[Q] New HC User Questions - Nook Color General

So I just got my NC friday and first thing I did was put HC v4 eMMC 2nd edition on it. Generally pretty happy with it but wondering about a few things. Any good opinions on why I should sidegrade to CM7? My biggest complaint is about video playback, but it sounds like this is due to a lack of being able to use hardware acceleration, so it seems like this would also be a problem in CM7. Also I'm wondering if there is a way to get to all the apps, even those hidden in market. I've tried appbrain but I can't get the fast web to install apps properly. Alternatively I guess I could sideload apps, but I'm not sure where I should be downloading .apk's from. I can't just get them from market right? Where can I get paid for app .apk's? Is there flash support at all for HC or CM7?

Related

[Q] Rom question...

I searched and found nothing helpful. So...what is the best rom for daily use with the least amount of problems. I would like to be able to play games, surf the interwebs and read.
Preferably eclair or froyo, I don't give a shiz about gingerbread. I wouldn't mind if youtube worked and would like to be able to purchase games that don't show on my market now.
I am currently using whatever rom is with auto-nooter. I have a wife and kids that also enjoy everything that the rooted nook offers. Much thanks.
There aren't any ROMs available for the NC yet, except for the Nookie Froyo.
There are, however, a few kernels, that over clock your NC for extra performance.
I myself am using 1ghz-omap3630 version that overclocks my NC to 1ghz! Everything flies at 1ghz. You can find more info here.. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=925451
Before you start flashing any ROM/kernels be sure to undestand what you are getting into.. There are no other benefits of flashing these kernels except for the increased speed.
As for YouTube,.. it works! I use YouTube often. You might just need to wipe the data via Titanium Backup, and don't sign in again.. Also, my Market shows most of the apps for 2.1 or below.. what app you looking for that is not showing up?
I have been having small issues with my nook, nothing huge. I just would rather not have to set the screen timeout everytime I turn it on. And small issuses with softkeys. As for the market, mostly any 3d games aren't shown. I understand its what the market thinks is best but if were clocking in @ 1.1ghz then why can't I download something like downhill bowling? Or let's golf? I have a tab disguised as a reader and want to show it off.
As for knowing what I'm getting into, I don't know a ton but I rooted my old G1 and flashed new stuff since android began. But a hacker I am not. Just a quick learner. I just ask questions when I get stuck. Had my G2 for a few months now, I just love android.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

Getting Nook apps back on Froyo/Honeycomb?

So I've been playing around with the Honeycomb previews, and was wondering if anyone's been able to get the stock nook reading/lending/etc.. apps working in Honeycomb.
I was able to transfer the games over via adb, although the layout is off on chess and the sensor at the edge doesn't pick up all presses on crossword.
Specifically, I really like the default reading app and side-loading epubs and would like to get that working.
Has anyone done this already or know which dependent apk's different components of the stock nook software use?
TIA
I also would like to get the B&N apps to run properly in Honeycomb. I am currently running rooted 1.1, because I want the B&N apps. My son use Nookbooks for kids and I prefer the default Nook app when I read. I don't purchase many books, but the ones I do buy are from B&N because I want to support them. If we don't support B&N they will stop making great devices like the original Nook and the Nook Color.
I do realize I can run the Android app and buy books via the web, but Nookbooks for kids is not available in the Android market.
Yeah, I'm playing around with it and seeing if I can get anything working with it.
I really like the stock Android apps, but like how much better honeycomb is designed for tablets (vs. froyo/eclair or the stock bn that can only have books in the home screen).
Will post back if I have any success... and I think it's a dumb rule that you need 10 posts to put anything in the dev forum. Supposedly this area is for noobs asking about how to install nookie etc.. and the other is for "dev" but half the posts over in dev are people talking about installation trouble and half the posts here are people posting things that would be better suited to the dev section. /rant
So I adb pushed everything bn over to honeycomb, but nothing shows up. Try to install Reader.apk and get error that it's missing required bncloudapi.
I have the jar file in frameworks, and the permissions files, but not sure if there's something else I should be looking for. TIA

[Q] Honeycomb Froyo or Stock?

Ive done a little bit of searching and cant seem to find a thread about this (im sure there is one but i cant find it) so my question is which of the three do you like? i know there are pros and cons to all of them but i dont really know what to go with. any suggestions?
Dragracekid said:
Ive done a little bit of searching and cant seem to find a thread about this (im sure there is one but i cant find it) so my question is which of the three do you like? i know there are pros and cons to all of them but i dont really know what to go with. any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me, rooted stock was definitely the easiest. It's the easiest to get working. For me' froyo was still not completely usable as it doesn't include Gapps and it's kinda funky getting them on there. Then nothing really works on honeycomb (and by that I mean downloaded apps) so if you just want to browse the interwebs that's the one for you. Froyo is if you want everything Android offers, but you better know what you"re doing. So IMO stock is the easiest and the prettiest, with honeycomb being second, and Froyo being third.
I can't speak to Froyo, but I've got the HC v04 preview running on eMMC (not SD card), and for me it is very stable.
I've got access to the market, apps seem to install fine (haven't had one fail yet, but I hear some do), and B&N works great.
Even better, the kernal included in the package I used was already OC'd to 1.1Mhz, and I'm consistently getting 1,500 to 1,600 on Quadrant.
Much better performance than I was getting on my stock Nook.
It's not perfect, and I've had to do a few tweaks (found on this site) in order to get the market working, and adhock wireless networks to show up...but for me the total install was really smooth.
The only problem I currently have is that I cannot get applications to transfer from eMMC to my SD card, so I'm running out of space to install more apps.
No way would I go back to stock...what I've got now works really well for everyday use, and will only get netter once Honeycomb goes GA.
If you do decide to "upgrade" your stock Nook, just remember that it's not a "sure deal", and that there are no guarantees things will work. While I haven't had to do so, I understand that restoring your Nook to stock is a bit of a chore, so make sure you read the "back to stock" threads before you decide to modify your Nook.
If you do decide to go with either Froyo or HC...just remember to follow instructions exactly!
DeadlyDa said:
I can't speak to Froyo, but I've got the HC v04 preview running on eMMC (not SD card), and for me it is very stable.
I've got access to the market, apps seem to install fine (haven't had one fail yet, but I hear some do), and B&N works great.
Even better, the kernal included in the package I used was already OC'd to 1.1Mhz, and I'm consistently getting 1,500 to 1,600 on Quadrant.
Much better performance than I was getting on my stock Nook.
It's not perfect, and I've had to do a few tweaks (found on this site) in order to get the market working, and adhock wireless networks to show up...but for me the total install was really smooth.
The only problem I currently have is that I cannot get applications to transfer from eMMC to my SD card, so I'm running out of space to install more apps.
No way would I go back to stock...what I've got now works really well for everyday use, and will only get netter once Honeycomb goes GA.
If you do decide to "upgrade" your stock Nook, just remember that it's not a "sure deal", and that there are no guarantees things will work. While I haven't had to do so, I understand that restoring your Nook to stock is a bit of a chore, so make sure you read the "back to stock" threads before you decide to modify your Nook.
If you do decide to go with either Froyo or HC...just remember to follow instructions exactly!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yo, deadly, chill down a bit...nook is very hard to brick and destroy..
Since OP is here, on XDA, I suppose he knows enough to continue...
It is not so hard, trust me, pick one and try, you can start witk stock rooted...Then you will find annoying the way apps are starting, or eclair itself...So, you go and try froyo (on emmc, ofcourse), which is the closest thing to phone froyo feeling, and you'll use it happily until...One day you decide to try something new, and that would be HC...
DeadlyDa said:
I can't speak to Froyo, but I've got the HC v04 preview running on eMMC (not SD card), and for me it is very stable.
I've got access to the market, apps seem to install fine (haven't had one fail yet, but I hear some do), and B&N works great.
Even better, the kernal included in the package I used was already OC'd to 1.1Mhz, and I'm consistently getting 1,500 to 1,600 on Quadrant.
Much better performance than I was getting on my stock Nook.
It's not perfect, and I've had to do a few tweaks (found on this site) in order to get the market working, and adhock wireless networks to show up...but for me the total install was really smooth.
The only problem I currently have is that I cannot get applications to transfer from eMMC to my SD card, so I'm running out of space to install more apps.
No way would I go back to stock...what I've got now works really well for everyday use, and will only get netter once Honeycomb goes GA.
If you do decide to "upgrade" your stock Nook, just remember that it's not a "sure deal", and that there are no guarantees things will work. While I haven't had to do so, I understand that restoring your Nook to stock is a bit of a chore, so make sure you read the "back to stock" threads before you decide to modify your Nook.
If you do decide to go with either Froyo or HC...just remember to follow instructions exactly!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Out of curiosity, what do you mean that B&N works great? Are you just talking about the Nook app from the market, or the stock B&N apps that come with the Nook when you first get it. I was under the assumption that those would be lost with any install of Honeycomb or Froyo, which has kept me from making that jump.
im leaning toward HC cuz i dont mind difficult because i enjoy doing this kind of stuff but my worry is widgets and a few apps has anyone used circle launcher or gbcoid or gameboid or any other emulator on this?
edit: also any luck on videos working? like rockplayer or yxplayer?
Rockplayer works well , NESoid works well, gonnna try pSX tonight.
Honey 4 on emmc.
@deadly read thru the emmc thread, the answer is there. Root explorer change permissions.
Dragracekid said:
im leaning toward HC cuz i dont mind difficult because i enjoy doing this kind of stuff but my worry is widgets and a few apps has anyone used circle launcher or gbcoid or gameboid or any other emulator on this?
edit: also any luck on videos working? like rockplayer or yxplayer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I know none of the alternate builds currently support hardware-accelerated video playback, so your only real option for smooth fullscreen video is the (rooted or not) B&N Nook image. If anyone has gotten this working on a different build please let us know.
Honeycomb has a few issues, for example accelerometer input being rotated 90% in some games, and occasionally tiny hard-to-read onscreen text since it's configured for a non-native pixel density to fit the 1280x800 UI on the Nook's smaller screen. It's fun for testing and ok as a daily environment if your important apps all happen to work, but you should expect things to break.
By "B&N works great", I meant that I'm running the B&N reader from the market. Personally I like it better than the stock Nook reader.
@djurkash: As you say, "It's not so hard...", I was up and running in an hour or so. Sorry if you felt I was trying to scare anyone away. I really like what I've got...but I have also noted a bit of "HC mania", and not everyone bothers to RTFM. If someone reads through this site, and feels comfortable with the process...I hope they go for it! I'm glad I did.
@jonrobertd: I'd read through the emmc thread, and didn't see anything that addressed moving apps. I just went back through and searched on "Root Explorer" and "permissions", but didn't see anything that looked like it would help. I'm probably missing something obvious, but any assistance you could offer would be greatly appreciated (I do have Root Explorer installed and working).
jonrobertd said:
Rockplayer works well , NESoid works well, gonnna try pSX tonight.
Honey 4 on emmc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@jonrobertd, I just tried Rockplayer on HC v4 off SD (not overclocked), it runs at 12-15fps according to its built-in counter for original size, a bit slower for fullscreen video ([email protected], baseline H264 from Handbrake). Is that significantly better with the overclocked version? Currently it's usable but looks noticeably jerky. Of course, dual-booting to use the stock player would be a fallback option.
I have only had my nook now for 4 days so I am in no way going to put down any build. But from a new users opinion I have installed and messed with all three releases (stock rooted) (froyo) (honeycomb) And I LOVED honeycomb.
I was happy with it for a short time though due to no flash. Youtube app was a no go and the web youtube worked but was whacky.
I then went back to stock rooted and put on ADW ex. Everything just works! I am completely happy with stock running ADW until honeycomb gets more refined.
And I cant wait for that to happen because it looks very nice and is a much better user experience on the nook.
Rockplayer is much better off of eMMC and overclocked. As to running HC off SD I
can see it being slower, as the card speeds can vary.
For root explorer, I am using version 2.13.3 it works to give R/W permissions. (PM me if needed)
Apps installing to SD, use the following:
Also I follow Samuelhaff's advice and change the permissions on newsf_msdos on the /system/bin and now almost all applications install with few fails. I did it a risky way though, since I don't have ADB access I just rightclicked the file with Root Explorer, chose permissions and click in all 9 boxes, worked for me but it may be risky.
Doing this gave the me option to move to SD. I have ADB working, was just on the nook so I did it with R.E. and it worked.
If you need any more help pm me or ask here.
I have used all three (rooted stock, Nookie Froyo, and Honeycomb v4), and I am currently using a dual boot setup with stock on eMMC and NF on a microSD card. I am using rookie1's awesome multi-u-boot which allows me to choose to boot from either the SD or the eMMC at startup by pressing the home button. Stock is good for daily use, and NF is good for more cutting-edge stuff (Flash being one example). I'll probably use Honeycomb once the biggest bugs are ironed out, which will probably be after HC goes AOSP. In any case, the Nook Color has three great operating systems that you can choose from. It can't hurt to try, even if you decide to burn to eMMC instead of running off an SDcard the Nook Color is [very] hard to brick.
I just installed Sam's custom HC for emmc last night and I have to say that this is my favorite of the three options. It runs much smoother than I expected. Overall, I was not a big fan of froyo, the performance for the most part was great but I always had touch issues and keyboard lag.
1.) Sam's custom HC v4
2.) Rooted Stock 1.1
3.) Nookie Froyo emmc
I like the stock rom better, easier to root too. I've tried the HC on SD works fine but harder to setup for new nookies
i went ahead and went with HC last night and it is great so smooth and so clean the lock screen alone is just so nice, although i wish it had flash and rock player plays really choppy on my .avi anime but thats ok i can watch it on my phone. thanx guys for all you help and suggestions anyone that wants to post suggestions please do im sure there are people just like me looking for the awnsers this topic can provide
I've had my NC for a few weeks now am itching to try Froyo or Honeycomb. Something that is important to me though is the Readtome childrens books. My 3 year old really likes them. Does the market B&N appt work with these books? If not, is there a way to still use them on either Froyo or Hobeycomb (HC preferred)?
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
As far as I can tell the Read To Me books only work on the app on the NC. But that's no reason not to try Froyo or HC. Just try one of the SD image versions. That's what I've been doing. Booting off SD doesn't affect whatever you have loaded on the internal memory. Going back to the B&N stock ROM is just as simple as powering down your NC, popping out the bootable SD card, popping back in your regular SD card (if you have one) and powering the NC back on.
fugitoid said:
As far as I can tell the Read To Me books only work on the app on the NC. But that's no reason not to try Froyo or HC. Just try one of the SD image versions. That's what I've been doing. Booting off SD doesn't affect whatever you have loaded on the internal memory. Going back to the B&N stock ROM is just as simple as powering down your NC, popping out the bootable SD card, popping back in your regular SD card (if you have one) and powering the NC back on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not know you can do that with the SD card. Im going to see about doing that when I get home. Thanks.
Sent from my Samsung Captivate running Phoenix

[Q] Beginner Questions

Ok. I finally got a Nook Color, rooted it using AutoNooter 3 and played around with Honeycomb. Now, I got some questions:
1. Can I watch Hulu on the Nook Color?
If I am not mistaken this will require flash and flash is only available on Froyo. Is that correct? Will Hulu run on Froyo?
2. Why is YouTube/Flash/Hulu not available on phiremod or HC?
I am guessing on HC it is not available because it is not based on source code? But what is the problem with phiremod?
3. I understand that some ROMs can be flashed. So far I only tried to run ROMs from my SD card. In the past it used to be a problem that devices can only be flashed so and so often. Is that still the case?
I searched the forum, but my questions were not fully answered.
Thanks for your time!
Cheers,
Jens
Looks like nobody had the time to answer my questions or maybe I just asked too many...
Meanwhile, I could answer some of my questions on my own:
1. Can I watch Hulu on the Nook Color?
Maybe. I got Flash to work on Froyo, but Hulu checks for Android and blocks access. The solution seems to be a browser called Skyfire and I can find it as an Android application using Google, but it doesn't show up in my marketplace application.
Not sure how to proceed from there...
2. Why is YouTube/Flash/Hulu not available on phiremod or HC?
It seems that on HC flash hasn't been published yet and/or it is not compatible with the "re-engineered" version running on Nook Color.
Still no clue why it doesn't work on phiremod...
3. I understand that some ROMs can be flashed. So far I only tried to run ROMs from my SD card. In the past it used to be a problem that devices can only be flashed so and so often. Is that still the case?
Does anybody know the answer???
Cheers,
Jens
Youtube is not working yet on HC or GB based ROMs because the hardware DSP drivers are not finished and that is needed to decode video.
The useful lifecycles for the internal flash memory in moden devices should far exceed your ability to flash new ROMs so nothing to worry about, flash to your hearts content.
Phiremod is based off of CM7, so whatever doesnt work im CM7 generally doesnt work in phiremod, The youtube thing is baiscally what the guy above me said, DSP drivers.
Yeah, flash away. I've done it so many times I've lost count. The nook is great for learning how to do that stuff.
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk
Hey another noob here I know that you can get hulu to work on nookiefroyo i think i googled android flash and there was a patched flash and another app that allowed it to work. I ran this off an sd card and the hulu experience was abysmal but it did work this was with a non oced kernel though
Thanks for all the replies. I will go ahead and flash my nook tonight.
I got flash working, but how did you get around the android hulu check? I mean I am reading that Skyfire can do it, but Skyfire doesn't show up in the Market application.
Anyhow, I guess we are still early in the game and so we will probably still see some big improvements in the near future.
Cheers,
Jens
yeah, I too would like to know how you got Hulu working? as for Skyfire, last time I checked Hulu blocked that browser completely (as it was working for a while). I could be wrong and they may have changed Skyfire to work again.
Use the dolphin browser. It has the ability to pretend to be another device, including a desktop.
chisleu said:
Use the dolphin browser. It has the ability to pretend to be another device, including a desktop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hulu detects OS not just browser, therefore changing dolphin browser to desktop does nothing for hulu.
JLCollier2005 said:
Hulu detects OS not just browser, therefore changing dolphin browser to desktop does nothing for hulu.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a hulu "app" for certain 2.2 phones. This might be something to look into though I admit I've only used it and I don't know the technical background of it.
Hulu and Netflix are the last two things I really want on Android, but I also understand why we may never see support on the Nook (not only is the nook not officially a tablet, but it also will now be considered older technology)
how exactly do i flash this zip file in this thread to my NC?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=965023

New to NC, not to technology. Advice needed.

Forgive me for the intrusion, but I have a question for you all. Looking at the various threads and screen shots, it appears that most are using a rooted nook rather than honeycomb or froyo; is this accurate?
My story:
I was in Best-buy the other day shopping tablets (Xoom, Galaxy, iPad, etc) and someone was walking by and said "Hey, save money, get a NC." Of course I was like, what? I'm no stranger to Linux, servers, and basic programming but tablets and android is uncharted territory for me. So, after this guy did some basic explaining I was like "half price, and near limitless customization? Yeah thats for me!"
So here I am, been browsing this website for a few days trying to decide how I should go about 'unlocking' my NC. Do I use some sort of root kit to just unlock the 'stock' system? Do I use 'Froyo' on a SD card? What about this honeycomb thing, should I use that?
Like I said, it appears from screenshots most people are still using the basic NC system, that has maybe just been rooted to run apps and such from the market? I'm sorry for sounding dumb, I'm really not, just not sure what route is best for me, or the best choice. I am a fast learner, I just don't want to spend weeks learning something only to realize I was learning the wrong thing for what I need.
What I've gathered so far:
Stock rooted NC - will do fine for most users. Launcher Pro, Pandora, YouTube, browsing, games, gmail, etc. What about GPS? Google Maps?
Froyo - Same as above, some cosmetic differences, bells and whistles only advantage?
Honeycomb - Culmination of the previous two lists?
Insight welcome please?
Signed,
Work in progress.
It may be a little over half the price... But the Nook color is half the speed of the Motorola Xoom. So if you really have the money, I would return the nook color and just get a xoom, you'll be happier with it. If you're looking for just something to surf the net, and play a few games or programs, then the NC is a decent choice.
I use CM7 nightlys. CM7 is in my opinion the best rom, it allows bluetooth support and flash. It can be overclocked to 1190mhz. And has a lot of options for customizations.
HC is limited to a preview sdk build until google decides to let others have the final source, which could be a while... (Motorola Xoom comes with it installed)
Froyo is limited in a lot of regards, and CM7 is far better and offers a lot more support for programs and hardware. That said... Some people feel Froyo is better than CM7, but they're essentially the same underlining OS.
Individuals requirements vary, but since you asked I will give my two cents:
CyanogenMod 7
While it is currently not released as "stable" but only nightly builds, the nightlies are extremely good. Phiremod is based on the nightlies and adds some nice stuff, but is also slightly behind since the nightly has to be released before it can be customized.
The latest is CM7 nightly 32 right now (http://download.cyanogenmod.com/?type=nightly&device=encore) but it changes almost every day.
A Video Test build was just released that has YouTube working in all its glory (? Did I really type that?) so the video issues should be a thing of the past in a few days. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=960537
The same dev has an overclock kernel which gets the cpu up to 1100mhz and adds the interactive governor- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=925451
And another guy took a great idea and ran with it: adding Tablet Tweaks to CM
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1002000
I generally run the latest nightly with an oc kernel but now that the Tablet Tweaks has made so much progress, my routine is like this:
Flash latest nightly
Flash Tablet Tweaks
Flash OC kernel
Don't let the "nightly" status of CM7 put you off too much- the CyanogenMod team are perfectionists and won't call a rom Stable until it is PERFECT.
Right now the nightlies are better than any fresh install of Windows I have ever seen, for example....
I wouldn't go to honeycomb as a permanent solution now - it is reasonably good but still experimental with problems running full tablet applications.
I'm using Froyo but will switch over to CM7 shortly. At one point, froyo was more stable (two weeks back - things change fast) with working video and flash. CM7 has come along quickly and its time to move on. Having said that - both of these require some fiddling to get working properly. This is not a no-frustration experience - if you are comfortable with sorting out linux-like issues it won't be too bad. Fun if you like tinkering with gadgets.
Rooted stock is stable, adds the open android market to the the stock B&N experience which includes a very nice reader. If you upgrade beyond stock you will lose the reader which has some desireable features like "borrowing a book" in the store, magazines and newspapers. Not working on froyo, cm7, or hc.
I'd agree that cm7 is probably the best compromise at this point - at least for me. You will still be flashing gapps and wondering where certain apps or wallpapers are in the market.
Xoom or galaxy tab actually work (largely) without customization today. Closer to an ipad experience in that it works out of the box. Nook color can largely replicate those functions but you'll do a little work setting it up.
Peter
I would not trade the NC for the Xoom just because the Xoom is so ridiculously overpriced IMO. Personally, I would go with stock rooted. If you find that you are wanting to do something with it that you cannot do on stock rooted, then look for something else like Nookie Froyo or Honeycomb (which is still a little half baked on the NC IMO).
Wonderful advice and well said. Thank you much for everyone's time, I above anyone else know how precious every second is.
'Sorting out linux and tinkering' is exactly on point, I've been doing that very thing for about 12 years now. I like to consider myself an avid enthusiast rather than full throttle geek. Anyway, I think I'll study the route of stock rooted and further my knowledge on full flash before taking that plunge.
That being said, one more question and I'll let you all get back to more important things. I should be right in assuming just follow the steps in this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=872490 or the v3.* thread to fully root the stock NC and have google apps, market, etc up and running? From what I've read, this auto-nooter has pretty much all of it built in already; Gmail, Market, root-kit etc.
PS: Wonderful site, very informative.
Signed,
Work in Progress.
LarcenQ said:
Stock rooted NC - will do fine for most users. Launcher Pro, Pandora, YouTube, browsing, games, gmail, etc. What about GPS? Google Maps?
Froyo - Same as above, some cosmetic differences, bells and whistles only advantage?
Honeycomb - Culmination of the previous two lists?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in your same boat (I recently started with Nookie Froyo on SD so I can leave the Nook alone, but am just learning what else needs to be done to fix some buggy behavior.)
One thing to understand is that there are multiple versions of Android. The Nook Color still ships with Android 2.1 (Eclair). They are supposed to be pushing out 2.2 (Froyo) in a few days. The Cyanogenmod (CM7) people are using 2.3 (Gingerbread). And the NookieFroyo folks are of course using 2.2. I have no idea what Phiremod is. As expected, the later versions of Android tend to have more features/work better.
The 3.0 version of Android, Honeycomb, is still the most experimental and apparently doesn't work that well with the Nook Color yet. Worse, Google has decided to hold back the latest source code of this "open source" project for now, meaning that only the Xoom can run the thing. But it's the only Android version with true tablet support.
As to GPS,the Nook Color does NOT have a GPS chip, so regardless of Android version you can get GPS coordinates only by rough calculation based on a WiFi database or by tethering to a GPS device or GPS-equipped cell phone.
xdabr said:
I have no idea what Phiremod is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Phiremod is based on CM7 nightlies with some very nice customizations.
Yup -- Xoom overpriced. Unless you've a burning desire to be on the cutting edge, I'd go with the Nook Color and wait out the pricing on Android tablets. They are bound to come down.
Also, a couple of key points:
Barnes & Noble is theoretically going to push an upgrade sometime in April that will include Flash capability and some sort of Market. No details on the market. However if they're smart there will be a host of apps available that we all know will run on the Nook (because we've rooted and downloaded them). This new stock configuration may be all that a lot of people want or need.
If you are determined, however, remember that this forum is like a big toy store and can be confusing. You can run stock internally and dual boot into a fast SD card to run virtually any other configuration. Or, you can flash the internal rom and run most of these variation on the OS internally.
Here's the relevant point: When booting, the Nook Color looks first at the SD drive. That's very cool, because it allows us to do a whole bunch of fun stuff.
I'm currently running rooted stock internally and CM7 (the version with working Bluetooth) off a SD card. Truth be told I typically boot into CM7 because it works so well -- even for reading B&N Nook books. I use a little variation that allows hard key dual booting. There is a brandy new release of CM7 that resolves some video issues and I'll update to that.
However, the CM7 releases do not include the Google stuff, including the Market, so you have to load those via ADB (Android Development Bridge) which means setting up your computer with an Android development environment -- something very doable and free, but it takes some time to get it all working right.
The holy grail is probably Honeycomb, the Android version specifically designed with tablets in mind. There is a development version of Honeycomb that actually works pretty well, but it's not fully fleshed out just yet. I've got it running on a separate SD and it's very cool, but lacks some functionality. Once it's fully developed that will be my daily OS for sure.
One of my wants and needs is to be able to use an external folding keyboard. The only version floating around right now that supports the Nook's built-in Bluetooth (unused by B&N) is a release of CM7 -- and it works. I can use the nifty Freedom Pro keyboard and it's really pretty good -- no excessive lag.
Hopefully that's enough to get you going. I'd say -- given the overwhelming wealth of information on this forum -- keep your Nook stock until after B&N pushes the update. In the meantime, get a good fast SD card and use that to mess with your pick of Android versions offered here. Pick just one and than tunnel down into the forum to work with it at first.
Happy Nooking!
robedney said:
I'm currently running rooted stock internally and CM7 (the version with working Bluetooth) off a SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! I wanted to try this CM7 tonight when I got home, however, I do not want to wipe/tamper with my onboard nook, and everything I've read about CM7 you have to install on internal memory. Is there a link to the instructions on booting CM7 from the sd card?
Thanks in advance!
Signed,
Getting somewhere.
Yup -- I'll track it down. Stay tuned.
Here's a thread that sets up a SD card to run CM7 with working Bluetooth. Read the whole thread before you start (some good simple instructions are in there):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=989637
Be aware that Google stuff and the Market are not included -- you'll have to install those via ADB (and there are full instructions on how to set up and do that on this forum.
Or -- a newer option that looks pretty cool (and avoids having to use ADB to get the Market):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1000957
I think I'll try this on a spare SD card and see how it all works out.
There are hardware differences to consider too.
NC is 7 inch screen, vs 10 inch for XOOM and some other tablet.
Then size and weight.
Also NC doesn't have cameras, the others may have one or two...
And NC doesn't have mic, although bluetooth headset may work.
I am happy with my NC for its price and what I need.
robedney said:
Here's a thread that sets up a SD card to run CM7 with working Bluetooth. Read the whole thread before you start (some good simple instructions are in there):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=989637
Be aware that Google stuff and the Market are not included -- you'll have to install those via ADB (and there are full instructions on how to set up and do that on this forum.
Or -- a newer option that looks pretty cool (and avoids having to use ADB to get the Market):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1000957
I think I'll try this on a spare SD card and see how it all works out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Much obliged! I'll give this a try tonight once I get home from work. God I love mature people instead of 'scr3w yu n00b!'.
Signed,
Getting there.
Just make your of which Stock ROM you have (1.0.0, 1.0.1, 1.1.0). Each Nooter is made specifically for each ROM.
Also, as far as Gapps is concerned, there is no need to use ADB. All of it can be installed easily via ClockworkRecovery. ADB stuff is fun, but not needed to get full blown CM7 w/gapps and everything else.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/archive/index.php/t-1000957.html
just used this for a SD bootable CM7. I'm running rooted 2.1 for daily use and testing out the different options via SD bootable builds. fyi, this also allows the install of google apps without ADB.
HI,
One question for you:
What do you want to use the Nook for mainly?
Toy/Playing/learning/Android Apps/Web/eBooks... CM7 (Nightlies)
eBook reader mainly... Perhaps stock rooted.
Lots of video/Flash? Not sure which, perhaps Froyo. CM7 soon.
Require bluetooth? CM7
One immediate advantage for rooting is access to other eBook reader
applications, such as Kindle.
Don't forget to look at/select a soft button approach that you like,
Android is expecting more than the one button at the bottom. I like
Button Savior from the market, but there are a variety of other solutions.
It is handy to have a bunch of SDcards on hand too, I never seem to have
enough of them. Don't forget that when you move to an internal memory
version of, say, Cyanogenmod7, that you need a SD card for data too.
Good luck, the NC is a fun toy!
Peter
envygreen said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/archive/index.php/t-1000957.html
just used this for a SD bootable CM7. I'm running rooted 2.1 for daily use and testing out the different options via SD bootable builds. fyi, this also allows the install of google apps without ADB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We're in dire need of a single (maintained) collection of all these pre-built SD card images -- is there such a posting?
Hunting through the forum is not as much fun as it seems.
EDIT: Looks like there's a list of ROMs at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=872003
DOH!
Read post carefully BEFORE replying!
lol

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