the stock device. The graphics performance still seemed sluggish even with 2.2 when scrolling through magazines and web pages.
The best news is that Nook Color owners will be able to use their new Nooks as a full tablet device that rivals any other Android tablet currently in the consumer arena. Even iPad users may turn envious at the smaller form factor and $249 purchase price.
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Nook Color Getting Android 2.2 Treatment in January

Sirchuk said:
I still can't get it to run smoothly. My EVO scrolls home screens and web pages much smoother than my NC. Even with SetCPU set to performance, it's just a tad slow. I wonder how it would run with 2.2 on it, sucking more power.
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2.2 doesn't suck more power. Its actually more power efficient and at the same time faster. Froyo has JIT amongst other things that gave it a significant performance boost over Eclair.
stwallman said:
I think this is important to note:
" I was told that Nook users may not have access to the full market."
(This is a quote from the SmartPhoneMag.com article referenced by Engadget).
I don't believe it will have the standard market on it - it will still be B&N's proprietary market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who cares. We already have a full market with the hacks available based on Droid X. But Vanilla 2.2 with a kernel source changes the game.

bluetooth
If the rumors are true about bluetooth hardware being there, then Google could open the full market to us Nookers. All they would have to do is enable pairing between the nook and a cellphone via bluetooth, and now you have 3G.

[Q] Flash on the Nook Color?

I'm quite content with the idea of getting a Nook Color for my birthday, but I think I'd fall in love with it if it had flash capabilities.
Does it?
~CyanCrayon
via XDA app

Not as of yet but neither does the ipad. You will do fine without it unless you play those annoying flash games
Sent from my Nook Color

jaydon34 said:
Not as of yet but neither does the ipad. You will do fine without it unless you play those annoying flash games
Sent from my Nook Color
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One great use is flash video. >.>
Doesn't the Nook Color have ARM 7?
And comparing an iPad to a Nook Color is like comparing apples and oranges...
~CyanCrayon
via XDA app

I thought the lack of flash would be a bummer too. The only thing that sucks is trying to do flash videos as you were saying. This won't be possible until the NC gets a 2.2 upgrade. I think I read somewhere that it should be in the next month or so, can anyone confirm this?

You can still watch flash videos through various apps like skyfire... i think
Sent from my NookColor using XDA App

mmarsman said:
I thought the lack of flash would be a bummer too. The only thing that sucks is trying to do flash videos as you were saying. This won't be possible until the NC gets a 2.2 upgrade. I think I read somewhere that it should be in the next month or so, can anyone confirm this?
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Actually I can confirm a 2.2 release.
Engadget:
"And, thankfully, there might be a much easier way coming, with Barnes & Noble reportedly telling Smartphone Mag that Android 2.2 will be officially coming to the Nook Color in January. Yes, Android 2.3 is what's happening, but this is still an exciting upgrade as it will finally also allow access to a traditional Android home screen and even enable the Android Market."
But in the same article, it says that froyo has already been hacked on...
Edit: Here's the link. http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/14/nook-color-getting-android-2-2-and-market-in-january-current-ha/
~CyanCrayon
via XDA app

That's not a confirmation, it's just the rumor we were all talking about a couple of weeks ago that's been subsequently debunked by B&N.

RoboRay said:
That's not a confirmation, it's just the rumor we were all talking about a couple of weeks ago that's been subsequently debunked by B&N.
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Yeah, you're probably right. >_<

B&N has said that 2.2 will come in 2011 at some point.

Patience young Jedi.
In Devs we trust...they will get it done....
Relatively speaking the development on the NC has been quite active given the low user base, and short amount of time it has been on the scene.

mmarsman said:
I thought the lack of flash would be a bummer too. The only thing that sucks is trying to do flash videos as you were saying. This won't be possible until the NC gets a 2.2 upgrade. I think I read somewhere that it should be in the next month or so, can anyone confirm this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
getting 2.2 doesn't necessarily mean nook will support flash. I have a feeling it won't be fully supported and may be like the archos with choppy flash playback.
but will be interesting to see what happens.
i think people need to realize that the device is meant to be an ereader and I don't think B&N is going to spend money to make the device into a tablet.

Well flash has already been proven to work based on the 2.2 build here.
While it may not be completely smooth, it will be useful for sure.
My netbook doesn't even run flash video completely smooth either but its perfectly acceptable.

Nook App Store & 2.2 update

I purchased a Nook last Friday at BN. The BN employee was giving me his entire sales pitch which I let him because I wanted to look at it before I was going to buy it. He went through the usual stuff of being an awesome e-reader but then went through another tangent that it will be able to moonlight as tablet.
He showed me some of the extra apps and web browser then he said that the nook will be getting an update later this month and that you will be able to install apps. (I remember hearing about the Nook rumors and denial. ) I asked him you mean the Nook will get the Google market place? He said no, it will be a more controlled environment by Barnes and Noble. We want to prevent things like porn and malware going to your device. So that means a Nook App Store? Interesting, huh? I would rather have Google market place but for the average consumer this would be huge.

I guess this already known: (You can delete the post)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=916932
http://nookdeveloper.barnesandnoble.com/

This has pretty much been known from the beginning. It will be an update, but it will not be a 2.2 update...
I really see no point for B&N to ever got to 2.2 if they are going to keep a closed type of App store.

I don't know anything about Android, other than 2.2 has flash. That's the biggest reason I want 2.2. To me the web without flash is very 10 years ago.

s52m3 said:
I don't know anything about Android, other than 2.2 has flash. That's the biggest reason I want 2.2. To me the web without flash is very 10 years ago.
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s52 engines are very 10 yrs ago, yet they are still amazing so im sure u can live without flash for a little longer

bassrebel said:
s52 engines are very 10 yrs ago, yet they are still amazing so im sure u can live without flash for a little longer
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This is a B&N thread, not a BMW thread.
Still prefer the S50 myself though.

s52m3 said:
I don't know anything about Android, other than 2.2 has flash. That's the biggest reason I want 2.2. To me the web without flash is very 10 years ago.
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Understandable.
I have been hearing something about a switchover from Flash to WebM..Not sure what its all about.
I am certain at some point the Nook is going to get Flash with 2.2 or 2.3, but probably later than sooner...

Croak said:
This is a B&N thread, not a BMW thread.
Still prefer the S50 myself though.
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S52 + N54 present, kind sir, both happily tweaked.

Bimboy said:
S52 + N54 present, kind sir, both happily tweaked.
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Sheesh! You even rooted your cars!
Homer

[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
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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.

Barnes and noble tracking what we're doing?

So after registering the nook, then rooting it....can Barnes see what we're doing?
Or is all what they of us is what we registered in the beginning?

domwin said:
So after registering the nook, then rooting it....can Barnes see what we're doing?
Or is all what they of us is what we registered in the beginning?
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Click to collapse
I don't think so.... Good thing NC doesn't have front camera. Or they will be watching us rooting their devices.
It would be against our privacy if B&N was doing this.

But it wouldn't necessarily be illegal.
The most straightforward thing to do is for some users to monitor their WiFi firewalls for unexpected communication with B&N (or anywhere else).
Of course that doesn't help if tracking information is stored and later transmitted to B&N during user-initiated actions (buying books and apps, updates, etc.).
This is not paranoia at all -- we've gone through this again and again with every computing platform since dial-up modems were prevalent.

They know what is going on. Heck, most of the BN staff I met at two stores over here have rooted. NCs. All that BN can do is ban rooted devices from their service. IMHO, so what? I can install a BN app as I installed a Kindle app to read my Kindle books (gave away my Kindle when I got this NC.
However, it might not be wise on their part as I do buy books and subscribe to magazines on my NC.
Rooted Nook Color

Magazines are the best part. I havent read a paper one in months.
Sent from my DROID2 using XDA App

I bought a Nook Color and had it for about 10 days and then returned it. I had no intention of owning it, I was merely curious to root it. In that time I rooted it and restored ir to stock four or five times. I returned the Nook Color with the stock firmware to B&N without a hitch. If they are aware of the rooting nook color subculture, from my experience I don't think they care.

domwin said:
So after registering the nook, then rooting it....can Barnes see what we're doing?
Or is all what they of us is what we registered in the beginning?
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Click to collapse
What B & N needs to do is hurry up with this software upgrade so we can enhance our NC experience!!! If they do this, then more and more people will buy the famed eBook reader/Hacked Tablet!!!

cicero77 said:
I bought a Nook Color and had it for about 10 days and then returned it. I had no intention of owning it, I was merely curious to root it.
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Click to collapse
Strange hobby you have.

There is no reason that B&N would put out this type of device, with this good of screen, and these specs if they didn't know people would root it. It's android after all, it's not like rooting an android device is new!
They know what's going on and I even think they are doing it on purpose to get their devices sold. Heck, I'd have never bought it for just strictly an ereader! Although the 2.2 update seems like it may make more people want it for non-root reasons. (and yes, I use it a lot to read now, ironically.)