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Has anyone spent a good amount of time with both a rooted Nook Color and the Galaxy Tab who can write some impressions on how they compare in regular use? The $350 difference is dictating that I go Nook Color, but it's always fun to hear comparisons before buying...
BertoJG said:
I have the NC, Archos 70, and VS tablet right now, and the color is by far the best screen.
The VS device lasted all of an hour before I decided that I am returning it tomorrow, it is that bad even with custom roms. The screen is bad, the unit is heavy, and I decided the 7 inch size is my favorite.
The Archos running froyo is very buggy, only has 256mb of ram, and has wifi issues at this point and feels like I could break it by looking at it too hard.
The color is the best display, has plenty of ram, and feels very solid. We just need a good rom and it should fly!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From the "should I get a nook color " thread.
By Bertojg. I couldn't link to the thread from my phone
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
noodles12 said:
From the "should I get a nook color " thread.
By Bertojg. I couldn't link to the thread from my phone
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was wondering more in comparison to the Samsung Galaxy Tab, but that's cool too.
Oh scrap. I can't read.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Two of my coworkers got a Tab. It is definitely better than the Nook Color - it's running Android 2.2 out of the box, the screen is as excellent as the Nook's, and it's got 3G, gps, bluetooth, and a camera (if those things are important to you).
It's also snappier as it has a slightly faster chip. It is thicker than the Nook Color though.
The biggest difference is that you can pretty much buy 2 Nook Colors for 1 Tab.
If you want the full Android 2.2 experience and the $300+ price difference is not a factor, then yeah get a Tab.
i only tested a display and i was blown away by the experience. all the goodness of the nook (great screen,sturdy hardware, 512MB of ram) with the performance of the archos 70 (much snappier than the nook-but not as fast as the galaxy).
i'm very much considering returning both the nook and archos 70 and just getting the galaxy tab. i only need one (other) tablet anyways.
The point is, how is the potential of the NC with a custom ROM?
With a fine software many think that the NC will perform almost as good as the Tab...
Time will tell.
I think it will.... Roms do make a HUGE difference with these type of devices. Let's hope someone get one out soon.
king conan said:
The point is, how is the potential of the NC with a custom ROM?
With a fine software many think that the NC will perform almost as good as the Tab...
Time will tell.
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I wasn't too impressed with the Galaxy Tab when compared to the Nook Color. I don't need 3G, bluetooth or a camera because my phone has all of that. I've played with the Galaxy Tab in a store here in Finland and it's quite thick as well.
The Nook Color is thinner and than my iPad but with the same resolution screen and more dots per inch.
The cost is another issue. The Galaxy Tab is over 800euro over here yet the Nook Color came to under 300 euro including 23% local import tax and shipping service cost. I would have bought the Galaxy Tab if the price wasn't so ridiculous.
discourse said:
The cost is another issue. The Galaxy Tab is over 800euro over here yet the Nook Color came to under 300 euro including 23% local import tax and shipping service cost. I would have bought the Galaxy Tab if the price wasn't so ridiculous.
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800 euro... that's 1050 USD. Here you pick up the Galaxy at the store for 600 USD, some 450 Euro.
Gotta love the CHEAP US of A!
I think we need to be a bit honest with ourselves here. Let us cut to the chase, the Galaxy Tab is a better device than the NC. It is more capable out of the box because of the hardware it carries, and as good as the Nook Color is, lack of hardware features can never be made up by the best ROM in the world.
This does not mean the Nook Color is a bad device. It is a great device, in its price range.
To me, the Nook is not a competitor to the Galaxy Tab. The Tab is a BMW. The Nook Color is a sturdy Ford, both good - but two different devices that do not compete with each other.
A buyer interested in a Galaxy Tab will not consider a Nook Color (as a Android tablet) just like a Nook Color buyer will not consider a Galaxy Tab. The price differential is just too big.
There is much to like about both devices, but comparing them, IMO, is apples to oranges - and a mismatch from the get-go.
Keep in mind who makes the Tab
Like so many others I heard about the Samsung Behold 2 and how those customers got screwed but got a Samsung Vibrant anyway. And like so many others I found out the GPS is borked. And the battery life is poor. At least I didn't experience the lag problem, but I returned it.
And watched for the not-really-promised GPS fix. Which finally came and...didn't work. I really liked the screen and wanted to like the phone, but if the phone can't do what was advertised up front, forget it.
And Samsung on Android 2.3 on their S9000 series of phones (e.g. Vibrant)? Their statement sounded like "Maybe someday if we feel like it and there is a strong tailwind we might think about it but no promises". Maybe the phone is a dead end, maybe it isn't, but based on Samsung's performance so far, I wouldn't count on it. It doesn't have 2.2 yet. My phone (MT4G) came with it, my wife's (DX) got an OTA.
To me this says the Samsung Tab is absolutely out. You'd have to practically give me one to get me to take it. Same for the Nexus S.
The Nook, right now, is not fully tabletized, but that's a matter of software. It has a fabulous screen and seems reasonable in many ways. It is far cheaper than any of its competition (as a tablet). I find it stylish and I could actually imagine reading books on it (I know, what am I thinking?). And my wife is irate that I'm considering it so soon after she got me an Air.
So, is there a Plex controller that is worthwhile for Android tablets? That'd go a LONG way toward getting approval from the missus.
I agree. Samsung has never supported their devices well, and they still insist on using proprietary cables and connectors on everything. On top of that, they went ahead and did everything I dislike about apple by releasing the galaxy tab at that price. They are not even trying to compete with the Ipad, they are just assuming that everyone who wants an android tablet will shell out the big bucks to buy it, the same way apple fans will shell out the big bucks to buy anything made by apple. I'm sure it's a good device, it's gotten great reviews - I just don't like the way they went about it.
My wife told me after I got the NC that she was going to get me a Tab for Christmas. I'm glad I got the NC, I would have had to return the Tab! Too many features in the Tab that I just won't use. The only thing it has that I wish the NC had, is the slightly faster processor (800MHz vs 1GHz.)
Besides the hardware differences, it's a Samsung. They aren't known for providing updates in a timely manner and support on their devices. Sure, we don't know about the NC's status in that respect, but I also don't really care given it's price point. Whatever the development community does is fine by me!
But as was already said, you aren't comparing apples to oranges, you're comparing apples to a fruit basket. It's got more, it's different, and it's more money. I'm fine with apples.
xwint3rxmut3x said:
I agree. Samsung has never supported their devices well, and they still insist on using proprietary cables and connectors on everything. On top of that, they went ahead and did everything I dislike about apple by releasing the galaxy tab at that price. They are not even trying to compete with the Ipad, they are just assuming that everyone who wants an android tablet will shell out the big bucks to buy it, the same way apple fans will shell out the big bucks to buy anything made by apple. I'm sure it's a good device, it's gotten great reviews - I just don't like the way they went about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While we're talking about Samsung's business tactics that leave a sour taste in your mouth, two things come to mind:
- apparently they turned down Google's proposal for them to name the eventual Nexus S the Nexus 2 because "we're not #2 in anything." Wow. Surely someone is making a year-end list of "biggest douchebag quotes of the year" right about now - please note this one.
- I'd sacrifice my first-born if the reason for the delay until "after the holidays" for the wifi-only Tab was because of production delays. Either the carriers threw money at them to delay it, or it's just more profitable for them to sell 3g models, so they delayed it (or both). The irony is, I'd more strongly consider a Tab if a $450 wifi model was available now.
It would be closer if the Nook Color had Bluetooth, that way you could use a Bluetooth GPS, headsets, etc...
...but someone posted in another topic that Bluetooth might be there just "hidden", maybe in a custom ROM ?
discourse said:
I wasn't too impressed with the Galaxy Tab when compared to the Nook Color. I don't need 3G, bluetooth or a camera because my phone has all of that. I've played with the Galaxy Tab in a store here in Finland and it's quite thick as well.
The Nook Color is thinner and than my iPad but with the same resolution screen and more dots per inch.
The cost is another issue. The Galaxy Tab is over 800euro over here yet the Nook Color came to under 300 euro including 23% local import tax and shipping service cost. I would have bought the Galaxy Tab if the price wasn't so ridiculous.
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Hi discourse, I see you live in Finland (Europe), and as I am thinking of getting a Nook Color myself, could you tell me from which online store did you buy yours?
Thank you..!
About the Galaxy Tab, I've played with it for about an hour. My opinion is that it is laggy and definitely doesn't worth the ~600 euros that is its price here in Greece.
webvan said:
It would be closer if the Nook Color had Bluetooth, that way you could use a Bluetooth GPS, headsets, etc...
...but someone posted in another topic that Bluetooth might be there just "hidden", maybe in a custom ROM ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The processor chipset (?) is supposed to include bluetooth. It's assumed it wasn't activated due to licensing costs for bluetooth, so it's there, just not used and may be "unlocked" by a rom.
I've both. NC cannot compare to the Galaxy Tab in user experience.
You just get a much better polished experience with the tab on everything. Tab's gpu is almost 10x faster in polygon count. CPU is faster (even with SetCPU set at performance on NC). Everything just works on the Tab.
That said, I am considering returning my Tab because of all the new tablets coming out in a few months, and the price. NC could hold me over for a few months.
wvcachi said:
Has anyone spent a good amount of time with both a rooted Nook Color and the Galaxy Tab who can write some impressions on how they compare in regular use? The $350 difference is dictating that I go Nook Color, but it's always fun to hear comparisons before buying...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
gigadigit said:
I've both. NC cannot compare to the Galaxy Tab in user experience.
You just get a much better polished experience with the tab on everything. Tab's gpu is almost 10x faster in polygon count. CPU is faster (even with SetCPU set at performance on NC). Everything just works on the Tab.
That said, I am considering returning my Tab because of all the new tablets coming out in a few months, and the price. NC could hold me over for a few months.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know if the hardware GPU is better than the NC or is just based on current software of Tab vs NC? I've done a lot of research into the nook color, but I admit, graphics wise it's still a bit of a mystery to me.
Now with CES behind us but with thoughts of all those new tablets still fresh in our heads, anyone still think a rooted Nookcolor will be able to hold it's own against the tide that's coming.
Anyone with a rooted Nookcolor-will you still buy a tablet this year and if so which one, or will the Nookcolor still do.
I think the price point of the Nookcolor is it's greatest strength now.
I agree for $250, the NC can't be beat. Honeycomb on NC
I do plan on getting a new tab, maybe one of 10.1" running Honeycomb but don't know which one yet.
My opinion is...
The Nook is a book reading device first. Its a make shift tablet second.
It is not really fair to compare it to tablets that are designed to be tablets.
With that said, the newest thing is always around the corner. What is NOT around the corner is the hundreds more dollars for me to spend that these new devices cost as compared to the Nook.
Once the Nook gets a stable and functional Froyo, it will put it a very good advantage for at least the next year with app support.
It will take some time for Tegra2 to build up steam and drop in price. Meanwhile you have all of these older devices/tablets/cellphones still running older systems.
Just because 3.0 is coming up does not mean that all support will stop for the older devices. Developers would be foolish to stop supporting the older builds.
So, the answer for me is YES, the Nook is a great buy at this moment in time.
I have to agree with the price point being the NC's largest draw and strength. For $250 you can't get a better piece of hardware. Once we can get honeycomb (and by we I mean you people smarter than myself) on the NC we'll be flying high.
From what I have read, which may be BS, honeycomb will require dual processors to function properly, so I doubt nook color can handle it.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
There's always something "better" available "real soon now". I'd have to check, but none of the CES announcements included either a price for the device or a release date. Heck, the Adam took almost a year from CES to release, and even then it had a very limited release and still hasn't shipped. But you can go over to B&N and pick up a NC right now.
There is no minimum processor requirement for Honeycomb.
http://twitter.com/#!/morrildl/status/22845294886518785
Oh, and if you don't know who Dan Morrill is...
http://www.google.com/profiles/morrildl
I just picked up a Nook Color for $180 from CL...but even at full price I didn't see anything that blew me away from CES. Sure the newer tablets will have better CPUs etc. but I doubt they will have the Screen quality of the NC at this price-point. For me what sold me on the NC is the ability to Root it, make it a very functional tablet (even if so claim its a book reader first, I think it makes an amazing tablet). I am one of the few that do not need a webcam etc. And let's not forget the amazing Screen quality!
CES Shows some really awesome looking devices but the market at the moment is pricing everything retardedly high. For the moment the $250 NC is the best bang for the buck for a simple Tablet. And I do fully expect to see a Honeycomb port in due time.
Untill the market gets saturated with actually good devices around the $300 price point and not the $499 point, (Especially the 3G only devices?! Not everyone wants or needs 3G!).
From my viewpoint:
The OS is sometimes the most expensive part of buying a PC/tablet. I would expect with the fact that Android is open, costs for these devices would be driven down significantly. However, the new crop of Android tablets are up there with Win OS tablets (almost), yet don't have a full featured OS.
I agree with spikey911 that this is an ereader first, Android tablet second. To me, having it run android apps is a benefit, not the primary reason I got it.
I would love a dual core or a Tegra 2 tablet. Would I pay more than $300 for one? Absolutely not. By the time that comes down in price, the next crop of the "greatest" comes out.
The only way I would upgrade to different tablet is if/when the Lenovo LePad/U1 comes down in price. Then I could chuck the NC and my Core 2 duo netbook.
HotShotAzn said:
From my viewpoint:
The OS is sometimes the most expensive part of buying a PC/tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the same thing i thought, but then how to you explain the galaxy tab? 600 bucks for what? Where they price gouging? I picked the nook color because the ability to root and the build quality was outstanding. Closest to that of the iPad. With the new crop of devices coming they are not bringing anything new, dual core yay but other than that what else. For those with nooks is 4-500 dollars worth a larger screen? What can you do on those that you cant do on the nook color? Also nook is still on 2.1 so with froyo there should be a slight speed increase.
Dont think anything from CES was mind blowing and would make me considering giving up my nook.
Outside of Android, Gigabyte just announced a reasonably nice Win7 Tablet with a N550 (duel core) and even a 320G HD supposidly aimed at the sub $300 market. If so with a reasonable capacitive screen it would be one of the first reasonable Win7 Tablets. For a device that has netbook specs it may be the first to finally get it that they need to be priced reasonable for the reasonable specs. Touchscreen replacement for a keyboard should not cost $200 more.
I'm still waiting patiently for the NC with 2G/3G... Anyone know when it will be out?
myv6mustang said:
That's the same thing i thought, but then how to you explain the galaxy tab? 600 bucks for what? Where they price gouging?
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Click to collapse
I think that we are seeing the NC at razor thin markup (almost cost) due to the "razor/razor blades" marketing model that ebooks use. B&N expect to make all their money on book sales, not the hardware. Until we have a Tegra2 KindleIV to compare to, I doubt we'll know for sure
I'm not looking for my Nook to replace my laptop. The thing that got me is the performance/price and the big thing: not having a data plan. I don't understand who has the money to buy a $500 device and then pay $25-50/month for 24 months. I can buy a really nice laptop for $1100-1700.
Homer
For me the NC is a tablet first & an ereader second! At least that's the way I use it. IMO it has enough going on hardware wise that the only time that it is an ereader first, is that period of time between opening the box & rooting it! Just because it doesn't have a few hard keys, camera or GPS & USB host doesn't mean it is not a viable tablet. Actually, a rooted NC has more tablet functions than it does ereader functions. I am very happy with the NC without these features, as that kept the price where I could afford it. With it competing in the ereader market, B&N had to price it accordingly. If it had been competing as a tablet, it could have demanded a much higher price. I was not looking for a laptop replacement, just a more portable connected device that doesn't require a data contract.
Cheers,
kev
Best tablet for under $300. Once Froyo is successfully ported and BT able kernel it will be even better. There is no way you will find another 7" tablet with capacitance screen, 1024x600 res, 512MB RAM, 8GB Internal Storage for anywhere near this price. B&N is selling them at a low price to get people to buy their ebooks.
Rooted = WE WIN!
Thanks to XDA!!!
911jason said:
There is no minimum processor requirement for Honeycomb.
http://twitter.com/#!/morrildl/status/22845294886518785
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad it was BS.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
duloz said:
Glad it was BS.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
I am not convinced that not having some pretty strong minimum hardware specs is a good thing. Microsoft was pretty smart by setting the bar high on their Win Phone 7 units. I think the Android community would benefit from having some specs that ensure that a tablet or phone will perform fast and smooth. You know that Apple will increase their specs for the next iPad and it will suck if honeycomb runs poorly on previous gen tablets.
So, here we have this nifty tablet device, and those of us running CM7 know what it can do. There's no technical reason why B&N couldn't just do a straight upgrade all the way to Honeycomb as their standard OS, including all of their proprietary apps (like the reader software). They would then have an e-reader that was also the cheapest good tablet out their, with the best display, etc. The things ought to sell like hotcakes on a cold Sunday morning.
I can only think of three reasons for this:
One, there's some corporate person who is married to the idea that B&N is a book seller and not a tablet maker. I've known people like this.
Or
Two, they lack the technical support staffing to support a full-blown tablet -- where there customer support calls could be expected to increase dramatically.
Or
Like a lot of big lumbering corporations they are just slow to catch on. Somebody went out and shopped the hardware for a color e-reader. Turns out that what they bought ran Android and had extra stuff like Bluetooth. People (like us) starting exploiting what the hardware was capable of. B&N was slow to notice and now they're playing catch-up.
Anyone have any real insight (gossip) about this? Other ideas? They sure are slow rolling out the upgrades...
Well, for one thing Honeycomb is barely here now, and they would have probably had to pay something to get cozy early with Google's development team (as we've seen, they were quick to limit Honeycomb access to formal partners).
B&N seems more clueful, rather than less, when it comes to Android, but they also seem a little greedy in wanting to establish their OWN app store and walled garden for the Nook Color. So I'm sure that plays a large part of it. They need a way of ensuring their own revenue stream even as they (slowly) open up the Nook.
But if they could make money selling a full blown $250 tablet (and from what little I've read they can and do) I agree I would much have preferred to see it go that way.
even if BN wanted honeycomb to be on the NC, google probably wouldn't let that happen
at least not yet.
there is a reason google has kept honeycomb closed so far
also, while android is 'free' for all of us, it is very expensive for those manufacturers that choose to support it, by putting a fully functional honeycomb or even gingerbread environment onto the NC they are liable for a lot of costs to support/develop it and for the IP that others will claim which has been substantial for android products thus far. Its not a simple or cheap process and I don't see BN seeing themselves venture that far into the market to make the costs worthwhile.
B&N is not making enough money on the hardware to have it be a viable stand alone sale. They make money from book, magazine & now app sales. They are essentially breaking even on the device and making money on content. There is no economic incentive for them to sell the NC as an open system.
Reason 3, Profit margins suck on the nook color and they are counting on book sales to make up the rest.
Common sense, look at the hardware and what they are charging. I would not be surprised at all to find they are just breaking even on the device itself. If they where to get into the game as a tablet manufacturer the price on the NC would have to be about $100 more for any real profit to be made.
making their own app store and keeping the nook color as closed as they can is not greedy. Its the only business model that makes sense. If they shipped it with full market support it would completely undermine what they are doing and cost them millions in lost book sales.
Yes it's a nice tablet, but it's lacking some tablet functions that will need support like bluetooth (ok it's there but they don't support it), a 3g connection, a camera or two (I think honeycomb requires two cameras as minimum spec but don't quote me I'm just a user). Honestly I had a hard time finding a good use for a tablet and that's why I never bought one, I never liked the 10 inches ones and the 7inches never felt complete (galaxy tab). Recently though I realized that I could use a 7" tablet to read comic books/manga, I was going for a galaxy tab but found the nook more than capable to fulfill my needs at a much cheaper price! I have to say that I think the nook color is a terrific reader, i'm hooked on magazine too now and I didn't even think I was going to care about that function. It does one aspect only of a tablet experience but it does it extremely well, in a very polished and functional way. Ok it doesn't look like android but whatever, when the platform is so functional for what it was intended to be I think android was just a faster way to get there instead of writing an entire linux operating system for reading books. I'm glad there's an android behind it so I can load a cbr or cbz reader and avoiding converting files but if it was based on something else, at the same price (i doubt it, they would have paid more) I wouldn't really care.
I think people can get mislead by the fact that the nook packs an android system, it doesn't mean that it has to do everything that a phone/tablet android will be able to do.
DBBGBA said:
Yes it's a nice tablet, but it's lacking some tablet functions that will need support like bluetooth (ok it's there but they don't support it), a 3g connection, a camera or two (I think honeycomb requires two cameras as minimum spec but don't quote me I'm just a user). Honestly I had a hard time finding a good use for a tablet and that's why I never bought one, I never liked the 10 inches ones and the 7inches never felt complete (galaxy tab). Recently though I realized that I could use a 7" tablet to read comic books/manga, I was going for a galaxy tab but found the nook more than capable to fulfill my needs at a much cheaper price! I have to say that I think the nook color is a terrific reader, i'm hooked on magazine too now and I didn't even think I was going to care about that function. It does one aspect only of a tablet experience but it does it extremely well, in a very polished and functional way. Ok it doesn't look like android but whatever, when the platform is so functional for what it was intended to be I think android was just a faster way to get there instead of writing an entire linux operating system for reading books. I'm glad there's an android behind it so I can load a cbr or cbz reader and avoiding converting files but if it was based on something else, at the same price (i doubt it, they would have paid more) I wouldn't really care.
I think people can get mislead by the fact that the nook packs an android system, it doesn't mean that it has to do everything that a phone/tablet android will be able to do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you wanna use Nook as a "real" tablet, you should try CM7... you will have access to everything that you are looking for... including Bluetooth
lets change the definition of this topic and rewrite it a little away from the Barnes and Noble Nook Color.
i think the main point trying to be made here is that genuinely great piece of hardware can be manufactured for under $300.
if B&N is breaking even at $250 then i think a company can put out a tablet with the B&N specs for under $400.
the market is getting caught up in tablets and none of them are under $500. B&N specs for under $400 and i think it would shift the weight a little and get other manufacturers to reconsider ripping people off for a 1ghz machine @ $700+.
it doesn't necessarily need to be Barnes and Noble that does this.
pxldtz said:
lets change the definition of this topic and rewrite it a little away from the Barnes and Noble Nook Color.
i think the main point trying to be made here is that genuinely great piece of hardware can be manufactured for under $300.
if B&N is breaking even at $250 then i think a company can put out a tablet with the B&N specs for under $400.
the market is getting caught up in tablets and none of them are under $500. B&N specs for under $400 and i think it would shift the weight a little and get other manufacturers to reconsider ripping people off for a 1ghz machine @ $700+.
it doesn't necessarily need to be Barnes and Noble that does this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For a 7 inch tablet, the Nook Color is the one. Takes modding, but still the best you can buy at a reasonable price.
For $400 though you can pick up a tegra 2 10" ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101 running Honycomb:
http://www.excaliberpc.com/604588/asus-eee-pad-transformer-tf101.html
Available mid May (first stock sold out already)
I think the NC is the best value, but good android tablets are going to be coming down in price in a hurry.
BN is not selling an "Android tablet", they are selling an "e-Reader" with BN software on it (that happens to be run on Android). Bottom line... if the sell it as a Android tablet, then the are compared against iPad, Galaxy Tab, Xoom, etc. They are in a high speed foot race in a highly competitive market and they lose. They would give up their competitive advantage. As soon as you go Honeycomb, you become something else. You are going to be compared to other Honeycomb tablets and they will lose their e-reader niche and get slaughtered.
If they sell it as an e-reader, they are compared against Kindle, iPad (as a reader), etc. For those who are not xda-saavy and just want a reader, the nook color actually has a lot to offer. The Nook reading experience is actually quite good... and now that they integrate apps with book, magazines, newspaper, etc., they have a coherent reading eco-system that many will love. Advantage BN. If you look at the Nook Color through the lens of what they are trying to do, it makes sense to stick with Froyo (at least for the time being).
smuook said:
BN is not selling an "Android tablet", they are selling an "e-Reader" with BN software on it (that happens to be run on Android). Bottom line... if the sell it as a Android tablet, then the are compared against iPad, Galaxy Tab, Xoom, etc. They are in a high speed foot race in a highly competitive market and they lose. They would give up their competitive advantage. As soon as you go Honeycomb, you become something else. You are going to be compared to other Honeycomb tablets and they will lose their e-reader niche and get slaughtered.
If they sell it as an e-reader, they are compared against Kindle, iPad (as a reader), etc. For those who are not xda-saavy and just want a reader, the nook color actually has a lot to offer. The Nook reading experience is actually quite good... and now that they integrate apps with book, magazines, newspaper, etc., they have a coherent reading eco-system that many will love. Advantage BN. If you look at the Nook Color through the lens of what they are trying to do, it makes sense to stick with Froyo (at least for the time being).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very good points. The NC was "born" an e-reader. Tech-savvy users have have recognized the "possibilities" built in (intended or not) and morphed it into something it really quite probably was never envisioned to be. Would not be surprised if some mucky-mucks at B&N are kicking themselves as at even $275 or $299 this little "tablet that could" might have moved almost as well (units sold) even with the acceptable albeit limited hardware.
Bottom line our little NC's are probably little "mutants" on the tablet evolutionary tree perhaps fated to grow into CM7 and stall. Don't get me wrong, my NCs are thriving on CM7 (OC 1.1) doing far more than "Daddy BN" perhaps ever thought it could (or would!) so I ain't complainin'! The Devs here are absolute genius seeing what "could be" instead of "what is" and allowed us all (gratefully)to hitch a ride. I've enjoyed the trip as it's taught me a new OS in Android and whetted my appetite more more!
HC would be cool but CM7 works for me!
skeeterpro said:
Very good points. The NC was "born" an e-reader. Tech-savvy users have have recognized the "possibilities" built in (intended or not) and morphed it into something it really quite probably was never envisioned to be. Would not be surprised if some mucky-mucks at B&N are kicking themselves as at even $275 or $299 this little "tablet that could" might have moved almost as well (units sold) even with the acceptable albeit limited hardware.
Bottom line our little NC's are probably little "mutants" on the tablet evolutionary tree perhaps fated to grow into CM7 and stall. Don't get me wrong, my NCs are thriving on CM7 (OC 1.1) doing far more than "Daddy BN" perhaps ever thought it could (or would!) so I ain't complainin'! The Devs here are absolute genius seeing what "could be" instead of "what is" and allowed us all (gratefully)to hitch a ride. I've enjoyed the trip as it's taught me a new OS in Android and whetted my appetite more more!
HC would be cool but CM7 works for me!
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Click to collapse
these are the points i was trying to make in my post. B&N could compete with the tablet market if they had honeycomb natively on the NC and probably rebranded the NC itself. at the selling price it is right now, it would shift the weight of the market i think. well especially compared to something like the galaxy where the specs are almost identical but the price is $600 with contract i beleive. $250 for a honeycombed tablet is ridiculous but B&N proved that a tablet can be done at that price range.
i think the price has a lot to do with the simple wording....E-Reader (doesn't really pique the interest of the mass market).....Tablet (everyone wants one, lets jack up the price by a few hundred.)
it'd be interesting if not funny to see B&N break into the tablet market without even being a big electronics manufacturer. i'm not saying they will - i'm just saying it'd be funny.
robedney said:
So, here we have this nifty tablet device, and those of us running CM7 know what it can do. There's no technical reason why B&N couldn't just do a straight upgrade all the way to Honeycomb as their standard OS, including all of their proprietary apps (like the reader software). They would then have an e-reader that was also the cheapest good tablet out their, with the best display, etc. The things ought to sell like hotcakes on a cold Sunday morning.
I can only think of three reasons for this:
One, there's some corporate person who is married to the idea that B&N is a book seller and not a tablet maker. I've known people like this.
Or
Two, they lack the technical support staffing to support a full-blown tablet -- where there customer support calls could be expected to increase dramatically.
Or
Like a lot of big lumbering corporations they are just slow to catch on. Somebody went out and shopped the hardware for a color e-reader. Turns out that what they bought ran Android and had extra stuff like Bluetooth. People (like us) starting exploiting what the hardware was capable of. B&N was slow to notice and now they're playing catch-up.
Anyone have any real insight (gossip) about this? Other ideas? They sure are slow rolling out the upgrades...
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Click to collapse
I think it's mostly support issues, they don't want to answering calls all day about why app xyz doesn't work right or crashes, etc and they don't want any associated negative reviews. This way, they control the user experience a little more tightly and can make things a little more integrated with all apps tested to work, but they obviously left some easy back doors open for the tinkerers.
New Nook?
I just read this article about a possible new Nook Color. I've been waiting for the current Nook Color to go down in prize, if this happens I will probably buy my own and root it. Right now I've been playing with my wife's Nook Color and trying stuff out from the microSD card.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2011/05/is-a-new-nook-coming-may-24.html
It's a new regular nook. Nuff said?
BN has a big problem - they have been losing print and e-book customers to Amazon. Their core business is going south because customers' buying habits have changed and and traffic to the stores has fallen off dramatically in the last decade.
The Nook and NC are aimed at retaining and regaining customers. The Nook product family is directed at their core customer base. Remember many of BN's most loyal customers are not tech-savvy, early adopters. Thus the simple bookcentric user interface, slow introduction of apps, and marketing ploys - coupons, access to books in store, etc.They aren't interested in getting into the device business - they want to sell content and retain (regain) loyal customers.
BN understands that e-books are definitely here to stay. E-books outsold hardcovers in Q1 and represent a major solution to a bookstores biggest problem - inventory. So, if BN can ride the e-book curve and serve its core customers, that's a big win for them.
Thus, from BN's perspective, the NC is an e-reader not a simple tablet. It beats every other dedicated e-reader by a long margin. It allows BN to sell content that isn't available on Amazon's Kindle (children's books, magazines, graphic-oriented books) because of its technical (primarily color) capabilities and opens the door for them to sell music and video - both of which are significant revenue steams in their stores.
I wouldn't expect them to embrace the tablet race any time soon. While traffic to their stores continues to decline, they have produced a device that essentially lets their customers take the store home with them.
What's fascinating is that they have also left the door open for the tech crowd to make the NC into something much more sophisticated. I don't think this is unintentional. In a way, they have the best of both worlds.
My bet is... a newer, faster, slimmer, cooler device... ;-)
I'm happy with mine though the way it is, only major complaint is that you can't buy content from B&N store while overseas. I travel a lot for work and the other day I tried to purchase a magazine to read, only to get rejected b/c I'm not in the US right now. Annoying... Meanwhile, it's rooted so I just went to the Kindle app and bought a book from Amazon. That's my answer to B&N's stupid policy.
colorado_al said:
B&N is not making enough money on the hardware to have it be a viable stand alone sale. They make money from book, magazine & now app sales. They are essentially breaking even on the device and making money on content. There is no economic incentive for them to sell the NC as an open system.
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Click to collapse
Almost, but not quite, the entire picture. The NC hardware and official B&N accessories are now available everywhere--you'll be able to buy an NC and an Industriell cover at your local convenience store in a week--and the mark-up on the first-party accessories has got to be *massive*. I bought my NC used, but I've already bought an Aalto case ($30) and the B&N antireflective screen cover (~$16). They're raking it in on accessory sales even for those of us like me who have not and probably will not buy a single app or book on the official platform (or even the Nook Android app).
smuook said:
BN is not selling an "Android tablet", they are selling an "e-Reader" with BN software on it (that happens to be run on Android). Bottom line... if the sell it as a Android tablet, then the are compared against iPad, Galaxy Tab, Xoom, etc. They are in a high speed foot race in a highly competitive market and they lose. They would give up their competitive advantage. As soon as you go Honeycomb, you become something else. You are going to be compared to other Honeycomb tablets and they will lose their e-reader niche and get slaughtered.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, and by not marketing it as a tablet, but kindly leaving in amazingly useful backdoors, they're all but encouraging the modding community to do what they will with their Nooks while counting on accessory sales to make money even from the tablet crowd.
bobzdar said:
...they obviously left some easy back doors open for the tinkerers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly.
doehlsen said:
What's fascinating is that they have also left the door open for the tech crowd to make the NC into something much more sophisticated. I don't think this is unintentional. In a way, they have the best of both worlds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely right, and a brilliant move on their part, IMO. The only people they're not making money on (assuming NC hardware sales are break-even) are the people who don't use it in its official capacity and who also never purchase a single first-party accessory--I'd imagine they foresaw that would be a small enough percentage of NC owners that they didn't worry about it when hatching their master plan for the NC.
nope its the beauty of open systems, is why this is an almost tablet. They elected to chose a already working free operating system then just implemented the barnes and noble frameworks.
I've looked at one very prominent supply chain estimator (rhymes with iComply) bill of material (BOM) estimates. The Nook Color BOM is estimated to cost $200. The display and touchscreen alone accounts for $100 of that.
In comparison, the BOM estimate for Amazon Kindle Gen 3 (w/3G) is estimated at $155.
Those are some very very thin margins.
Think about this: the iPhone 4 CDMA is estimated to cost less than $200. It sells for $750 here without contract.
I've been enjoying my NC since February. I use it mainly for e-books, e-mail, web surfing, casual gaming and occasional Netflix streaming. I love tinkering with it using different ROMs, etc.
About 2 weeks ago, I purchased a XOOM and have been enjoying it as well. Initially, I thought that I would just sell the NC since it would be redundant to have two Android tablets, but I just can't let it go. The experience of using both devices is very different. While XOOM is great for surfing the web (native resolution webpages without zoom in/out), typing long e-mails or watching a movie, NC is very portable and perfect for reading (can't hold the XOOM -or any other 10.1" tab for that matter- in one hand for an extended period of time).
I guess I'm going to keep both. I was wondering if any of you were/are in the same situation? Did you end up keeping the NC?
Thanks!
tenderidol said:
I've been enjoying my NC since February. I use it mainly for e-books, e-mail, web surfing, casual gaming and occasional Netflix streaming. I love tinkering with it using different ROMs, etc.
About 2 weeks ago, I purchased a XOOM and have been enjoying it as well. Initially, I thought that I would just sell the NC since it would be redundant to have two Android tablets, but I just can't let it go. The experience of using both devices is very different. While XOOM is great for surfing the web (native resolution webpages without zoom in/out), typing long e-mails or watching a movie, NC is very portable and perfect for reading (can't hold the XOOM -or any other 10.1" tab for that matter- in one hand for an extended period of time).
I guess I'm going to keep both. I was wondering if any of you were/are in the same situation? Did you end up keeping the NC?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not quite in this position just yet. But I know exactly how you feel. I really enjoy the Community that the Nook Color has, I love the size and portability that comes with this device.
But I want more. Really, I want to be able to have a tablet media center on the go, and the Nook is really lacking without hdmi out.
So I find myself really pondering what to jump for next... And unfortunately few things are making me want to. Doesn't help that I promised the wife this Nook Color in fall for her classes... Hope Amazon hurries up with their Nook Killer a.k.a Coyote.
I'd like to pick up a 10" tab running android.
I can't see ever getting rid of the Nook Color, even when that happens. I'll own this device until the end of it's life.
I like the form factor, and the nature of it as an e-book reader means it will always have use for me.
I can't see being the avid reader I am on a 10" tab.
I've been looking at tablets with my lady, and she still wants a Nook Color. It's the size that does it for her, and the quality of the device.
The Nook Color hits a quality level in it's offering that hasn't been seen in quite some time on the regular retail market.
tenderidol said:
I've been enjoying my NC since February.
About 2 weeks ago, I purchased a XOOM and have been enjoying it as well.
I guess I'm going to keep both.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Show off.
Gin1212 said:
I'm not quite in this position just yet. But I know exactly how you feel. I really enjoy the Community that the Nook Color has, I love the size and portability that comes with this device.
But I want more. Really, I want to be able to have a tablet media center on the go, and the Nook is really lacking without hdmi out.
So I find myself really pondering what to jump for next... And unfortunately few things are making me want to. Doesn't help that I promised the wife this Nook Color in fall for her classes... Hope Amazon hurries up with their Nook Killer a.k.a Coyote.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also remember 7in Acer Iconia A100 will be out in the US in about a month for approx. $300.00
Johnnybee said:
Also remember 7in Acer Iconia A100 will be out in the US in about a month for approx. $300.00
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is going to sound weird after stating this thread, but I sold the Nook Color today
Someone made an offer that I couldn't resist (came ahead at the end), and after seeing the upcoming 7" tablets, as well as the 8.9" Sammy and anticipated Amazon tablet, I decided to let the little guy go before its value stats to decrease due to competition.
I'll be definitely picking up a 7" tablet to accompany my XOOM in the future, but I don't know which one yet.
I guess this should be my good by post to the Nook community. It's been fun!
Johnnybee said:
Also remember 7in Acer Iconia A100 will be out in the US in about a month for approx. $300.00
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its out already for $360 at walmart. I was playing with it a few nights ago...
Sent from my NookColor using XDA Premium App
Does the Acer bring with it the end of the NC as a tablet?
I looked up what specs I could find and the features do look impressive, except for the battery. It appears this is the tradeoff that was made to cut down on weight so "it would be suitable for female users". 1530mah that will last up to 5 hours? That sounds a bit optomistic to me. To put it in perspective the NC has a 4000mah battery that is supposed to last up to 8 hours.
No tablet currently available can beat the nooks beautiful screen. You can all the specs in the world but if your screen sucks there really isn't any point to it.
Sent from my LG Optimus V using Tapatalk
koopakid08 said:
No tablet currently available can beat the nooks beautiful screen. You can all the specs in the world but if your screen sucks there really isn't any point to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't it just an IPS screen with 1024 x 600 resolution? None of the tablets (not just 7" competitors)? Really?
There are many tablets in the market with similar -or better- screen compared to NC. Besides, my XOOM doesn't have an IPS screen and I'm perfectly happy with it.
When you look at the overall specs of the nook as compared to the other 7" tabs on the market, the nook just comes out on top. This takes into account the price and the screen. One of the most comfortable things about the nook IMO is the design which boots first from the sd card. It is almost impossible to brick this thing. The only feature the other tablets have that I would want is a functional webcam. With CM7 and host mode enabled, I have all the features the other tablets have except webcam. At present, HC, as an OS, leaves a lot to be desired, the other tabs have poor to average battery life and there are few tablet optimized apps. Yes, HC can run all the apps out there but the overall results are somewhat less than optimal. For my money, I'll wait till q4 when we should have ICS and the quadcore chips out there. Not trying to flame any other tablets but I have tried out most of the 10" tabs extensively and have not found one I would jump on right now. Just saying.....
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk
I may be looking into selling my nook here. The new 7" Acer Iconia seems like a great deal @ ~$300, with all the dual core goodness and nook size, but I shall be waiting for reviews before making up my mind.
Moshe5368 said:
When you look at the overall specs of the nook as compared to the other 7" tabs on the market, the nook just comes out on top. This takes into account the price and the screen. One of the most comfortable things about the nook IMO is the design which boots first from the sd card. It is almost impossible to brick this thing. The only feature the other tablets have that I would want is a functional webcam. With CM7 and host mode enabled, I have all the features the other tablets have except webcam. At present, HC, as an OS, leaves a lot to be desired, the other tabs have poor to average battery life and there are few tablet optimized apps. Yes, HC can run all the apps out there but the overall results are somewhat less than optimal. For my money, I'll wait till q4 when we should have ICS and the quadcore chips out there. Not trying to flame any other tablets but I have tried out most of the 10" tabs extensively and have not found one I would jump on right now. Just saying.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As already mentioned in this thread, the main category that NC lags behind is anything multimedia related. The speaker, headphone jack, lack of microphone, etc etc. Of course, these are not expected on a NC, because it was designed as an eReader. However, since you are putting it above other tablets -even the 10.1" ones- then the comparison will be valid (again, normally I wouldn't even compare it).
Nburnes said:
I may be looking into selling my nook here. The new 7" Acer Iconia seems like a great deal @ ~$300, with all the dual core goodness and nook size, but I shall be waiting for reviews before making up my mind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, one of the reasons that I decided to sell the NC now was because it is pretty much alone in its segment (i.e., 7" tablet) and the price is its biggest strength. However, any 7" tablet that is around $300 may make it harder to sell the NC in the future.
As I mentioned, I am still in the market for a 7" tablet. I just need Staples to start carrying 7" models, so that I can get it for next to nothing
Blue6IX said:
... I've been looking at tablets with my lady, and she still wants a Nook Color. It's the size that does it for her, and the quality of the device...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, you're saying size really DOES matter... lol... just had to!
My situations with the Nook is this. I didnt need a tablet. Couldn't even try to make up an excuse as to why I needed to buy one. All I knew is after reading these threads is that I just wanted one. Now I couldn't live without it. Its totally replaced my laptop and put a serious dent in my main desktops use too. I will buy another tablet once one is released that's worthy but the Nook has earned its right to stay indefinitely.
I bought the Nook Color because it was cheap and hackable and I figured it'd keep me busy and avoid ay temptation to buy something fancy/expensive because there will be lots of movement in the field this year. But once CM7 came out for it I've just been a really happy camper. I think what it's going to take to get me to move is a 4x3 aspect IPS screen maybe running ice cream sandwich, and a "family" data plan so I don't have to think about tethering or wifi access. The 16x9 screen just doesn't fit web pages or book reading nicely when in portrait orientation which I seem to favor. Yeah I just described an iPad, but I'm not going there.
sprior said:
I bought the Nook Color because it was cheap and hackable and I figured it'd keep me busy and avoid ay temptation to buy something fancy/expensive because there will be lots of movement in the field this year. But once CM7 came out for it I've just been a really happy camper. I think what it's going to take to get me to move is a 4x3 aspect IPS screen maybe running ice cream sandwich, and a "family" data plan so I don't have to think about tethering or wifi access. The 16x9 screen just doesn't fit web pages or book reading nicely when in portrait orientation which I seem to favor. Yeah I just described an iPad, but I'm not going there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rumor has it that XOOM2 will be in 4x3 aspect and will be released -according to Moto CEO- in September.
Would you look at that... somebody actually gets the appeal of the nook
http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/01/lenovo-announces-ideapad-a1-the-199-android-tablet-we-go-hand/
7" 1024x600 screen, $200. Dont see anything on the other specs, but unlike most competitors the screen is there.
Jotokun said:
Would you look at that... somebody actually gets the appeal of the nook
http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/01/lenovo-announces-ideapad-a1-the-199-android-tablet-we-go-hand/
7" 1024x600 screen, $200. Dont see anything on the other specs, but unlike most competitors the screen is there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I saw this earlier too.... sounds *real* familiar overall. It's even running Gingerbread, a la CM7, etc. It will be interesting to see how it does, but it comes off sort of like a slightly tweaked, slightly more mainstream CM7 NC. It's kind of a credit to the NC that this thing is coming out a year+ later for a similar price point and doesn't really blow it away, as far as I can tell.
The story also doesn't talk about the display quality. If it is on par with the NC, then maybe...
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using XDA App
PC World is listing the processor as a single core 1Ghz Cortex A8 and 2GB internal memory. Only info so far on the screen is that it's Capacitive touch with a 1024x600 resolution. Still no info on any kind of hardware acceleration which can make or break it as a media player.
Edit: They do mention a GPS receiver, which is rather interesting.
Looks pretty sweet! $200 is definitely the right price point.
Has advantages over the NC - camera, GPS
You can buy a refurb NC for $170 these days though.
Also article says the 8GB model will not be for sale in the USA. 16GB model will at $249.
Unless the screen and battery are total lemons, I would say the 16GB model blows the NC out of the water going head-to-head at $250 retail. Of course, it would be a little ridiculous to buy a NC at full retail right now, this late in the production cycle and with full-warranty refurbs fast approaching the $150 mark.
The recent Vizio tablet is also a decent contender in the NC's retail range and nearly the same form factor.
I'm digging that widget in the middle of the screen. Anyone know what it is?
caifan said:
I'm digging that widget in the middle of the screen. Anyone know what it is?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would guess it's a proprietary UI element, but it may just be a pre-loaded market widget.
Taosaur said:
Unless the screen and battery are total lemons, I would say the 16GB model blows the NC out of the water going head-to-head at $250 retail.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Um, well, except for the fact that probably 95% of the people who buy a NC buy it because it's an eReader with apps.
khaytsus said:
Um, well, except for the fact that probably 95% of the people who buy a NC buy it because it's an eReader with apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which has little bearing on the question of whether said "eReader with apps" is comparable in value to an almost identical device with several advantages, nor on the question of whether a year-old and decreasingly unique piece of electronics is still worth the initial retail price.
Or are you simply arguing that B&N can continue selling NCs for $250 on the basis of consumer ignorance?
Hmm... if i ever upgrade I might hold out for Sammy's 7.7" super amoled with GPS and 0.7 pound weight and 10 hour batt life. But only at $250!
Taosaur said:
Which has little bearing on the question of whether said "eReader with apps" is comparable in value to an almost identical device with several advantages, nor on the question of whether a year-old and decreasingly unique piece of electronics is still worth the initial retail price.
Or are you simply arguing that B&N can continue selling NCs for $250 on the basis of consumer ignorance?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm obviously saying that the vast majority of people who want an eReader aren't getting a tablet, and vise versa.
The price point to beat will be the one that Amazon sets with its new tablet. If a decent tablet from a known company is available below that price point, that can use the kindle app and nook app, then consumers will catch on. The real issue however is that Lenovo has no stake in an app store or media store, so they can't afford to lose money on hardware, while Amazon and B&N can.
caifan said:
I'm digging that widget in the middle of the screen. Anyone know what it is?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the Lenovo Launcher, a custom widget that comes on all their tablets.
colorado_al said:
The price point to beat will be the one that Amazon sets with its new tablet. If a decent tablet from a known company is available below that price point, that can use the kindle app and nook app, then consumers will catch on. The real issue however is that Lenovo has no stake in an app store or media store, so they can't afford to lose money on hardware, while Amazon and B&N can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Supposedly Amazon's tablet will be a $250 7" 6GB tablet with wifi, negotiating 3g/4g. There's some rumor that 3g access will be "free" (along with 1 year Amazon Prime free membership) but... man that's a lot of bandwidth to be giving away free for a tablet.
No camera, and also apparently no HC --- "a system prior to 2.2".
Personally I'm not really all that jazzed, kind of disappointed at the mediocre (so far) specs.
The articles should be filtering in for this about now.
angomy said:
Supposedly Amazon's tablet will be a $250 7" 6GB tablet with wifi, negotiating 3g/4g. There's some rumor that 3g access will be "free" (along with 1 year Amazon Prime free membership) but... man that's a lot of bandwidth to be giving away free for a tablet.
No camera, and also apparently no HC --- "a system prior to 2.2".
Personally I'm not really all that jazzed, kind of disappointed at the mediocre (so far) specs.
The articles should be filtering in for this about now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read that this morning too. I'm sure they will sell a lot due to brand recognition, but it sounds like they're late to the party with that one. The NC is essentially the same, but has been out for a year. And it sounds like they are readying a new one.
Too bad. I was hoping for better hardware at a subsidized price. The Lenovo looks much better than the Amazon Tab.
Don't know how credible it is, but this was posted over on mobileread:
Dulin's Books said:
The AmTab will have a AFFS lcd panels provided by Hydis which is a subsidiary of PrimeView/Eink Holdings http://www.hydis.com/eng/04_rnd/rnd_03.asp
AFFS or Advanced Fringe Field Switching Displasy are a Hydis patented tech which produces bright displays with very good color and 180 degree viewing angles with lower power usage then similar size IPS displays
http://www.hydis.com/eng/04_rnd/rnd_03.asp
http://www.hydis.com/eng/04_rnd/rnd_02.asp
http://www.boehydis.de/techno/techno.html?reload_coolmenus
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Click to collapse
So, it sounds like at least a minor screen improvement over the NC, but maybe this also explains the rumors of B&N acquiring "e-paper backing" from eInk for the next-gen NC.
Wow free 3g!
Ill buy this or the amazon tab if theres a 250gb HD like the Archos tabs. I need that space to replace my ipod classic sometime...
captainskyhawk said:
Ill buy this or the amazon tab if theres a 250gb HD like the Archos tabs. I need that space to replace my ipod classic sometime...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for a 250GB tablet from any of the top tier manufacturers. The 8/16/32GB flash memory model seems to be pretty much standardized now. Some of the lower-end, fringe companies like Archos might come out with hard-drive based tablets, but the big guys won't.
Amazon certainly won't, because they want you to use their cloud services to store your MP3s, and putting a huge storage capacity in their tablet would be counterproductive for that goal.
The best we can expect in terms of storage is 64GB SDXC support and/or multiple SD slots. The Lenovo actually has one micro and one standard SDHC slots, creating the potential for 16/32GB internal + 32GB uSD + 32GB SD = up to 96GB storage for a total of around $400 (less if you have the cards on hand), which is pretty massive by tablet standards.
As has been said, though, tablets and the mobile OSes they run are better optimized for cloud computing than managing substantial quantities of files locally.
ETA: honestly, if this thing materializes and reports on performance and screen quality are positive, I may consider it as a trade up from my NC.