Database Develop

B&N Nook Color

Anyone planning on getting a Nook Color? Specs look good and the price is definitely right but not sure how hard it will be to root.

The only thing that has been figured out so far is the factory reset. Home + Power + Vol up.
that's it so far
I got one and started messing w/ it right away

Got mine a few hrs ago, I am actually posting this from the nook.
I am impressed, considering the price and the fact that it is only marketed as an ebook reader (which is actually what I bought it for) it handles the web quite well. If we can crank the cpu up to 1.2Ghz with set cpu this thing would be almost perfect. When this thing gets rooted it is going to be awesome. Even if it never gets rooted, I will still be glad I got it. So far no luck getting it to install any apk's but I've only been messing with it for an hour or so. I'll post any progress or info I find on the web that might help.

WOW didn't think it'd hit the street yet. Did you get it from B&N directly? Wondering if their weekend discount will work for this...
I'm very interested in getting one for the wife- but want to know about rooting and .apk sideloading.
They advertise reading email- do they have the stock Android email app and you can add multiple accounts or do they just mean via using the web browser?
Has anyone compared this to the Pantech 7" tablet? I know that runs an older android- but I think it's got a few more dedicated apps (like calendar/mail etc) and I'm wondering if the Nook will be too Nook specific for my needs.
Please keep us posted!

Sorry for repost, but maybe you here will find it interesting:
Hi, NC people:
In my blog fineoils.blogspot.com I presented a way of rooting attack for NC, have a look.
There's also quite a collection of reviews of those who had a "professional" hands-on experience, with my comments.
My opinion is the toy will be a smash hit, and after some hopefully light hacking it could outperform Galaxy Tab (antiglare screen outperforms it already, LOL)

ok well it looks like the factory reset is sitting on top of recovery. When I do it I notice the recovery (green and red bg) flash up for a second. Maybe there is some sort of other key combination we need, or something to click quickly before the reset box pops up.

Yep, I got it from B&N directly they said they got them a few days earlier than expected. Still no luck on this end getting this sucker rooted but the more I use it the more I like it. I am still very happy with it even if it never gets rooted. My wife has a kindle and this thing makes her kindle look like a childs toy. The nook color is by no means perfect but for the money it can't be beat.
I have two of the other android tablets, the 7" $150 generic ipad looking thing running android 1.6 and a newer 7" one that runs android 2.1 and linux (dual boot) and neither one are anywhere close to the nook color. Both of my other tablets are rooted and I tried those methods on the nook but with no luck.
Anyway, I like the new nook and think it would make a great gift, B&N has them on display to play with if you still aren't sure. Lastly, for email I have been just using the browser (multiple accts) and it works great.
Let me know if you have other questions.

The original Nook was rooted so I'm sure its only a matter of time. I've been playing with my Nook Color and so far I like it quite a bit. My HTC Evo feels small now.

jm20 said:
Yep, I got it from B&N directly they said they got them a few days earlier than expected. Still no luck on this end getting this sucker rooted but the more I use it the more I like it. I am still very happy with it even if it never gets rooted. My wife has a kindle and this thing makes her kindle look like a childs toy. The nook color is by no means perfect but for the money it can't be beat.
I have two of the other android tablets, the 7" $150 generic ipad looking thing running android 1.6 and a newer 7" one that runs android 2.1 and linux (dual boot) and neither one are anywhere close to the nook color. Both of my other tablets are rooted and I tried those methods on the nook but with no luck.
Anyway, I like the new nook and think it would make a great gift, B&N has them on display to play with if you still aren't sure. Lastly, for email I have been just using the browser (multiple accts) and it works great.
Let me know if you have other questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you think of those tablets for the price, though? Are they worth buying?

First things first is that we need someone that is good at doing usb sniffing. That way we could obtain the PID and VID of the device. From there we could add it to ADB's android_usb.inf file system.
For example we would be adding this into in .inf file:
;B&N Ebook
%SingleAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_XXXX&PID_XXXX
%CompositeAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_XXXX&PID_XXXX&MI_01
then save and run command to place into adb by the following command:
echo 0x955 >> "%USERPROFILE%\.android\adb_usb.ini"

if you're a good usb sniffer i'd more than willing to borrow your nose to sniff my color

Vendor is 0x2080 and device is 0x0002 but it only has a mass storage interface descriptor, AKA debug isn't enabled. In the "factory reset" mode USB isn't even enabled.

Needs it
I just got mine tonight and...yeah...we gotta open this puppy up....I'm not too happy right now.
If you guys don't get this thing rooted soon I'm gonna have to take it back.

sudermatt said:
I just got mine tonight and...yeah...we gotta open this puppy up....I'm not too happy right now.
If you guys don't get this thing rooted soon I'm gonna have to take it back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's already been cracked open, but all the chips are hidden under shields:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=825174&page=6

picked one up today
I just picked one up today and I'm impressed so far. It would be nice to install some apps. The salesman said they were promising flash early next year. Sounds like froyo is in the works..

Nook Color boot over USB
I think I found a way we can bend this shiny toy to our will.
The OMAP3 series parts can be configured to boot from USB depending on how the sys_boot pins are strapped. The Pre folks use this to send a recovery flash utility to the OMAP on boot (see http://www.webos-internals.org/wiki/Last_Resort_Emergency_BootLoader_Recovery). Changing the PID to 0xD00E (OMAP36xx bootloader uses a different VID/PID), then powering off and powering on resulted in the utility catching the on-chip bootloader and interrupting the boot process.
It seems that B&N hardwired the OMAP to boot from USB before flash.
There are two paths we can take with this. The Pre has no microSD, so this utility sends a payload that runs from on-chip SRAM. We could build off their work and make our own fastboot workalike. However, one cool thing about this USB break-in feature is that you can choose a different boot device rather than sending code to the chip. The OMAP can boot off of either of its MMC/SD interfaces, and you can choose which one using the USB bootloader.
That means that a possible rooting / flashing scenario would be to copy a recovery image and bootloader to a microSD card, put that in the Nook, hook up USB and do boot redirection with a small utility.
For reference, the datasheet is here (16MB zipped PDF) and the USB boot documentation is in section 26.4.5.3.

Fantastic! Is this something you have the ability to do? I'd gladly throw someone a few bucks who thought they could pull this off.
BTW, bless the guys at webos internals. I have a Pre, and they have just been awesome for me and many others.

this thread and
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=825174&page=11
need to be combined..come on pokey you can do it man!

Boot utility, yes. You only need to change two values in omap3_usbload.c to make it do boot redirection on the Nook.
Bootloader and recovery, probably not. I don't have any experience with OMAP other than the last hour's worth of tinkering, and I should really be working on a class project right now. I was hoping I'd catch the attention of some more skilled devs around here.
It would help a lot to know generally what hardware is hooked to the OMAP, like the RAM amount and configuration, flash type, and what MMC port the external microSD slot is on.

I have a feeling you're on the right track, and you may in fact have clued someone with the right skills into this... I wish that someone was me... Thanks!

share your experiances with the nc

i was mislead so im gonna go back and double check at BB to see if what i remember is right or my mind played a trick on me
share your experiances you have had

I rooted mine two hours after buying it, and it's slowly replacing my laptop for web surfing, last.FM, etc
I've wiped mine a few times due to issues i've created tinkering with it....but I love it just the same
Sent from my Nook Color using Tapatalk

As soon as I can get RDP or VNC to work it will replace my laptop when I'm on the move. It is very capable for a tablet.

i just wish it had 3g not every place has free wifi

I used mine about 2 hours total to make sure it was working, then I updated it to 1.0.1, Auto-Nooted it, and have been installing apps and playing with it since. Not a single problem so far except for one which hopefully will get resolved sometime.. I really love my Delicious Bookmarks app, but it requires going into the Accounts and Settings and adding an account, can't do that right now.
I haven't tried the B&N Store or Lend Me since rooting, per http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=873975 <--this thread
Otherwise zero problems, it's working great. I'm using FBReader to read my epubs like I always have. The Softkeys are slightly quirky but I'm getting used to them... and like seems to be totally normal on dual-storage devices, some apps aren't looking in the place I'd expect them to, such as WallSwitch (automatically switch wallpapers) is looking in /system/media and not /sdcard or such like I'd expect it to.. I might wind up pushing my pictures there /system has 160M free, no biggie
EDIT: After running the built-in B&N Gallery app, it seems like it spawned a media search and WallSwitch now shows my Backgrounds folder. Yay.

I have had a very good experience with mine so far- problems, glitches, I have minorly screwed it up a few times.
So far I have not screwed it up totally but I will feel much better when we have a full Recovery.
What I like:
The hardware itself, quality and capability seems quite good. Screen is excellent, especially for such a cheap device. WiFi works well- better signal strength than some expensive laptops I have used.
The mod community for rooting and doing so much excellent work already, and hopefully even greater things to come.
What I don't like:
The crippled version of 2.1 B&N has installed.
The lack of GPS and Bluetooth
the lack of portrait mode in B&Ns included software (eReader and many other sections.)
I knew there were many limitations for the stock NC when I ordered mine so I really am not complaining. I don't even mind the lack of cell service since it is pretty easy to connect to an adhoc wifi tether.
The only reason I considered an NC is because they had been rooted a few days before I ordered.
The whole experience is very familiar to me- I first got a Moto Droid shortly after they were first rooted and spent quite a while happily trying many things - and using recovery often.
It is my fervent hope that the devs are as successful with the NC as they were with the original Droid.
Even as the NC is as I type this it is a very good value and tablet.
If we are lucky, it will be a great one soon.

I bought mine solely for the purpose of reading with the added bonus of web surfing and the occasional movie while on the go. I got mine in November before the root and didn't realize there wasn't flash support until I got it home and started playing, went to youtube and got the crummy "mobile" version where the video looked horrible and audio was out of sync. I stumbled across XDA while looking for some kind of a flash hack and rooted after a week of debating whether I should. I'm glad I did.
Thanks to the root, the NC has gone from mundane to a very worth-while device. I love all the stuff I can do thanks to the app support. The youtube app and Dolphin HD alone make it worth rooting.

I was saying in another thread that I had gotten the NC primarily as a reading device, I love periodicals and the NC is pretty good for those. I was on the fence about getting it for a while, the fact that it could be rooted sealed the deal.
I wound up having to exchange my first NC (thankfully the factory reset went very smoothly) due to serious screen flicker issues when the device was set at a mid-level brightness. My second one is much better, though I can still detect a tiny bit of visual flicker under certain lighting conditions.. not a deal-breaker tho.
Couple issues that I've come across :
1. I screwed up the driver install on my PC the first time I tried it, didn't have the INI file in the right place and couldn't side-load anything on to my NC or access it as a storage device. Totally my fault for botching that one. Second try worked fine.
2. My YouTube app no longer launches, it just flicks on for a sec and goes back to the desktop. Probably need to re-install it.
3. Some memory issues when using ACV (comic viewer) to view CBR files. Frequent issues loading pages from the archive files. No issues at all if I extract the images to folders first and load that way, though so it's all good for my comic reading
4. Some apps that I wanted to download like SwitchPro Widgets don't show up in the market for me. Have to side-load them (which stinks since I paid for it and won't be able to get updates directly from the market).
I haven't had the stones to attempt installing the new market app. The old one works well and I'm not a big risk-taker Other than that, the NC is the little tablet that could! It's a fantastic way to get an Android tablet and very capable e-reading device for an extremely reasonable price.

We have 2 of these at home. It has already replaced my laptop at home, Using it mainly for web surfing and reading. I don't mind too much that it does not have 3g since I use my phone to tether when I am on the go. The screen size is just perfect. I just can't see myself trying to carry around anything larger, I love the portability of this thing. I don't know what Steve Jobs meant by saying that people don't want 7" tablets
The rooting process was simple enough and the only problems I had was youtube not working. I did a command in adb that was posted in another thread for the fix. I don't know about the problems with the lend me feature since I have not tried.
I went to my local best buy and barnes and noble yesterday and they are all sold out of the nook color. The nook color seems successful only being launched a month ago, I would not hesitate in getting one. I am very pleased also with the support that it is getting here on XDA.
My wife's NC is still stock but after I showed her what it can do rooted she is thinking about it. It was her idea in the first place to get these things. I was really looking to get a Galaxy Tab but the NC has satisfied my needs @ only $250. I guess I will spend the money I saved on a new Android phone after CES

wendellc said:
The screen size is just perfect. I just can't see myself trying to carry around anything larger, I love the portability of this thing. I don't know what Steve Jobs meant by saying that people don't want 7" tablets
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he meant was that he doesn't want to sell one, therefore nobody should use them.
And remember, you are talking about the guy who tells people how they are supposed to hold their phones.

I bought one last night fort my wife.rooted it right away and toyed around with for a little bit before bed..
What directory do downloaded files from the internet go to? my evo downloads go to a download folder on sd card but I couldnt find it on the NC. Bash me if you must but give me an answer. TIA

I picked mine up on Black Friday. Had to do some sweet talking... the ones in the store were spoken for already. Well, needless to say I got it, and it's saved my shoulders. Using my 15.6 inch laptop during the 40 min train commute was nice and all but hauling it from car to train, train to office and vice versa wasn't exactly ideal. I'm not a small guy or anything, but HP sure doesn't make things light
So far my NC has been a very worthy companion. It's gotten plenty of looks, comments, oooohhhhs and aaaahhhhhs after I show them Angry Birds and other things. I tether it to my TP2 and I've got internet. I use it in the coffee shops, during lunch to read, at home for a quick browse, at work as a file transfer medium, all in all it has become an indispensable companion. And that's even without BT and Flash. It would be nice if it had a GPS but quite irrelevant really... my TP2 covers that function very nicely. Nedless to say I'm extremely happy with it. One of the best purchases I ever made!

It's great and very encouraging to read all these positive comments about the NC. I have been lurking here since soon after the NC came out and was very happy to hear when it got rooted.
So far I have only played with a stock version in BB, but I'm about 99% sure there is one wrapped and already under the xmas free for me. Thx wifey! Can't wait to officially join the NC group on Xmas day.

AZBrauMeister said:
It's great and very encouraging to read all these positive comments about the NC. I have been lurking here since soon after the NC came out and was very happy to hear when it got rooted.
So far I have only played with a stock version in BB, but I'm about 99% sure there is one wrapped and already under the xmas free for me. Thx wifey! Can't wait to officially join the NC group on Xmas day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your wife will regret the purchase when your attention span is completely on the NC and not her, lol...
Its a sweet device that will only get better form here on out. Once bluetooth, nav, and a nice EQ music app (like powerAmp) are up and running, this device can become a phone companion (for roaming wifi), nettop replacement, and even a capable a carputer - nav, OBD2 reader/code clear app, and audio source (bt calls and music).

norkoastal said:
snip*
Its a sweet device that will only get better form here on out. Once bluetooth, nav, and a nice EQ music app (like powerAmp) are up and running, this device can become a phone companion (for roaming wifi), nettop replacement, and even a capable a carputer - nav, OBD2 reader/code clear app, and audio source (bt calls and music).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How will peripherals be connected? Does the hardware support USB to go, or do you think there is a BT chip onboard but inactive? Because that would be sweet!

CBJamo said:
How will peripherals be connected? Does the hardware support USB to go, or do you think there is a BT chip onboard but inactive? Because that would be sweet!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1a. By BT (once unleashed)
1b. ?? The BT chip is there (multi function chip), but needs some ROM goodness to "enable."

norkoastal said:
1a. By BT (once unleashed)
1b. ?? The BT chip is there (multi function chip), but needs some ROM goodness to "enable."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be fair, the BT **SHOULD** be there, based on the listed specs, but custom hardware for things like this is not uncommon, so i won't dream about BT until we really get it.

wendellc said:
I love the portability of this thing. I don't know what Steve Jobs meant by saying that people don't want 7" tablets
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
RoboRay said:
What he meant was that he doesn't want to sell one, therefore nobody should use them.And remember, you are talking about the guy who tells people how they are supposed to hold their phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I predict that in 2011 Jobs will announce a new breakthrough in Apple engineering, and will release a 7" tablet. At that time he will also rename the two tablets; MINiPAD and MAXiPAD... I'm just sayin'...

Oh you mean the nanopad... I have that already trademarked... Jobs, we know you're lurkin.. Call me up to negotiate leasing rights.
On that note B&N should let XDA release NC2... Nothing but free droid books loaded upon purchase.

Picked mine up last night and the root process went very well. Couldn't be easier -- thanks to all the hard work by the guys here and at NookDev.
I picked up a Galaxy Tab but returned it before I opened it. I just couldn't justify $600 for that device so, while the Tab has a few more features (2.2, GPS, etc.) this is an awesome little tablet for the money.
Couldn't be happier.

[Q] nextbook next2 upgrade

playing around with girlfriends nextbook next2 android 1.5...there has got to be away to upgrade this toy isnt there?

Google it!
-If ignorance is bliss why aren't you smiling?-

have already done that as well as many other things just figured if anyone would know it would be someone here and you i can see have no clue but thanks for wasting my time

If you're gonna pout like a baby because someone didn't give you an answer and suggested doing something MOST people don't do before they ask a question then I am glad I could waste your time. Enjoy having some more of your time wasted by reading this post.
-If ignorance is bliss why aren't you smiling?-

wow dude thank god there are pros on this site like you

I know right? Haha
-If ignorance is bliss why aren't you smiling?-

really guys? to answer the question: apparently it is rooted and using universal anroot? it also runs the archos OS? this is what ive gathered so far...

not much info yet...
Before being rude, maybe some folks should take their own advice and 'google it' to see if there is actually any useful information available.
All I've found after weeks of extensive searching (and I even used a few sources other than the great god google, imagine that!) is that (a) it can be rooted with newer versions of 'universal androot' and (b) someone has suggested that it may be similar enough to one version of the Archos tablet to use that firmware although no one has reported that they've tried and succeeded, and (c) much unverified talk that the hardware isn't sufficient to run anything better than 1.5,
Also interesting and somewhat funny is that if you check the nextbook's website in the download section with Firefox you see only see a couple of software package upgrades, but check it with Internet Explorer and you get more info to the effect that upgrades are "Coming Soon!!!". "Soon' in this case being at least >= about 4 weeks.
An update to even Android 1.6 would be a big help. Unfortunately, with my very limited knowledge of Android/tablets/etc. I'm not ready to try it myself without reports of success from others. It's too useful as is to turn into a brick since there is a lot of software that does work on it (you just have to invest the time to look and try a lot of it to find the right stuff). You might even want to try 'google' to find slightly older (but working) versions of some apps.
Cheers, and good luck!

twitch153 said:
I know right? Haha
-If ignorance is bliss why aren't you smiling?-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Simply, Lol

I just bought this device for $89 from Big Lots and I have been googling for the past hour. There's not much about this tablet or any of of the Nextbook products. For that reason also it's probably going back next week. My box says it comes with 2.1 so I assume there is at least an upgrade available from the site. I'd love to be able to reflash this and de-ebook it and have a general android tablet to self customize. It's got a dual core 600mhz.

Chances are if you can't find the info by a quick Google search then you are s**t outta luck. XDA isn't a place where you can magically find the solution to every tech issue you will ever encounter.
One rule of thumb i have when buying a device is whether it is popular enough to have good support from the dev community. If you buy without checking first it becomes a crap-shoot. If you owned a HD2 you would be in luck...but some random device, what are the odds?
Everything has a shelf-life and even the more popular devices will stop being supported eventually. Rather than adapting the device to suit your needs, why not adapt your needs to suit the device? It doesn't need to be running the latest and greatest software to be functional after all. People have converted old Win 98 PC's to be media servers, hardware firewalls, etc.

i also got one from biglots, and for $89 it does e-books, mp3 and video, web browsing with wifi and i can take my sd card out of my camera on vacation and view my photos and upload to facebook.
what more can you ask for for the price? it would be nice to root it and have a working .apk of market to install on it though

Nextbook 2 root and Market
I've been able to root my Nextbook 2 using freeware tools: Z4Root and Universal Androot. Even though I tried to make it permanent, it seems to revert to a non-rooted state when rebooted.
I'm still working on getting Google Market and other Google apps working. I'll post when I do.
For me, even just having a tablet with a web browser and book reader is worth the price. I used to try reading books and browsing the web on my Android phone, but the screen is just too small.
Rob

robbratton said:
I've been able to root my Nextbook 2 using freeware tools: Z4Root and Universal Androot. Even though I tried to make it permanent, it seems to revert to a non-rooted state when rebooted.
I'm still working on getting Google Market and other Google apps working. I'll post when I do.
For me, even just having a tablet with a web browser and book reader is worth the price. I used to try reading books and browsing the web on my Android phone, but the screen is just too small.
Rob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also bought from BigLots. I would be happy to learn how you used the freeware tools that you mentioned. Like others, I have searched for many days but can not find out even how to root it temporarily, let alone flash a new ROM. the tools seem to be out there, but how do you put them on the device?
Button combinations at power-on? Put the software on SD? I have done this with other devices, but they tell you how to go into recovery mode.

did a search and found NEXT2 Rom =)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=988740
is this not what you are looking for? I am wanting to buy the same thing, but know nothing about rooting a device so I came here looking for information. The above link is what I came across. Please respond if this is what works for the next2. Thanks!

Like others, I got one from Big Lots. $89! Oh, and it has android 2.1 on it!. I had also found the previously mentioned thread before this one. It has 86 pages of posts and most are NOT about the next2 (next3 and a few nearly identical devices with other names). Most of the ROMs posted there are for those other devices with a larger screen and therefore not useable on the next2. It does have some info on how to modify those for use with the next2.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to identify exactly what is in the rom on page one of that thread. If anyone does load it, please id the os version, if it is fully rooted, and if it has the market app in it please. Probably a good thing to load if you have android 1.5 on your next2.
Oh, I haven't read even a third of the posts, but when I read more, if I find something useful, I will report back here.
Oh, and twitch351, if you don't want to help someone because you don't think they have put in time already, researching it, why don't you just ignore them rather than being a butthead about it? I HAVE been doing the research, and you were wasting my time too.

[Q] New Nook owner questions

I searched the forums for this, but I never found any straightforward (or in plain and simple English) answers that helped me. I don't know how to root or how to mod my devices or even some of the terminology. I also know that some of you might laugh at me for my lack of knowledge, but I get that anyway for how I walk sometimes (I have MS) LOL.
I just bought a New Nook Color today (yay for me!). I have a Samsung Epic 4g. I used an app called Application backup that gets all of the APK files into a zip file on the SD card. I have a 16gb SD card. I transferred my info from my 16 GB card to another 16 GB card via my computer. I put the 2nd SD card into my Nook and the Nook did not recognize any of the Apps from my phone. I figured that since they are both running Froyo, that it would work. What did I do wrong?
Also, I figured that since I upgraded the Nook to B&N's new Froyo, that I would be able to get onto the Android Market, not just B&N's somewhat crappy App store. How can I access the Market from my new Nook Color?
Also, can I run Google Voice and make calls from my new Nook? Just wondering, it's not necessary, but I would like to at least text message from it, if possible. Also, can I really get that Playon app and play Netflix and Hulu content as well? That would be amazing!
Thank you in advance for taking the time to help this big ol' dummy!

There's plenty of easy to follow guides about how to root, flash custom ROMs, etc all over this part of the forum, just gotta go looking. You'll need root to watch the Netflix app on your NC, same with getting the market.

There's an easier way to install the apps on your NC. Just download the Appbrain app on both NC and your phone, then you can see the list of apps on your phone and install them on your NC as well.
I've got a rooted NC with phiremod installed, so I can't tell you how to access the market on any unrooted device. Hope someone else can help you with that.

holgalee said:
There's an easier way to install the apps on your NC. Just download the Appbrain app on both NC and your phone, then you can see the list of apps on your phone and install them on your NC as well.
I've got a rooted NC with phiremod installed, so I can't tell you how to access the market on any unrooted device. Hope someone else can help you with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A completely stock NC can't access the marketplace.
OP, look for the "manual nooter" thread, probably in the Dev subforum. Nootering is the closest to stock you can be and use the non-B&N marketplace.

so i just got a gtab and was playing around with it. got a custom mod on there(vegan 5.1.1, love it) and my mom saw me saying "is that an ipad?". told her no, showed her some of the features and she suggested we get something like that for my grandma. without knowing really much about the nook color at all i do know this would probably be a better option for her than an ipad or gtablet.
just wondering if there are stable enough roms out there where i could do everything at once when i buy it and kind of show her how to navigate websites, email, watch videos, etc(pretty much basic computing, shes old lol) over a weekend when shes here(she lives 6 hours away and coming to visit next week)? because once she leaves i won't be able to update or help her troubleshoot it till like Christmas.

nuttybardude said:
so i just got a gtab and was playing around with it. got a custom mod on there(vegan 5.1.1, love it) and my mom saw me saying "is that an ipad?". told her no, showed her some of the features and she suggested we get something like that for my grandma. without knowing really much about the nook color at all i do know this would probably be a better option for her than an ipad or gtablet.
just wondering if there are stable enough roms out there where i could do everything at once when i buy it and kind of show her how to navigate websites, email, watch videos, etc(pretty much basic computing, shes old lol) over a weekend when shes here(she lives 6 hours away and coming to visit next week)? because once she leaves i won't be able to update or help her troubleshoot it till like Christmas.
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This might be better in its own thread if you want more replies, but I can tell you my own experience with customized tech devies as gifts to people who aren't tech savvy and can't or have no interest in learning. Never works out well, for me.
If your grandma likes to keep up with and learn about the latest gear, or if she's interested in starting, a rooted or moded NC would be good. But if she's not, you need a device you can set up for her once and have it run without need for updates or maintenance for a long period of time. Something she can just use. In that case the extra expense is worth it.
Also, a screen larger than the NC's would probably be easier for her, depending on her sight.

Nora D said:
Also, a screen larger than the NC's would probably be easier for her, depending on her sight.
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This is a very good point. I thought about getting a tablet for my dad, and the same considerations occurred to me. If your grandmother is using it primarily to read books, then the small screen isn't as much of an issue, since the fonts can be sized up in the reader app without much detrimental effect. But scaling up a large font in the web browser will likely make the web browsing experience painful, since many websites are so tightly formatted. "Zoom in and pan around" is a horrible way to use the web... Also, the smaller the screen is, the finer the motor control necessary to operate the touch screen controls, which may be another issue for an older person.
I came to the conclusion that a 7-inch tablet just isn't going to be very useful for an elderly person, and the Nook has enough little quirks when used as a tablet that it would likely be a frustrating experience for a non-techie person.

I really would not recommend CM7 NC or even rooted stock NC for an elderly person or technologically illiterate person for a couple of reasons:
1. The default UI is nowhere near as non-techy-user-friendly as iOS (I'm OS-agnostic, hate proprietary software, but hey, it's true) and there's no locking down of features (admin mode vs limited user, etc) to prevent someone accidentally damaging the install or removing something they shouldn't. Maybe you could find a heavily modded theme to be friendlier.
2. The screen is, at 7", perfect for me as a reader but my (elderly) mother complained about the small screen size (needing much bigger fonts). You can fix that somewhat by (obviously) using bigger fonts in CM7 and also by editing the lcd density, but the latter can cause issues with some apps. It's not exactly difficult to fudge fingering through the menus and opening apps by accident, or just mistyping because of the smaller keyboard.
I told my mother, who was liking my (CM7) Nook despite complaining about eye strain and fingering issues, that she was probably better off spending $100 more on the upcoming 9.7" Amazon tablet this fall if she could wait. While it's probably going to be as locked down as the iPad to begin with, I won't have to worry about bugs in nightlies (or even stables, e.g., no deep sleep in pre-.32 releases) or whether or not she'll accidentally break some app etc. While it sucks to be limited to 1 ereader store (technically), if Amazon allows generic ereader apps like Bluefire or Aldiko she could still have access to epubs from competing stores if she needed it. If it ends up being rootable to allow 3rd-party apps and Google Android Market then it's a win-win with a polished, user-friendly modded android OS from Amazon.
I'm not bashing the Nook or CM7 - I love mine and I love being able to tweak and experiment with it, but it's not something that a non-techy would be able to tread fearlessly in -- look how many threads here are posted with people being lost about doing a basic SD CM7 install or following one of the step-by-step rooting guides.

Responding to the grandma tangent, I think everyone is underestimating the appeal of the stock Nook Color for people who don't know what they're doing. There are plenty of non-tech-savvy people over at mobileread (well, tech savvy enough to post on a forum, but otherwise...) who are thrilled with their stock NCs. Three-million-plus of these things have sold, and most of those people are not rooting them or putting on custom ROMs.
Someone familiar with Android devices who goes into it expecting an Android device might find it limiting, but for someone with no clue, the fact that it only does a few things is a pro, not a con.
Skunkeye said:
But scaling up a large font in the web browser will likely make the web browsing experience painful, since many websites are so tightly formatted. "Zoom in and pan around" is a horrible way to use the web...
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I don't remember just how the NC stock browser works, but most Android browsers are smarter than that. Often a double-tap on a column of text will get it centered at a manageable size, and if not you can zoom to the desired text size and double-tap again to reflow it just like a book. Whenever I come to an article of more than a few paragraphs on my PC, I stop and pick up the NC for a more comfortable reading experience (or send the link to the NC for later, depending on what I'm doing).

I don't think anyone is underestimating the stock Nook Color for what it is. But the original question was about "stable ROMs" and the comparison of the Nook vs. a full Android tablet or iPad. I'd have no problem giving almost anyone a Nook Color if it was left as an unrooted, stock device (because tech support would then be B&N's problem!), with the understanding that it was going to be used as intended: as an excellent e-reader that happens to do a little bit of internet stuff sort of passably well.
But if you're talking about putting Cyanogen or something on the thing and sending it to grandma's house six hours away and hoping for everything to go smoothly (which was, I think, nuttybardudes's intent), I think that's very likely to end up in frustration for everyone involved.

Agreed. I'm saying he's overthinking it--just buying a NC and handing it to her (well, maybe helping her register it) may be his best option. .

[Q] Using a USB Wireless Adapter...

Ok guys, maybe this question has been asked and maybe it has not. I'm typing this on the fly via mobile of course and don't have the time to scour through related forum threads which may or may not be able to help me out.
That said, I have several adapters that I use for packet injection. I have one which has an SMA port for antennas and I bought a 16dBi high gain antenna to use with another project and I am also using with this adapter.
Anyway, I woukd like to be able to use this adapter with its extended range while I'm wardriving.
I have microUSB to Female USB cables for my phone. But connecting a device does little other than power it on.
I need a script that disables the on board WiFi and installs a driver for the secondary adapter and then enables it. Or perhaps there is an app out there that makes this easier.
Anyone have any suggestions or solutions to this dilemma I'm facing?
Thanks in Advance!
PAinguIN

C'mon guys, this is the TOP mobile device (particularly Android) forum in the world. I've been a member for years... I know someone on here has something I can try or a complete solution. I know that this has been successful on the Droid Milestone but that's a bit of an older phone.
Any help would be appreciated...
Thanks again..

PAinguINx said:
C'mon guys, this is the TOP mobile device (particularly Android) forum in the world. I've been a member for years... I know someone on here has something I can try or a complete solution. I know that this has been successful on the Droid Milestone but that's a bit of an older phone.
Any help would be appreciated...
Thanks again..
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google "pwnpad" maybe you find something you can use, also the wifi adapter they use is cheap and support packet injection and external antennas.

milad407 said:
google "pwnpad" maybe you find something you can use, also the wifi adapter they use is cheap and support packet injection and external antennas.
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Thanks milad407... Your input is appreciated. I am looking in to it right now... If I find a good solution I will be sure to post it here in the forums.
Again, thank you!

You're welcome, i'll be keeping my eye on the thread, if you find something..

milad407 said:
You're welcome, i'll be keeping my eye on the thread, if you find something..
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Ok, I have not tried this yet but if it works in anyway similar to how it would on a laptop then I should succeed. Using either "Linux Deploy" or Complete Linux Installer" I can install various Linux distros on my phone virtually. Even custom images can be used. But by stock you can install Ubuntu, Debian, (not sure why they offer both), Backtrack, Kali (again, unsure why they offer both) and several other Linux distros.
If I install Backtrack, which I know supports the adapter I want to use when running from live cd or live usb from a laptop (or even Kali Linux) then it should also work on my device. It's all about the drivers and disabling the devices built in WiFi adapter....
I have to take my phone back to stock due to some issues which have recently occurred. I will S-Off first probably, then return to Stock, re-root and after I recover my contacts, programs, etc, etc, I will attempt to install a virtual image of either BT5 or Kali and see what happens.
Again, I will keep updated this thread. If it works then everyone with an M7 from Sprint will be able to utilize this method.
:fingers-crossed:

Have a look here as well: http://www.toolswatch.org/2013/05/installing-my-own-pwnpad-community-for-fun-and-for-less-than-300/
I think the problem with the Pwnpad source code is that, it's written for Nexus 7

milad407 said:
Have a look here as well: http://www.toolswatch.org/2013/05/installing-my-own-pwnpad-community-for-fun-and-for-less-than-300/
I think the problem with the Pwnpad source code is that, it's written for Nexus 7
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Hmmm, interesting... I actually have a Nexus 7 - 32GB 1st gen, it's a nice, smooth tablet but doesn't hold a candle many other devices out there. If I had my choice of device to turn in to a "hacking" tab, uh, Phablet... I would choose the Galaxy Note 3.
Check out the arena....
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/Google-Nexus-7-2013,Samsung-Galaxy-Note-3,Samsung-Galaxy-Mega-6.3/phones/8021,7984,7805
But, aside from that... You would think that you would only be limited to any devices hardware capabilities... Technically, we could probably take an old Toshiba or Acer Iconia tablet, install and/or run either BT5 or Kali virtually on top of whatever version of Android the device is running and have near the same capabilities that you would with a laptop.
If/when I figure out a way to use my Alpha AWUS036NH on any of the devices I own I'll be able to wardrive and pick up networks from nearly and 1/8th - 1/4 of a mile away. No exaggeration. Utilizing a 16dBi omni directional antenna instead of the measly 5 dBi that's included make an enormous difference.
But, rather or not it will work so easily running BT5 or Kali virtually over JellyBean or ICS compared to the ease of a live/virtual/physical installation of either OS on a laptop or PC will only be known once it has been tried. I wish I had more free time to do what I truly love to do with technology instead of the repetitive and thankless administration tasks I perform at work... The grass is always greener though... Lol!
One of these weekends I'll get something going, and I'll post it and hopeflly save peeps that $899. The only thing they will have to pay for will be the adapter(s) they choose to utilize and the tablet, phablet, or even phone that they want to use The rest will be open source and included with (hopefully) current and future releases of Kali Linux now that BT5 is suddenly and abruptly "dead". Did that catch anyone else by surprise or just me? Lol!