Observations compared to Asus EEE Transformer - Nook Color General

Got a transformer last week. Great device... but a bit heavy. I'll be keeping the Nook as well. it's just soo much more comfortable for one-handed usage.
Here's my thoughts. if the Nook could support better video performance (video was choppy on my CM7, especially HD video which was virtually unplayable without transcoding to specific settings..), then it'd be a serious contender.. As it is, I'm keeping my Nook for reading and bed-side usage for books/rss feeds.. transformer for living room usage (browser is awesome on that device).
There's definitely a place for a nice lightweight 7" tablet.. I just wish our nook had better driver support for video.. plus bluetooth is pretty handy for consuming video/audio using bluetooth headsets.. but the nook's range is obviously limiting.
-m

I really think Amazon will be dropping a kindle color soon. And with all their services for HD video, music, and apps. That might be the budget/size tablet to get.
Or maybe the vizio tab depending on size of coarse
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

This is the very beginning of the Android tablet market. I doubt the NC will be the best or last, but it is a relatively inexpensive starting place while we see what comes out.
Like the OP, I expect to add a larger, more desk-oriented tablet in the near future for travel purposes when I don't need a full laptop, but the NC is a great mobile device.

diomark said:
There's definitely a place for a nice lightweight 7" tablet.. I just wish our nook had better driver support for video.. plus bluetooth is pretty handy for consuming video/audio using bluetooth headsets.. but the nook's range is obviously limiting.
-m
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might have been happier with the Archos 70 Internet Tablet. Amazing video and audio support right out of the box. Not as hackable as the NC, but even on its own without hacking its not too bad. Very light as well and you can get it with a 250GB HD in it. Bluetooth support, capacitive screen, etc.

Related

Nook Color vs Archos 70/101

http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/24/archos-70-and-101-internet-tablet-review/
Just $49 more for cameras, kickstands, Android 2.2, less headache, and more.
What do you think? Which one is better?
Anyone used both? Or considering returning the NC for an Archos?
I was just talking about this subject with some friends.
Nook has a much better screen. A 1024x600 res IPS with great angles and crispness. The Archos 70 has a crappy 800x480 TN screen with really bad viewing angles. Screen quality in a tablet is probably most important to me. I want to be able to hold this thing any any direction at any angle and still see it, can't do that with the Archos.
The Nook feels solid... maybe a little too solid, as it is certainly heavier than the Archos 70. The Archos is reportedly very flimsy feeling. This could go either way depending on how much you value solid feeling versus weight.
The Nook has 512MB of RAM and it looks like 1GB or more of app storage space (unfortunately I didn't look at it before installing a few things). The Archos 70 has 256MB of RAM and only a measly 256MB of app storage space. Maybe the modders can fix that if they haven't yet, not sure. But that is a big downer for the Archos to me, I've already installed about 400MB of apps on my Nook in that app space.
Archos seems to have performance on it's side. It's CPU runs at the full 1GHz and it's running Android 2.2 already. My Nook feels sluggish with web browsing (using Dolphin HD), but I'm hoping the Nook update to 2.2 in January can help pep it up some. And maybe someday we'll get a 1GHz kernel.
Archos has a few extra hardware features like Bluetooth, HDMI out, better speakers, and cameras (though probably not a big loss if they are as bad as Engadget says they are).
For me the WAY better screen more than makes up for the slightly slower performance and other features the Nook doesn't have.
Connectivity. Vs. Screen quality... Pick your poison.
Ravynmagi said:
The Archos 70 has 256MB of RAM and only a measly 256MB of app storage space. Maybe the modders can fix that if they haven't yet, not sure.
...
And maybe someday we'll get a 1GHz kernel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to clarify, RAM, flash storage space, and CPU are not things that can be fixed/improved with software. These are determined by the physical chips that are soldered on to the board.
There are apps to boost CPU speed a bit, but you will start to run into stability issues if you bump it up too much above what the chip was binned at. A nice 2.2 build might improve things a bit on the NC, but the archos will likely always have an edge. Not just because of its higher clock speed, but also because it has fewer pixels to render.
candre23 said:
Just to clarify, RAM, flash storage space, and CPU are not things that can be fixed/improved with software. These are determined by the physical chips that are soldered on to the board.
There are apps to boost CPU speed a bit, but you will start to run into stability issues if you bump it up too much above what the chip was binned at. A nice 2.2 build might improve things a bit on the NC, but the archos will likely always have an edge. Not just because of its higher clock speed, but also because it has fewer pixels to render.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't you mean the nk will have the slightest edge once it gets 2.2?
that all depends on what soc graphics chip the archos 70 has because the ti omap proc at 800 can go blow for blow with alot of 1ghz chips
I think most important think is amount of RAM - 256MB is just to little to get going with highend apps like Flash or games.
The Archos 70 8GB model "feels" flimsy because there is a small gap on the inside center, so this flexes. This gap I believe is from the lack of a harddrive which is in the 250GB model. It only feels flimsy when you push on this gap, however it doesn't twist or anything (strong structure), where the 250 with the drive feels like a brick.
Im dying for the update in january. Let's pray for some decent video playback the hardware is there. cmon!!
Sent from my Nook Color
candre23 said:
Just to clarify, RAM, flash storage space, and CPU are not things that can be fixed/improved with software. These are determined by the physical chips that are soldered on to the board.
There are apps to boost CPU speed a bit, but you will start to run into stability issues if you bump it up too much above what the chip was binned at. A nice 2.2 build might improve things a bit on the NC, but the archos will likely always have an edge. Not just because of its higher clock speed, but also because it has fewer pixels to render.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought the Nook was using a 1GHz CPU that was underclocked to 800MHz. Maybe I'm mistaken?
Regarding the app space, that is a software issue though isn't it?. The Nook partitions what appears to be about 1GB of it's 8GB of flash space for apps. The Archos however only partitions 256MB for apps. Seems like a custom ROM on the Archos could change that up and give more space to apps, or so that is what they say on the archosfans.com forums.
Posted this reply in another thread ... worth repeating ...
While the NC supplier (B&N and it's mfg'er) have a limited track record, the record of Archos is pretty clear ... roll out products that target the 'latest trend' with software that is usually not ready and move on to the next latest thing within a very short time leaving a trail of unsupported devices. If you can live with buying a new thing from Archos every 9-12 mos and knowing support will be GONE after that then go for it.
As said the Nook may not turn out better, but it can't be worse. It has an reasonably up-to-date system now, larger memory, better viewing for it's primary mission. A70 just getting 2.2 and who know what bugs with it (seems to be bugs aplenty); A101 still not very available, what does THAT tell you?
If you want an android multimedia device then the Archos family may be a way to go, but evaluate it against multimedia devices since that is Archos' focus (assuming they have one), not reading and/or tablet functions.
Probably most people on this thread have reading as a primary, tablet second and entertainment third. The screen is really great, pdf reading is real good other than the swipe down instead of swipe sideways, with the Dolphin browser, root, su, multitouch what's not to like? ... did I mention the screen is great?
zdrifter said:
Probably most people on this thread have reading as a primary, tablet second and entertainment third. The screen is really great, pdf reading is real good other than the swipe down instead of swipe sideways, with the Dolphin browser, root, su, multitouch what's not to like? ... did I mention the screen is great?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lawl i bought the Nook just to Root. Ive got books on it an thats nice but since my phone died i needed a micro-mobile device so i wouldnt have to switch from tv to pc (1 button but im lazy) the Nook simply had the specs to get it done.
Only plus about archos is the BT for a phone but just the possibility of it for the Nook made it a done deal, Having the 60mb wing i know what Devs can do. The screens obviously the best part but double the ram as similar tablets is amazing, Ive loaded tons of 3D games an still have 200Mbs of ram, and the fact that you can drive to a B&N in most towns. (i hate shipping)
I think there both 7" form factor? but the sexy knock the Nooks got was also a winner
Archos is lacking ram an screen, but if a 1.3mp camera an knowing BT will work makes it up there you go.
Ravynmagi said:
I was just talking about this subject with some friends.
Nook has a much better screen. A 1024x600 res IPS with great angles and crispness. The Archos 70 has a crappy 800x480 TN screen with really bad viewing angles. Screen quality in a tablet is probably most important to me. I want to be able to hold this thing any any direction at any angle and still see it, can't do that with the Archos.
The Nook feels solid... maybe a little too solid, as it is certainly heavier than the Archos 70. The Archos is reportedly very flimsy feeling. This could go either way depending on how much you value solid feeling versus weight.
The Nook has 512MB of RAM and it looks like 1GB or more of app storage space (unfortunately I didn't look at it before installing a few things). The Archos 70 has 256MB of RAM and only a measly 256MB of app storage space. Maybe the modders can fix that if they haven't yet, not sure. But that is a big downer for the Archos to me, I've already installed about 400MB of apps on my Nook in that app space.
Archos seems to have performance on it's side. It's CPU runs at the full 1GHz and it's running Android 2.2 already. My Nook feels sluggish with web browsing (using Dolphin HD), but I'm hoping the Nook update to 2.2 in January can help pep it up some. And maybe someday we'll get a 1GHz kernel.
Archos has a few extra hardware features like Bluetooth, HDMI out, better speakers, and cameras (though probably not a big loss if they are as bad as Engadget says they are).
For me the WAY better screen more than makes up for the slightly slower performance and other features the Nook doesn't have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great points here and everyone else. The low amount of RAM is a shocker, and is a dealbreaker right there. That makes me glad I don't have an Archos.
zdrifter said:
Probably most people on this thread have reading as a primary, tablet second and entertainment third.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
camwinnn said:
Lawl i bought the Nook just to Root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, same here, I bought the Nook Color with literally zero intention of reading anything. It's a pure 100% Android browsing/gaming tablet for me
-----
The only thing that gives me pause about my Nook Color purchase is the lack of Bluetooth and a front facing camera. One of my main uses for this device will be watching shows/movies while doing cardio at the gym. Using a wired heaset is dangerous as one wrong move of the arm and boom, your device goes to the floor. A Bluetooth headset and watching stuff on my phone was great (and safe).
And a front facing camera would be nice for video chat. I think all tablets will have this feature in the future and ones that don't will be knocked down a notch.
B&N have already stated that an update is happening "next year", informaton about it happening in January was not true, people seriously should stop repeating this.
In addition to everything written above Archos has a resistive touchscreen which is said to be really unresponsive.
candre23 said:
There are apps to boost CPU speed a bit, but you will start to run into stability issues if you bump it up too much above what the chip was binned at. A nice 2.2 build might improve things a bit on the NC, but the archos will likely always have an edge. Not just because of its higher clock speed, but also because it has fewer pixels to render.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The NC and the Archos Gen8s have the same cpu at different speeds. We've been able to run the NC stable up to about 1.15GHz. Froyo + JIT will go further than oc towards responsiveness.
As for bluetooth, the hardware is at least partially there. I'm still trying to figure it out, so if you know someone who's done ports to a platform with TI bluetooth send them my way.
Thanks for the information everyone, this cleared up my doubts and worries of purchasing the nc.
inferniac90 said:
B&N have already stated that an update is happening "next year", informaton about it happening in January was not true, people seriously should stop repeating this.
In addition to everything written above Archos has a resistive touchscreen which is said to be really unresponsive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So no update in jan?
Sent from my Nook Color
inferniac90 said:
B&N have already stated that an update is happening "next year", informaton about it happening in January was not true, people seriously should stop repeating this.
In addition to everything written above Archos has a resistive touchscreen which is said to be really unresponsive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, the new Archos models (70 and 101) have capacitive screens.
jaydon34 said:
So no update in jan?
Sent from my Nook Color
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/barnes-noble-confirms-android-22-update-for-nook-color-updated/20759
//not allowed to post links yet
UPDATE: Looks like that confirmation wasn’t really a confirmation after all. There will be an update, but just probably not in January. Here’s the statement from a B&N PR rep:
B&N plans to update the OS sometime in 2011. Regarding applications, we are committed to the NOOKdeveloper program and on track to add apps to our store in early 2011, but do not have plans enable Android Marketplace at this time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
stwallman said:
Actually, the new Archos models (70 and 101) have capacitive screens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right, forgot about that, but the viewing angles are still really bad
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/24/archos-70-and-101-internet-tablet-review/
I bought the NC over other devices for many of the reasons already stated (basically THE SCREEN), also because it has very good wifi reception. I believe I read that Archos was having issues with that.

Would you recommend the NC for me?

I'm looking for a cheap tablet between $200-$300. Mainly for web browsing. Something lighter then my netbook. I'll play the occasional game and youtube too. Btw how is the web browsing?
Thanks
Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk
Also keep in mind, I don't have a problem rooting it as I'm familiar with the process.
buffnutz1 said:
I'm looking for a cheap tablet between $200-$300. Mainly for web browsing. Something lighter then my netbook. I'll play the occasional game and youtube too. Btw how is the web browsing?
Thanks
Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would certainly recommend the nookcolor, its has the best hardware you'll find for its price and features are great... (i may a have been paid to say that)
Anyway, once rooted the web-browsings great, i recommend using dolphin browser or opera mini.
Youtube works great, high quality vids stream well.
Great for games, i have yet to experience lag in any game except raging thunder two...
Sent from my NookColor using xda app
I would recommend the Nook. Like you, I was looking for something to replace my netbook, and the 3.5" screen in my iPod Touch just wasn't cutting it. The browsing is great, especially once you root it. Youtube is great, although I have the newer .apk installed, so I can't speak for the previous version. I also have the gingerbread keyboard installed which is head and shoulders above the B&N stock keyboard, and is even much better than the DroidX keyboard that is installed with AutoNooter. (EDIT: Nevermind, I just saw that Gingerbread Keyboard is now bundled with AutoNoother) It's so good, especially in landscape mode, that I don't mind knocking out longer emails and editing word docs. I love the Nook. There is no other tablet in the $250 price range that can even compete. Go for it!!
You guys are awesome. Thanks
urbanengine1 said:
Great for games, i have yet to experience lag in any game except raging thunder two...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm guessing you haven't tried Dungeon Defenders
ya dungeon defenders lags real bad when enemies get on the screen
How would you compare web browsing to a netbook on that? Also, what are your guys' cons?
buffnutz1 said:
I'm looking for a cheap tablet between $200-$300. Mainly for web browsing. Something lighter then my netbook. I'll play the occasional game and youtube too. Btw how is the web browsing?
Thanks
Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Auto-nootered NookColor delivers what you have listed here as your requirements:
a) It's $249, there were reports that some shops may even sell you a "re-furbished", out-of-box unit for as less as $180. Just try to see there's no dead/stuck pixels, and you're golden.
b) Web browsing in terms of rendering is fast, soon (with the advent of Android 2.2 -- or better A2.3, and the native JIT support) it will be 30....50% faster, and on a level with Samsung Galaxy Tab (which beats iPad's browsing any day, if you need some marks).
Scrolling of long-long Web pages is smooth -- to an extent there's still free RAM is left (in other words, nobody reported about the quality or even existence of cache in Android 2.x). As of today, use xScope 6.x, some AdBlock, don't use Flash Lite (try to use flash_for_2.1 app of Flash 10.1 though)
c) It's around 1 pound, add a capacitive stylus, microfiber cloth, capacitive stylus, some cardboard stand (or one made out of "official" envelope, or pocket) and a charger, it's still half kilo.
d) I'm not a gamer, but I'm under an impression when and if 2D/3D hardware accelerated driver will be available (at A2.2.1 level, probably) and more or less debugged and streamlined one (at A2.3...2.4 level) Nookie will be playing everything, scaling everything. No gyro/multi-(5?)axis accelerometer though. But nobody will stop you if you will decide to put Kinect on it, lol.
e) "HQ" YouTube app (I quoted my find in my blog fineoils.blogspot.com) plays fine and fluidly, hardware decoded and hardware assisted renderings of full 1080p HD clips and movies at HD section of YouTube (within that YouTube app, though, as the A2.1 and its every video player doesn't know a fig about Nookie's or TI OMAP3621 video/flash hardware acceleration, obviously). It's a shame that only about dozen of NC users adopted HQ YouTube -- and not our major devs.
Other video/Flash lite video playing is stuttering, tearing junk, any streaming video will lose A/V sync in less than 10 min, so it's unwatchable, Ustream is unwatchable, Vimeo won't even let you login, Justin.tv is unwatchable, Veetle doesn't have Android app yet, drat!
There's a list of other Nookie quirks in my blog you may want to study prior to your decision on Nookie purchase. Comment there or here, ask away
aludal said:
Auto-nootered NookColor delivers what you have listed here as your requirements:
a) It's $249, there were reports that some shops may even sell you a "re-furbished", out-of-box unit for as less as $180. Just try to see there's no dead/stuck pixels, and you're golden.
b) Web browsing in terms of rendering is fast, soon (with the advent of Android 2.2 -- or better A2.3, and the native JIT support) it will be 30....50% faster, and on a level with Samsung Galaxy Tab (which beats iPad's browsing any day, if you need some marks).
Scrolling of long-long Web pages is smooth -- to an extent there's still free RAM is left (in other words, nobody reported about the quality or even existence of cache in Android 2.x). As of today, use xScope 6.x, some AdBlock, don't use Flash Lite (try to use flash_for_2.1 app of Flash 10.1 though)
c) It's around 1 pound, add a capacitive stylus, microfiber cloth, capacitive stylus, some cardboard stand (or one made out of "official" envelope, or pocket) and a charger, it's still half kilo.
d) I'm not a gamer, but I'm under an impression when and if 2D/3D hardware accelerated driver will be available (at A2.2.1 level, probably) and more or less debugged and streamlined one (at A2.3...2.4 level) Nookie will be playing everything, scaling everything. No gyro/multi-(5?)axis accelerometer though. But nobody will stop you if you will decide to put Kinect on it, lol.
e) "HQ" YouTube app (I quoted my find in my blog fineoils.blogspot.com) plays fine and fluidly, hardware decoded and hardware assisted renderings of full 1080p HD clips and movies at HD section of YouTube (within that YouTube app, though, as the A2.1 and its every video player doesn't know a fig about Nookie's or TI OMAP3621 video/flash hardware acceleration, obviously). It's a shame that only about dozen of NC users adopted HQ YouTube -- and not our major devs.
Other video/Flash lite video playing is stuttering, tearing junk, any streaming video will lose A/V sync in less than 10 min, so it's unwatchable, Ustream is unwatchable, Vimeo won't even let you login, Justin.tv is unwatchable, Veetle doesn't have Android app yet, drat!
There's a list of other Nookie quirks in my blog you may want to study prior to your decision on Nookie purchase. Comment there or here, ask away
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where is your blog?
buffnutz1 said:
Where is your blog?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL..
I think its listed in every post he has made..Sometimes twice
blog fineoils.blogspot.com
Weird my nook run dungeon defenders on max like a champ. That's what showed how powerful it is. Even my Evo lags a lot on that game.
superman_legendary said:
Weird my nook run dungeon defenders on max like a champ. That's what showed how powerful it is. Even my Evo lags a lot on that game.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even with a ton of monsters on the screen?
Mine is fine when in build phase and there's 0 monsters. But once the attack starts (and not on Easy mode), it's literally a slideshow.
Is yours still smooth when tons of monsters on screen?

[Q] Need advice on Nook Color purchasing

My G/F's mother works for B&N so I'm going to see if she can get a good discount on a new or refurbished unit but before I do I wanted to ask a few questions. I was thinking of getting the SGT 10.1 inch or the Moto Xoom in Wifi only flavors.
I basically want to know how the Nook color performs for games such as Angry Birds, Ninja Jump without OC'ing. I basically will use this tablet for Evernote, Pandora, Browsing, Facebook, XDA, Organizing Pictures, etc.
What do you guys think the life cycle of this device will be? If a newer update for HC comes out do you think that the current hardware may support possible feature adds (example: video editor that google built for HC).
I asked the rep in the store about the internal memory and he said it had 5GB internal and supports up to 32GB. I googled the specs and it says the Nook has 8GB. Which one is it?
Thanks.
NC has 8GB internal but only 5GB are free OOB. non-OC plays games great.
If you can get a discount on a refurb, what do you think you'll be paying? Maybe $150ish? Maybe a bit more? Let's put things in perspective and keep in mind that, though the NC is overdesigned and overpowered as a reader, it's not being sold as an alternative to the Galaxy or (most definitely) the Xoom.
Performance-wise, it holds up well against the Galaxy. The screen is better. It boots a heck of a lot faster. It's likely not going to fare as well against the Xoom. But it's a fraction of the price.
For the price and for the joy of tinkering and pushing the limits, the NC is, far and away, the best value you can get *now* -- it's even better if you can get a substantial discount. Just know that it will be outperformed by several other tablets in the coming months. I doubt there will be anything competitive, at this price level, any time soon.
Make the jump now. Come on in, the water's fine.
Yeah I'm not too worried about it competing against dual core and camera equipped tablets. I have an Evo 4G so I don't need to have those features. I just want to know the possibility to get HC running efficiently.
I think a refurbished unit should run me below $200 so it isn't too bad. Just wanted to know what you guys think of the dev community on this Nook being that so many others are coming out.
I was in a similar boat and dove right into the Nook. It's only been a few days and I'm happy I did it.
Xoom is $550 more since you don't want a contract. I debated on going with a larger tablet such as the iPad or a 10.1 inch android. Ultimately, I found that they were too large and heavy for real, everyday use. I like being able to use the Nook with one hand.
FYI, I'm using mine to take handwritten notes (using a stylus), reading pdfs, websurfing and the occasional game.
I'm in a similar boat and had 2 quick questions:
1) Hows video playback with your typical 700mb avi file with apps like vplayer or rockplayer? Has froyo or cm7 improved things?
2) What app were people using to take notes with a stylus and how well does it work?
Cheers
1) I haven't avi files - I've been using m4v files with 1300 video bitrate and 128 bit audio on Act 1. It's been a great success so far.
2) I've been using HandMemoWritter. It's free and other programs have problems losing data when you change orientation (genial writing and apMemo). HMW is a bit basic, but it works well.
Thanks Wile E Coyote.
I think I may pull the trigger on this. I have to check out the dev section for HC to see how far they have progressed.
The good thing is that the GPU is the same one they use in the Droid X.
Briefly tried vPlayer and Rockplayer and wasn't satisfied with performance. Stock video player plays H.264 encoded MP4's well as long as they conform to the resolution specs of the device (854 pixel width). I've setup a default profile for my Nook Color in Handbrake and my bluray rips to 854 pixel width H.264 videos are amazing on the nook.
I don't have much experience with android devices yet, have had the nook for 3 weeks now, but IMO for video playback nothing beats VLC on a jailbroken iOS device for the shear ability to drag and drop things onto the device and play them back with nearly complete disregard for the format they're in.
3 weeks ago I was still hoping for news on iPad 2, and wishing for a Motorola Xoom. Xoom pricing was leaked and I jumped ship for a Nook Color instead. No regrets, as at this price point I could easily give this thing away to my wife or son and get a better tablet down the road without worrying about the price I paid for it.
It's fun to drop bootable images to micro SD cards and try out different operating systems too. Once all the kinks are worked out for Froyo or HC i'll surely change the primary boot system on mine. Developers working on nook color mods are fantastic, huge props to them!
iPad2 is supposed to be announced on March 3, according to All Things Digital.
I feel so dirty.
Honestly I don't see the iPad 2 as being anything special. They'll most likely add a FFC and Rear camera and more ram.
The price is going to go up if they add a retina display.
the nook color rooted and such will be the casual mans tablet. For mobile use as a notepad its great. Lightweight easy to hold and use. Also for it being the size it is you can hold in two hands and type with out over-reaching(i am a big guy so YMMV but my long fingers...)
for gaming it works pretty well. I did get my copy of nova over on it and it works pretty well. but some games will not work not sure if its the screen size but some just fc
The video playback is pretty good for me. I run Slingplayer and PlayOn for Netflix/Hulu stuff and it is good enough. The CM7 build as it is today doesn't have hardware video support yet, so the Nookie Froyo (currently at 0.6.8) is a better option for video support. The stock nook 1.0.1 or 1.1 rooted also works pretty smoothly with video. So in short, Nooted or Nookie Froyo are the best daily driver options today, although I'm sure CM7 will be the next great thing when it gets to a more robust version.
Not to mention honeycomb
Sent from one of those missing Droids
gqstatus0685 said:
My G/F's mother works for B&N so I'm going to see if she can get a good discount on a new or refurbished unit but before I do I wanted to ask a few questions. I was thinking of getting the SGT 10.1 inch or the Moto Xoom in Wifi only flavors.
I basically want to know how the Nook color performs for games such as Angry Birds, Ninja Jump without OC'ing. I basically will use this tablet for Evernote, Pandora, Browsing, Facebook, XDA, Organizing Pictures, etc.
What do you guys think the life cycle of this device will be? If a newer update for HC comes out do you think that the current hardware may support possible feature adds (example: video editor that google built for HC).
I asked the rep in the store about the internal memory and he said it had 5GB internal and supports up to 32GB. I googled the specs and it says the Nook has 8GB. Which one is it?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well right at this very moment if you want a semi stable hack to make your nook a HC tablet i suggest you get a nook but if you want something thats 100% stable and something that will work out of the box with no hackery involved i suggest you get a moto xoom
i own a nook color and i have no regrets about buying it, and i feel it has been the best thing i bought this year but it does require some work to make it a tablet(not much but its extra work none the less)
Watched an avi of "Saving Private Ryan" on the NC and ran beautifully. Earphone to listen but all in all it ran well.
skeeterpro said:
Watched an avi of "Saving Private Ryan" on the NC and ran beautifully. Earphone to listen but all in all it ran well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I ask what size and resolution the movie was formatted in, what app you were using and which ROM you're on?
Just that there are contrasting reports regarding video playback.
This is the only thing stopping me from getting one at the moment, as the Archos 101 is awesome in terms of movie playback (including live live streaming over your Wifi network from my PC).
Would love to hear people's feedback.

[Q] Is anyone able to compare the ipad1 to the nook?

If anyone has both or had both, would you be able to answer a few questions?
I got a brand new ipad 1 for $280 and ended up selling it a few weeks ago because it really didnt meet my expectations for performance. I like Android OS better because of user customization ability and the widgets, which I use all the time. I dont like choosing between a million apps. I was very disappointed with the browser experience of the ipad 1. It was good for viewin 2-3 pages but after that, it would checker-board and also because of the limited ram (256mb) it would constantly refresh. Browsng on the ipad 1, was very minimal browsing, nothing that I can replace a netbook with. I think the Nook has 512mb ram which is the same as the ipad2....Also the ipad1 lacked multitasking (Even simple ones like chatting with someone on gchat and going back to my browser page) and notifications.
1) How does the browsing experience for the Nook compare to the ipad1?
2) With the new mods and tweaks, what about responsiveness?
I plan to use the tablet for watching movies, netflix when it comes out, browsing, gchat and multi-tasking all around with email and stuff. The ipad severely underperformed in that aspect and in the notification aspect. Basically, if it can do everything my stock mytouch4g phone can do (1ghz, 786mb ram), I will be happy.
3) Is the nook a legitimate replacement for an android tablet like the xoom? I mean considering the price + mods and tweaks, to someone who doesnt have one, it LOOKS good on youtube. BUt you never know how itll work out until soemone who used it tells you the truth.
kettlecorn said:
1) How does the browsing experience for the Nook compare to the ipad1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The biggest problem I have run into browsing involves sites automatically redirecting to the mobile versions although the NC is generally better off, at least in my opinion, with full versions. That is easily fixed with a few tweaks however. I have many times had 5-6 tabs open in Opera while listening to Pandora or an audio book in Mort Player and notice no slowdown.
kettlecorn said:
2) With the new mods and tweaks, what about responsiveness?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everything short of Dungeon Defenders runs with no apparent slowdown after proper setup, and it is only going to get faster as Dalingrin and others continue working on it. I can whip back and forth between all my pages of apps without seeing any hesitation or stuttering with 5 widgets on my main page and 10+ apps on every page.
kettlecorn said:
3) Is the nook a legitimate replacement for an android tablet like the xoom? I mean considering the price + mods and tweaks, to someone who doesnt have one, it LOOKS good on youtube. BUt you never know how itll work out until soemone who used it tells you the truth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To me, it definitely is. I frequently use my Nook for a few main tasks, all of which it handles perfectly in my experience.
1) RDP (I use Remote Desktop Client by Xtralogic)
2) Streaming video (UPNPlay + RockPlayer)
3) Audio books (Mort Player)
4) Web Browsing (Opera)
5) Remote control of media on my PC (MPC-HC Remote/VLC Remote)
6) Playing games (Angry Bird+Seasons+Rio, Stupid Zombies, Fruit Ninja, Words With Friends, Speed 3D FX, NES/SNES/GBA/GameGear/Genesis/PSX emulators)
7) lulz (FML, Cheezeburger, joke apps)
On an important note though, lacking 4G and GPS really annoys me, but I am planning on getting a Bionic whenever they finally release which tethering to should cover me for both of those.
I never had that many problems with the internet on the ipad. But I do not have a lot installed. I use the apps that came with it for most all my stuff. When I try to use other apps to copy files to it that’s when the problems started. after removing the files every thing is good. I have Angry Birds and other games running with no issues. The battery life is the same as the NC running CM7 off sdcard. All in all the nook color is very impressive for the price.
Awesome, thanks for the reply. It looks like with the overclock and some mods itll run just fine. I'm also looking into the archos tablets but I don't think they are as good as the nook in terms of support or getting honeycomb.
In all honesty I am a fan of android, and not a fanboy of apple...that being said...
I enjoy using my girlfriend's iPad, and if they weren't $500+ I would have bought one. After spending alittle over $250 on my nook color, I am VERY pleased with it.
I think my girlfriend is a little jealous too, especially when she sees me playing flash off the internet. I think the screen size is just perfect, and with the progress the developers have made on CM7 so far, it is working great. I think the main benefit of Android over apple is that you have more choices on which software to run on the device.
There are some very lightweight and fast web browsers out for Android, and I think you will find one to suit your needs.
Very pleased with my nook color and I recommend them to many friends.
I have both iPad and a CM7 nook. This is my take:
- iPad is huge! It does not fit any pocket. In fact is so big, that you have to carry a bag if you want to take it along (and if you take a bag, you might as well take a notebook). This is a magor plus for the nook. 7" seems to be just fine for me.
- iPad has a very low resolution screen. The screen density on the iPad is much lower then any phone's. This is relay frustrating for me. The nook has much better screen density.
- 4:3 vs. 16:10. I prefer the widescreen. 4:3 is probably better for magazines, but when it comes to video a lot of the 4:3 screen is wasted.
- when it comes to performance - the nook is much faster (using CM7 with the OC kernel), unfortunately battery life on the nook is not that great.
So, I guess it's more of a choice of form factor. For me, 10" 4:3 screen is not a good choice at all. I can't comfortably hold it in one hand. The plus is that the iPad has a bit of a WOW-factor over here (in Bulgaria).
I actually own both. Here's my take:
iPad:
- More responsive screen (huge perk for me)
- Appstore is so superior to Market. It's not even a contest.
- Bigger screen = more enjoyable browsing from the couch.
Nook Color (Phiremod 5.3 @ 1.1ghz):
- More portable
- More enjoyable reading ebooks (which is my primary use for it atm)
- more "fun" with the moding community and openness of Android
- Much easier to sideload apps and books. Huge plus.
All in all, I have an iPhone 4 and the iPad is a glorified iPhone. So I bought the iPad for the fiance and she absolutely loves the simplicity of it as she can relate to it because she has an iPhone as well.
I bought the Nook initially and learning Android was not as intuitive as learning iOS was for her. So the nook simply frustrates her.
Each has it's purpose. It's really all about what you're going to do with each device.
EDIT: Also, I paid $200 for my Nook (new) and $300 for her iPad (new). At these price points, if I could have just ONE device, I'd choose the iPad (jailbroken) over the Nook Color (CM7). If it were between the NC and the iPad2 @ $500, NC, no question. But that's just me.
Got both.
Ipad has netflix. NC will never get netflix, ever. Netflix requires qualcom chip DRM.
That is a big plus for ipad/phone, a single killer app.
Flash support if you ROM the nook.
I feel flash beats netflix, or at least ballances the scale.
Form factor of NC is ideal, 7 inch will win the tablet form factor wars for obvious reasons.
Ipad is wifi only, so not much diff there.
Ipad apps, seems like most I ever used (read: free) were upscaled iphone apps. Pixel doubling fail. Suppose android has same issue to a much lesser extent, and somwhoe it never bothers. Could be a bias, but really the ios apps seem to have more profound issue with native tablet apps or making apps scale to larger screen.
Multitasking. Ipad came out around the time of mutitasking ios apps, but seems to not share the feature with iphone.
I love the nook color over ipad. Ipad is dead in the eyes of apple.
Deliver by Epic 4G xda app
snives said:
The biggest problem I have run into browsing involves sites automatically redirecting to the mobile versions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can easily change your userAgent with dolphin... sorry if its been mentioned in the thread, I didnt look
kettlecorn said:
If anyone has both or had both, would you be able to answer a few questions?
I got a brand new ipad 1 for $280 and ended up selling it a few weeks ago because it really didnt meet my expectations for performance. I like Android OS better because of user customization ability and the widgets, which I use all the time. I dont like choosing between a million apps. I was very disappointed with the browser experience of the ipad 1. It was good for viewin 2-3 pages but after that, it would checker-board and also because of the limited ram (256mb) it would constantly refresh. Browsng on the ipad 1, was very minimal browsing, nothing that I can replace a netbook with. I think the Nook has 512mb ram which is the same as the ipad2....Also the ipad1 lacked multitasking (Even simple ones like chatting with someone on gchat and going back to my browser page) and notifications.
1) How does the browsing experience for the Nook compare to the ipad1?
2) With the new mods and tweaks, what about responsiveness?
I plan to use the tablet for watching movies, netflix when it comes out, browsing, gchat and multi-tasking all around with email and stuff. The ipad severely underperformed in that aspect and in the notification aspect. Basically, if it can do everything my stock mytouch4g phone can do (1ghz, 786mb ram), I will be happy.
3) Is the nook a legitimate replacement for an android tablet like the xoom? I mean considering the price + mods and tweaks, to someone who doesnt have one, it LOOKS good on youtube. BUt you never know how itll work out until soemone who used it tells you the truth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My experience with the ipad 1 mimics yours, though I will say for one or two page browsing the ipad is superior. However, I can open 7 or 8 tabs at once in DolphinHD (whatever the maximum number it lets you open) on the NC without any slowdown when scrolling through pages which makes it vastly superior for me as I always have at least 3 or 4 tabs open when browsing. If you want to do anything like drawing or note taking, the screen is more sensitive on the ipad to allow that, though you can also do it on the NC, just not as well.
In terms of tablet useability, it is as usable if not more so than my Fascinate. You can easily multitask and it performs well. Mail, gchat etc. all run at the same time without issue. Movie watching is high quality if you convert the movies or use VLC convert and stream to encode on the fly to the proper format. I prefer the form factor as it's more portable and you can use it one-handed which is not really possible with the ipad. It absolutely can be used as an everyday tablet.
Probably no sense in repeating everything everyone has said so I'll say that I pick the NC up more often than the iPad because having Flash is important to me and the size is so much nicer, especially when reading. The iPad is just overly huge.
parasense said:
Got both.
Ipad has netflix. NC will never get netflix, ever. Netflix requires qualcom chip DRM.
That is a big plus for ipad/phone, a single killer app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll make a lier out of you yet
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=995759
It was working for some time, but they caught on to us. It's close to coming out, though...
What about the NC screen brightness, contrast, viewing angles, color reproduction, flickering?
I've used an Ipad 1 in a bright store and it suffers a lot from glare, even at highest brightness setting.
Couldn't find a Nook Color in my country to try it out.
I have both an ipad 1 and the nc. In the past I have had a Cruz tablet, gtab, and Augen tablet. There are three things I have to have in a tablet: speed, portability, and a good screen. Out of all those tablets only one meets all those criteria and its the nc.
The screen is superb. Its has great viewing angles, and it's bright and crisp. The speed once rooted and overclocked is good, there are faster tablets but not at this price point. Finally, this is truly a portable device. You can't just toss an ipad or grab in your pocket. Plus have you ever tried to hold those larger tablets in one hand for any period of time?
I would say for now if you want a nice, zippy, portable tablet this is the clear cut winner.
parasense said:
Ipad has netflix. NC will never get netflix, ever. Netflix requires qualcom chip DRM.
That is a big plus for ipad/phone, a single killer app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm... ever? To quote Marge Gunderson, "Not so sure about your detective work there, Lou"
"Ever" is a mighty strong statement.
playon lets you access netflix via your home PC - so while technically I don't have direct access, i can access netflix from anywhere using my nook color using playon
Jgrimoldy said:
Hmmm... ever? To quote Marge Gunderson, "Not so sure about your detective work there, Lou"
"Ever" is a mighty strong statement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Help with purchase decision on HD vs HD+

Hi,
I'm considering buying Nook HD or HD+. The screen size is not an important issue for me. The only thing that matters to me is the processing speed. I know HD+ is at 1.5 and HD is at 1.3, but I read somewhere that they both use the exact same chip? If so, I'm guessing that once I install a custom ROM, I can use HD at 1.5 anyway, thus removing any reason to pay more for HD+? I don't own either, so I would like to hear from you current owners. Please share your thoughts and advice.
Thank you,
GT
I have both running CyanogenMod 10.1.3 at the moment (gave the HD+ to my father, and the Nook HD to my mother). Personally I find that the HD runs smoother, and the HD+ is a little slower then the HD (but you most likely won't notice it). It may be that they both have the same chipset, and with the HD, it only has to push a ~720p screen resolution, compared to the HD+ (which has a 10.1" screen with ~1080p resolution).
It's completely up to you, and your preference of screen size and resolution. The HD has slightly more than 720p resolution, and the HD+ has slightly more than a 1080p resolution.
Personally I prefer the Nook HD, due to it's compact size and portability (can almost take it anywhere); but the HD+ is great for watching videos.
All the best.
P.S. I find that there are more compatible apps for the HD, as it has a 720p resolution; but I last checked around 8 months ago. By now most apps could support the 1080 resolution, so there could be equal support for both tablets. But I'm not entirely sure, the HD should definitely be supported with most apps however.
goldentequila said:
Hi,
I'm considering buying Nook HD or HD+. The screen size is not an important issue for me. The only thing that matters to me is the processing speed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have both, each running 10.1.3. I ran benchmarks on both so FWIW, here are the results. HD shown first, then HD+
Quadrant: 2721, 2827
Antutu: 13234, 13324
Super Pi: 25.3, 24.3 (lower is better)
As you can see, they are pretty darn close.
while I do miss the portability of a 7 being able to easily read comics and magazines more than makes up for it. So it really depends what you want to do with the device.
Thank you, everyone. They are all very helpful. I appreciate it
As others have said, it kinda depends on what you want to use it for. I have the HD plus, and my wife has the HD. I use it for videos, so really appreciate the bigger screen. She uses it mostly for email, browsing, and watching her work-out videos, but doesn't need the bigger screen. She really appreciates the portability of the smaller device. Both are excellent.
My wife has the stock ROM with the free version of ADW launcher, which she has configured to her liking. I have CM11 nightlies which I update every week or so.
Anyway, we're both very happy with each device. Pick the one that best fits how you think you will use it and I'm sure you will be happy with it.
Sent from my LG-LS855 using Tapatalk 2

Categories

Resources