Database Develop

[Q] Should I get a Nook Color?

Hi I have been trying to decide if I should by this myself by reading reviews and such but, I plan on rooting the device and installing different launchers and apps and I realize this completely changes the nature of the beast. If you could answer a few questions for me it would be greatly appreciated.
1. How fast/laggy is it. If I install launcherpro will it still work well.
2. How difficult is it to get movies encoded for it and how do they look.
3. Has anyone tried installing news apps for android (NY Times, BBC,CNN ext.) Also is netlix possible?
Thank you

1. I tried Launcher Pro, ADW, and Zeal and there is no lag in any of them. I did settle on Zeal for now.
2. I have about 10 movies that I had encoded originally for my evo and they all play great! Just the simple settings in handbrake will work fine.
3. I have USA Today on there now as well as the engadget program and both work great. Haven't tried netflix, don't have a account.
S300M said:
Hi I have been trying to decide if I should by this myself by reading reviews and such but, I plan on rooting the device and installing different launchers and apps and I realize this completely changes the nature of the beast. If you could answer a few questions for me it would be greatly appreciated.
1. How fast/laggy is it. If I install launcherpro will it still work well.
2. How difficult is it to get movies encoded for it and how do they look.
3. Has anyone tried installing news apps for android (NY Times, BBC,CNN ext.) Also is netlix possible?
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Thanks m8 thats actually a lot of helps a lot. IDK if netflix will work because of all the copyright and DRM but everything else sounds like good news to me. Now if only some could figure out how to get this thing to accept Adhoc networks from my cell phone that eould be great. If anybody else has something to add fell free to go right on ahead.

I actually tried Zeal and didnt like it. I had to put a bunch of icons down in the doc bar to get the doc launcher (the button with all the dots) in the middle where I like it....unless I missed something and dont know how to do it.

I have a huge library of HD (720p BD rips) and SD (DVD rips) movies and TV shows in AVI and MKV containers, will I be able to stream these video files within my home network? (without transcoding)

I'm glad there was already a post for this because I didn't want to create a new thread for it. I was one of the elocity a7 preorders who just had their orders cancelled. (all of us did, elocity insists it's a system error-I call BS) Anyhow i'm trying to decide between the nook color and the gtablet. I really wanted a tegra, but I really wanted a 7 inch device. I know they're not really the same thing, and maybe shouldn't be compared- but can anyone offer some insight as to which they personally prefer? Thanks.

OMG don't get the viewsonic G Tab... I had it for 1 day and had to take it back. Absolutely the worst screen I have ever seen on a device. The worst viewing angles. The nook color is wayyyyy better in my honest opinion and is really fast enough.
xwint3rxmut3x said:
I'm glad there was already a post for this because I didn't want to create a new thread for it. I was one of the elocity a7 preorders who just had their orders cancelled. (all of us did, elocity insists it's a system error-I call BS) Anyhow i'm trying to decide between the nook color and the gtablet. I really wanted a tegra, but I really wanted a 7 inch device. I know they're not really the same thing, and maybe shouldn't be compared- but can anyone offer some insight as to which they personally prefer? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Ok, cool. Thanks alot. I really wanted a tegra...but the NC is the form factor I wanted, and I read nothing but great things about the screen. Just wanted to hear from other geeks whether or not i'm going to end up making a huge performance sacrifice or not.

I had a gtablet too and it really was the worst, even rooted and running a special tegra kernel. The nook is amazing and nearly the perfect tablet for me.

If you are asking yourself this question and seriously considering getting a nookColor, keep in mind that B&N has a deal that ends Sunday if you buy $100 in gift certificates you will get $10 back in gift cards (that are activated the day after christmas). I took advantage of this and bought $300 and got $30 in gift cards back which I'm going to use toward accessories (easel case I'm [email protected]). You may want to double check with your store but the manager at the store I went to allowed me to do this (after reading through the 'terms and conditions' on the website he said there was nothing that said it couldn't be done)
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/gift-card/index.asp?cds2Pid=32280
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/help/help_cds2.asp?PID=32063&popupclose=0
The terms say the gift card has to be bought on b&n.com, but the manager said the promotion was running in-store too so it didn't matter.

So the nookcolor, rooted, is a pretty decent slate/tablet?
I want the nookcolor mainly as a tablet: surfing the web, reading reddit, loading .pdf's of books/medical journals/textbooks to read and study from.
I was originally waiting for the archos 101 for $300.....but it seems like it's never going to come out.
The other thing is, since the nookcolor's screen is made for reading, will there be less eye-strain than with other tablets ( ipad,gtablet,archos 101?)

noodles12 said:
So the nookcolor, rooted, is a pretty decent slate/tablet?
I want the nookcolor mainly as a tablet: surfing the web, reading reddit, loading .pdf's of books/medical journals/textbooks to read and study from.
I was originally waiting for the archos 101 for $300.....but it seems like it's never going to come out.
The other thing is, since the nookcolor's screen is made for reading, will there be less eye-strain than with other tablets ( ipad,gtablet,archos 101?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was wondering this exact same thing, how does this fare as a cheap tablet?
I've done plenty of tweaking and modding with my nexus one so I'm no noob there - is this the deal of the century for someone like me? From what I've seen with a new launcher this thing turns into a serious galaxy tab competitor.
If anyone has any negatives they'd like to list please let me know - I'll probably be buying one of these in a few days.

We are two peas in a pod my friend.
The archos is only $50 more with HDMI,usb ,and a stand. But isn't available yet.
But if the NC screen is better for long-term reading....... who knows.
aaahhh.

Hi everyone, I am seriously considering buying a Nook Color as I really like it's design (something important for me), and want a Tablet device. And at 250$ it sounds like a really good deal. (The Archos 101 here in Greece costs 330 euro -> 440$, so the Nook is considerably cheaper)
My main usage will be: Reading pdfs and watching some .ppt files (I am a senior electrical & computer engineer student and want the Nook for studying), some Web Browsing, and if it is able for some MSN messaging..
Also, I wanted to ask you if it is capable of doing something:
Let's say you are reading a .pdf on your Nook. Is it possible to "handwrite" anything on the .pdf, like you are writing on a piece of paper, and save the file? That would be extremely helpful when studying.
Is there any application that does this?
Thank you very much for your time and help.

noodles12 said:
So the nookcolor, rooted, is a pretty decent slate/tablet?
I want the nookcolor mainly as a tablet: surfing the web, reading reddit, loading .pdf's of books/medical journals/textbooks to read and study from.
I was originally waiting for the archos 101 for $300.....but it seems like it's never going to come out.
The other thing is, since the nookcolor's screen is made for reading, will there be less eye-strain than with other tablets ( ipad,gtablet,archos 101?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
darx said:
I was wondering this exact same thing, how does this fare as a cheap tablet?
I've done plenty of tweaking and modding with my nexus one so I'm no noob there - is this the deal of the century for someone like me? From what I've seen with a new launcher this thing turns into a serious galaxy tab competitor.
If anyone has any negatives they'd like to list please let me know - I'll probably be buying one of these in a few days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
noodles12 said:
We are two peas in a pod my friend. The archos is only $50 more with HDMI,usb ,and a stand. But isn't available yet. But if the NC screen is better for long-term reading....... who knows. aaahhh.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While the NC supplier (B&N and it's mfg'er) have a limited track record, the record of Archos is pretty clear ... roll out products that target the 'latest trend' with software that is usually not ready and move on to the next latest thing within a very short time leaving a trail of unsupported devices. If you can live with buying a new thing from Archos every 9-12 mos and knowing support will be GONE after that then go for it.
As said the Nook may not turn out better, but it can't be worse. It has an up-to-date system now, larger memory, better viewing for it's primary mission. (A70 just getting 2.2 and who know what bugs with it; A101 still not available, what does THAT tell you?)
If you want an android multimedia device then the Archos family may be a way to go, but evaluate it against multimedia devices since that is Archos' focus (assuming they have one), not reading and/or tablet functions.
Probably most people on this thread have reading as a primary, tablet second and entertainment third. The screen is really great, pdf reading is real good other than the swipe down instead of swipe sideways, with the Dolphin browser, root, su, multitouch what's not to like? ... did I mention the screen is great?

Thank you for the very helpful info zdrifter.
Could you also answer this?
I wanted to ask you if it is capable of doing something:
Let's say you are reading a .pdf on your Nook. Is it possible to "handwrite" anything on the .pdf, like you are writing on a piece of paper, and save the file? That would be extremely helpful when studying.
Is there any application that does this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And something very important: Barnes & Noble doesn't ship NookColor internationally. Which eshop would you suggest so I can buy NC and the send it to me here in Greece? amazon.com perhpas? Is there another good eshop maybe?
Thank you for your time.

thereddog said:
I have a huge library of HD (720p BD rips) and SD (DVD rips) movies and TV shows in AVI and MKV containers, will I be able to stream these video files within my home network? (without transcoding)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can anyone answer this for me? Streaming from a Windows PC, of course.

thereddog said:
Can anyone answer this for me? Streaming from a Windows PC, of course.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is this possible on your phone? I'm asking to verify if you want to know if the hardware is capable or if you're looking for an android app that enables you to do it.

Babis_ECE said:
<snip>Also, I wanted to ask you if it is capable of doing something:
Let's say you are reading a .pdf on your Nook. Is it possible to "handwrite" anything on the .pdf, like you are writing on a piece of paper, and save the file? That would be extremely helpful when studying.
Is there any application that does this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Babis_ECE said:
Thank you for the very helpful info zdrifter.<snip>Barnes & Noble doesn't ship NookColor internationally. Which eshop would you suggest so I can buy NC and the send it to me here in Greece? amazon.com perhaps? Is there another good eshop maybe?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't know of any android apps that allow document editing, however if I wanted to annotate a pdf doc, I would put it in my Calibre library, convert it to ePub, load it on the NookColor and annotate away ... .. Calibre is a free program and VERY useful for ereading.
As for foreign sales, don't know a thing ...

Did you read the post from gtablet? There is a wifi suplicant file. I don't have a nook yet but will root and post.
Sent from my Tazz Vanilla using XDA App

[Q] New Nook owner questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let me make sure I have this right

OK, I am going to be getting a couple NCs for the wife and I. So I have been doing a lot of reading and want to make sure I have a handle on evrtything. I have decided that CM7 is the way to go. If I am understanding correctly I basically create a CM7 image on an SD Card (cheap Sandisk seems to work best???) and then I can run it from the SD card without installing it on the internal memory of the NC. That way I can pull the SD card, reboot and have a stock NC. Is that right? Will the performance suffer from running it from the SD card? Are there benefits to installing on the internal memory? Also, if I do install it to the internal memory, how do you use it as a normal NC? Do you just get the Android Nook app? How does that compare to the actual Nook software? Do you lose any functionality? My wife will use hers primarily as an e reader whereas mine will be a tablet first. Does anyone have experience using different browsers like Skyfire and Opera? Those are what I use a lot on my phone. I have seen the name Dolphin HDused alot, but I don't know anything about it. I am sorry for all the questions and if my terminology is not 100% accurate. I am, as the welcome video says; a noob.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

Nard Dog said:
OK, I am going to be getting a couple NCs for the wife and I. So I have been doing a lot of reading and want to make sure I have a handle on evrtything. I have decided that CM7 is the way to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only stupid question is the one unasked.
Nard Dog said:
If I am understanding correctly I basically create a CM7 image on an SD Card (cheap Sandisk seems to work best???) and then I can run it from the SD card without installing it on the internal memory of the NC. That way I can pull the SD card, reboot and have a stock NC. Is that right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is correct; with one exception. CM7 will mount the "Media" partition, and changes there will be reflected on the stock OS (this partition just stores your files, pictures, music, etc; nothing related to the system).
Nard Dog said:
Will the performance suffer from running it from the SD card? Are there benefits to installing on the internal memory?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, performance will suffer. I used to run from SD card, until i finally gave up and tried internal. Internal is much faster, and of course makes it easier to use you SD card for pure storage.
Nard Dog said:
Also, if I do install it to the internal memory, how do you use it as a normal NC? Do you just get the Android Nook app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Normal NC? You mean as just an eReader? Yes, you would just use the market version of the nook app.
Nard Dog said:
How does that compare to the actual Nook software? Do you lose any functionality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what i have seen, you will lose the "Read to me" functionality, and the look and feel of the market version is different of that of the stock version. But, by using CM7 (or rooting stock), you can gain access to Kindle and Google books, which kind of makes up for it.
Nard Dog said:
My wife will use hers primarily as an e reader whereas mine will be a tablet first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would say for you, CM7 internal would be good (remember, you can always put the stock OS back on if you change your mind), and the stock OS best for you wife.
Nard Dog said:
Does anyone have experience using different browsers like Skyfire and Opera? Those are what I use a lot on my phone. I have seen the name Dolphin HDused alot, but I don't know anything about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Opera is by far the best browser; it is the only browser with renders web pages with the GPU; this is what allows smooth scrolling and page views (like the iPad has). Dolphin is nothing more than a skin of the stock browser, and isn't worth worrying about.
Nard Dog said:
I am sorry for all the questions and if my terminology is not 100% accurate. I am, as the welcome video says; a noob.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Remember, we are ALL "noobs" at one point in our life. Being willing to ask and learn is how you stop being one.

Nard Dog said:
Also, if I do install it to the internal memory, how do you use it as a normal NC? Do you just get the Android Nook app? How does that compare to the actual Nook software? Do you lose any functionality? My wife will use hers primarily as an e reader whereas mine will be a tablet first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Android Nook app loses:
* Read To Me
* Shelves
* A quick shortcut to the current book you're reading
It gains a couple of features: a fancy page-turn animation, and a true black & white "night" mode. (The stock reader's night mode is more of an off-white on dark gray, if I remember right.)
If your wife has a lot of nook books, she may really miss the shelves feature. Without it all books are listed on one page, ordered by Title, Author or Most Recent. That's most recently purchased, not most recently read.
With no shortcut, every time you return to the app you have to scroll through all the books you have downloaded to find the one you're currently reading. That could be annoying if you've got a few dozen or more loaded.
I get around both problems by using a third-party reader. But to use it, I have to strip the DRM from the books I own, which is at best a gray area legally.
Most people who read a lot will probably get more out of a stock nook, or better still, a nootered nook. If it's nootered (rooted), you get all the features of the stock reader, as well as the ability to download any number of other applications including Kindle and Overdrive (the library lending app.)

Divine_Madcat said:
I would say for you, CM7 internal would be good (remember, you can always put the stock OS back on if you change your mind), and the stock OS best for you wife.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for the input. Your answers have highlighted the fact that I need to do a lot more research. I am not even sure what the NC can do out of the box. While the wifey will use it primarily as a reader, she also wants to be able to play games and download apps. Can this still be done on the stock OS? Can you install a different browser (opera) on the stock OS? I've seen the term "rooted stock" but haven't read up on it much since I figured I'd just have to root them to do what we both want. I'm guessing "rooted stock" is somewhere between being rooted and keeping the stock OS. Would this allow using the native reader intetface while still allowing access to apps via the Android market? If I can get it so she has a nice browser, can play games (Angry Birds, etc) and keep the native reader (which she really likes) that would be perfect. BTW, before anyone starts yelling "USE THE SEARCH NOON" like they do on some forums I have visited, I know these answers are probably all on this forum somewhere and I am continuing to research on my own. I have been and will be reading a ton of old posts, etc. But, it is also helpful to have one thread to list all of the questions that pop into my head.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

I was new to Android a couple months ago and hesitant to root so I decided to put CM7 on an sdcard. I bought a cheap card and the thing worked but it was agonizingly slow. I bought a Sandisk 8GB class 4 and it works GREAT - very fast. I have never overclocked (haven't gotten the nerve for that yet) and it is very speedy for my needs. I later rooted stock which is what I recommend for your wife. You put a launcher on (I like zeam) and then you have your B&N shelves and access to the Android market as well. BTW, you can also get the Amazon Appstore and check it out daily because they put up a free app every day - very cool.
Good luck with your decision. I love my Nook!

Cool, so it looks like it'll be CM7 for me and nootered for her.
One more question since I have your attention. Is there a way to tether the NC to my Droid X and connect to the internet? My Droid X is totally stock and I have no desire to root it or mod it in any way. I have used PDAnet to tether to my laptop, so I'm looking for something similar to that.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

I can tether my Win Mobile phone (getting an Android phone as soon as my contract runs out!) to my NC. My phone creates an ad hoc connection and I had to make a small change on the Nook to get it to work. I'm pretty sure you will have no problem. Just search and you will find the details specific to your phone.

The only (wireless) tethering you can do WITHOUT rooting is the paid Verizon service. No other wireless rooting will work (all need superuser). I gotta ask though - any reason you don't want to root the X? Its not really anything different from rooting your nook..

Divine_Madcat said:
I gotta ask though - any reason you don't want to root the X? Its not really anything different from rooting your nook..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess it's really just fear. If I brick my phone, I am royally screwed. If I brick the Nook, it would suck, but it's more of a toy anyway. I know it's probably very safe and easy, but I just keep thinking of the horror stories I read when I thought about rooting my Q9m back in the day. That said it is very likely that once I root the Nook, I will end up rooting my phone. Baby steps
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

Is it still worth buying a Nook?

Specs-wise, I mean? The community here looks awesome, and the devs look fantastic, but it is 7-month old hardware. I suppose it won't much matter for what I'd be doing with it, but I was curious to get some input.

Pls note that it is a pure eReader that can turn into full tablet.
How will the next gen. NC look? Nobody knows yet.

I just bought one and running CM7 off the SD and love it. I use it as a tablet and have readers on it and don't miss the B&N software but can always take card out and use it for that. I think for $249.00 and you can get like new refurbished ones from B&N for about $200 and I hear they even come with a case, you can not beat the deal. Love the screen! I would buy one again.

I just got mine last Sunday, and it's pretty nice. It really depends on what you plan to do with it. If you want something that you can use with a stylus, then this isn't for you.
If you want to play some Angry Birds, watch netflix, catch the news, take some notes, and do everything your phone can do on a larger screen (minus having a Mic and a phone), then this would be for you.
Specs don't mean jack (to a point) - it's rather what it can do for you.
At a $250 price point at with only slightly lower specs then the Galaxy tab (and less then half the cost) which includes a new B&N membership ($27 discount with B&N membership + $25 for the membership), it's a good deal if it meets your wants/needs.

majorpay said:
I just got mine last Sunday, and it's pretty nice. It really depends on what you plan to do with it. If you want something that you can use with a stylus, then this isn't for you.
If you want to play some Angry Birds, watch netflix, catch the news, take some notes, and do everything your phone can do on a larger screen (minus having a Mic and a phone), then this would be for you.
Specs don't mean jack (to a point) - it's rather what it can do for you.
At a $250 price point at with only slightly lower specs then the Galaxy tab (and less then half the cost) which includes a new B&N membership ($27 discount with B&N membership + $25 for the membership), it's a good deal if it meets your wants/needs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree for the most part, but the stylus comment is interesting.
I'm using one. Is there a reason you'd not recommend it for stylus?

majorpay said:
I just got mine last Sunday, and it's pretty nice. It really depends on what you plan to do with it. If you want something that you can use with a stylus, then this isn't for you.
If you want to play some Angry Birds, watch netflix, catch the news, take some notes, and do everything your phone can do on a larger screen (minus having a Mic and a phone), then this would be for you.
Specs don't mean jack (to a point) - it's rather what it can do for you.
At a $250 price point at with only slightly lower specs then the Galaxy tab (and less then half the cost) which includes a new B&N membership ($27 discount with B&N membership + $25 for the membership), it's a good deal if it meets your wants/needs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the thoughts. Actually, I want to read. Mostly. I read a lot of pdfs, and the Kindle can't deal with pdfs well, and it's a pain to have to use a computer. Plus, I love playing around with CM7!

SeaFractor said:
I agree for the most part, but the stylus comment is interesting.
I'm using one. Is there a reason you'd not recommend it for stylus?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From all my research, the worst issue with this device is the sensitivity of the screen. Even with the sensitivity hacked, it does not perform continuous swipes. So things like drawing and writing (from what I understand) are not all that great on this device.

tekhna said:
Thanks for the thoughts. Actually, I want to read. Mostly. I read a lot of pdfs, and the Kindle can't deal with pdfs well, and it's a pain to have to use a computer. Plus, I love playing around with CM7!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then this would sound like your kind of toy. Kindle seems to work well, and so does the Nook app, but I have found that the Nook app has certain books that fail to load (namely a few that come with the download). I haven't looked into the reason for that, but it says "unsupported format." I just haven't cared enough about it to really research that particular issue. Outside of that, it's been pretty impressive for the price.

Hey guys... well for my birthday I'm getting a good amount of $... and need a cheap tablet cuz I want to buy a computor too, my question is, is there something like odin for the galaxy s lines? That makes it basicly unbrickable? And how is the progress with cm7? Is mostly everything working? Thanks guys.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

deano0714 said:
Hey guys... well for my birthday I'm getting a good amount of $... and need a cheap tablet cuz I want to buy a computor too, my question is, is there something like odin for the galaxy s lines? That makes it basicly unbrickable? And how is the progress with cm7? Is mostly everything working? Thanks guys.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With the NC, you have to try really hard to brick it. If you are worried about bricking, run CM7 from an SDcard. As long as you don't do anything silly like formatting the internal emmc or something, you're safe.
If you choose to go the stock + root, or install CM7 to internal route, you'll end up installing something called ClockworkMod which has the various recovery, backup, flash type things to help prevent bad things.
And status of CM7? CM7 NC edition is what all the vendor *supported* Gingerbread's should be aspiring towards. That's how good it is. *fanboi*
As always, YMMV.

deano0714 said:
Hey guys... well for my birthday I'm getting a good amount of $... and need a cheap tablet cuz I want to buy a computor too, my question is, is there something like odin for the galaxy s lines? That makes it basicly unbrickable? And how is the progress with cm7? Is mostly everything working? Thanks guys.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since the nook boots from uSD first (hard wired and coded into the hardware) it is unbrickable...
That being said... always generate images of all partitions prior to messing around with it... there is device specific information stored on mmcblk0p2 and mmcblk0p3... if you lose those partitions and don't have backups... it can get quite interesting restoring it... if you have the backups... its pretty easy.

fuul4nook said:
With the NC, you have to try really hard to brick it. If you are worried about bricking, run CM7 from an SDcard. As long as you don't do anything silly like formatting the internal emmc or something, you're safe.
If you choose to go the stock + root, or install CM7 to internal route, you'll end up installing something called ClockworkMod which has the various recovery, backup, flash type things to help prevent bad things.
And status of CM7? CM7 NC edition is what all the vendor *supported* Gingerbread's should be aspiring towards. That's how good it is. *fanboi*
As always, YMMV.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks... I'm pretty experiance with android and rooting, I have an epic 4g... hopefully if I get this ill put on cm7 cuz we don't have a working version yet on the epic .... and do you think a refurb would be good for me to get, I want to spend the least amount of $. And would I just walk into b&n and say I want a refurb nook color? Thanks man.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

deano0714 said:
Thanks... I'm pretty experiance with android and rooting, I have an epic 4g... hopefully if I get this ill put on cm7 cuz we don't have a working version yet on the epic .... and do you think a refurb would be good for me to get, I want to spend the least amount of $. And would I just walk into b&n and say I want a refurb nook color? Thanks man.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm seeing them for 200 at Overstock, which means no sales tax either!
http://www.overstock.com/Electronic...oble-Certified-Pre-Owned/5924200/product.html

@deano0714
Most folks have been getting refurbs from the BN store on ebay. AFAIK, those come with a 1yr warranty. My local BN's don't stock refurbs, so I don't know if that's even a possibility.

deano0714 said:
Hey guys... well for my birthday I'm getting a good amount of $... and need a cheap tablet cuz I want to buy a computor too, my question is, is there something like odin for the galaxy s lines? That makes it basicly unbrickable? And how is the progress with cm7? Is mostly everything working? Thanks guys.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL I am coming from the Captivate and on an Infuse....k
It seems its kinda weird how they use some terminology or sometimes don't when compared to phones...
Anyways great great tablet. Rivals any screen I think. Use Nook Tweaks to boost the internal speaker, just do it carefully and Dahlgin's OC Kernel to OC to 1.2Ghz.... Your Tab will like it more.
Use the instructions here. It will allow you to dual boot which is the basic idea. With the instructions, all of CM7 gingerbread runs completely on the SDcard, so all you are corrupting is the SD if you mess something up. Nook Color OS stays untouched!
Also if on Windows 7, use the Win32DiskImager. Recognized my drive better.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1000957

slider2828 said:
LOL I am coming from the Captivate and on an Infuse....k
It seems its kinda weird how they use some terminology or sometimes don't when compared to phones...
Anyways great great tablet. Rivals any screen I think. Use Nook Tweaks to boost the internal speaker, just do it carefully and Dahlgin's OC Kernel to OC to 1.2Ghz.... Your Tab will like it more.
Use the instructions here. It will allow you to dual boot which is the basic idea. With the instructions, all of CM7 gingerbread runs completely on the SDcard, so all you are corrupting is the SD if you mess something up. Nook Color OS stays untouched!
Also if on Windows 7, use the Win32DiskImager. Recognized my drive better.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1000957
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will I have to buy a class 10 sd for running on sd?
Edit: also with themeing the nook would I have to change the resoulution if I were to port something over too the nook from the epic? Or would the hdpi be good enough?
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

deano0714 said:
Will I have to buy a class 10 sd for running on sd?
Edit: also with themeing the nook would I have to change the resoulution if I were to port something over too the nook from the epic? Or would the hdpi be good enough?
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Class speeds are not as important as are random read speeds. From what I've read, Sandisk Class 4 is the king here.

Absolutely correct - Actually, the higher the class of card that is used, the more horror stories I hear! Stick with a basic SanDisk class 4 card and you'll be fine.

i felt the same way, op... until MIUI dropped! new love all over again

I would definitely recommend it, along with ezPDF reader if you will be reading a lot of PDFs. From my own experience, it was a pain to get a "good" NC -- the first couple had screen issues/dead pixels and I had to fight with B&N's customer service to finally get one without major issues. Most people seem to get perfect ones right from the start though. Beyond that, CM7 is FAN-TASTIC. I had some random issues with it on a microSD card (an 8gb a-data class 6, so it could have been issues with the card) but it's been super reliable after i installed to emmc. As far as specs go, it will easily overclock and i can't tell a difference in performance compared to my thunderbolt. I've still yet to see a comparable tablet for this price, based on performance and screen quality.

Nook VS Asus Honeycomb Tablet

I currently have an ASUS Transformer Tablet running Honeycomb 3.2. My wife is interested in the Nook for reading, magazines, etc.
I think there is a Nook app for android as well. Can anyone help me decide if it's worth it to buy her the Nook, or not?
What does the nook have or not have that a full honeycomb tablet has?
What does the Nook app for android have/not have that the Nook may have?
Pro's/Con's for each way?
Not looking to Root the nook either to put full android on it, unless its easy and pretty much harmless.
Thanks for the help all!

p.s., how to i add my signature? i cant find it anywhere!

I have had both (returned the tf101 due to a hw bug - not a fault of the transformers design, just a normal qa bug). The current nooo application now has everything. Even magazines, which I remember being absent when I triedthe nook android app a while ago.
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk

pros: $250.00 cons: $350.00
to edit your signature, just go into private messages

dandunn98 said:
I currently have an ASUS Transformer Tablet running Honeycomb 3.2. My wife is interested in the Nook for reading, magazines, etc.
I think there is a Nook app for android as well. Can anyone help me decide if it's worth it to buy her the Nook, or not?
What does the nook have or not have that a full honeycomb tablet has?
What does the Nook app for android have/not have that the Nook may have?
Pro's/Con's for each way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The stock nook reader can do the children's books (lots of animation and "read to me"), the Android app can't. Otherwise, for grownups, they're pretty much equivalent.
The Nook doesn't have a phone, cell network, camera, microphone, video out, or bluetooth with reasonable range. These are some of the reasons that the price is so good.
When you run CM7, it does have host-mode USB (albeit a little hacky at the moment).
Not looking to Root the nook either to put full android on it, unless its easy and pretty much harmless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Booting CM7 off the SD is absolutely harmless, and very easy the third or fourth time you do it...

If the goal is to end up with a device that is good for reading books the Nook Color is a great solution. You might want to root it, very easy, and leave it running the stock OS. That will open up the NC to running apps and getting to the standard Market, but leaves the unit with the reader centric interface. I have mine this way and prefer that to a generic Android experience such as CM7. I usually prefer the bigger screen of the Transformer to the NC for general tasks like web browsing.

so what in lieu of the missing hardware (camera, gps, etc), what software limitations is on the stock nook color? Can you install apps from android market?

dandunn98 said:
p.s., how to i add my signature? i cant find it anywhere!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
couldn't find the signature under private messages

dandunn98 said:
so what in lieu of the missing hardware (camera, gps, etc), what software limitations is on the stock nook color? Can you install apps from android market?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock is crap IMO. Its only good if your just going to be reading books. Cm7 makes this thing the best tablet for your money. It is crazy easy to install and you get the full android tablet experience for less than half the price of the big boys. Yes it is missing a camera and GPS but why would you ever need that on a tablet?
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk

And there is no market access on stock unless you root it.
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk

I have both and each has its place in my tablet world. I like the portability of the Nook and its gorgeous screen. The Transformer screen is equally impressive looking. Would highly recommend CM7 for Nook as others have suggested. When I need to use an app like Google Goggles, or other apps that use camera/video capabilities, the Transformer is the obvious choice and is quite capable. I have not yet had success with USB camera or headset with Nook but still have hope thanks to the devs continuing work. I have used GPS with both (using bluetooth GPS on the Nook). I use the Transformer as my "cell phone" now with my 3G mifi device (using the GrooVeIP app). I believe your household would enjoy having both.

With the nook app you have access to a lot less magazines because of liscense agreements. On the stock nook you have access to all magazine subscriptions like GQ and Vanity Fair.
Sent from my NookColor using XDA Premium App

soo much good info so far. i'll have to investigate this CM7. don't know much about it at all

I also have both Transformer and Nook.
They each have their place. I almost always have the rooted nook with me. Keep in mind that you can find refurbs for $180 to $200.
Also, when you root to a sd card, you don't change the underlying software in the main memory of the nook. If you have a problem with your nook, just pull the sd card out and reboot it to stock.
Once rooted, you can add the software reader from Kindle and Sony. This means you can comparative shop to find the book you want. When it is stock, you can only buy from BN or borrow from your library.

advocate2 said:
I also have both Transformer and Nook.
They each have their place. I almost always have the rooted nook with me. Keep in mind that you can find refurbs for $180 to $200.
Also, when you root to a sd card, you don't change the underlying software in the main memory of the nook. If you have a problem with your nook, just pull the sd card out and reboot it to stock.
Once rooted, you can add the software reader from Kindle and Sony. This means you can comparative shop to find the book you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This all sounds great, and i like the SD card root you guys are talking about. I haven't rooted an android device before so it's new to me, and i know theres TONS of posts regarding it as well. I have jailbroken iphones/ipod touches so i know the concept of it all.
With root, can you obtain paid programs at no charge, like jailbreaks?

dandunn98 said:
With root, can you obtain paid programs at no charge, like jailbreaks?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please don't go there.
Rodney

rhester72 said:
Please don't go there.
Rodney
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
understood. I'm all for giving credit to people for apps, and all. I just enjoy testing them before buying.

With the cost of most android programs being low, there should never be a reason to look at pirated software. The software development we have today is a testiment to the hard work of many talented developers who would not continue if their work was not appreciated.
The Nook color , like most any tablet/reader device, should be considered for purchase based on filling a specific need. For reading, I have not found another device that provides anything close to the experience of the nook. For less than $250.00, you have a color screen that rivals tablets costing 2-3 times the nook. The fact that the nook boots from an sd card allows you to have a full android experience while retaining the stock nook reader.
For those wishing to expand the stock nook, cm7 provides a rich android experience with multimedia and the (almost) entire android market for apps. The market is now "device aware" and will only allow download of apps compatable with the device.
As for USB use, I am using a logitech bluetooth keyboard to type this message and use USB host mode to connect my digital camera to the nook to transfer photos directly for better viewing.
If you require all the functions of a full tablet (camera, GPS, ect:.) The nook might not be for you but if it is a secondary device that you can use to enrich your life with it's many capabilities, you will not find a better value on the market.
I'll get off my soapbox now and let you get on with that nook purchase.
Sent from my Wonderful Nook Color using Tapatalk

dandunn98 said:
With root, can you obtain paid programs at no charge, like jailbreaks?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you mean to "sideload" apps then yes

A few weeks ago Staples had a coupon for $100 off all tables, including the Asus Transformer. This week Target is giving a $100 gift card to anyone who purchases an Acer Iconia (effectively making the price $299). For just $50 more than the cost of a new Nook Color, it's a no-brainer to get the Honeycomb tablet.
Both of the deals mentioned above seem indicative of price drops in the Android tablet market. Anyone who missed out on the above deals, just wait, and you'll see more like them.