Database Develop

[Video]Froyo on nook color

WHO DID THIS??? and why isnt it here!!?
probably doesnt belong in dev section but this needs attention
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uviopU8Ve-Y

wtf! I just got my nook color and was expecting to wait quite a while for a custom rom, but damn things are moving fast. Who did that? How? And why does no one here know about it?

Whoa. We have seen the future of the NC...and it shines! Now, how to get whoever did this on this board...

bobdude5 said:
WHO DID THIS??? and why isnt it here!!?
probably doesnt belong in dev section but this needs attention
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uviopU8Ve-Y
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. But I don't want to lose the original nookColor features as I bought the NC as an ereader primarily and I already have purchased books and magazines on the device. (And no, the nook android app isn't suitable as it doesn't have all the features of the NC such as magazines)

dark79 said:
Interesting. But I don't want to lose the original nookColor features as I bought the NC as an ereader primarily and I already have purchased books and magazines on the device. (And no, the nook android app isn't suitable as it doesn't have all the features of the NC such as magazines)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, so I guess this doesn't apply to you then, right?
I, on the other hand, am very excited. Hopefully we can get the details of this soon. There was no proof that the android marketplace was functioning in the froyo build though, but I hope it is.

dark79 said:
Interesting. But I don't want to lose the original nookColor features as I bought the NC as an ereader primarily and I already have purchased books and magazines on the device. (And no, the nook android app isn't suitable as it doesn't have all the features of the NC such as magazines)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a step in a nice direction. Get the stock OS up and running and then figure out what's needed to perform upgrades to the Nook platform itself. If it is possible to upgrade the unit to Froyo that means that Bluetooth Keyboards should work and a number of other things. I would prefer not to lose the actual Nook look/feel of the device but I'm not going to ignore what is overall a positive step forward for the evolution of this device.
I'm really hoping the details on the WiFi controller chip were accurate, because the touch keyboard on this thing is REALLY getting annoying.

deeoh said:
Ok, so I guess this doesn't apply to you then, right?
I, on the other hand, am very excited. Hopefully we can get the details of this soon. There was no proof that the android marketplace was functioning in the froyo build though, but I hope it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it still applies to me.
The BNN apps run over android 2.1. My point is that I'm hoping someone can pull the BNN apps to work OVER froyo so that I can still have the best of both worlds.
Shouldn't be too hard. After all, BNN already said they're releasing a froyo update early next year (rumors being January).

one question that comes to my mind that doesnt come up in the video, since the nook only has like 4 hardware buttons how do you control your back, home and menu controls? unless you Remap the volume buttons to do it

thoughtlesskyle said:
one question that comes to my mind that doesnt come up in the video, since the nook only has like 4 hardware buttons how do you control your back, home and menu controls? unless you Remap the volume buttons to do it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why you would use the SoftKeys APK that someone else on here has worked so diligently on. That way, the bottom bar of the nook becomes like a perma-softkey bar, that way you can pick between using the volume keys or the softkeys.
Anybody managed to talk to the guy who put up the video? Would love to know how he got that running, especially with Flash 10.1 on 2.2
EDIT: Here's the Softkey.APK and the thread I'm talking about: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=860153&page=2

It's too bad that whomever did this didn't focus their camera very well.

Martimus said:
It's too bad that whomever did this didn't focus their camera very well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed - you can only barely make out the 2.2.1. Wonder if it's real or a fake...

I saw some benchmarks of 2.1 vs 2.2 measured using linpack. 2.1 was about 7 while 2.2 was 30-40.
Will the nook enjoy this speed increase? Meaning because the nook is a little more lacking hardware wise, I'm wondering if this speed boost would be more noticeable on the nook (e..g smoothing scrolling, more responsive, etc)
Or is the graphics chip more responsible for these things?

sark666 said:
I saw some benchmarks of 2.1 vs 2.2 measured using linpack. 2.1 was about 7 while 2.2 was 30-40.
Will the nook enjoy this speed increase? Meaning because the nook is a little more lacking hardware wise, I'm wondering if this speed boost would be more noticeable on the nook (e..g smoothing scrolling, more responsive, etc)
Or is the graphics chip more responsible for these things?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The nook's hardware is actually quite capable and with a proper clean froyo build, it should fly. The stock B&N build is garbage as far as optimizations and performance go. We have a cortex A8 (TI OMAP 3621) with a powerVR SGX 530, that should be plenty to have a nice android experience.
I'm sure linpack scores will improve with 2.2, but it seems snapdragon based devices get the best gains on linpack from going 2.1 to 2.2.

Good to hear it's a capable piece of hardware.
This will be my first android device so I'll read more about rooting etc. But once say a froyo 2.2 is out, can you retain the b&n software somehow, or is it one or the other?
I've heard some of the apps/functionality it provides is good. I'm more interested in this as a cheap first tablet so with a choice for one or the other, I'd wipe it and put froyo on it, but I was curious if even their apps can be brought over, if a side by side (dual boot?) install isn't possible. Or maybe off the sd card...
Off topic, but is there anything to manage multiple users? I can see my gf wanting to use it, and I'd rather not have her bookmarks files etc in mine.
I get the vibe all these devices are made for one user, but I've read posts about say a parent wanting to let their kid play with the device without concern they'd change anything.

sark666 said:
Good to hear it's a capable piece of hardware.
This will be my first android device so I'll read more about rooting etc. But once say a froyo 2.2 is out, can you retain the b&n software somehow, or is it one or the other?
I've heard some of the apps/functionality it provides is good. I'm more interested in this as a cheap first tablet so with a choice for one or the other, I'd wipe it and put froyo on it, but I was curious if even their apps can be brought over, if a side by side (dual boot?) install isn't possible. Or maybe off the sd card...
Off topic, but is there anything to manage multiple users? I can see my gf wanting to use it, and I'd rather not have her bookmarks files etc in mine.
I get the vibe all these devices are made for one user, but I've read posts about say a parent wanting to let their kid play with the device without concern they'd change anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if the root method is the same as we have done before, yes we will be able to do it, basically a custom recovery will be created which will allow nand (internal memory) to be backedup and restored

yea, the stock B&N software is pretty poorly optimized but it's got good management and reading features (shelves, different colors and margin settings, social networking for quotes etc...), much better than the Nook app on Android and most other reader apps, the store works pretty well and it does B&N magazines and kid books. Some of the non-readers out there might not notice the difference, but it's there.

sadly i dont think B&N understand the idea of optimization i got almost twice the performance on my original nook last year just by optimizing the .apks with zipalign and optiPNG havnt had a chance to test it on the NC because well im lazy and too busy actually using it

dark79 said:
Interesting. But I don't want to lose the original nookColor features as I bought the NC as an ereader primarily and I already have purchased books and magazines on the device. (And no, the nook android app isn't suitable as it doesn't have all the features of the NC such as magazines)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too, I use it as a reader and media player next.
But I'm paying close attention to what this device can do...

[Q] Nook Honeycomb starter

Honeycomb on Nook is awesome, the work done here is impressive. Congratulations!
I want to try it out, giving a Nook Honeycomb, and use it instead of a Moto Xoom (it's impressive, but I doesn't need the big screen, HDMI, cameras, dual-core CPU...)
what I need is a small tablet so that I can:
# browse and read news etc.
# use Gmail
# watch a few videos (YouTube or files)
# maybe read e-books (Kindle, B&N)
# run various small apps (maybe some games) - from Android Market
And I want:
# 6" or 7" display
# low weight
# long battery life
# WiFi
# 3G through a Bluetooth connection to my phone
# and low cost
Thats not an 800 USD Xoom for that. But a Nook with HoneyComb!
I'm not a developer but a relatively technical user, so I'm not afraid of buying a Nook and try out some stuff.
But I have som questions and would like some input. I may have misunderstood things and I apologize for stupid questions.
First decisions/questions:
1; what is eMMC? I can see that I should choose between SD or EmmC, so this is probably a fairly basic decision.
2; I gather I need to choose which port of Honeycomb to use. Right? (I have listed a few below).
3; it appears to be possible to either boot Android Honeycomb from the SD-card. Does that mean I can use the Nook as it was delivered if the SD card isn't present?
4; Is there any other basic decisions I need to take?
There's lots of posts here, and I've been reading back and forth, and from what I see this is what I need:
# get a Nook
# get a microSD card. Is there any recommendations?
# get a Honeycomb image/build. Could be:
-http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=936995 by deeper-blue
-http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=925451 by dalingrin
-http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=954902 by phiredrop
# overclock the Nook to 1 or 1.1 GHz
# Disabling B&N OTA updates (or is this done automatically?)
# Dualboot?
# Installing various apps
# Network using Bluetooth - how?
Is this too deep water for me or should I plunge in?!

I personally think that you should dive in. Now first emmc is the name of the nooks internal memory.
I would recommend buying one and first using a micro SD to boot honeycomb and decide if you want to run it. It's a great port and great os but its not prime time yet on the nook.. I use it only, and even with its faults it is too 'tablet friendly' for me to switch.
YouTube is tricky at best. Ill let someone with more experience post about it. In my experience it's not real reliable for some reason
Sent from one of those missing Droids

I love my nook color, and it has a bright future. But u mentioned you wanted 3g and Bluetooth. Those are not available as of yet on nook color. I'm not sure if it has those internal components or not.
But it is a very capable device. Mine is setup comparable to the galaxy tab I would say, after rooting it and adding a custom rom.
Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

Thanks for the answers so far!
I can live without 3G/BlueTooth.
And I can live without YouTube. That will probably fixed along the way.
Is the current Honeycomb builds based on a prerelease SDK or is considered a final release?

Caspar07 said:
Thanks for the answers so far!
I can live without 3G/BlueTooth.
And I can live without YouTube. That will probably fixed along the way.
Is the current Honeycomb builds based on a prerelease SDK or is considered a final release?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't use bluetooth for data, but you could certainly tether your nook to your smartphone. That's what I plan to do when I find myself without a wireless connection.
EDIT: Oh and you could visit the actual youtube website if you have flash installed (on a 2.2 or higher ROM).

Definately dive in. Buy a few microSD cards. Start by rooting the stock firmware and play with a launcher and the market. It's the most stable.
Install Honeycomb on an SD card and boot it. It's not bad but will be much improved in the next few weeks.
No bluetooth yet but you can wifi tether to your phone if your phone supports it.

BanditRider said:
Start by rooting the stock firmware and play with a launcher and the market. It's the most stable.
Install Honeycomb on an SD card and boot it. It's not bad but will be much improved in the next few weeks.
No bluetooth yet but you can wifi tether to your phone if your phone supports it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"Rooting stock firmware"?
Does that mean sort of copying the firmware, so You can restore later?
Again: good replies, much appreciated

To get you started.
At $250, the Nook Color sucks as an eReader. But as an android tablet, its the best purchase you could make. Nothing else comes close. Some notes on your comments.
1. The Nook Color(NC) has a boot priority to the microSD card, making it nearly impossible to 'brick.' I'd reccommend having two sd cards. A good class 10 one for your daily use, and a cheap 1gb one to keep a copy of clockwork recovery for quick repairs.
2. The bluetooth doesn't work, even though the device has the hardware. At this point, there is no speculation of it working in the forseeable future. HOWEVER, it works great using the WiFi hotspot on my HTC evo.
3. The device will run android 2.1 (eclair), 2.2 (froyo), 2.3 (gingerbread), and 3.0 (Honeycomb). All four have their issues. I've tested them all thoroughly, and prefer the standard 2.1 (also called stock NC) build for its stability. Feel free to try them all.
IF YOU SHOULD BUY ONE:
Instructions to root
Instructions to build a recovery SD card
Instructions on how to make root stock NC work well for you
Remember these links. They'll save you the hours of time I lost.

YouTube and Flash work perfectly for me on the 2.2 phiremod beta2 rom. I would say it is pretty stable. But if one is new to root they should just get used to rooting first. We are also over at androidtablets if you need help http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/nook/
The above link for rooting seems broken. Here is the NookDevs links http://nookdevs.com/NookColor_Rooting *edit nevermind it's working sorry

Thank you
I've not yet done any recover steps after auto nootering a few weeks ago. This is going to help me go do these steps this weekend.
Tethering is going to be something i need come summer vacation where there's no connection any place, i have the MOTO Droid, and PDANet, so i'll try that some day soon, see if it holds up.
admiralnorman said:
At $250, the Nook Color sucks as an eReader. But as an android tablet, its the best purchase you could make. Nothing else comes close. Some notes on your comments.
1. The Nook Color(NC) has a boot priority to the microSD card, making it nearly impossible to 'brick.' I'd reccommend having two sd cards. A good class 10 one for your daily use, and a cheap 1gb one to keep a copy of clockwork recovery for quick repairs.
2. The bluetooth doesn't work, even though the device has the hardware. At this point, there is no speculation of it working in the forseeable future. HOWEVER, it works great using the WiFi hotspot on my HTC evo.
3. The device will run android 2.1 (eclair), 2.2 (froyo), 2.3 (gingerbread), and 3.0 (Honeycomb). All four have their issues. I've tested them all thoroughly, and prefer the standard 2.1 (also called stock NC) build for its stability. Feel free to try them all.
IF YOU SHOULD BUY ONE:
Instructions to root
Instructions to build a recovery SD card
Instructions on how to make root stock NC work well for you
Remember these links. They'll save you the hours of time I lost.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

You need to use an Adhoc method to tether droid to autonootered nook I believe. It doesn't work as is right off the bat with a 2.1 nook color and droid1.

Caspar07 said:
....But I have som questions and would like some input. I may have misunderstood things and I apologize for stupid questions.
First decisions/questions:
1; what is eMMC? I can see that I should choose between SD or EmmC, so this is probably a fairly basic decision.
2; I gather I need to choose which port of Honeycomb to use. Right? (I have listed a few below).
3; it appears to be possible to either boot Android Honeycomb from the SD-card. Does that mean I can use the Nook as it was delivered if the SD card isn't present?
4; Is there any other basic decisions I need to take?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was in the same boat... wanted a tablet to do pretty much what you are looking for... after reading the threads here, I got a Nookcolor...
1.. eMMC is the Nook's internal memory, where its current/stock B&N OS and apps are stored and run from. If you wanted to use a "custom rom" like Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, you could install it to eMMC, overwriting the stock B&N stuff... BUT you don't have to.
2. Right now, the honeycomb ports out there are based on the Pre-Release SDK (software dev kit), and made to work on an actual device, i.e. the NookColor. Because of this, it has some limits and bugs. The best HC Ports will come once HC goes AOSP (hopefully soon since the XOOM, which uses HC, is now for sale).
3. The NookColor is setup to try and boot from MicroSD card first, and if no OS on MicroSD, then boot off the eMMC. So, you could load up a card with another OS, play with it, and NOT TOUCH the stock B&N stuff... just pop the card in when you want to boot the other OS, and pop it out when you want to go "stock" (that is what I'm doing now).
This also means you can make up a MicroSD card strictly for the purpose of recovering/reloading the OS on your NookColor if something goes wrong when trying to install an alternate OS to the eMMC. (i.e. helps you "unbrick" your device).
Note: when getting a MicroSD card to boot an alternate OS from, its generally better to get a higher class card as they are usually faster (means the OS runs faster/smoother). But some of the lessor known brands often don't live up to their class ratings. And there have been issues with some people getting certain Class 10 (fastest) 16gig cards, so you'll have to do some home work, searching and reading the threads to decide on which card to buy.
4. You have many choices to make. Do you want to run stock B&N os/firmware (Eclair/2.1) as is out of the box? Do you want to root the stock OS and add your own apps? Do you want to try one of the Froyo (2.2), Gingerbread (2.3, the CM7 builds) or Honeycomb (3.0) ports and do you want to run them from MicroSD (slower) or eMMC (faster)?
While Wifi works with each Froyo and HC build I've tried, Bluetooth doesn't work with any of them.
Each port of Froyo, Gingerbread and HC has its own positives and negatives, so you have to investigate and figure out which one works best for you as a daily driver.
Me, I left the stock B&N NookColor OS and Apps untouched, and loaded up one MicroSD (Sandisk 8G class4) with Froyo following this thread -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=922324
And I loaded up another MicroSD card using the HC Preview v4, but it didn't meet my needs, so I'm waiting on the AOSP of HC to try again.

admiralnorman said:
...
3. The device will run android 2.1 (eclair), 2.2 (froyo), 2.3 (gingerbread), and 3.0 (Honeycomb). All four have their issues. I've tested them all thoroughly, and prefer the standard 2.1 (also called stock NC) build for its stability. Feel free to try them all.
....
Remember these links. They'll save you the hours of time I lost.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great help - thanks.
Still one question:
Is lack of stability in Honeycomb due to the fact that it's still early and very new, or is it due to incompatible hardware?
This is getting increasingly interesting

Caspar07 said:
Great help - thanks.
Still one question:
Is lack of stability in Honeycomb due to the fact that it's still early and very new, or is it due to incompatible hardware?
This is getting increasingly interesting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really. Its kind of a developer's platform. So its made to run on a generic android device. As the programmer type people around here play with it, it gets better and better.
Sent from my HTC Evo 4g using XDA App

KidJoe said:
I was in the same boat... wanted a tablet to do pretty much what you are looking for... after reading the threads here, I got a Nookcolor...
...
And I loaded up another MicroSD card using the HC Preview v4, but it didn't meet my needs, so I'm waiting on the AOSP of HC to try again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the lengthy answer. That was a helpful explanation.

Caspar07 said:
Great help - thanks.
Still one question:
Is lack of stability in Honeycomb due to the fact that it's still early and very new, or is it due to incompatible hardware?
This is getting increasingly interesting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The devs currently do not have the Honeycomb source. What exists now has been pieced together from the emulator and is glitchy. Once they have the source (which should be soon as the XOOM is out now) we should begin to see improvements in HC roms.

Also, please recognize that not everyone has stability issues. I've been running the initial version of Sam's "flashable" Deeper Bulue image for 2 weeks, and don't have any stability issues.
It really depends on what apps you want to run. I have market working fine, with lots of apps downloaded. I did the ADHOC tweak early on, and can connect to wireless networks pretty much at will.
I read quite a bit, and spend a lot of "nook time" using it as an eReadr. I've worked my way through a number of books using the B&B Reader, Kindle, and Aldiko without any issues.
It's not a "production" image, but for me it works well.

admiralnorman said:
The bluetooth doesn't work, even though the device has the hardware. At this point, there is no speculation of it working in the forseeable future. HOWEVER, it works great using the WiFi hotspot on my HTC evo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just got an execuse to buy myself a new gadget - a HTC Evo or similar

"Is the Nook Color the right Android tablet for me?"
I think the easiest way to answer this question is by how much you enjoy tinkering with things. If you want a tablet that "just works" then you'll want a Xoom or Galaxy Tab. But if you love playing and learning about how your gadgets work 'under the hood' then the Nook Color will be the best gadget purchase you've made in awhile.
I've honestly spent more time "getting it to work perfectly" than I have actually using it, but I've loved every minute of it. I won't lie, Java and/or Linux experience is a big plus, but by no means necessary.

admiralnorman said:
At $250, the Nook Color sucks as an eReader. But as an android tablet, its the best purchase you could make. Nothing else comes close.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just bought a Nook Color about a half hour ago and this post made me feel so much better about it. I've been debating it for some time and decided to take the plunge. I was worried that I might be late to the game but it has only been out for like 3 months.
Can anyone point me in the direction of Honeycomb for the NC? EDIT: Unless someone recommends a better ROM for now?
By the way, my name is Raj and I'll be spending lots of time here!

[Q] Basic Question in regards to why

I would start this off by giving all the developers a big thank you! I'm not the only person here that appreciates what they have done for the community of Android and other OS based phones and tablets.
But to the question at hand. Why would I need to customize the Nook color? I can understand rooting it, but why modify the system in such a way as to turn it into an over glorified phone?
Why hasn't someone come up with a rom that mimic's the original purpose of the nook? What I mean by this, is create a rom that for all intents and purposes looks and acts like the original nook with the rest of the features hidden?
Again, this is just me, I still give thanks to all the developers and appreciate their hard work.

I'm not a dev, but I don't really understand your question...you want a ROM that acts just like the stock nook now but with features hidden? If this is what you want then why bother rooting, just keep it as is. I, personally, don't know why you would want to hide more features, the purpose of root is to unhide or add features

Hi,
Depends what you want from the Nook Color...
The Google Android market is not available under the stock B&N ROM, so that
is one wonderful feature either rooting or changing ROMs can you give you.
(Rumors say the next version of B&N software will have an limited B&N market)
If you use NC mainly for an eBook reader - Market access lets you also use
Amazon Kindle eBook reader, FBReader, various PDF readers and many others.
Of course there are games, music players & video players, web browsers, news
readers, weather apps, alarm clocks etc. too. Once you start installing applications
it can be interesting to change the base user interface and/or the performance of
the system - customizing & personalizing the NC can be fun too!
Or you can just use it as is, plenty of productive uses for the un-modified NC!
Peter

FroztIkon said:
But to the question at hand. Why would I need to customize the Nook color? I can understand rooting it, but why modify the system in such a way as to turn it into an over glorified phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you are missing is that modifying the system does not turn it into an over glorified phone.
It turns it into a Galaxy Tab that costs half the price.
The Nook Color is a tablet - onto which B&N then installed a special-purpose color e-reader operating system. By removing that operating system and installing a more general purpose Android operating system, one then has a 7 inch web tablet.
The Nook Color is well-suited to this, because B&N put a lot of their hardware $$ into a very high quality multi-touch display.
That allows the 7-inch size to show that it is the best compromise between portability and visibility.
Like a Kindle e-reader, the NC can be easily held with one hand, fits into a small bag or purse, or large coat pocket, but is large enough to clearly display a full page of text - or else a much bigger portion of a web page than a phone.

hxh103 said:
I'm not a dev, but I don't really understand your question...you want a ROM that acts just like the stock nook now but with features hidden? If this is what you want then why bother rooting, just keep it as is. I, personally, don't know why you would want to hide more features, the purpose of root is to unhide or add features
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The purpose of the device was as a reader. Why root it, change the rom only to have to download the nook app for the nook? Which is kinda the reason of the question why. Why change the entire thing, then have to download an application that makes it do what it was meant to do.
I'd love to find a rom that has all the same features of Froyo or Gingerbread that doesn't remove the B&N functionality of the reader. Meaning, its a reader without needing to download the nook app.

This is akin to asking why if you already own an iPhone would you buy an iPad2 or an iTouch.

Atahachi said:
This is akin to asking why if you already own an iPhone would you buy an iPad2 or an iTouch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I'm being more specific to just one device. I have a Captivate, so according to you, why would I want a modified nook color.
The true purpose of the question, which if you read up, was why modify it, just to download the app for it's purpose.

Well, for me there are two reasons....
Flash
Rooted Stock can be kinda... painful... at times. The settings is a perfect example. The stock version of android was customized to the point where it can be almost annoying to use as a tablet.
As to the purpose of reading, I agree. the nook app doesn't compare to the 'app(s)' that came stock. But while I do miss them, I much prefer to have a more true android experience.

hololight said:
Well, for me there are two reasons....
Flash
Rooted Stock can be kinda... painful... at times. The settings is a perfect example. The stock version of android was customized to the point where it can be almost annoying to use as a tablet.
As to the purpose of reading, I agree. the nook app doesn't compare to the 'app(s)' that came stock. But while I do miss them, I much prefer to have a more true android experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. It is painful and missing the stock reader is painful as well. I guess I'm missing the point of the full Droid experience.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA Premium App

You modify or upgrade it firmware is to UPGRADE its functionalities, if you want to use it more than a simple eReader. You'll turn it into a tablet, and/or replace many functions of your phone which it'll be better with the large screen.

the answer can quite simple actually. alot of people didn't buy it to be a reader. they bought it because they knew it could be rooted to be a fairly competent tablet.
afaik, nothing can be really done to make it what you want (stock b&n apps with froyo/gingerbread features) until B&N releases a newer version with Froyo. Its not a matter of the devs wanting to get rid of all the stock apps. if it were possible to maintain the stock apps and incorporate them into a froyo or gingerbread build i'm absolutely sure it would have been done. but i for one don't want the community standing still waiting for B&N to update its stock rom to froyo while great roms like CM7, and Nookie Froyo go undeveloped.
you're free to stay on autonooter (stock rooted) if that's what you want.

In other words: Why on Earth would anyone want to buy something and then make it much better... for free?

Barrist said it best. I didn't buy a nook for the ereader, I bought it for the potential to make it into an Android Tablet, and I'm very happy with it. Also there are MUCH better apps for reading than the Nook app or Kindle app, which is another reason I am happy. If you're interested in the features of different ereader apps, check out the post in the nook color themes and apps section (i'll be posting it later today)
And to answer a question that was implied, there is a dev working on a launcher that will mimic the stock ROM while flashed to another ROM. Although it has caused many issues (that they are trying to resolve) progress is going pretty well from what I understand. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as porting an app over to work, the dev actually has to modify the programming and I don't think he has much help. I think it's just one guy with advice from the community.

For me the purpose is because I don't want a ebook reader. I want the world's first affordable tablet, which a hacked Nook Color is. I never read books, but I use my Nook Color tablet for hours everyday (lots of fruit to cut).
For others the reason is because the stock B&N program only works on Eclair, and frankly Eclair sucks. No Flash, no hardware composite, no bluetooth support on Eclair.

[Q] Nook for the in-laws: Nookie it?

I have a nook that I auto-nootered for my wife.
Now the in-laws want one and they want me to set it up. They also have an iPad, so that's what they're used to.
Of the current ROM/autonooter options, what is going to give them the best user experience (for market apps, eReader) and will minimize my having to provide tech support.
With my auto-nootered nook (with ADW) I find the user interface a rough ride.
What are the differences between the various ROM options?
Suggestions?
Thanks!

Just my opinion, but a modded Nook is not a good choice for non-tech people. I remember trying to explain all the features my CM7 Nook has to my fatherm, and I realized that he would be totally lost if I just handed it to him. For a mainstream user, I think the stock UI is good enough. A bit laggy, but it's pretty intuitive and user friendly. At most, I'd say a rooted version of the stock ROM, but even then that could bring some issues they may not know how to deal with.

Artood2s said:
Just my opinion, but a modded Nook is not a good choice for non-tech people. I remember trying to explain all the features my CM7 Nook has to my fatherm, and I realized that he would be totally lost if I just handed it to him. For a mainstream user, I think the stock UI is good enough. A bit laggy, but it's pretty intuitive and user friendly. At most, I'd say a rooted version of the stock ROM, but even then that could bring some issues they may not know how to deal with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree. I find the stock experience to be quite confusing with multiple docks and the difference between the stock apps and market apps. Plus, I found the stock experience to be an exercise in frustration. It's laggy and very quirky.
I'd throw CM7 with mad murdock's tab mods, plus Dalingrin's OC kernel on there. Then I'd build a custom homescreen experience using apps organizer, desktop visualizer and a custom homescreen launcher like Launcher Pro to categorize essential apps. Reduce the number of homescreens and pre-select apps that they are likely to enjoy.
Here's a neat example of what can be done using those apps to customize.
Show them the basics of how to use the market and avoid getting into any customization details until they ask.

so about 6 months ago my girlfriend got an ipad. We were at her parents house and her father stole it from her and loved it. he loved it. He is not super techy but he embraces the technology and works to figure things out. He really was interested in something like the ipad, but without the cost associated. So i told him about android tablets, but we all knew they were just not "there yet" for a good product. Fast forward a bit, after playing with a friends autonootered nook, i decided to get one. I autonooterd it with 2.12.25(the best at the time) I brought it over to his house and he fell in love with it. 2 days later he had one, and was calling me up to come root it. He never puts the thing down. He really likes the nook app(only available on stock atm.) he uses the web and kindle apps too, thats about it. now that cm7 is out and really stable i would like to upgrade him, but hes really happy with what he has, i dont want to mess with that.
I suggest showing them what you have, and seeing if they like it. you dont need to be as techy as you think to use it. I know people like us like to play and tweak and mess with stuff, but putting the most recent build of cm7 over clocked, and keys mod is a big plus. Give them a quick over view on how to use it. and they are off.
Just like lyam23 with desktop visualizer and some neat icons you could really dumb down, but your adding a layer of complexity that could break and cause experience issues for them. I suggest you set it up as stock as possible put a few icons on the desktop, and say if you want to read a book use this, if you want to go to the web use this. and go from there. really depends on the user tho.
If they are not techy, or at-least embracing technology, you might as well not waste your time.

To be honest, both CM7 and less so nookie froyo, are for power users. It may be easy to install, but maintaining and upgrading can be a hassel for people who don't keep up to date with this forum, or android central. However much of a clusterf*ck the stock rom is, atleast there is no maintaining it; if you can use an android phone the stock rom is manageable. Plus if it ever messes up it just reverts back to stock, and can just be re-rooted. If you do go with rooted-stock, remember to install CWM, as to block OTA updates. We still don't know how the two will interact.
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk

woot1524 said:
but maintaining and upgrading can be a hassel for people who don't keep up to date with this forum
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree that the stock rooted is a good way to go. but cm7 is stable enough for a standard user i dont think you have to worry about updating it constantly. And if you have to update it, its really quick. If you already have a nook, and your giving it to the inlaws, as long as you see them once and a while, you can quick update it when your there, takes less then 5 min.
in the end no matter which way you go theres shortcomings. it really depends on the user.

Here is rundown for Nooks with normal people:
Stock Rooted
+Can use real Nook software
+Has less rough edges
-No Flash
-Is kinda laggy compared to others
Froyo
-No real plusses over CM7
CM7 + Tablet Tweaks
+Most usable version for normals
+Most responsive version
-Requires your extensive setup
-Lower battery life than stock
-No native Nook app if they care

lyam23 said:
I'd throw CM7 with mad murdock's tab mods, plus Dalingrin's OC kernel on there. Then I'd build a custom homescreen experience using apps organizer, desktop visualizer and a custom homescreen launcher like Launcher Pro to categorize essential apps. Reduce the number of homescreens and pre-select apps that they are likely to enjoy.
Here's a neat example of what can be done using those apps to customize.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And what happens when the widgets all of the sudden don't want to load? I've had this happen at least 4-5 times. Since I set them up, I can get my folder links, etc. back up in no time. Minor inconvinience. But to the layman, it's a showstopper. Plus, when you customize something for a friend/relative YOU become the IT support. I believe I'm a pretty nice guy, but I can't say I enjoy troubleshooting on the phone with someone who has limited knowledge in computers/Android. So my advice is save yourself the trouble and leave it stock (maybe rooted).

If they want an android tablet then I would suggest that you place Cynomod 7 Release Candidate 1 on the tablet and leave it at that until Release Candidate 2 or later is available. It is a very stable version, equal or better than most of the android releases out there on commercial releases on other tablets (Visio, Xoom, etc).
You can set up the main screen with shortcuts to those programs he wants to utilize, and show him how to add more (lock the screen for him in the meantime).
If they only want an ereader and care not for the android functionality, then simply leave it stock.
Simple.

I personally would think... given their experience... definately root it... or better yet CM7 it (you'll have to update it frequently right now)... not sure of the feasibility of that for you right now... can update to that down the road when it is "officially released"
HOWEVER... if you decide to go nootered stock... remember that when B&N forces updates it will have to be done again... I would block OTA updates... then after the new OS is nootered or rootable update their nook...
just my opinion... nothing more.

Artood2s said:
And what happens when the widgets all of the sudden don't want to load? I've had this happen at least 4-5 times. Since I set them up, I can get my folder links, etc. back up in no time. Minor inconvinience. But to the layman, it's a showstopper. Plus, when you customize something for a friend/relative YOU become the IT support. I believe I'm a pretty nice guy, but I can't say I enjoy troubleshooting on the phone with someone who has limited knowledge in computers/Android. So my advice is save yourself the trouble and leave it stock (maybe rooted).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only problem with leaving it stock, is that you have the difficult prospect of explaining what that toolbar at the bottom is. And why are some apps there, and some in extras? And if you install a home replacement to ease things, well then, why are there two places for apps? Which is the right one? How do I make these toolbars disappear? How come I can't read some text next to checkboxes? Why do some of these settings not work? etc...
My point is, no matter what you do, unless you don't do a thing to their NC, you will be tech support. Might as well make it easy with a decent , stable, and simple user interface.
IMO, this can be accomplished better in CM7 with tab tweaks than any other ROM.

What's next for stock rooted development?

I'm very happy with the manualnooter setup for the new update. I like the stock feel and apps while having the ability to overclock, use the market, etc. After all, I do use it for reading. But is there nothing more to develop with this setup until B&N releases a new update? Maybe the ability to merge specific CM7 features with it to gain performance if nothing else?
Honestly, I'm not seeing any reason these days to switch back to CM7. The only thing currently on my wishlist is better flash browsing performance. But that's more of a hardware issue than anything from what I've read.

Kayak83 said:
I'm very happy with the manualnooter setup for the new update. I like the stock feel and apps while having the ability to overclock, use the market, etc. After all, I do use it for reading. But is there nothing more to develop with this setup until B&N releases a new update? Maybe the ability to merge specific CM7 features with it to gain performance if nothing else?
Honestly, I'm not seeing any reason these days to switch back to CM7. The only thing currently on my wishlist is better flash browsing performance. But that's more of a hardware issue than anything from what I've read.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thankfully, all of the current developer resources are being spent on more fruitful ventures like CM7. Sorry, but sticking with the old OS is silly, unless you specifically need the nook app features. CM7 has more hardware features enabled, a new OS, and a good classic Android experience (none of B&N's blah framework).
I think the best that stock users can hope for is some newer kernels every now and then, but ill be honest; i really hope he keeps up with CM7 first and foremost. Again, it is the better OS, and more deserving of the development time.

Divine_Madcat said:
Thankfully, all of the current developer resources are being spent on more fruitful ventures like CM7. Sorry, but sticking with the old OS is silly, unless you specifically need the nook app features. CM7 has more hardware features enabled, a new OS, and a good classic Android experience (none of B&N's blah framework).
I think the best that stock users can hope for is some newer kernels every now and then, but ill be honest; i really hope he keeps up with CM7 first and foremost. Again, it is the better OS, and more deserving of the development time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bluetooth thats not very useful/practical. Decreased battery life. No stock B&N reader app (the market one doesn't have near the stock's polish).
I'm not sure why this makes the ROOTED stock OS "silly." This is, of curse, coming from a non-developer/programmer. Standing plainly from a consumer perspective, I don't see the "blah" framework nor do i care since the performance seems to be nearly the same. I'm not getting into a Quadrant score argument here either .
That being said, honeycomb would be deserving of my attention....with the B&N reader. haha.
*I realize this might read as being negative, but I promise you it's not. I'm just carrying a conversation of the pros/cons. I obviously appreciate the development, whichever way it goes, because it benefits everybody.*

Kayak83 said:
Bluetooth thats not very useful/practical. Decreased battery life. No stock B&N reader app (the market one doesn't have near the stock's polish).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, but that is crazy. The bluetooth is incredibly useful. It allows me to use the Nook as a standalone nav device (and let me tell you, nav on a 7" rocks), or use my bluetooth speaker set. The battery life is fine for what it is. even overclocked, i have never run out of battery in a heavy days use. Charge at night, and i am good to go. I understand the reader, which is why i gave it as the one exception.
Kayak83 said:
I'm not sure why this makes the ROOTED stock OS "silly." This is, of curse, coming from a non-developer/programmer. Standing plainly from a consumer perspective, I don't see the "blah" framework nor do i care since the performance seems to be nearly the same. I'm not getting into a Quadrant score argument here either .
That being said, honeycomb would be deserving of my attention....with the B&N reader. haha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am talking as a consumer as well. I hated the changes B&N made to the Android look and feel. I understand it was done with the goal of making it an eReader, but given an alternative, i had no desire to keep it. Even benchmarks aside, Ginerbread has always felt faster (and has better app and memory management).
Kayak83 said:
*I realize this might read as being negative, but I promise you it's not. I'm just carrying a conversation of the pros/cons. I obviously appreciate the development, whichever way it goes, because it benefits everybody.*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no problems with discussion.

Divine_Madcat said:
I understand the reader, which is why i gave it as the one exception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, but the reader is a pretty big exception depending on what you use the Nook Color for. While I can't see myself going back to stock OS from CM7, I have to say that the B&N reader in the market blows in comparison to what comes stock on the NC. Most critically, opening a book with highlighting can take 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on the App, wheras it's instant on the stock reader.
My Nook Color journey will be complete and I'll finally be able to use this thing the way I truly want when (1) Movies play as well on my NC as they did on BN OS 1.1, and (2) the Nook App for Android opens books as quickly as the stock reader does.

dsf3g said:
Yeah, but the reader is a pretty big exception depending on what you use the Nook Color for. While I can't see myself going back to stock OS from CM7, I have to say that the B&N reader in the market blows in comparison to what comes stock on the NC. Most critically, opening a book with highlighting can take 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on the App, wheras it's instant on the stock reader.
My Nook Color journey will be complete and I'll finally be able to use this thing the way I truly want when (1) Movies play as well on my NC as they did on BN OS 1.1, and (2) the Nook App for Android opens books as quickly as the stock reader does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reader is the only reason I can justify having a tablet. The Transformer is REALLY tempting but I can't really find a specific use aside from the "because I can," attitude.

Hate to say it, but I tend to agree with Madcat on this one. CM7 is a constantly growing project with lots of development support. Stock is... Well stock... You may never see another update for it and I don't feel it comes with anywhere near as much customization.
If you're truly happy with an "eReader" than updates are silly past Manualnooter. It's overclocked and you can read just fine. If you want a "tablet" that's why there's CM7.
That said, had I just wanted an eReader, I would have just bought a Nook or Kindle, battery life is far better for those, and you can easily read your books. Like Madcat said, it's very easy to use the Nook Color heavily (overclocked to 1.3ghz on .29 kernel/Debateable on .32 till PBD is fixed) for a whole day and charge at night. I don't think you're going to see much better even on Stock...
Bluetooth... Silly? LOL, the only thing missing from the Nook color is video out, and I would have a highly portable video game system for vacations, family get togethers, etc.. As Madcat also mentioned, bluetooth gps is pretty awesome on this screen, makes me regret recently buying a TomTom.
But you're also forgetting USB host support that will soon be baked in, allowing the nook to use external usb keybords, mouses, webcams(possibly?), video game controllers and hard drives!
Something goes wrong with CM7 you have a lot of dev support and other user support. Something breaks in Stock and you have the manual spoken to you in verbatim, with an Indian Accent and an American name.
My Nook Color journey will be complete and I'll finally be able to use this thing the way I truly want when (1) Movies play as well on my NC as they did on BN OS 1.1, and (2) the Nook App for Android opens books as quickly as the stock reader does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure why it hasn't ended for video... Overclock it and use Moboplayer and you can easily watch videos. That or learn to encode videos with handbrake to the specs of the nook color for hardware acceleration.
As far as the Nook App goes... I don't really read books outside of pdfs, so correct me if I'm wrong... But couldn't you use other programs like Kindle? or Moon Reader or Aikido?

I'm a little confused about the Bluetooth usability comments. Has the extremely short range issue been resolved and I missed it?
Personally I did want a device that was mostly an eReader with added capability. A rooted/over-clocked Nook Color running Smart Taskbar, Button Savior and a few other goodies fits that bill. Sure the user interface is not Android but that wasn't my intent from the start.
If the Bluetooth range can be/has been resolved, that would be icing on the cake if it gets ported to the rooted NC.If Bluetooth range while using WiFi is still sub par, I wouldn't describe it as very useful even if I were running CM7.
Even though we're on XDA, not all of us are interested in constantly tinkering with our toys all the time. If that is your thing, I say more power to you but there is no call to ridicule others who are looking for something different. Hopefully we can rise above such rudeness and treat each other with common courtesy.
-Joe

PuterGeek said:
Hopefully we can rise above such rudeness and treat each other with common courtesy.
-Joe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who's being rude? Seems pretty civil so far.

I just nooted last night with the lastest MN and Dalingrin's 2.6.32 OC kernel and let me tell you I am as happy as I can be. I did consider CM7 or Phiremod which I think are great but then I realized I am using this baby more for ereading than anything else.
I do like the BN reader launcher and I want to enjoy it a little bit more, the OC brings new life to it (is laggy as hell out of the box). I have now installed around 50 apps including ADW EX, customized it to my taste and to be frank regarding UI I have it to the level CM7 or Phiremod is. I can't imagine it faster than it is (it actually beats my Cognition 4 Samsung Galaxy S in feel and in Quadrant 1800 vs 2300 for the nook).
So I might change later but my needs are fulfilled for now, same situation with my Galaxy S, until CM7 is stable over there I'm sticking with stable froyo Cog goodness.