Thanks! Nook and XDA-Dev are awesome! - Nook Color General

This weekend, I bought an Nook Color for my wife. She had been interested in an ipad, but as an android guy, I really wanted her to go the android route. We looked at a couple android tablets, and the size of the Nook was something she really liked. I told her I would have to play with the Nook before it could be a full-fledged tablet, which she was a little uneasy about, but let me go for it.
Searching this forum, I found this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1000957
Followed the instructions and wrote the image using Winimage, and installed the stable 7.03 on an old Kingston microSD card that I happened to have availble. Eveything worked, but the performance was horribe.
Then, I did some more searching, and found this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1005633&highlight=how+I+learned+to+love
So, out I went to find a Sandisk Class 4 card. Got one (8GB), and redid the steps above. WOW! What a difference. It's like a completely different machine.
I like the ability to go back to the stock nook if we ever need to, which is easy to do just by taking out the SD card. However, I also found this thread, which then allowed me to boot into stock just by pressing the Nook button with the power button:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=947698
The Nook Color is now a great little tablet. Honestly, I don't know if she will ever go back to the stock Nook, as the tablet version can do everything. I loaded the Nook app, the Kindle App, Adobe Reader, etc., so she can read books. I downloaded a crossword app, and some other games. She can browse the web, make up grocery lists, update her calender, etc.
The price of the NOOK is essentially the same price as an Ipod Touch. My kids are now fighting my wife for the use of the NOOK, while their Ipod touch remainds unused. I might just have to get another NOOK at some point...
I should point out that I'm a noob to all of this. My phone is an HTC Inspire 4G that is still stock and unrooted. But, doing some searching, some reading, and following the threads above made it all very easy.
Thanks!

+1
The devs deserve a hand.

I agree, thanks devs.

Related

Read 90% of time, stock, root to 2.1 or froyo?

Just bought a NC. Thought about a gtablet, but the complaints about the screen were too hard to ignore.
I plan on surfing the web and reading books about 90% of the time. Watching a flash video on espn.com here and there would be nice, but not essential since I always have a laptop and droid x with me. No interest in playing games or watching movies on it.
Should I just stick with stock or root it? And if rooting is the way to go, will my 2gb class 2 Sandisk microsd card do, or do I need something else?
And is the market nook app the same as the stock reader or worse?
Thanks.
I would root it, do some of the mods....you really will enjoy it.
You can root it and still use all of the stock B&N software. Rooting it will give you full access to the Android market and allow you to install apps such as Dolphin Browser (much better than the stock one IMHO). Alas it still will not have flash support, but B&N is supposed to be adding it in an update before too long.
A two gig card should work fine for rooting your NC just be sure to read all of the instructions and cautions thoroughly.
I would definitely root it. I use my Nook for reading about 90% of the time as well, but rooting definitely improves the functionality aspect of the reading experience, such as being able to read comic books, download library books directly to the device, putting your sideloading books directly on the homescreen, etc.
Not to mention you'll still have full access to all of your BN features.
I assume you mean go with 2.1 for now instead of froyo?
Thanks.
Travels said:
I assume you mean go with 2.1 for now instead of froyo?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, in other words, root the ROM as-is, so you have all of the B&N functionality, plus you can add to it. My wife uses her Nook for Facebook and reading.
I updated to 1.0.1, nooted, installed ADW, Facebook, some misc other stuff. Her softkeys are set up the same way as I suggest to everyone (see signature), ADW is the default launcher WITHIN Softkeys. She hits the button in the status bar to get to the B&N apps, otherwise she launches Facebook or what not from ADW Launcher.
It's simple and works great for her.
Go 2.1. There are fewer caveats and its a tad more stable. You can always go 2.2 after its up to snuff.
Sent from my Droid using XDA App
Go for ooted 2.1, doesn't break B&N reading software and adds lots of features.
And yes to root even a 1 GB sd card would do, autonooter image is like 40 Mb.
You'll be amazed with what you can do with just the plain ROOT
If you only really want to read or surf, the Nook is terrific at those things. However, maybe one of the cheaper tablets would also do well at these? Like Pan Digital Novel, or a Coby or something? Or am I being a crazy person?
Root it! I thought BN interface was painfully slow. Us zeam, launcherpro or adw launchers and then just put the library and shop icons on your home screen. I like that setup much nicer and easier to use.
I use it as a reader about 80% of the time now, and I'm still glad I rooted. It means I can use the Kindle app or the Alkiko app, it means I can customize my homepage much better, it means I can download apps that allow me to transfer files wireless etc.
Just rooted, thanks all
markiejones said:
If you only really want to read or surf, the Nook is terrific at those things. However, maybe one of the cheaper tablets would also do well at these? Like Pan Digital Novel, or a Coby or something? Or am I being a crazy person?
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Click to collapse
@markiejones: lol it seems you are indeed being a crazy person.
the Pandigital novel is pretty much junk. It is low quality materials at a bargain price. Browsing the web or reading is not a very pleasant experience on the device.
The Kobo is another bargain reader. It has no web browsing whatsoever and is limited severely by it's eInk screen in terms of capability, and has a fairly small storage capacity.
Both devices also run on a pretty meager processor, contributing more to their inefficiencies.
You mean people actually buy these things to read with them?
You're probably right, but the second device i was referring to was a Coby Kyros 7015 which is an actual tablet and considered" not bad"
Sent from my Nookcolor

[Q] Ready to get a NC next week...I think :)

I think I am ready to make the leap. I've been reading reading and reading some more. I will root it of course. My main objective is to have a tablet-like device, running a droid os. I am priced out of the "real" tablet market. Waiting for a tablet with Honeycomb might cost me 3x what a NC will cost. From what I've gathered on xda, I can make my NC function as a tablet (for the most part).
One of my concerns/questions is - I am actively searching for a job. I need to be able to send out my resume, go to job applications, fill in forms, etc. I have my resume saved as a google document. Will I be able to open and edit my google documents? I am currently running Froyo on my Evo and am able to do so there. It's a huge plus that my Evo can serve as a wifi connection to a NC as well.
Any tips, cons, "be careful of..." tips you care to share would be much appreciated. It appears as though there are two ways to root?
I've used Google Docs on my NC just fine.
Sent from my Nook Color
eyecrispy said:
I've used Google Docs on my NC just fine.
Sent from my Nook Color
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been able to access google docs, but haven't figured out how to edit. Forms haven't been an issue so far.
I believe the only thing the NC lacks is camera and GPS, having said that the the NC is an awesome cheap powerfull tablet. Drop one of those swipe keyboards it would be great for editing documents. When it comes to rooting I would suggest the autonooter for 1.0.1, couldn't be any easier.
Sent from my rooted Nook Color
To slugbug2010:
If you're serious to actually bring Droid 2/X Android 2.2.x (or maybe even AOSP 2.3.x) to NookColor, don't forget to port their "hardware" accelerated 2D/3D drivers and overlay.
Though I suspect it's exactly what CM7 for NC team is struggling with since January 10 (when NC was reported as booting and running CM7).
aludal
----------------------------
fineoils.blogspot.com
slugbug2010 said:
I think I am ready to make the leap. I've been reading reading and reading some more. I will root it of course. My main objective is to have a tablet-like device, running a droid os. I am priced out of the "real" tablet market. Waiting for a tablet with Honeycomb might cost me 3x what a NC will cost. From what I've gathered on xda, I can make my NC function as a tablet (for the most part).
One of my concerns/questions is - I am actively searching for a job. I need to be able to send out my resume, go to job applications, fill in forms, etc. I have my resume saved as a google document. Will I be able to open and edit my google documents? I am currently running Froyo on my Evo and am able to do so there. It's a huge plus that my Evo can serve as a wifi connection to a NC as well.
Any tips, cons, "be careful of..." tips you care to share would be much appreciated. It appears as though there are two ways to root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only tip I can think of, right now, is to either order one now (they're still backordered on BN.com at least from my browser. And most BB's and Wally world's are sold out). Try to find a place local, that has some left.
I take that back. Some of the Walmarts that were showing out of stock back when I got mine are now showing as stocked. Meh.
Dang. My local b&n had tons left. Im sure your local store will have some in stock.

Let me make sure I have this right

OK, I am going to be getting a couple NCs for the wife and I. So I have been doing a lot of reading and want to make sure I have a handle on evrtything. I have decided that CM7 is the way to go. If I am understanding correctly I basically create a CM7 image on an SD Card (cheap Sandisk seems to work best???) and then I can run it from the SD card without installing it on the internal memory of the NC. That way I can pull the SD card, reboot and have a stock NC. Is that right? Will the performance suffer from running it from the SD card? Are there benefits to installing on the internal memory? Also, if I do install it to the internal memory, how do you use it as a normal NC? Do you just get the Android Nook app? How does that compare to the actual Nook software? Do you lose any functionality? My wife will use hers primarily as an e reader whereas mine will be a tablet first. Does anyone have experience using different browsers like Skyfire and Opera? Those are what I use a lot on my phone. I have seen the name Dolphin HDused alot, but I don't know anything about it. I am sorry for all the questions and if my terminology is not 100% accurate. I am, as the welcome video says; a noob.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
Nard Dog said:
OK, I am going to be getting a couple NCs for the wife and I. So I have been doing a lot of reading and want to make sure I have a handle on evrtything. I have decided that CM7 is the way to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only stupid question is the one unasked.
Nard Dog said:
If I am understanding correctly I basically create a CM7 image on an SD Card (cheap Sandisk seems to work best???) and then I can run it from the SD card without installing it on the internal memory of the NC. That way I can pull the SD card, reboot and have a stock NC. Is that right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is correct; with one exception. CM7 will mount the "Media" partition, and changes there will be reflected on the stock OS (this partition just stores your files, pictures, music, etc; nothing related to the system).
Nard Dog said:
Will the performance suffer from running it from the SD card? Are there benefits to installing on the internal memory?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, performance will suffer. I used to run from SD card, until i finally gave up and tried internal. Internal is much faster, and of course makes it easier to use you SD card for pure storage.
Nard Dog said:
Also, if I do install it to the internal memory, how do you use it as a normal NC? Do you just get the Android Nook app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Normal NC? You mean as just an eReader? Yes, you would just use the market version of the nook app.
Nard Dog said:
How does that compare to the actual Nook software? Do you lose any functionality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what i have seen, you will lose the "Read to me" functionality, and the look and feel of the market version is different of that of the stock version. But, by using CM7 (or rooting stock), you can gain access to Kindle and Google books, which kind of makes up for it.
Nard Dog said:
My wife will use hers primarily as an e reader whereas mine will be a tablet first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would say for you, CM7 internal would be good (remember, you can always put the stock OS back on if you change your mind), and the stock OS best for you wife.
Nard Dog said:
Does anyone have experience using different browsers like Skyfire and Opera? Those are what I use a lot on my phone. I have seen the name Dolphin HDused alot, but I don't know anything about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Opera is by far the best browser; it is the only browser with renders web pages with the GPU; this is what allows smooth scrolling and page views (like the iPad has). Dolphin is nothing more than a skin of the stock browser, and isn't worth worrying about.
Nard Dog said:
I am sorry for all the questions and if my terminology is not 100% accurate. I am, as the welcome video says; a noob.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Remember, we are ALL "noobs" at one point in our life. Being willing to ask and learn is how you stop being one.
Nard Dog said:
Also, if I do install it to the internal memory, how do you use it as a normal NC? Do you just get the Android Nook app? How does that compare to the actual Nook software? Do you lose any functionality? My wife will use hers primarily as an e reader whereas mine will be a tablet first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Android Nook app loses:
* Read To Me
* Shelves
* A quick shortcut to the current book you're reading
It gains a couple of features: a fancy page-turn animation, and a true black & white "night" mode. (The stock reader's night mode is more of an off-white on dark gray, if I remember right.)
If your wife has a lot of nook books, she may really miss the shelves feature. Without it all books are listed on one page, ordered by Title, Author or Most Recent. That's most recently purchased, not most recently read.
With no shortcut, every time you return to the app you have to scroll through all the books you have downloaded to find the one you're currently reading. That could be annoying if you've got a few dozen or more loaded.
I get around both problems by using a third-party reader. But to use it, I have to strip the DRM from the books I own, which is at best a gray area legally.
Most people who read a lot will probably get more out of a stock nook, or better still, a nootered nook. If it's nootered (rooted), you get all the features of the stock reader, as well as the ability to download any number of other applications including Kindle and Overdrive (the library lending app.)
Divine_Madcat said:
I would say for you, CM7 internal would be good (remember, you can always put the stock OS back on if you change your mind), and the stock OS best for you wife.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for the input. Your answers have highlighted the fact that I need to do a lot more research. I am not even sure what the NC can do out of the box. While the wifey will use it primarily as a reader, she also wants to be able to play games and download apps. Can this still be done on the stock OS? Can you install a different browser (opera) on the stock OS? I've seen the term "rooted stock" but haven't read up on it much since I figured I'd just have to root them to do what we both want. I'm guessing "rooted stock" is somewhere between being rooted and keeping the stock OS. Would this allow using the native reader intetface while still allowing access to apps via the Android market? If I can get it so she has a nice browser, can play games (Angry Birds, etc) and keep the native reader (which she really likes) that would be perfect. BTW, before anyone starts yelling "USE THE SEARCH NOON" like they do on some forums I have visited, I know these answers are probably all on this forum somewhere and I am continuing to research on my own. I have been and will be reading a ton of old posts, etc. But, it is also helpful to have one thread to list all of the questions that pop into my head.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
I was new to Android a couple months ago and hesitant to root so I decided to put CM7 on an sdcard. I bought a cheap card and the thing worked but it was agonizingly slow. I bought a Sandisk 8GB class 4 and it works GREAT - very fast. I have never overclocked (haven't gotten the nerve for that yet) and it is very speedy for my needs. I later rooted stock which is what I recommend for your wife. You put a launcher on (I like zeam) and then you have your B&N shelves and access to the Android market as well. BTW, you can also get the Amazon Appstore and check it out daily because they put up a free app every day - very cool.
Good luck with your decision. I love my Nook!
Cool, so it looks like it'll be CM7 for me and nootered for her.
One more question since I have your attention. Is there a way to tether the NC to my Droid X and connect to the internet? My Droid X is totally stock and I have no desire to root it or mod it in any way. I have used PDAnet to tether to my laptop, so I'm looking for something similar to that.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
I can tether my Win Mobile phone (getting an Android phone as soon as my contract runs out!) to my NC. My phone creates an ad hoc connection and I had to make a small change on the Nook to get it to work. I'm pretty sure you will have no problem. Just search and you will find the details specific to your phone.
The only (wireless) tethering you can do WITHOUT rooting is the paid Verizon service. No other wireless rooting will work (all need superuser). I gotta ask though - any reason you don't want to root the X? Its not really anything different from rooting your nook..
Divine_Madcat said:
I gotta ask though - any reason you don't want to root the X? Its not really anything different from rooting your nook..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess it's really just fear. If I brick my phone, I am royally screwed. If I brick the Nook, it would suck, but it's more of a toy anyway. I know it's probably very safe and easy, but I just keep thinking of the horror stories I read when I thought about rooting my Q9m back in the day. That said it is very likely that once I root the Nook, I will end up rooting my phone. Baby steps
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

How much do you read on your NC?

There's been some controversy among e-reader enthusiasts about including the NC in B&N's Q1 e-reader sales, which some market analysts are saying beat Amazon's. Most of us on this forum probably agree that marketing the NC as an e-reader undersells its capabilities considerably. Many, but not all, also share my suspicion that we are a minority, however overexposed in the online tech-bubble, and most NC owners do use the device unmodified and primarily for reading.
What I wonder is how many of us who bought the NC with no intention of keeping her stock (and may not have looked twice at e-Ink readers), or those who decided they wanted more out of the NC, are also putting it to its stated use: reading.
For simplicity, we'll include magazines and comics read offline, but no web content. Obviously, we're mostly talking about actual e-books.
I went with the NC over other devices because of the ease of ROM-swapping, the opportunity to explore Android, and the broad media and web capability, but reading is still my #1 use for it by a long stretch: mostly novels, some comics.
I've own (and lost) a first Gen Kindle; replaced it with the first Gen Nook (e-ink); and I handed that off to my wife when the NC came along. The NC was the first that I did anything except read on as a primary activity.
I did root all three but all the Kindle could do was bring up the embedded Linux command line. Pretty boring. I did a little more with the original Nook, but I returned it to stock for the wife. Neither was anything except an e-reader when in use.
I split the use 50/50 on the NC (that should have been the 2nd poll option). I polled as #1, but that is not quite accurate.
I read on mine all the time. I'd even say that reading is my primary use for it. My NC is rooted, with the full Market and lots of other apps installed, but I keep the stock OS, since it offers such a vastly improved reading experience.
I've tried Honeycomb and CM7 on SD cards, and both are great. But for me, the NC is an ereader first. I use it for some tablet stuff like playing games, reading GReader, etc, but primarily for reading.
I'm a little surprised (positively ) to see the poll quite this top-heavy so far.
ryaninc said:
I keep the stock OS, since it offers such a vastly improved reading experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess that's a matter of opinion. The limitations of the reader were pretty much the main reason I ditched stock. At least, it was the main reason I was eager to ditch it at the earliest convenience; I knew by the time I got the NC that I wanted CM7, but didn't have a chance to install it for another week.
I read on it a LOT. I buy a lot of books from B&N -- far more than I did before I got the NC -- and they have become my primary activity when I travel. I do have CM7, and I use it for my daily task list and calendar, which probably consume more time than the reading so, I voted that way.
My two concerns, which might have tipped me to using it primarily for reading, are that the Nook application has touch sensitivity issues in its upper menu bar and that one cannot read most magazines with it, even though I purchased them from BN and they show up in the application. The former has me looking at other readers; the latter has me using Zinio. Because I like to put my dollars in vendors whom I believe I should support, I would buy more books and magazines from BN if they fixed these two issues.
I do most of my reading on a rooted N2E with the Kindle app. I find eink much more comfortable on my eyes than the NC.
I don't think I've ever read an ebook on my NC! I bought it for the sole purpose of installing a full version of Android on it (I used CM7) in order to "learn" the Android OS... Well, after only three months, I decided that I liked it so much, that I sold the NC and am going to get an ASUS Transformer... I tried resisting it, but it won - I give in!
I currently use an iPad 1 paired with the ZaggMate case/stand/keyboard, which is really nice - just looking forward to all of the connectivity options with the transformer, etc... I do not read any ebooks on the ipad either... maybe a few technical reference .pdf files, but that's about it...
Read a lot
Early on I found the Kindle app on my Droid Inc and loved the enlarged font for reading. Since then I've never looked back and always have a book loaded. I bought the Nook more for the concept of having an Android "tablet" rather than a reader. Once I figured out how to download the Kindle app, the Nook became my primary reader at home (kinda ironic). I love how the app syncs between my phone and nook so when I'm reading at the doctors, then come home, I can pick-up right where I left off on my nook.
In the end, I'd probably do more with my nook but feel stymied by its slow response time when surfing the web and its lack of apps that utilize its screen real estate properly. I'm chomping at the bit for a new Android tablet, but only want something in the same size range. Anything bigger than the nook (I feel) is to big to use for reading or lounging in bed. The Galaxy and HTC flyer offer great sizes, but I'll wait for a dual processor that can better handle web surfing and flash simultaneously for a smoother experience. Maybe Amazon in the near future?
All in all, I'm don't regret for my nook investment. Its been a great experience learning about the rooting process and Android OS's flexibility.
I bought it primarily as an ereader, particularly to read in bed at night without light.
Have since had a great time fiddling with roms and apps.- it was a real intro to android for me.
I also like the 7inch size - easy to transport, but big enough to surf the web, email etc.
Same deal here as frogger55: bought NC for reading in bed and I stumbled on the fact that the NC could be such a great tablet. I got introduced to Android here in the xda NC forum. Everyone has been so helpful and I thank you all for sharing so much knowledge. It took a while for me to get brave enough to root and then put CM7 on sdcard because I had zero experience before joining this xda Nook color community. then I found my phone can produce a wifi signal for when I am on a trip or somewhere away from wifi. Overall I am thrilled with my Nook Color.
Not read anything more than a page long yet
I began learning about android on a Huawei s7 tablet and then saw the nook color. My wife was looking for a device to surf the web and play a few games so I bought the nook for her. She lost interest in it when she discovered she could not play her facebook games and went back to her netbook leaving me (see the logic here?) The nook as a new toy to play with. It was rooted within 2 hours and I tried out phiremod and UD but then found cm7 and never looked back. As for uses, I read extensively on the nook. I have the kindle reader, aldiko, and the nook reader installed as well as google reader as I use a variety of book formats. As I write using the nook as well, I installed an external keyboard and host mode to allow me access to my flash drives and external hard drives. Far more than an ereader but a really great ereader as well.
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk
I was interested in e-ink readers awhile ago, but never wanted to take the plunge until they got color screens and could display web content. Well, the NC came out before that tech revolution happened, and I'm glad it did. I would say that reading is one of my biggest time consumers (although angry birds on the NC is the wife's biggest, and that may outstrip my time spent reading.... didn't think about that). So yeah, good e-reader, great for comics as well (which was another venue I wanted a reader to cover), I wanted to get into Android as well w/o a pricy phone data plan, and the nice size (large w/o being huge) were all major pluses. Now that I have it, I really like reading and getting my daily RSS updates in the mornings at the gym.
I got my NC Full time CM7 nightlies ROM - as a hybrid - Reader - and to learn about Tablets / ROM's / ANDROID. Almost bought a kindle - but I wanted a backlit screen to read at night.
I'd say I probably use it 65/35 right now tablet / reader. Its the only reading device I own - and I'm still trying new apps - with it to customize it's use to my liking. I read mainly epub content I create via calibre - .pdf's - and a couple Kindle books. I like the e-magazine option too from Nook - but their app is a little finicky - and the magazine selection is slanted toward more Women publications. I'm looking for other options to get Magazines I like - on the device - b/c I hate throwing out mags with good content - but equally hate storing them..
I expect my uses to evolve as I use it more - but pretty happy as my first tablet. I'd probably prefer a dual core with a little more OOMFFF - but didn't want to pay that for a first tablet - to find a week later - it's an expensive paperweight.
Still don't know if I want a bigger screen or not - the portability and size work well. At times, the font is a little small to read - depending on the app I'm reading.
This is my second ebook reader, the first had an e-ink screen. Since I was 10 years old I always wished I could fit a library in my pocket, in recent years modern technology has granted my wish.
I bought it because I found out what I could do with it aftermarket, but used it in it's stock configuration until the 1.2 update came out. After I updated, I ran my first Android OS from an SD install, preserving the stock Nook Color as-is.
I'd say recently i've been doing more with it then reading, but I still read an average of 3 hours a day on it, with no card installed in it's stock configuration.
I am still going through what I can do with it, I haven't gotten into either the audio or video aspects available, though i've gone a bit app-crazy and dropped almost $500 into google and amazon app markets (yep - finally used up those amazon gift cards)
To say I am satisfied with my purchase would be an understatement.
I can still read with it, just the way B&N intended, which works pretty well .(though I have my gripes, particularly with the library structure - or lack thereof)
In addition, in the time it takes to turn it off and back on I can be in an Android environment of my choosing, set up with as many variances as I have (decent) MicroSD cards for.
My girlfriend has her own MicroSD card, and can use my Nook Color to play all her games with and configure to her hearts content...without affecting any of my own setups.
One of the best parts to me is that this flexibility stems from the fact that it has no cellular service, and so I don't have to worry about being constrained by my service provider. Gone is the worry of being watched all the time by having a constant GPS readout of my location in some database somewhere.
All in all, the Nook Color is probably the greatest technology purchase i've ever made.
I put CM7 on my Nook within an hour of owning it, so obviously bought it to use as a tablet. However, I did read the last 3/4 of The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest on it, having read the first 1/4 of the book on my Desire (3.7" screen). I bought the book while waiting for a delayed flight at the airport, through my phone's Kindle app. (Sorry B&N). I got the Nook about a week later.
I started my E-reader experience with a Pandigital Novel. I wasn't sure I would like reading on an LCD screen and I didn't want to spend a ton of money to find out. I got that Novel for $129. I read a couple of books on it and liked it a lot. I wanted to jump to a NC but $250 was pretty expensive to me for a reader and I was frankly scared of the rooting process.
But now that I have one I absolutely love it and I'm usually messing with it for a few hours a day. I would say my time spent on it is about 50/50 between reading and surfing the net and playing games.
Interesting question! I'd wanted an e reader for a long time but didn't like the "single use" aspect of it, so started looking at the ipad, even though I think apple stinks as a corporation. Then someone clued me on to newer android tablets coming out including the NC. I didn't know whether I'd really USE a tablet, and 500+ was just too much so I kept coming back to the NC. Then I discovered honeycomb, then deeper-blues port of hc to the nook, and that combined with the price sealed the deal.
I hardly ever turn on my computer anymore, and as cm7 matures and the flashing novelty wears off, I find myself reading more too. I'm running about 75 browsing/Modding/playing and 25 reading, but that's changing rapidly. If ice cream gets the cm treatment for the NC though, reading might start dropping again.
I actually started e-reading on a 3lb netbook (MSI Wind) running Windows 7, held portrait like a hardcover, but it got stolen last year. An Amazon ad for the ad-supported Kindle, coupled with the death of my old iPod Video, got me thinking about how to rebuild my e-cology, and I drifted over to mobileread.com, which is where I learned about the Nook Color. I thought about some of the similar-sized no-name Android tablets you can get for $100-150, but the screen, dev community, and nigh-unbrickable configuration sold me on the NC.
E-books were my top priority the whole time, but like some others, I was hesitant to get a single-use device, and what I really wanted was an e-reader and casual browser for home and around town that would also serve as a portal to all my media when I'm on the road. The NC fills those gaps nicely, with the bonus of being a great platform for exploring Android.
A large portion of my time on the NC is reading ebooks. I loaded CM7 so that I could access and use Google Market/Amazon Apps and be able to choose which ebook client/seller on a whim. I thought I'd play a lot more of the games I've downloaded, but really I'd say my usage is about:
70% reading - 25% netflix videos - 3% web browsing - 2% games and misc.
I'm still quite happy with it, but I'll probably upgrade in the future to a somewhat larger tablet for better web browsing (the widescreen format is great for movies but sucks for my bad eyesight for reading website text) as well as full-on support for videos, i.e. probably whatever Android tablet Amazon comes out with.

[Q] Any way to side load non-B&N apps without rooting

I know this may seem like an odd question, but let me explain. Since getting a 10" tablet (initially a TouchPad running ICS, but my wife bought an iPad3 for me a few weeks ago) I only use the Nook as an eReader. I really like it in that role, but I also still find it kind of unstable in all but stock form. This includes rooted stock 1.4.2, CM7, and CM9. For the most part this instability takes the form of SODs.
Anyway, the other day I reverted to stock 1.4.2 and think that will work well for me given how I use the device now with one exception...over half of the books that I read are for Amazon Kindle Reader, not B&N Nook. Of course, I can read these on my iPad, but I do like the form factor and portability of the Nook for reading. I could root 1.4.2 again and stick with the stock kernel to avoid SODs, but in a perfect world what I'd like to do is just flip the config setting that tells Android to allow external apps to be installed/run and leave everything else stock. Then I'd like to put on just the Amazon Kindle Reader app.
Does anyone know if there's a way to do this without committing to the full rooting approach?
Thanks!
Nope, you would have to root.
Sent from space
If
SOD's come because you've let the unit go into deep sleep with WiFi turned on...
And
You are only using the NC to read Kindle books...
Then
Rooting the NC then turning WiFi off after you've loaded the Kindle app will avoid the SOD's.
Yes?
Why not convert your Kindle mobis into epubs with Calibre. Short learning curve, and good results.
Check out page 4 in this thread. It works
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1050520
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA
another vote for "download your library using nook for pc, convert to an open format" - works great for me.
I'm not a big fan of reading (or listening music or watching movies) online. I'd rather convert all my paid ebook to pdf, epub, mobi, or whatever the format is then save them on my local eMMC or uSD.
Thanks for the info! I've actually decided to get a Nook Simple Touch Glowlight for my eReader duties and sell the Nook Color. I've really enjoyed the NC while I've owned it, but at this point since I really am just using it as an eReader, I like the digital ink display, battery life, and form factor of the NST for that dedicated purpose.

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