I absolutely love the NookColor. Its got a great design and does way more than it was intended to, thanks to the android community and developers and ofcourse even Barnes&Noble for their official Froyo release.
However, I have had it for a couple of months now. Messed around heaps, tried all the roms and the novelty is running out and I just dont know what to use it for anymore. I never actually used it much apart from for trying out new roms.
The gadgets I find myself using most on a daily basis:
- For calling and texting, I use my HTC Buzz/Wildfire.
- Due to Android's poor music capabilities and the size of the NookColor, I still use my iPod touch for on the go music.
- And I still find myself using my laptop for internet and doing university work.
This is not meant to be a complain-session but I was just wondering what you guys find yourself using your NookColor/tablets mostly for? What makes you go back to using it on a daily basis?
Just trying to find some uses for rejuvenating my interest and actually using the NookColor more on a daily basis.
Do we really need to fill the "gap between the smartphones and laptops"? Does a gap even exist?
Reading a book, watching videos are the soul reason.
Yeah, a lot easier to carry CFD/fluid mechanics/thermodynamics books in pdf format than physical format Also, it's nice for hulu and messing w/android, but I know what you mean. Out of college idk what I'd use it for. Just something around the house to look up something real quick, or to play pewpew2
im a gradstudent and working professional. they both come in handy when you can do textbooks or reference books with the e-reader apps. also, i love my laptops but when im in bed... its a lot easier to use the tablet for web surfing and email than having a really hot laptop to carry.
my gf likes it to play sudoko on a larger screen than a cell phone.
I have 2 of them, one is more or less permanently in my bathroom including charger. It has replaced all the stacks of magazines that used to clutter the place up.
-Portable real internet (BBC News, Hulu, ESPN3, etc.)
-Games (especially emulators controlled with Wiimote)
-Google Maps with Bluetooth GPS
-Creating Word documents
-I use a calculator on it a lot
-Calendar and scheduling
-Facebook and networking
-Getting Amazon's free app a day
What app do you use to create word docs?
DubiousPig said:
What app do you use to create word docs?
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I use Quickoffice HD from the notion ink apps. There is also documents to go, and a few others...
Sent from my NookColor using XDA Premium App
Portable real internet indeed - handy for recipes!!
NPR news app (much easier to read).
I tend to use my phone for music, but the NC is better with Winamp (my ipod touch is in the hands of my kid now).
Youtube videos for gaming (been using for Lost Odyssey on the 360 to find treasure I missed)
Gamefaqs
checking email
Facebook once in a while
A lot of this I can't stand to do on a phone...but works great on the NC.
Making router / firewall /etc changes or grabbing the network password when someone needs it - DD-WRT router - handy and saves booting up a computer to do it.
Bank application / paypal app to check balances.
I would say #1 would be ebooks - but I read mostly on my e-ink Nook.
Killing time on the couch while the kids are watching Dora or whatever.
The Nook Color is my prefered way to surf the web. I love that I can sit back on the couch and hold it like a book while surfing.
I also read books, watch movies and play games on it. The last few meetings I've had I've used it to take a few notes.
Since getting the Nook Color I've hardly touched my netbook, and since getting the netbook I've hardly touched my laptop. My desktop is a whole different animal, however.
I honastly see no benifit of using the ipod music player over the android one. Coverflow looks nice but takes forever to get anywhere. I suppose the music u might lik erl is nice but I never touched it
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
dpakrr said:
This is not meant to be a complain-session but I was just wondering what you guys find yourself using your NookColor/tablets mostly for? What makes you go back to using it on a daily basis?
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For me, I use it probably 70% of the time to read books. My state library (NH) has an e-book program. I have 2 weeks with each book before it self-deletes, so this kind of forces me a little to use it more as an e-reader.
However, I like having it to surf the web quickly. It's also a great planner and to-do list manager (I use the Get Things Done method with Evernote). so I find it really useful for quickly jotting down notes and tasks.
the rest of my time is used watching tv shows that I always said I wanted to watch but never had the motivation to go find them (Breaking Bad and Sunny in Philadelphia being the two I'm watching now).
Could I do this all on a laptop? probably, but I find this size tablet to be much more ergonomically friendly for when I want to use electronic media (bed... at the breakfast table... on a plane).
There's no shame in not finding a use between phone and laptop for another device. If the nook or tablets aren't for you... don't worry about it. the good thing is you can probably sell your nook for about what you bought it for. experiment over.
I got to read the news and magazines. I watch alot of movies on it. Use it every day while my wife jogs.
Sent from a super smooth captivate running andromeda
I wan to keep on topic but this is a noob question. Those that are using google maps with Bluetooth GPS. What is the GPS for? Meaning are you actually using it in your car kind of like a Garmin? I'm assuming google maps can be used without the GPS part to simply scroll around the maps.
Also is there any way to use a Bluetooth headset to make Skype calls?
klaiii said:
I use Quickoffice HD from the notion ink apps. There is also documents to go, and a few others...
Sent from my NookColor using XDA Premium App
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Do you find selecting text to be difficult? About 90% of the time I can't get that little slider to slide.
s52m3 said:
I wan to keep on topic but this is a noob question. Those that are using google maps with Bluetooth GPS. What is the GPS for? Meaning are you actually using it in your car kind of like a Garmin?
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Yep. It is fun to have such a large GPS in the car.
I use mine mostly for:
1) Browsing ...
2) Email / FacebookMail
3) Gaming (but am a bit frustrated with the lack of scaling in a lot of games)
4) Getting a license to each daily Amazon free app (I could use my phone, but don't, since I don't mind cluttering up my Nook) ... never know when I might go back and actually use one of them.
I find it most useful in the car/airplane but also just as a capable carry-along device with decent screen.
I have a Samsung Captivate (which I do use more for music) ... but when able I definitely use my Nook over it for things like browsing and email. I also have a very nice ultra-portable Win7 notebook (HP 2710p) ... which when my Nook is charged I basically never use unless I need to do something over my work's VPN.
The more I use my Nook, well, the more I use my Nook. I use it enough I'm just about convinced to plunk down more $ for a "real" tablet (camera, WiFi, GPS) later this year when the 3rd gen tablets start hitting the market.
The only thing I wish for is something like the iPad case with built-in keyboard, as I would like better typing.
When home, like I am now, I still use my desktop PC almost all the time and don't see it changing. But otherwise I'm surprisingly happy to pull out my Nook.
PS. One thing that got me using the Nook MUCH MUCH more was this case (I modded mine with a leather punch to open up holes behind the speaker ... if you do this just do a circlular pattern in the center as you'll start hitting magnet/metal out to the far left/right of the speaker area). It works great in easel mode both for in-lap use as well as a VERY convenient way to rest it over my hands when holding it up.
i got it because i wanted an e-reader...the fact that it's also a tablet is just an extra perk...that being said, the only thing i really use it for in that capacity is e-mail and light web surfing...but i think it will come in especially handy when traveling and i won't have to pack several books or laptop just for i-net access
75% reading books
10% news+email
5% few games
5% youtube+IMDB movie trailers
5% other tasks
I don't have an Android phone (still working on my previous generation of 'feature phone'), mostly because I can't use one during most of the waking hours.
So the nook suffices as an android surrogate. What's it do? Probably every thing you do on a phone, but on a bigger screen and only in the confines of my wifi bubble at home.
Because I dual boot between an android OS and the nook stock experience, I spend about 50/50 in each. When I'm in nook mode, it's to read. When I'm in AndroidOS mode, it's to get real time information (weather, news, calendar/agenda, etc).
Hi, all. I'm thinking about popping for the Nook HD+ today, while they still have the free Simple Touch bundle. I was wondering, if I were to keep it stock and just install Google Play as per the thread here, does the Bluetooth function on the Nook HD+ allow for music player controls for the apps I'd be installing through the sideloaded Play store? Or is it limited to Nook's music player? It's kind of important to me, as I'd be using it as a music /podcast device at work (I'm a painter), and I'd need the wireless to be able to move freely while the NHD+ is tucked away in a cabinet or whatever. Is the range pretty good?
Thanks for your time.
BT controls work fine, in case anyone else was wondering. It was probably a dumb question, haha.
Kevin43 said:
BT controls work fine, in case anyone else was wondering. It was probably a dumb question, haha.
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Thanks for the info, I don't have one yet, and since i'll be getting one am trying to pre-emptively learn whatever I can about it. Don't discount the value of information like this.
+1 for the trivial info.
I too am thinking about it, and this answers my question. :good:
Hi everyone =)
Running carbon rom 4.3 on my nook Hd.
I have searched thoroughly in regards to this topic and have made some progress.
I can get dead trigger to work great with my wired Xbox controller and Joycenter p I me it up fine. I believe it's just the touch emulation which doesn't work. When I use the touch emulation mapper overlay In MC4 and put the analogue sticks above the appropriate areas. When I then use them, these small dots show up on the screen and move around accordingly. I.cant seem to get any further than this when follow guides etc.
I was wondering I anyone had managed to get any further thAn this or had any fixes / tips.
I wish I could simply use six axis but Bluetooth doesn't support this on our nooks.
Really enjoying the support And the community feel on the forums.
Thanks for reading =)
I have a rooted and ROM'ed original Kindle Fire that is definitely starting to show it's age but is still somewhat functional. My thought is to turn it into a "remote" for our Chromecast that is laid out to easily find / cast content. Something we can just leave on the table next to the couch. We are cordcutters so it would be especially helpful when we have family in town staying it our house as they sometimes get confused by live TV through an antenna. We already subscribe to Netflix, Hulu Plus, etc and I can use a family member's cable authentication for other apps like WatchESPN, etc. Hopefully the community here can help me out with a few things:
1) Is there a replacement launcher for Android that will work well in this scenario? I suppose I could go with something like Apex Launcher and just customize it to my liking but ideally I would want something that places all the apps in a grid scenario. Bonus points for some kind of integration with Chromecast, or an app that has a widget for playback controls.
2) Any other apps that would help me accomplish this? Remotecast doesn't seem to have a lot of functionality and I can't find any similar apps when searching through the Play Store.
Thanks in advance!
iamryfly said:
I have a rooted and ROM'ed original Kindle Fire that is definitely starting to show it's age but is still somewhat functional. My thought is to turn it into a "remote" for our Chromecast that is laid out to easily find / cast content. Something we can just leave on the table next to the couch. We are cordcutters so it would be especially helpful when we have family in town staying it our house as they sometimes get confused by live TV through an antenna. We already subscribe to Netflix, Hulu Plus, etc and I can use a family member's cable authentication for other apps like WatchESPN, etc. Hopefully the community here can help me out with a few things:
1) Is there a replacement launcher for Android that will work well in this scenario? I suppose I could go with something like Apex Launcher and just customize it to my liking but ideally I would want something that places all the apps in a grid scenario. Bonus points for some kind of integration with Chromecast, or an app that has a widget for playback controls.
2) Any other apps that would help me accomplish this? Remotecast doesn't seem to have a lot of functionality and I can't find any similar apps when searching through the Play Store.
Thanks in advance!
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Click to collapse
I personally use Dock Folders to organize my shortcuts..
But since you are only using this as a remote why not just put the shortcuts to all the apps on the home screen?
Just about any custom Launcher will allow you to resize the icons if you want...
If you have a home media server of any kind, BubbleUPnP is great.
Shortcuts to YouTube app, Netflix app, Hulu+ app, etc on your desktop would take care of your issue I would think. Do you really need a custom launcher for that?
Heres my situation
I have a 2001 BMW 740i e38. I would like to keep the original display, but integrate a Raspberry Pi as the brains. I found a website that sells an interface that seems to take car of most of my needs.. http://pibus.info/index.html
Heres the question
Is there a way connect with my android via USB for music player, google maps, etc?
This is my first time trying a project of this magnitude, but I have been flashing devices since the HD2, so I do have the ability to at least follow step by step instructions with some mild trouble shooting.
Any help greatly appreciated.
PS
I also have an unused ATT Note II that would be really great to integrate into the system as a touch screen interface, maybe built into the armrest.
Thanks