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[Q] Nook Color potential and restrictions vs Coby MID7015 & other budget tablets?

Looking forward- can anyone explain the potential of the Nook over other Android tablets?
Any thoughts on the Coby Kryos MID7015 compared to the Nook Color?
On paper, it looks like the advantages of the the Nook are:
- much better screen
- more RAM
- faster processor (?)
- longer battery life
But- Is that worth spending $100 more for the Nook?
Is one more sturdy than the the other?
Does one have better Wifi?
Are there other capabilities that are theoretically possible, but not yet available to the android noob (me)?
Thanks so much for any input!

breebauer said:
Looking forward- can anyone explain the potential of the Nook over other Android tablets?
Any thoughts on the Coby Kryos MID7015 compared to the Nook Color?
On paper, it looks like the advantages of the the Nook are:
- much better screen
- more RAM
- faster processor (?)
- longer battery life
But- Is that worth spending $100 more for the Nook?
Is one more sturdy than the the other?
Does one have better Wifi?
Are there other capabilities that are theoretically possible, but not yet available to the android noob (me)?
Thanks so much for any input!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe its just me... but anyone else getting sick of the nook VS X tablet?
as far as this question, I had a lower tier tablet which I stacked up against my nook. While im not the greatest frame of reference as I was content with just using the internet... The screens were generally less responsive, the apps worked so so... In some cases like the Panimage I had even on lan my nook loaded a page faster (and it was a full page and the pan was loading the same site in mobile mode... it just happens to load my blog that way though)
Take my opinion for what its worth... but for the price the nook cant currently be beat (if rooted), I personally prefer it to a straight up tablet as the E-Reader functions are far beyond any singular app.

For the price the NC has a lot going for it now that it has the market enabled, and almost all of the tablet qualifying apps working. The fact that the screen is sharper than an Ipad and the price/performance ratio vs the galaxy tab is fairly close means its a good value... Go pick one up and compare yourself.. I suspect that any similar price tablets won't give you a better screen as costs are spread out to other tablet features (hdmi out, cameras, gps)...

I have the original. ?..m001.....it's now my 9 year old's. I can't even begin to describe just how much more the the nook does....The nook color is worth 350 imho.....
Go to the store, have them take rhe device oitside diring the day....you'll be sold....very few color devices, ar any price, can be viewed outside. ?...

I think in this case what you are really paying for is build quality, which is kind of difficult to quantify. The Nook Color was designed to compete straddling the niches of the Kindle and the iPad, and accordingly was built very well. A budget tablet companies are competing for a different space in the market and though they may boast a lot of features (HDMI, Bluetooth, cameras) if you don't need these features then paying the same amount for a NC means it goes to build, design, and overall finish.
Edit: I forgot that there may be latent Bluetooth on the wifi chip. We'll just have to see if someone can coax it out.

having owned lots of cheap Chinese imported Android tablets, the Nook is leaps and bounds above them all.
1) Build Quality: It's like comparing a Toyota to a base model Daewoo. I had so many build quality issues with the import tablets it was crazy! Things like the memory card slot spring would break after a week.
2) Screen: Most import tablets are resistive and you're lucky to have multi touch. Trust me, resistive screens suck for finger inputs.
3) Speed: Ok, so my phone is faster than the NC, but the NC is faster than any of those tablets.
You pay for what you get. I had a XPad 701 and a G10+ which was $200 and near the "best" of what you could get at the time. Both pale in comparison to the NC.

Well MID or budget means probably Chinese so not only is it an "eh ok" touch resistive screen, awkward enough for sliding, the manufacturer is out of state so a problem is a month+ waiting for shipping.
B&N has the 1yr warranty and a big reputable place so just knowing i can go get another without waiting is nice.
Let alone the NCs specs beating it, can be rooted, an potential for roms later down the road. B&N has said January theres the update to 2.2 an market (tho thats still a wait an see thing) so thats only a usb2.0 an hdvia output to look forward to.
IMO NC FTW build quality, specs, potential.

Malk3rs said:
Edit: I forgot that there may be latent Bluetooth on the wifi chip. We'll just have to see if someone can coax it out.
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Click to collapse
I didn't know about that- Bluetooth would be a nice bonus!
HotShotAzn said:
1) Build Quality: It's like comparing a Toyota to a base model Daewoo. I had so many build quality issues with the import tablets it was crazy! Things like the memory card slot spring would break after a week.
2) Screen: Most import tablets are resistive and you're lucky to have multi touch. Trust me, resistive screens suck for finger inputs.
3) Speed: Ok, so my phone is faster than the NC, but the NC is faster than any of those tablets.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
camwinnn said:
Let alone the NCs specs beating it, can be rooted, an potential for roms later down the road. B&N has said January theres the update to 2.2 an market (tho thats still a wait an see thing) so thats only a usb2.0 an hdvia output to look forward to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok- that sounds promising. If B&N is already releasing an update, that makes me feel like this won't be something that will be almost obsolete in 6 months.
I've been Best Buy and other stores 4 times looking at the Nook, the Coby 7015, and the Huawei S7. The screen on the Coby was kind of a turn-off, since I'm used to staring at my iPhone4. The S7 seemed nice, but not necessary, since I have an iPhone.
Build quality is very important to me- I'm looking for something to use while traveling though Indonesia next month.
I just wanted to make sure the Nook won't be one of those things that I bought, because I thought I needed it, but wound up in a drawer after a few months for whatever reason.
Thanks!

In the end, for me at least, it's also about community support. If you look around, you'll see the Nook Color has it.
IMHO it's useless to have a super duper whopper that you're stuck using stock, no dev support, no manufacturer's support, at 2.1 without a market..
-CC

clockcycle said:
In the end, for me at least, it's also about community support. If you look around, you'll see the Nook Color has it.
IMHO it's useless to have a super duper whopper that you're stuck using stock, no dev support, no manufacturer's support, at 2.1 without a market..
-CC
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Click to collapse
My Xpad was orphaned by the community because the seller stopped selling it after a few weeks. I vowed that I would only buy a tablet that had a huge backing (Samsung Tab or NC were on the top of the list).

To me, the two real competitors out there now (other than iPad) are B&N & Archos. The Archos 70 is about the same price as the NC. It has way better connectivity and is real Android out of the box. It also has the best video drivers out there. I have an Archos 101 and it is very good. I also have an NC. I bought it for the quality of the screen. Basically I bought it as soon as I was convinced I could root it because the base software would be unusable for me. It also works great and it is much better to read with than the Archos. I use ezPDF and Moon Reader on both.
Both Archos and B&N seem to have pretty strong communities. For Archos, this is Gen8, and the folks in that community go way back with Archos. B&N seems to be solidly behind their eBook readers and they have built two very solid products with the NC and Nook Classic, In fact, the NC is now replacing my Nook Classic as my eBook reader.
Beware of companies that will be a flash in the pan. They will be dropped by the early adopter community as soon as the next big thing appears.

The biggest difference to me is the hi-rez IPS capacitive screen. Most of the cheapie tablets have resistive screens and/or cheap TN LCD screens with crummy viewing angles.

I have both a rooted Nook Color and rooted MID7015 running stock OS.
The price difference is < $100 ($250 vs $180 in my case).
The out-of-the-box experience for the (rooted) MID7015 is very poor. It doesn't have multi-touch, a LOT of apps don't work or don't work properly, it maps its extra storage space as /sdcard thus screwing with inserted SD memory mapping, the WiFi is horrible (I found myself having to constantly disable/renable in settings), it runs a 800x480 (I think) resolution, and it's a bit clunky. I have not tested the HDMI. I DID try Cynanogen on it. It improved some things, but a lot of apps still did not work (Angry Birds, Slice It, etc), and WiFi performance was even worse.
By comparison, the rooted Nook has none of these deficiencies, runs at a full 1024x600 res, has multi-touch, apps working correctly, and is a pleasure to use. My only negative experience with the Nook Color so far is that I sometimes see behavior like this which power cycling fixes (and my unit may just be messed up - dunno yet): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiHH6mdH0WU&feature=related
So, in my book, the Nook Color is the clear winner.

[Q] Potential buyer... looking for feedback

So my original nook has sadly died and it is out of warrantee. So now the question is go with the old school nook or with the nook color.
I love the look of the new device but the battery life leaves a lot to be desired. I have an epic 4g and the Xoom already so I know just how the peeps here at xda do with improving such things. What are the general opinions on how that is going for everyone? Is it worth buying with the xda enhancements or should I stick with what i had?

magoo5289 said:
So my original nook has sadly died and it is out of warrantee. So now the question is go with the old school nook or with the nook color.
I love the look of the new device but the battery life leaves a lot to be desired. I have an epic 4g and the Xoom already so I know just how the peeps here at xda do with improving such things. What are the general opinions on how that is going for everyone? Is it worth buying with the xda enhancements or should I stick with what i had?
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If you have a xoom already then I would not buy the nook color. I mean, you already have a pretty bad ass tablet, so there really would be no point in rooting it; unless you want two tablets. If your just going to use it as a ereader, then the nook 1 would be a good enough. Hell even the kindle looks cool with its electronic ink, and they just dropped the price on em.

This is just my opinion, but if you already have a xoom then I'd assume you're using your Nook for reading books. Seems the Nook Color and the Xoom can function basically the same -- so one option is to load Nook and Kindle apps on the Xoom and be set. No idea how the Xoom does 'reading' in the sun... so if you really want a dedicated reader, I'd almost vote for going with the original - can be found refurbished for about $100.
That said, the Nook Color does everything I'd want and more. I can read in the sunlight at the kids ball games, I can run CM7 on the SD card and do anything android does... A few minutes ago my daughter and I got a N64 emulator running and played mario kart just for kicks.

Thanks for the input all, I'll stick with the B&W. I gotta say the battery life on the Xoom is amazing. I was running heavy for three days before I even realized it does not charge off of the USB but rather off of a dedicated wall charger. Guess instruction manuals do serve a purpose sometimes.

It's already been pretty much said, but if you got a xoom, pretty much no point. That said, I would vote for the kindle, as much as I like my nook color... I do find the kindle excellent for reading during the day, and it's definitely a lot nicer than lcds are to the eyes.
That said, I've never played with an original nook so I don't know how they compare.

Gin1212, magoo's going with the original monochrome Nook -- it has the same easy reading screen as the Kindle, but none of the Kindle's stupid downsides, like not being able to borrow a library book or use other ePub content.
But what I'm thinking is that if magoo can afford a Xoom then he or she just might want to get a Nook Color instead of a Nook -- the extra $100 might be worth it for occasionally reading color magazines or using tablet features when he or she's not carrying around the big Xoom.

xdabr said:
But what I'm thinking is that if magoo can afford a Xoom then he or she just might want to get a Nook Color instead of a Nook -- the extra $100 might be worth it for occasionally reading color magazines or using tablet features when he or she's not carrying around the big Xoom.
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I have both the nook color and the original e-ink and wouldn't want to give up either. For reading the e-ink wins hands down for me. Reading on the color is very unenjoyable for me. If I read on my notebook or color before trying to go to sleep at night (the time when I do most of my reading) I toss and turn for over half an hour before finally falling asleep. Reading a real book or the e-ink nook I doze right off almost as soon as my head hits the pillow.
The color is a great device and an incredible budget tablet that's almost completely replaced my notebook as a living room computer. But for me it's no replacement for the e-ink classic nook as a reading device.
As for the magazines I've subscribed to two (Rolling Stone and Food Network) But will probably be dropping them both soon as I find the experience of reading them on the color to be very disappointing. The max zoom leaves you with images smaller than if you had actually bought the paper magazine, and I have to keep zooming in to read (or switch to article mode which defeats the whole point of having a color magazine since it strips it down to just text which I'd rather read on my e-ink nook.) then once zoomed in panning around to follow articles I often end up accidentally going back or forward a page...which means having to re-zoom. I spend more time fussing with the display than actually reading and for me that's no fun.
The kids books are nice...but the B&N offerings are overpriced and under featured compared to the kids books available in the standard android market. My daughter is just barely 11 months old but she's already having a lot of fun "reading" the kids books I've bought and loves exploring the page finding different things she can touch to get a response.
I know other people don't mind reading on an LCD device, but for me it's a deal killer as a reading device. I spend all day staring at a LCD so when I get home and relax the last thing I want to do is stare at another.
If I could afford a xoom I'd probably go that route instead of the nook color, I could live without the magazines and as I already mentioned I find the kids books in the android market to be much better than B&N's. But I'd still keep my e-ink nook for when I put the toys away and am ready for a good read at the end of the day.

jhitesma said:
...As for the magazines I've subscribed to two (Rolling Stone and Food Network) But will probably be dropping them both soon as I find the experience of reading them on the color to be very disappointing. The max zoom leaves you with images smaller than if you had actually bought the paper magazine, and I have to keep zooming in to read (or switch to article mode which defeats the whole point of having a color magazine since it strips it down to just text which I'd rather read on my e-ink nook.) then once zoomed in panning around to follow articles I often end up accidentally going back or forward a page...which means having to re-zoom. I spend more time fussing with the display than actually reading and for me that's no fun.
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Click to collapse
My experience exactly, you really nailed it. It's funny, I bought an e-reader and I use it for everything BUT reading books and magazines. I bought a couple of issues of Consumer Reports, and I've just found it difficult to read for the reasons you listed.

Nook Color 2 to be available this month?

http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/02/barnes-and-noble-preparing-nook-color-2-for-september-launch/
Barnes and Noble’s Nook Color eReader is a fan favorite, not only because it’s great for reading, but also because with a little hackery it becomes a surprisingly decent Android tablet. A new report from Taiwan today indicates that Barnes and Noble has a sequel in the works, and that it could hit stores shelves as early as this month, potentially before Amazon’s own big unveiling.
Details about the new reader are sparse, but Digitimes reports that it retain the original’s 7-inch screen size. Hardware vendors are already lined up and ready to ship components: TPK Holdings is reportedly responsible for for supplying the device’s touch panels, while Inventec will handle the assembly process.
Interestingly, Digitimes also fingers E Ink as providing e-paper backplates for the Nook Color 2, which seems highly suspect. It may well be among the first mass-market devices to offer a color e-paper display, but it seems doubtful if only for one reason: it would probably kill the Nook Color 2′s tablet potential.
Getting your choice of custom Android ROM onto a Nook Color is fairly trivial these days, and has certainly driven Nook Color purchases among the geekier crowd. They become infinitely more useful in the process — my favorite Korean restaurant uses one as a menu for first-timers — and a color e-paper display could put that all at risk. Battery life among other things would probably improve, but it could otherwise stymie certain owners of the original from buying a new model.
For now, the true nature of the Nook Color 2′s display (and the rest of its specs) will remain a mystery, but hopefully it won’t be long before it makes its official debut.
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joenathane said:
http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/02/barnes-and-noble-preparing-nook-color-2-for-september-launch/
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Dual core CPU plus maybe a camara for video chat might make this a worthy upgrade if it is in the same price range as the current nook color.

koopakid08 said:
Dual core CPU plus maybe a camara for video chat might make this a worthy upgrade if it is in the same price range as the current nook color.
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Unneeded for something that is supposed to be an ebook reader.

Nburnes said:
Unneeded for something that is supposed to be an ebook reader.
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I have to disagree. There would be plenty of justin tv viewers to watch the broadcast of someone reading of an e-book who is also wearing a low cut tank top.

It must be an improvement over the current nook color to be worthy of development. That said, whatever they've added will likely come at some higher price since they didn't adjust the price point of the NC over such a long period.
My one and only question would be will they build it in such a way that the full capabilities can be utilized? The entire popularity of this device got as high as it did because it could be rooted and customized.
Seeing how sales skyrocketed for that crappy webos tablet(crappy because it had webos) when the price came down and speculation of it being able to be modified became popular, I would hope the NC2 will be no less customizable.
I imagine the sales of any sequel device will be higher simply because the NC was customizable, and higher yet if the sequel is too. Should be a lesson to B&N I would think.
I'm still apprehensive that it would come out so quickly with no details like every other new device. It just seems unlikely since other manufacturers have so much resources to hide their development and yet they still get found out.. I mean not all of them lose their device in a bar multiple times, right?
Till I see something more official I don't believe there will be a NC2 anytime soon. If there is I will be truly shocked.
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk

I don't know if we'll see this NC2 materialize in the next couple months, but seeing as Amazon is dropping a NC clone (maybe longer battery life, maybe a different screen, maybe a different single core CPU, almost definitely no Flash) on the market in a couple months at $250, I suspect a NC2 will hit the market at the same price with just a couple hardware additions that will make the Kindle tablet look ridiculous (with the exception of the much better app market and rumored Amazon Prime membership to be thrown in). I would bet on a small, front-facing camera and native bluetooth with headset/mic support, and some additional port such as full USB or mini-HDMI.
Silentbtdeadly said:
The entire popularity of this device got as high as it did because it could be rooted and customized.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Weeeeellll... yes and no. The ability to root/alt-boot probably hasn't been much of a consideration in the vast majority of NC sales. Plenty of NCs have fallen into the hands of people with a limited understanding of the ereader market who simply assumed that color + more expensive = better and/or people interested in magazines as well as books.
However, the dev community's successes have kept the NC on the tech blogs' radar, which was instrumental in bringing buzz around the device to a critical mass in the first six months of its production cycle and providing the 'second wind' that carried B&N through to the release of the N2E.

The problem for B&N with courting the dev community is that the NC is a loss leader (They don;t make any money on the hardware) so that you buy media from them, where they make their real money anyhow. Most devs/rooters are not buying it for an ebook reader and are not buying many (or any) books from B&N, or apps through the Nook app store. So B&N really loses money selling to folks who will root and load roms.

I'm glad I came on over here. I was already seriously wanting to buy a Nook Color! I guess I can wait and see if this rumor pans out!
colorado_al said:
The problem for B&N with courting the dev community is that the NC is a loss leader (They don;t make any money on the hardware) so that you buy media from them, where they make their real money anyhow. Most devs/rooters are not buying it for an ebook reader and are not buying many (or any) books from B&N, or apps through the Nook app store. So B&N really loses money selling to folks who will root and load roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is that the purpose of having an Open Source OS like Android. To make the product your own?

e-ink
What concerns me is that the new nook could have a color e-ink screen. That alone would make the new device almost useless as a general purpose tablet, due to the slow refresh of e-ink. No more video, games, even web browsing becomes distracting.
I do use my nook for a good amount of reading, but I also use it for the majority of my web browsing , and consume quite a bit of Netflix too.

hololight said:
What concerns me is that the new nook could have a color e-ink screen. That alone would make the new device almost useless as a general purpose tablet, due to the slow refresh of e-ink. No more video, games, even web browsing becomes distracting.
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Click to collapse
That's not something you need to worry about unless they put off release for another year, because color eInk won't be ready until next year at the earliest.
This was posted on mobileread regarding screens for the new Kindle tablet, however:
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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If B&N is going the same route, it may explain the report that they are buying hardware from eInk for use in the next NC.

Color e ink
Speaking of color e-ink, wasnt there a reader with COLOR e ink all set to be launched then it was canceled by the compant, a few months ago. I forget the company maybe it was cruz.
Anyways it looked a little odd the picture of the butterfly they showed. I doubt this is the way to go for the nook. Longer battery life yes, tablet- no

colorado_al said:
The problem for B&N with courting the dev community is that the NC is a loss leader (They don;t make any money on the hardware) so that you buy media from them, where they make their real money anyhow. Most devs/rooters are not buying it for an ebook reader and are not buying many (or any) books from B&N, or apps through the Nook app store. So B&N really loses money selling to folks who will root and load roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know I have read plenty of material that says that the device left them a very tiny profit margin early on, but they made more money when they were able to buy the hardware cheaper over time. I was trying to find one of the articles that outlined the price changes for the hardware, but instead found this http://www.attechnews.com/criminals-profiting-from-the-sale-of-nook-color-android-apps.html
It was funny enough I decided to post it instead of keep looking. They have been making some profits off the sales of each, that is something easily googled.. but even if they didn't make themselves money off of the rooting community(they didn't try to block us either), because of us and some other factors they ARE in the ereader/tablet competition.
The kindle tablet(or whatever it was called) was thought to be a real tablet competitor, and it barely looks like it could compete with the current nook color. However, B&N has put themselves on the map as a reputable company that can make a decent product. If they created an "iPad killer" as amazon was thought to, then all of that lack of profit on hardware for the nook color was worthwhile.
In any case, you are looking at it thru the narrow view I could imagine a business student doing, instead of considering that they probably have a long and drawn out plan that includes what their direct competitor was doing(they could have been trying to comepete with what amazon was speculated to be doing, at which point NC2 could be a "iPad killer(tho I doubt it))
Taosaur said:
That's not something you need to worry about unless they put off release for another year, because color eInk won't be ready until next year at the earliest.
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I thought that was funny since I have seen a few color eink devices for a while now, but this one should be already being sold: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2375466,00.asp
It should have started being sold in may in china only, but I couldn't verify. Either way, the point is the technology is already there, and that wasn't the only company who had access to it, simply the only one willing to say they were about to start selling it.

Silentbtdeadly said:
I thought that was funny since I have seen a few color eink devices for a while now, but this one should be already being sold: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2375466,00.asp
It should have started being sold in may in china only, but I couldn't verify. Either way, the point is the technology is already there, and that wasn't the only company who had access to it, simply the only one willing to say they were about to start selling it.
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Click to collapse
That would be a color display somewhat similar to E-ink's displays, not the color display currently under development by E-ink.

Disabled Relative

I have a disabled relative who was interested in purchasing an Amazon Kindle Touch for £109 which would allow them to be able to easily read with one-handed operation. But, the Nexus 7 is only slightly more expensive and also has far greater uses. How good do you think the Nexus 7 will serve as an e-Reader for someone who can only use one hand?

Honestly the ui for the kindle is much more accessible.
Sent from my sprintercept using Tapatalk.

Brad387 said:
How good do you think the Nexus 7 will serve as an e-Reader for someone who can only use one hand?
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I would use a phone. Phones are designed for use with only one hand. 7 inch tablets pretty much require 2.
Bring him to a shop and have him try out a couple. Galaxy Note might even be (the largest) possibility.

thebobp said:
I would use a phone. Phones are designed for use with only one hand. 7 inch tablets pretty much require 2.
Bring him to a shop and have him try out a couple. Galaxy Note might even be (the largest) possibility.
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I already have a Galaxy Note, but frankly think the screen is going to be too small as their eyesight isn't fantastic. A 6" Kindle Touch or a 7" Nexus 7 are the two options. The Kindle has better e-Reading capabilities undoubtedly, but the Nexus 7 will still make a good e-Reading device and also has greater capabilities. Ease of use is also important though.

In my mind they are pretty different devices, I have a Kobo Touch (Same screen as the Kindle) that I read all my books on, eInk is much nicer for reading than LCD, unless there isn't a light source.

What kind of disability? Android has numerous accessibility options.

andyln3 said:
What kind of disability? Android has numerous accessibility options.
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Just impaired usage for left arm.

Logan_M said:
In my mind they are pretty different devices, I have a Kobo Touch (Same screen as the Kindle) that I read all my books on, eInk is much nicer for reading than LCD, unless there isn't a light source.
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Is it? I've never thought reading on an LCD to be uncomfortable, so how much better are these eInk screens?

My wife reads about 2 books a week on her galaxy tab so i wouldnt get discourage on reading books on a lcd. Honestly go with the nexus cause for the most part you can tailor the ui to your needs.

I agree. There's also a program called Simple Gestures by Good Mood Droid which allows you to navigate through swipes and pinches, etc. And thats just one option. Nexus 7 all the way.

You really can't choose for your relative, based on what you perceive his problems to be.
Nothing is as good as having him try a couple. Either bring him to them or them to him...
Good luck with it! My current reader is a Sony EInk, which seems like it would be fine one-handed. But then I like a back-lit screen for reading in bed, so I am getting a Nexus 7.

I would suggest the Nexus 7 still and perhaps you can setup the home screen for the person with Desktop Visualizer so there are some bigger buttons and selections (ie the e-reader and play store etc etc). That way it could be easier to navigate to different apps and what not.

Brad387 said:
I already have a Galaxy Note, but frankly think the screen is going to be too small as their eyesight isn't fantastic.
Click to expand...
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Enabling large fonts not big enough?

If it's their arm, I think weight would be a big factor (not being able to swap arms or use both to hold), so I guess if you're getting one, could you let them trial it for a day?

Brad387 said:
Is it? I've never thought reading on an LCD to be uncomfortable, so how much better are these eInk screens?
Click to expand...
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The eInk screens are completely different than LCD screens you find on Android devices.
Most of them have no backlights (which can be a good or a bad thing), like old school GameBoy
But this makes them fantastic for reading outdoors if you ever expect your relative likes to read out doors.
LCD's on the other hand are often difficult to read in the bright sun (say if you went to the beach and wanted to read it).
The eInk devices also have faaaaaaaaar longer battery life. Like we're talking days and days (with like a month of standby) of battery life vs hours on a LCD tablet.
They are very different devices, one is of course designed exclusively for reading, they are meant to be more like real books, that's what the eInk screen is supposed to be like, like reading off a page.
Also without the backlight there is generally less strain on the eyes for really long reading sessions.
eInk has no color though, it's just pure black and white (old school GameBoy again)
The eInk devices are also generally lighter weight and more "toss aroundable".
It really is apples and oranges. See if you can find some YouTube vids to give you demo's of eInk screens. They're quite nice for what they're made for, but no good for anything else. Whereas the LCD screens on Android devices are of course far more versatile.
So... it really depends if you want them to be able to do more than just read. If they want to browse the web in full color, obviously the Android devices will be more suitable. The high screen res on the Nexus also makes it a bit easier on the eyes for reading on in terms of pixel strain (not LCD backlight strain).
Lastly, and this is completely dependent on the person and perhaps a weird thing to add in here at the end but since LCD's have backlights and the eInk's don't, if they read right before they go to bed, stareing into an LCD screen could affect one's quality of sleep (or ability to fall asleep immediately after reading). I know this is sometimes an issue for me and is the only reason I mention it.

More on EInk:
I can only speak for my Sony, but battery life is not that great.
It runs down in about a week, whether I am using it or not.
Normally you don't really turn it off - just the screen goes blank.
That gives you sort of an instant-on when you get back to it.
In my case though, it usually means the battery is empty when I want to use it.
EInk is for a static display - no animation of any type. Even a changing clock is a no-no. The entire screen is redrawn on any change.
I would not read mine in full sun in any case - the screen seems to fade out.
I frankly can't picture anyone reading at the beach, in the full sun...
Good device for its intended use. I like mine.

Everyone here is going to tell you to go for the Nexus 7 (which I'm buying, also) but for someone who is only able to use one hand, an e-ink device such as the Kindle or the (much better, in my opinion) Nook with GlowLight are better options. They're smaller, lighter, and much better to read on.
I own a Nook with Glowlight and the only time that you would need to use two hands for it would be when you're making selections on the screen. The person we're speaking of could, of course, set it on his lap when making these selections. Otherwise, if you're reading, it is very easy to use the physical buttons or tap the side of the touchscreen in order to change pages while holding it at the same time. Doing the same thing on the Nexus would be a little more difficult and the UI would be much more complicated for someone who uses only one hand.
Of course, the Nexus 7 is a much better device and easily does more, but if you're buying it for this person to just read on, buy an e-ink device. It feels like reading an actual book. People who read on LCD screens will say that reading on them is fine, but you really don't realize how much better it is to read on an e-ink device until you own one.
So, my recommended device is the Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight. It's better than any e-ink device at the moment and you can easily read in the dark or in low light areas. I own one, and it was worth every penny. Plus, I just think that Nook devices are altogether better than Kindle devices. They seem to be built better, plus they are more accessible with MicroSD support which allows a multitude of options when purchasing books online.
Hope I was of some help!

Advice Needed: Kindle Paperwhite or N7?

Hi all,
I am a big Android fan. I currently have a new Note 2 that I replaced my iPhone 5 and iPad mini with (had an S3 and Tab 2 before that). I bought this in the hopes of using the "phablet" as an all-in-one device instead of having both a tablet and a phone. So far its been awesome. Here is my dilemma....
I have just become an avid e-book reader. I gave up paper books when I got the iPad mini. I am finding that the Note 2 is just a little too small to read e-books on. Plus I feel kind of stupid trying to read a book on a phone.
I went out and bought a basic kindle. A button was broken out of the box, and my house doesn't have good enough lighting to see the screen well, so I exchanged it for a kindle paperwhite. I love the paperwhite, and it is insanely easy to read on, especially at night, but I am a little miffed that I spent $120 on something that does one task only, and berates me with advertisements. For $80 more I could have a N7.
That being said, I bought an N7 when it first came out, and wasn't too impressed. The device itself is awesome, but I noticed I kept going back to my laptop to get any real work done. I only used it to check emails occasionally or watch netflix in bed. It was too small to read PDFs on for class, or do any intense internet browsing/research. Essentially it was a $200 toy, so I got rid of it. I thought it was stupid to have a smartphone, tiny tablet, and macbook air. Now I am seriously considering getting rid of the paperwhite and picking up an N7 instead.
Budget is a real issue here, as I am a student. I have read on here and other forums that people felt having a note 2 and N7 was pointless as the devices are pretty redundant, and the difference in screen size is negligible. Does anyone here have both? If so, how do you feel you use the two devices? Do you regret purchasing them together?
Also, how much bigger is the N7's actual, usable screen space? With the nav buttons at the bottom and the status bar at the top, they seem to take up a pretty big chunk of an already small tablet screen.
Mainly though, how is the N7 as an e-reader? No one can seem to agree on whether or not there is an eyestrain problem with LCDs and whether they cause insomnia when compared to e-ink, so its hard to really make that determination. Is it really worth the extra $80 to get the N7 over the kindle paperwhite, or would I be wasting money as the size is essentially the same as my note 2?

I have a Kindle Keyboard I bought in mid-2011. The main things I hated about it were A) no backlit screen making reading in the dark with a little booklight a chore, 2) inability to display photos and pics in books (some drawings display, but often too small to be useful). I did like the long battery life and the anti-glare screen, but eventually I wanted something that did more. I mostly got the N7 for books and magazine reading, but being able to play games and fly my drone with it are a major bonus. I would never waste money on a dedicated reader again. I gave the Kindle to my mom since she's easily overwhelmed by anything with multiple uses.

Miami_Son said:
I have a Kindle Keyboard I bought in mid-2011. The main things I hated about it were A) no backlit screen making reading in the dark with a little booklight a chore, 2) inability to display photos and pics in books (some drawings display, but often too small to be useful). I did like the long battery life and the anti-glare screen, but eventually I wanted something that did more. I mostly got the N7 for books and magazine reading, but being able to play games and fly my drone with it are a major bonus. I would never waste money on a dedicated reader again. I gave the Kindle to my mom since she's easily overwhelmed by anything with multiple uses.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree that the kindles without a built in light are very difficult to read on. The paperwhite is an entirely different beast though. My main problem with it is that I don't want ads when I paid a $120 for a product, yet Amazon has managed to really squeeze every last little inch of the screen with ads, which is extremely frustrating. I am just hesitant to drop $80 more on a device that may not be as good for reading on, and is not that much bigger than my Note 2. Do you happen to know what the usable screen size is on the N7?

I read a lot on my seven. I like it. Easy to read on... I like it although it don't mind reading on my s3,either with the aldiko app. It's a solid device, but rasping outside or stain the Beach or whatever is easiest on the reading devices.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

As far as reading goes, the usable screen of the N7 is larger than that of a page in the average paperback book. At night I like to use white text on a black screen because it is easier to read in the dark and causes less eye strain. I don't think the Kindle offers that option.

Miami_Son said:
As far as reading goes, the usable screen of the N7 is larger than that of a page in the average paperback book. At night I like to use white text on a black screen because it is easier to read in the dark and causes less eye strain. I don't think the Kindle offers that option.
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Click to collapse
Do you think it would be redundant with a Note 2? The Kindle is technically only .5 inches bigger than the Note 2, but the square screen makes it easier to read than a 16:9 aspect ratio where you are constantly moving your eyes vertically.

Nexus 7 for sure. You have more options and more media
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

androidairlinepilot said:
Do you think it would be redundant with a Note 2? The Kindle is technically only .5 inches bigger than the Note 2, but the square screen makes it easier to read than a 16:9 aspect ratio where you are constantly moving your eyes vertically.
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I don't read with the N7 horizontally, only vertically, because I wear progressive lenses and a wide screen makes me have to turn my head from side to side or my eyes will move beyond the reading portion of my glasses. The Note 2 is only 5.5", so I'm not sure why you're comparing the N7 to it. The only advantage I can see is that the Note is also a phone, but my N7 does not require a separate data plan and I can easily tether it to my S2 by turning it on as a wifi hotspot. I forgot to mention that white text on black also uses less battery on the N7.

If you're wanting something that can do more but don't wanna spend $200 for a nexus 7,get a nook color and put cm10 on it. My wife asked for a simple ereader for christmas and I instead got her a nc and put cm on it and she loves it. Granted it won't give you the same level of performance the n7 will, but it is a great ereader and has a screen designed to reduce eyestrain. Advantages of cm? Simple 1 bookstore vs all bookstores, and you can rent books through amazons library system on it and overdrive.
Hardware is a bit dated for extreme web browsing and high definition media but if you just want an ereader with a little more punch than a simple e ink one, a cm powered nook color is perfect! I got hers refurbished for $100 off overstock.com.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

Well if your leaning towards the nexus 7, and only going to do reading and simple stuff. It might be worth it look around craigslist for a eight gig model.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

If you want to read books mainly on your device, get a kindle, any kindle. Because reading on a tablet (or a pc) ruins your eyes, that is a fact.
So you need to decide your purpose about buying the device you'll buy. If it's for book then get a kindle or nook. If it's for apps and little amount of reading get Nexus.
I hope you don't ignore my warning about eyes, any screen other than e-ink ruins eyes, you'll end up with glasses before you're old.

Another option. You can pickup a refurb NookColor for $140 or less.
Its an old platform, for sure, but its still getting Dev support on XDA. I am currently running 4.1.2 on my 2yo NC. Build quality is outstanding.
This is a very versatile device. You can run dual boot from a SD card, you can Manual Nooter (run stock & android from internal ) or you can just run a custom ROM from internal. If you're lazy, you can buy an SD card already programmed for you.
And it accepts an SD card up to 32gb. Plus you have the option of OTG storage for movies.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

Dharkan said:
If you want to read books mainly on your device, get a kindle, any kindle. Because reading on a tablet (or a pc) ruins your eyes, that is a fact.
So you need to decide your purpose about buying the device you'll buy. If it's for book then get a kindle or nook. If it's for apps and little amount of reading get Nexus.
I hope you don't ignore my warning about eyes, any screen other than e-ink ruins eyes, you'll end up with glasses before you're old.
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Click to collapse
Actually
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22762257
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

I'm using my N7 to read books and it is in no way straining my eyes (I could tell if it did, my eyes are very sensitive to brightness, too much of it and they physically hurt).
Cool Reader is the program I go with in terms of reading, and I set it to a black background and light grey letters on screen.
Granted, that makes it harder to read in sunny conditions, but when I go to work it is usually still dark, so that is not really a concern for me.

Dharkan said:
If you want to read books mainly on your device, get a kindle, any kindle. Because reading on a tablet (or a pc) ruins your eyes, that is a fact.
So you need to decide your purpose about buying the device you'll buy. If it's for book then get a kindle or nook. If it's for apps and little amount of reading get Nexus.
I hope you don't ignore my warning about eyes, any screen other than e-ink ruins eyes, you'll end up with glasses before you're old.
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Click to collapse
Really? And by what authority do you make such a statement? Are you an optometrist? Do you have some clinical studies to back up your broad statement? What a crock.
From Brian's link above:
CONCLUSIONS:
It is not the technology itself, but rather the image quality that seems crucial for reading. Compared to the visual display units used in the previous few decades, these more recent electronic displays allow for good and comfortable reading, even for extended periods of time.
© 2012 The College of Optometrists.

Yeah I never have suffered eyestrain from my phone or tablet.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Kindle or N7? Neither
From what it sounds like, your only real beef with the Kindle is the ads. Get yourself a Nook Touch With Glowlight. 1 - no ads. 2 - it's Android based - so if you want to root it, and do some goofy stuff with it (or just clean it up to look as nice as possible using whatever reader you want - like I did) you have that option. It's also more comfortable than the Kindles, less likely to slip out of your hands (with rubberized back). I've seen a *slight* difference between the screens, as far as contrast, but either will look perfectly fine.
As far as the eye strain is concerned. To each their own, I suppose, but I've noticed when I stopped reading on my Nook, and started reading on my N7, my eye strain did increase. After my 2 hour reading sessions are over, the N7 did make my eyes feel a little bit more worn. To be fair, it could be the font size, or spacing, or any of a number of other issues, but I tried to set the N7 to have the most comfortable sizing, just like on my Nook, but I still feel like the Nook is the better way to go between the two strictly for reading. Now my N7 is delegated to gaming, watching Netflix, and helping me with writing ideas on the go (was doing that with my phone, but the N7 is easier to mess with in that regard).
All that said, I *LOVE* my N7, and am always finding new fun uses for it, and will continue to enjoy it until it stops getting updates from Google (prime reason I GOT the Nexus instead of another tablet), nor would I ever give up my Nook, unless it's to get a better e-ink reader.
There's one other PHENOMENAL reason to have an e-ink reader... my Nook 7 has about an 8 hour battery - ish... my Nook - I only have to charge it every few weeks, and even then, it's just because I don't like fully discharging Lithium Ion batteries... I do believe the eink displays are fully capable of 2 month battery life.

androidairlinepilot said:
I agree that the kindles without a built in light are very difficult to read on. The paperwhite is an entirely different beast though. My main problem with it is that I don't want ads when I paid a $120 for a product, yet Amazon has managed to really squeeze every last little inch of the screen with ads, which is extremely frustrating. I am just hesitant to drop $80 more on a device that may not be as good for reading on, and is not that much bigger than my Note 2. Do you happen to know what the usable screen size is on the N7?
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Click to collapse
I got both the paper white and Nexus 7. I prefer reading on paperwhite.
As for the add you can pay $20 the difference between the add free and add paperwhite to get ride of ads
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

I've read lots of books on the Kindle Paperwhite, the Nexus 7 and the LG Nitro HD. All have strengths and weaknesses depending on the reading conditions.
The Kindle Paperwhite is outstanding in the daytime both outside and inside. It can be jailbroken and alternate fonts can be added. I like Chinacat and Koorkin Pro fonts (and yes, I purchased a license to the latter). They both have a smooth line texture. I don't like the LED color. It is too blue. Amazon should use warmer color LEDs which cost only a few more pennies. Additionally, the lux distribution is not uniform like a backlit LCD. Hopefully Amazon will obtain newer better light pipe/films on future models.
The Nexus 7 is good at night with white or gray characters on a black background. I don't really like the black letters or the sepia setting. The letters don't seem very sharp... Lots of jaggies... However, for browsing online articles it is great.
The LG Nitro HD is superb indoors in low light or at night. The color scheme is precise and accurate. The fonts are pristine - maybe the 326ppi is the reason. I wish LG would release a 7 inch tablet with a similar quality IPS display. I don't care about looking geeky. I wish I was ignorant so that I could experience sustained bliss.
I must be getting old because I'm about to say - I've been reading on computer monitors for 30 years without any eye strain or vision deterioration. My vision is 20/15 in both eyes. All of these devices are excellent. I read with all of them.
In other words, you can't go wrong with any of these devices...

Tl;dr - N7 is a good buy if you want to do more than read books. If you want to continue using your note 2 for that, just use the paperwhite. ALSO. Make sure you go and play around with the N7 in store for a while before deciding. That might change your mind.
Oh snap. I was about to post this exact topic 2 days ago. I caved and ended up getting a n7 last night. It's just better in my opinion and a few reasons I decided on it. I am an avid reader. I tend to read light novels, manga, novels, textbooks etc. I was all for the paperwhite, but it doesn't seem to handle pdfs all that well and it also can't run the kindle edition of one of my books which is a print replica. So that pretty much threw me towards the n7. The eink display and battery life was really what had me going for the paperwhite, but I charge my devices once a day anyway and if it can last me the day then it's fine. The main purpose of the n7 I bought for myself is to read textbooks in class as well as using it at home instead of my phone. Even though I have a galaxy note, the difference in the screen size is very noticeable. I would recommend the eink reader if you really want something that lasts for 80 hours, want a screen that can be read in any lighting, and do not want to do anything besides reading.
Budget is a real issue here, as I am a student. I have read on here and other forums that people felt having a note 2 and N7 was pointless as the devices are pretty redundant, and the difference in screen size is negligible. Does anyone here have both? If so, how do you feel you use the two devices? Do you regret purchasing them together?
Also, how much bigger is the N7's actual, usable screen space? With the nav buttons at the bottom and the status bar at the top, they seem to take up a pretty big chunk of an already small tablet screen.
Mainly though, how is the N7 as an e-reader? No one can seem to agree on whether or not there is an eyestrain problem with LCDs and whether they cause insomnia when compared to e-ink, so its hard to really make that determination. Is it really worth the extra $80 to get the N7 over the kindle paperwhite, or would I be wasting money as the size is essentially the same as my note 2?
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Click to collapse
I'm also a student and bought the N7 over the paperwhite. The screen size difference is definitely NOT NEGLIGIBLE. Whoever told you that probably has not used both of them side by side. Although I feel I might switch out my galaxy note for a s3, but I might already be used to the size of the phone to downgrade the screen size. I do not regret purchasing and owning both.
I think someone said it's like 60% bigger or something like that (off the top of my head what I remember seeing in another thread). Also, if you use expanded desktop mode, you can get "hide" the nav buttons and if you're using paranoidandroid, you can use PIE which should help. I already said I use the N7 primarily as a e-reader. I use mantano reader and feedly most of the time and to reduce eye strain, I use lux auto brightness (you can also use screen filter). If you think that computer screens give you eye strain, you probably don't use f.lux on your computer. I wish there was a android version of it, but Lux auto brightness is the closest thing. Also, from the pricing that I saw, they came out to be equal so I went with the n7 (paperwhite 3g + no ads vs n7 16gb).