Related
To anyone awaiting official 2.2 update from B&N and/or access to the android market
If you want a full-fledged tablet, you should probably just root your nook.
Over the past few days, I've seen a lot of people wondering whether they should root their device or wait for B&N's update, as if that will automatically make it a full tablet. Unfortunately, that is not true in the slightest.
The official update, which has not been assigned a date of roll-out yet (sometime Q1/2011, but I've heard end of January), will not change much about your nook. It will still look and feel exactly the same, and still have many of the same limitations. It will not be running the standard android 2.2 UI.
It will not have the android market either. It will only have a handful of apps, if any, from those developers who take part in the NOOK developers program (http://nookdeveloper.barnesandnoble.com/). All of the applications will be "reader-centric".
It does appear that it will be possible to sideload applications that conform to the Android API 7 (no FroYo love) but this will only be available to those people who sign up and register the SN of their NOOKcolor to a developer account.
If you poke around on the website (particularly the developer forums) you can find lots of interesting tidbits about the upcoming update (NOOKcolor 1.1) and what it will include.
Hopefully this helps.
Source: Me - Digital Sales Manager at Barnes and Noble
Edit: (for the record, I am in no way an official B&N spokesman. I just am a wee bit more privy to stuff than others)
Thanks for the official update. I can't imagine many official b&n apps. There's only so many sodoku variations you can make.
I will say that the froyo base brought a lot of improvements over eclair, but I do agree that a lot of people will probably be let down when they see the update and wonder where their new launcher is. I for one am happy with my rooted NC, and look forward to the 2.2 update.
I get the impression that the 1.1 update is not the B&N Froyo update. I think it just adds the framework for approved apps and "developer mode" to permit sideloading apps for testing. Probably some stability/usability issues as well. Have they said anything "official" regarding what 1.1 will contain?
Homer
Barnes and Noble doesn't say anything official until the day it becomes official.
It is probably a 50/50 chance that the forthcoming update it will be the much talked about FroYo B&N update.
But if you were to root after the 1.1 update, would you get a 2.2 android?
Hey if I may ask will there be an official bluetooth in 1.1. ?
Pavlos
Some people are waiting to root only because they don't have to worry about doing it twice. My understanding is that you have to restore your device to original form to get the update, then root it. I might be wrong.
Does anyone know when Barnes and Noble will drop the official Froyo update for the Nook Color? Back in December every tech site was saying it was due in January, but that obviously did not happen. I am trying to decide whether to root mine now or wait for the official OS update before I start messing with my NC. Thanks
brendan6q66 said:
Does anyone know when Barnes and Noble will drop the official Froyo update for the Nook Color? Back in December every tech site was saying it was due in January, but that obviously did not happen. I am trying to decide whether to root mine now or wait for the official OS update before I start messing with my NC. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldnt ever expect it officially. Most of these rumors started with nameless sources, and employee talk. They also made the claim that we would have the appstore but we know how that went. As many have stated, the nook is an E-Reader first. It doesn't need anything past what it has now, to do what its designed to do.
I still think B&N is working on their app store. It's an opportunity to make more money. How long it will take to get released, who knows.
Ultimately I think it depends on what you're looking for in the software. Even if B&N updates it to 2.2 it won't be the same look and feel you get on other android devices. I don't think it's going to happen that they release a software update that upgrades this thing from an e-reader to a tablet pc. The talks are they'll incorporate some customized market for software in an update, so maybe we get the android market, but probably just some bastardized form of it. I think if you want a true tablet experience with the NC, you'll never get that without rooting it. Don't think of it as a Froyo update, but rather a NC update, if it comes from B&N. Just the same e-reader with a different foundation.
there is no consequences of rooting your nook. you can always flash your nook back to stock. thay being said i would suggest you try nookie froyo. even if froyo DOES come out from B&N there is no gurantee it will give the full tablet experience that AOSP froyo does.
I realize the update was never intended to bring the full 2.2 experience to the NC, but i had heard that it would offer more or less the homescreen experience along with a curated B&N app store. I just think this thing has so much more potential then B&N is currently offering on it. I think it is in dire need of more basic stock apps such as email, a calendar, calculator, etc. I bring my NC with me everywhere... classes, on the subway. I think the addition of these apps would make it a complete device rather than just an e-reader. And it is not just an ereader... that designation went out the window the second it got that beautiful color display. Also, I think 3rd party apps like dropbox, instapaper, and an rss reader that syncs to google reader would be amazing on the NC. I realize I can get all of this by rooting, but I would feel much more comfortable if they were eventually offered by B&N
brendan6q66 said:
I realize the update was never intended to bring the full 2.2 experience to the NC, but i had heard that it would offer more or less the homescreen experience along with a curated B&N app store. I just think this thing has so much more potential then B&N is currently offering on it. I think it is in dire need of more basic stock apps such as email, a calendar, calculator, etc. I bring my NC with me everywhere... classes, on the subway. I think the addition of these apps would make it a complete device rather than just an e-reader. And it is not just an ereader... that designation went out the window the second it got that beautiful color display. Also, I think 3rd party apps like dropbox, instapaper, and an rss reader that syncs to google reader would be amazing on the NC. I realize I can get all of this by rooting, but I would feel much more comfortable if they were eventually offered by B&N
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look, if I burn the desk I'm sitting at and I find that it burns well, that doesn't mean the company that makes it actually makes firewood. If by "complete device" you mean a tablet pc, then B&N could have released it as such when it first came out. But what you're refusing to acknowledge is that this thing wasn't created for that, however capable it may be. At this point all I've heard is we may get some form of a software market, which doesn't need a kernel update from 2.1 to 2.2, so even with that, we may not get an android update. Like I said, just stop thinking that, because this can be an effective tablet, B&N will go out of their way to make it one. For that matter, you shouldn't expect it to have the look of an android device any more than it currently does. It seems to me that B&N would be pretty particular about the appearance of their software.
Listen, just wait it out if you don't want to root the thing. Maybe they will give us a decent app list, and maybe it won't take forever and a day to get to us. But don't expect them to offer any software from a competitor, or book/magazine/newspaper reading software that doesn't require you get the material from them.
At the end of the day, BN would be insane to release a full fledged version of the market onto the NC. The absolute last thing they want is Amazon, Borders and others competing with them on their own platform. I think we will see a market of some sort released down the road. When I don't know, but I'd be surprised if we never see one. BN intends for this thing to just be an e-reader. They don't want people to buy it and use it as a tablet. They want it to be an e-reader because it's then basically tied to their store for content. That is what they want.
Second Tuesday in the first week of June
March 7th. Note no year specified.
February 31st
How would we know?
Nobody knows. Just speculation and guesses out there.
"When it's ready."
That's the only answer I would actually believe, and even then I'm not inclined to accept it as truth.
What if they are planning to go straight to HoneyComb?
Holy ****! It never ends
V.A.T.Juice said:
What if they are planning to go straight to HoneyComb?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In what ways will Honeycomb make the NC a better ereader for B&N-purchased ebooks?
The only reason I believe they would even go to an underlying 2.2 is for Flash. I could imagine them coming out with some very cool eReader applications for it such as in-magazine videos and other book/magazine related media features like that. It's a very capable little device and I positively love mine, but I feel like there are many people buying it as a $250 Galaxy Tab competitor, and it's simply not. The community here is great and tons of people are doing absolutely outstanding work unlocking a wealth of potential, but at the end of the day we will never get fully featured android support from B&N and it would be silly to expect it.
miemens said:
The only reason I believe they would even go to an underlying 2.2 is for Flash. I could imagine them coming out with some very cool eReader applications for it such as in-magazine videos and other book/magazine related media features like that. It's a very capable little device and I positively love mine, but I feel like there are many people buying it as a $250 Galaxy Tab competitor, and it's simply not. The community here is great and tons of people are doing absolutely outstanding work unlocking a wealth of potential, but at the end of the day we will never get fully featured android support from B&N and it would be silly to expect it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly right, it won't be supported as a tablet. If/when someone cooks up a rom for this thing based on honeycomb, it'll be the same as autonooter and nookie froyo now. What I mean is we'll get a device that reports itself as some other device, the xoom or some other thing, just so the market has an idea of what apps we should have available. But they'll have such higher powered tablets with better cpu's and more ram, better screens, and they'll have nifty docks and bluetooth attachments, and we'll be luck if someone just gets our bluetooth runnning smoothly.
Once they get the textbook thing straightened out, do you think they might need flash for streaming classes? I know some unis have classes where you can either attend virtually or at least replay lectures.
Homer
These are two transcriptions found on the web. They seem to be authentic. You can decide what BN update 1.2 means...
Perhaps the CM7 developers were not "wasting their time" as some were suggesting? It also appears that the update is a "few weeks" away regardless of when you ask.
start transcription
===================
a conversation with a B&N rep April 14, 2011. read and weep
10:31:02 : Ron: Initial Question/Comment: when in April will software version 2.2 be available?
10:31:07 : System: Welcome to the Barnes & Noble Digital Chatroom.
10:31:07 : System: Jason has joined this session!
10:31:07 : System: Connected with Jason. Your Reference Number for this chat is 16712.
10:31:12 : System: Thanks for joining us.
10:31:12 : Jason: Hi Ron. Thanks for joining Barnes and Noble Digital Chat Support. One moment while I review your question.
10:31:47 : Jason: Our software developers are hard at work on the latest software update. You can expect your version of 1.2 to be sent Over-The-Air (OTA) within a few weeks. All you?ll need to do is to have your NOOK Color connected to any Wi-Fi hotspot and the update will install automatically.
10:32:35 : Ron: 1.2 in a few weeks?
10:33:22 : Jason: Yes, that is right Ron. The current software version of the NOOK Color is 1.1. And it will be upgraded to 1.2.
10:34:52 : Ron: WOW. B&N should do a better job managing expectations. The web is saying 2.2 in April, and all they will get is 1.2!
10:35:14 : Ron: in a few weeks.
10:35:32 : Jason: Maybe you are referring to the Android version.
10:35:41 : Ron: YES
10:36:07 : Jason: Currently, the Android version of the NOOK Color is 2.1. Barnes & Noble policy to refrain from commenting on any specific features of any yet-to-be released software updates.
10:37:30 : Ron: the current version, available for download from the B&N website is 1.1.
10:38:27 : Jason: Yes, that is right Ron. We haven't released the version 1.2 software update. It will be released in the next few weeks.
10:38:32 : Jason: Is there anything else I can help you with?
10:38:59 : Ron: No. Thanks.
========
start transciption: Wed 4/20
=================================
14:52:26 : Customer: ME Initial Question/Comment: Hi there, I was just wondering when the big update will be available for the NookColor? Also, will NookColor be able to use Nookstudy?
14:52:26 : SystemSystem: Welcome to the Barnes & Noble Digital Chatroom.
14:52:36 : SystemSystem: Emely has joined this session!
14:52:38 : SystemSystem: Connected with Emely. Your Reference Number for this chat is 17601.
14:52:38 : SystemSystem: Thanks for joining us.
14:52:42 : AgentEmely: Thank you for contacting Barnes&Noble Chat Support! My name is Emely!
14:52:52 : AgentEmely: Hi! One moment while I review your question...
14:53:28 : AgentEmely: As I understand you are inquiring about NOOK Color update?
14:53:32 : CustomerME: yes
14:53:44 : AgentEmely: Our software developers are hard at work on the latest software update. You can expect your version of 1.2 to be sent Over-The-Air (OTA) within a few weeks. All you’ll need to do is to have your NOOK Color connected to any Wi-Fi hotspot and the update will install automatically.
14:54:23 : CustomerME: will it be available for manual download?
14:54:51 : AgentEmely: Auto install as long as wifi is available.
14:55:14 : CustomerME: and will it be possible to use NookStudy with NookColor?
14:55:47 : AgentEmely: For Nook Study, that we still have to wait for the latest update so we would know if it's already included.
14:56:45 : CustomerME: ok. And is there a more specific date in mind? I've been told "a few weeks" since January...
14:57:19 : AgentEmely: No definite date yet but within the month. I'm quite sure.
14:58:00 : CustomerME: thank you very much! have a good day.
14:58:16 : AgentEmely: Is there anything else I can help you with?
14:58:40 : CustomerME: No, thank you.
14:58:52 : AgentEmely: I am glad I was able to help you. Thanks once again for joining the Barnes & Noble Chat.
15:00:00 : SystemSystem: The session has ended!
Conclusion - most people, like Ron, are morons who "want" things that they do not understand...
lets see if i get what this means.
there is an update coming... that is good.
other then that they didn't say anything except it will be called 1.2 (which would be the next update following 1.1).
so there is nothing new here at all.
At this point, unless B&N release CM7 itself disguised as 1.2 they're not going to win me over.
I was on the fence with the whole "Nook-specific" app market, but it's been months now.
at first i was very interested in the 1.2 update, would make my nook "complete" as i saw it, having market, froyo (for flash, jit, etc) but after trying cm nightlies and mad-murddock putting the mad fixes on it i honestly care very little, i might try it when it hits but i would do so out of curiosity, i am at the point now where i am hoping for the sleep bug to be fixed and a bit better wifi speeds as all the rest is taken care of in cm7
stock nook reader apps/bn store would be nice in cm7
I LOL at ron and his brilliant questions =D. I'm assuming ron is much smarter and the reason he said that, was merely to catch the representative off guard and trick him into giving up some more info about the android version.
I'm still waiting for the B&N update. I don't want to mess around with custom ROMS on the internal memory until they are settled down. I have too much hardware and software maintenance already in my house.
I'm still on nootered 1.0.0 firmware
I'm vaguely hoping for B&N to have BT baked into the update, but the odds of that happening aren't great.
If the update is underwhelming or difficult to root, I'll go a custom ROM. Still waiting for deep sleep + CM7.
I have a rooted nook color, will the automatic update remove the rooted content?
Also all I was looking for in the update was the flash player, as i needed to access various websites. I wish there was another way to get the flash running.
I heard that there are individuals who managed to run bluetooth on the nook color, how is that possible since it seems that a hardware component needs to have been already pre-installed in the device? Is it?
I'm not holding my breath for anything special with this update. I'm still stock and patiently waiting for CM7 to mature.
s52m3 said:
I'm not holding my breath for anything special with this update. I'm still stock and patiently waiting for CM7 to mature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome to.. 3 weeks ago? Run CM7 off an SD card (you have to have a good card) and try it out free of risk. Just pick up a 4G Sandisc and you'll be fine, some other brands will work okay too.
NewZJ said:
at first i was very interested in the 1.2 update, would make my nook "complete" as i saw it, having market, froyo (for flash, jit, etc) but after trying cm nightlies and mad-murddock putting the mad fixes on it i honestly care very little, i might try it when it hits but i would do so out of curiosity, i am at the point now where i am hoping for the sleep bug to be fixed and a bit better wifi speeds as all the rest is taken care of in cm7
stock nook reader apps/bn store would be nice in cm7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm still interested in the update for one simple reason: eventually, I'm going to buy a dedicated Android tablet with Honeycomb, gobs of storage and a screaming CPU. When that time comes, my Nook Color will mostly be used as an e-book reader (though I'll probably still keep it rooted). So it interests me to see Barnes and Noble updating the device and improving on its native capabilities.
How do you find the chat option on B&N? I could not find it. All I could find was phone or email support.
Thanks
Alexpride said:
I have a rooted nook color, will the automatic update remove the rooted content?
Also all I was looking for in the update was the flash player, as i needed to access various websites. I wish there was another way to get the flash running.
I heard that there are individuals who managed to run bluetooth on the nook color, how is that possible since it seems that a hardware component needs to have been already pre-installed in the device? Is it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
will it removed rooted content...most likely.
yes, the chip that runs the wifi is a combo chip...wifi and BT. It goes through a switcher chip to share the antenna. BT works, but with limited range in most cases. Once(if) someone figures out the driver for the switcher chip we may see better ranges.
edit: BTW you need to be on a custom ROM like CM7 for BT to work...doesn't on stock.
OK so it seems we are getting a new version 1.4.
what do we know.......
Well it seems both Nook Tablet and Nook Color are getting 1.4.
Would that mean that it could be based on something higher than Froyo.
Since B&N is marketing theit new product as a tablet that could probably link to a tablet os for both devices.
Maybe...
How does 1.4 effect...
While the news sites are touting the new "stuff" in NC 1.4, how will this effect those of us with Rooted NC's? ( remeber the problem the 1.3 upgrade had )
I look forward to some of the new apps, mostly the HuluPlus app... I wonder if that means they will be unblocking regular Hulu from us too?
Tom
Proud user of a rooted NC ( manual nooter )
tomsheeley said:
While the news sites are touting the new "stuff" in NC 1.4, how will this effect those of us with Rooted NC's? ( remeber the problem the 1.3 upgrade had )
I look forward to some of the new apps, mostly the HuluPlus app... I wonder if that means they will be unblocking regular Hulu from us too?
Tom
Proud user of a rooted NC ( manual nooter )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would say to hold off on updating if you can until xda either gives the go-ahead or has a procedure to follow.
As for Hulu -- I would assume regular Hulu will still be blocked, unfortunately. They seem to have a stance that everything but a PC is a mobile device and subject to different rules.
No idea about whether its going to be gingerbread.
The update is not out and wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't until nooktablet launch. The 1.1 update for the simple touch is out.
From what I can tell, there is going to be some sort of 'account management' app so you can handle gift cards and credit cards without the need of the browser. Netflix will be available as a download from the press quotes I'm seeing.
Does gingerbread give any DRM security that froyo doesn't? Because that might be the only reason why it would get bumped up to a new andoird version, to appease Hulu and Netflix (and their evil masters)
i think the most interesting thing is wether they updated the kernel version.....
I'm impressed with B&N's support of the NC. You don't see this many updates on phones.
It is easier to update a device if you don't have a third party in between the developers and the users (i.e. cellular carriers)
Good news is that it does actually apear to be Gingerbread, on the other hand BN decided to delay it until December.
And the delay appears to be a marketing decision, according to what people are saying on the bn forums.
Thanks for the advice, but how can I stop the update until XDA has help for us?
We’ve been hard at work on CM9 since Google released Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) into the wild last month, and things are slowly starting to come together. Google did a great job with ICS and added some really awesome features which in some cases replace or deprecate functionality that we had in CM7, so we are reevaluating all of our customizations. A number of devices are already up and running with CM9, and the focus is currently on getting as many devices ready as we can. The first devices (besides the Nexus S, which you can already get from Koush’s section on ROM Manager) that we’ll have ready will mostly likely be devices based on OMAP4, MSM8660/7X30, and Exynos. We also have some Tegra2 tablets in the pipeline such as the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Asus Transformer. Our goal is to provide continued support to all CM7 devices back to the QSD8250 series of devices such as the Nexus One. I don’t want to make any promises at this time, but that is the plan. And sorry Droid1 owners, we’re dropping support for you. Time to upgrade.
What do you recommend if we have to keep our Droid1?!?
I have no philosophical problem with the Droid1 not having the latest and greatest CM ROM. I can get along without CM7 on the Droid1, since I will be going that way with my Droid Bionic "real soon now". (I'm kinda, sorta, used to this class of support, since I have about 6 Win XP/Pro boxes and a SBS 2003 server here on my SOHO network. All the current best boxes for me and my digital nerds are dual booted running top end Win7 and several flavors of Linux.
So, what is the last build that we should use, how long will it be supported and will security fixes be available?
Thanks,
/s/ BezantSoft
aoidcool said:
And sorry Droid1 owners, we’re dropping support for you. Time to upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And you plan to make this seem official... How? If the CyanogenMod developers actually said that, I might have a few unkind remarks about forced hardware upgrades to share.
For the record, I am not complaining about the lack of official CM9 support, the fact that ICS on the Droid1 would likely be a slow/buggy/needless upgrade, or anything along those lines.
What I might complain about is that the Droid1 is the most recent Android phone I would buy. Nothing newer has an unlocked bootloader, a better physical keyboard (well, minus the Nokia N900, but that's not without its issues either), a comparable screen, and the second-hand advantage: No carrier contract/spying or data plan required (Google Voice over WiFi FTW), cheaper than dirt for mobile software development, and wide availability (unlike certain Maemo/MeeGo phones).
Until a developer phone appears that meets my stingy requirements, I will continue using my Droid and experimenting with Linux software on it. I only wish that waiting for other people to do what I should be doing was easier, secure in my knowledge that someone else in the world cares about the same things I care about. What can I say, I'm lazy.
TL;DR: Telling people to upgrade when they don't have a choice is counterproductive IMHO.
gTan64 said:
And you plan to make this seem official... How? If the CyanogenMod developers actually said that, I might have a few unkind remarks about forced hardware upgrades to share.
For the record, I am not complaining about the lack of official CM9 support, the fact that ICS on the Droid1 would likely be a slow/buggy/needless upgrade, or anything along those lines.
What I might complain about is that the Droid1 is the most recent Android phone I would buy. Nothing newer has an unlocked bootloader, a better physical keyboard (well, minus the Nokia N900, but that's not without its issues either), a comparable screen, and the second-hand advantage: No carrier contract/spying or data plan required (Google Voice over WiFi FTW), cheaper than dirt for mobile software development, and wide availability (unlike certain Maemo/MeeGo phones).
Until a developer phone appears that meets my stingy requirements, I will continue using my Droid and experimenting with Linux software on it. I only wish that waiting for other people to do what I should be doing was easier, secure in my knowledge that someone else in the world cares about the same things I care about. What can I say, I'm lazy.
TL;DR: Telling people to upgrade when they don't have a choice is counterproductive IMHO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That first post is a quote from the cm blog. So it is 100% true.
VISION 1.5Ghz
I think a kang will show up sooner or later. There are plenty of other interesting OMAP3 devices (Nook Color for one) which should get ports, and OMAP3 doesn't have to lose 60-100MB of RAM to the radio, so with compcache and good tuning 256MB might actually be enough.
It really depends on if OMAP3 HW accell can work fully under ICS. If the Nook Color runs well, so should the Droid...
gTan64 said:
What I might complain about is that the Droid1 is the most recent Android phone I would buy. Nothing newer has an unlocked bootloader, a better physical keyboard (well, minus the Nokia N900, but that's not without its issues either), a comparable screen, and the second-hand advantage: No carrier contract/spying or data plan required (Google Voice over WiFi FTW), cheaper than dirt for mobile software development, and wide availability (unlike certain Maemo/MeeGo phones).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so your complaint has nothing to do with software development, but with handset manufacturers. What does that have to do with CM saying they won't support what amounts to a 1st gen device?
TL;DR: Telling people to upgrade when they don't have a choice is counterproductive IMHO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but you do have a choice. either upgrade, or you're stuck with whatever they've already built.
:|
Well, someone'll port ics to this 3 year old POS i'm stuck with for another year.
I'd rather have a current os that doesn't run well than a outdated os that does.
Sent from my Nook Tablet using Tapatalk
Mr. Argent said:
I'd rather have a current os that doesn't run well than a outdated os that does.
Sent from my Nook Tablet using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why????
Sent from my VS910 4G using xda premium
Having no money for a off-contract phone and not being able to upgrade for a year, I have to do something to keep my original droid usable for a year. I find knowing there's a major update available and not getting it due to hardware issues annoying when the g1 got it (even if it was a laggy mess, at least it's not 2.3), which impacts it being what I consider usable.
(Also, I don't want ics launcher. Beneath the veneer of modernity it's still that stale old gingerbread.)
Sent from my nook tablet (eagerly awaiting a bootloader workaroiubd and ics) using Tapatalk.
Mr. Argent said:
Having no money for a off-contract phone and not being able to upgrade for a year, I have to do something to keep my original droid usable for a year. I find knowing there's a major update available and not getting it due to hardware issues annoying when the g1 got it (even if it was a laggy mess, at least it's not 2.3), which impacts it being what I consider usable.
(Also, I don't want ics launcher. Beneath the veneer of modernity it's still that stale old gingerbread.)
Sent from my nook tablet (eagerly awaiting a bootloader workaroiubd and ics) using Tapatalk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in the same boat as you, I have no upgrade for a year. so i'm stuck with my D1. and i agree with your other statement a g1 can handle it yet no one is making an attempt in porting it to the D1 on top of that a 6 year old htc windows mobile phone has it with like 134mb of ram. and yet the droid still has no port whatsoever