Nook Color - I love it!

B

BigBeef

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 30, 2009
Messages
376
I got one for Christmas and its even better than I thought it would be! Nice color screen, plays music, Pandora, basic (but pretty good imo) browser, and it runs off Android 2.1. In addition to reading books of course.

The only beef I have is the slight lack of accuracy of the touch interface, but that's just the way 2.1 is, and no Flash or real video support.

However, the Nook Color will be getting 2.2 in January! Its supposed to get some access to the Market and some more apps, as well as improved browsing and more video playback capability, I don't know if its actually getting Flash though. B&N reps say it won't be a full tablet, but will become a lot more capable with the 2.2 improvements. This shit is perfect for browsing [H]. I would like to see the browser get full html.

Anyone else get one and want to add?

Posted via [H]Nook
 
I got one and rooted it. AWESOME!! Full access to market, smooth interface, good build quality. And I read that it outperforms a galaxy tab in some benchmarks. Well worth the money.
 
I was flipping a coin between nook color and the regular nook. I decided to skip the color. The regular nook can be easily read outside and it won't run down while using it. I figure that even if I wanted a color screen, I'd be better off getting a tablet computer than a nook color.
 
Stone Cold said:
I was flipping a coin between nook color and the regular nook. I decided to skip the color. The regular nook can be easily read outside and it won't run down while using it. I figure that even if I wanted a color screen, I'd be better off getting a tablet computer than a nook color.
Click to expand...

Yup, I want an e-reader to read books period.
 
I read a guide on how to root the Nook and based on what it said to do, I have no clue what I'm doing and I'm sure I'd brick my Nook if I tried it.

If I rooted my Nook, will the Nook interface still work the way it does now or will be essentially gone?
 
I started a thread up on this a couple of weeks ago over in Mobile computing.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1569547

It's not getting 2.2 and the Market in January - that was erroneous information.

But they did say it would get 2.2 next year sometime.

It's a pretty awesome tablet once you root it. I mostly use my e-ink nook for reading and the NC for a tablet.
 
BigBeef said:
I read a guide on how to root the Nook and based on what it said to do, I have no clue what I'm doing and I'm sure I'd brick my Nook if I tried it.

If I rooted my Nook, will the Nook interface still work the way it does now or will be essentially gone?
Click to expand...

Yup, maintiains 100% of the original Nook interface, no matter what launcher you use (Launcher Pro, ADW, Zeam, etc.). The Nook interface will remain as an overlay to that.

I just rooted the wife's last weekend and that was a question I had. Also, worst case, if you dont like it or mess something up, its very easy to reset everything back to bone stock.

As far as what to do, lookup Auto-nooter. All you need is to extract the files to a microSD and it'll do the work for you.

PM me if you have any questions.
 
I too got one for Christmas and have been pondering the idea of rooting it. The one thing I can't seem to find definatively posted is whether or not the new OS image you load is 2.1 with some changes or 2.2? I love my color as a reader, but constantly find myself going back to my iPhone for browsing since I find the browser on the Color to be just overall clunky.
 
Rooting doesn't alter the NOOKColor's current OS - you're not replacing anything, you're just "unlocking" the ability to install whatever (ok, almost whatever) you want on it given the limitations, which aren't much to be honest.

The OS remains the same with 2.1 until B&N does their 2.2 update (perhaps even a 2.3, who knows) in the coming months. It was rumored to be in a few weeks, in January at some point, but they recently announced that was just that - a rumor, and so it'll be a bit longer.

Even at 2.1 the NOOKColor kicks ass... once you root it, that is... ;)
 
The guide I read said that by rooting it, I might not get the OTA update for 2.2. Of course if I can root, I can just put 2.2 on myself. I believe some have already put 2.2 on it, if not all.

This 600mhz cpu does piss me off though from time to time.
 
It's an 800 MHz CPU in there: ARM Cortex A8-based Ti OMAP 3621 @ 800 MHz (same processor as Droid 2 and Droid X).

Hell, even a dual CPU 8 core 16 thread h.264 encoding monster box I built a few days ago for a client pisses me off from time to time by slowing down - HOW DARE IT!!! :D Just something you get used to after a while. ;)

It's not perfect, no device is (no, not even Apple products), but for what it is and what it's capable of, it's a pretty amazing device that will continue to improve. I've heard reports of others installing 2.2 on their NOOKColor, even a few people hinting at Gingerbread (2.3) maybe in the works by people at XDA-Developers, but until it's "official" and released over there it's just speculation.

There's always a chance that B&N could go bonkers and start causing problems for people, but if they have any brains at all they'd watch what's happening and note how much MORE popular the NOOKColor is because of the root that was discovered, and see it as a big positive and not a negative at all.

Oh well...
 
Figure I'd chime in and say root it. It really is amazing how great this tablet is. It's no ipad/galaxy tab but it does 90% of what I would regularly do with those devices at 50% of the price. It's currently my main internet tool with my computer used almost only for gaming. Tomorrow i'll be trying some video playback. My only gripe still is the typing experience and,on occasion, the touch accuracy.

To the poster on the e-reader for reading, I 100% agree. I think the nook color would make a pretty mediocre to decent e reader in comparison to the nook or kindle. It's definitely an android tablet that pretends to be an e reader. The trick is to get it to stop pretending and use it as a tablet.
 
I'm gonna try to do this today. Gonna root it and then probably try and put on 2.2. I'm really interested in the improved battery life and wifi for 2.2. Gotta get a damn SD reader. Putting 2.3 on this would be pretty damn slick.

And I thought the Galaxy tab was $600? For a tablet that simply runs Android, it doesn't seem to be worth $600. The nook is well under half that.
 
There are rumors of the Galaxy Tab going down to $500 without a contract at Verizon in the next week or two. See Here

The Galaxy tab does have it's benefits over the nook. The tilt sensor on the nook (at least in my case) leaves A LOT to be desired. It's very responsive to vertical and horizontal transitions, but games that require tilt for game play either don't work or don't respond well enough to the sensor to be playable. The only game not like this, that I've found, is Abduction but the sensitivity needs to be cranked all the way up. This may just be a defective unit though, since I've honestly not cared enough to look into it. But Abduction working leads me to believe it is indeed the stock sensor's fault and isn't defective. Since it knows when to go vertical and horizontal, which is all I need, I can't complain too much.

The typing experience is also pretty sub par, especially in comparison to the Galaxy Tab. The typing has been my biggest complaint so far. It isn't horrible, but it is very far from great. The galaxy tab definitely has a huge leg up there. The only way I can really type on it is thumb typing while holding it vertically. The horizontal keyboard isn't quite large enough to use like a normal key board and is too large to type on with just thumbs. It's no where near bad enough to deter me from using my nook for almost 5-6 hours a day.

The camera would be nifty as well as the 3G, but 90% of the places I would use the 3G have free wifi already and the camera is just a bonus in my opinion. This sounds kind of like sour grapes. I'm not shooting down the features of the Galaxy Tab, just stating I wouldn't use them so I don't miss them, someone else might, however.

Comparing my Nook color to the Galaxy tab in Best Buy, I found that I liked the display of the nook slightly more. This may be because I treat mine with a bit more care than a display unit gets, but I found the colors on the nook to be just slightly more vibrant. I also liked the form factor of the nook, since it's slightly thinner. The Tab felt almost chunky. The Tab was clearly snappier, but I don't know when the best buy one had last been turned off because when I started to play with it, it crawled. After shutting down and turning it back on, it was evident that it felt snappier and all around nicer.

The build quality of the nook is also slightly off putting for me. It really should include a case or sleeve in the box. It feels fragile. It's essentially glass, rubber and plastic. I bought the sherlock holmes style flip up case for it and am a lot less nervous about it. The tab felt slightly more durable, but a device like this still requires a case of some kind.

With the iPad (once again, using the Best Buy display), I found I liked the nook even more, but this was entirely due to personal preference. I have no beef against Apple, I used a 15" 2007 MBP for three years and I have an iPhone 3G (though it can be frustrating) so when I was considering a tablet/slate thing I thought about an iPad. After using a 7" device for a week, though, the iPad just felt huge and obnoxious. The screens are comparable, though I think I prefer the widescreen to the 4:3 of the iPad. That's entirely personal preference though, no functional reason behind it.

The biggest plus on the nook/tab that the iPad really doesn't have is the ability to easily use it with one hand. The 7" to 8" form factor is what I consider ideal for a tablet that I will use for internet and media consumption. Before using the Nook Color, I though 7" was too small. In my eyes, the form factor was too large to be a phone and too small to be a decent tablet. After using it though, I don't think I could go much larger. While the note taking, and the fact that an external keyboard can be used, are still trumped by the iPad, for a lap browser the 7" has proven ideal. I find myself carrying it around/browsing while standing a lot and it feels natural in my hand. Holding it like a folded paper back and pecking with my finger works better than I think the iPad would while standing.

I still (shame on me) have yet to test the video playback ability on the nook color. I did download an Android TV app and watched parts of an old episode of the Hawaii Five-O, which were clearly meant to be watched on 4" and smaller screens, and it performed flawlessly. I'll do more on this tomorrow (grad school applications are taking up most of my time right now).

I'm not saying that the Nook Color is an iPad/Galaxy Tab killer at half the price. It's no where near it. The iPad still trumps the other two in class room usability (one of my biggest needs right now), since it can have an external keyboard. The tab is all around better, but in some cases only marginally so. The Nook Color really only shines when considering all three as a function of what you're getting out of it divided by what you're investing into it. I think I'll stick with the nook for at least 2011 and am extremely happy with it.

This turned into more of a review then I expected, it was meant to just be a quick note on Galaxy Tab and it's pluses and minuses over the Nook Color.

My $0.02 on the nook color.

TL, DR: For what I use it for, the Nook Color is ~90% of an iPad/Galaxy Tab at 50% of the price. It could be better, but then I could also win the lottery and marry a super model.
 
Last edited:
To be a bit less serious than my above post, here are the games that I've found usable so far:

Abduction
Angry Birds
Ninjump
Scrambled Net (current favorite)
Word Up

TurboFly 3D works but using the touch controls not the tilt ones.

Anyone have any suggestions for other time wasters?
 
The Nook with version 1.0.0 has 0 video playback and I found that some webpages that have moving stock tickers and things like that don't quite work right. I manually updated it yesterday to 1.0.1 and now it indeed does have some video playback ability, The Wall Street Journal has a video section that works, but CNBC will not work. Also YouTube does work, but it dumb downs the site and I clicked a video link from email and it didn't not load.
 
BigBeef said:
The Nook with version 1.0.0 has 0 video playback and I found that some webpages that have moving stock tickers and things like that don't quite work right. I manually updated it yesterday to 1.0.1 and now it indeed does have some video playback ability, The Wall Street Journal has a video section that works, but CNBC will not work. Also YouTube does work, but it dumb downs the site and I clicked a video link from email and it didn't not load.
Click to expand...

Is this using the included browser or using dolphin? Im currently using dolphin HD and using the browser to watch youtube videos works fine.

I guess i should clarify what i mean by video playback. I want to be able to watch my videos with a video player. Things like avi's and mp4's. Apparently using handbreak's ipod/ipad preference with better pixel orientations works, i just gotta be less lazy.
 
My only issue so far with the browser is that the NC doesn't play nice with xboxlive.com. I try to login, and the page crashes when it finishes loading...both Dolphin HD and the stock browser. Dunno what's up with that.
 
Bomo said:
Is this using the included browser or using dolphin? Im currently using dolphin HD and using the browser to watch youtube videos works fine.

I guess i should clarify what i mean by video playback. I want to be able to watch my videos with a video player. Things like avi's and mp4's. Apparently using handbreak's ipod/ipad preference with better pixel orientations works, i just gotta be less lazy.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I meant not rooted. I used video playback in Skyfire and it works as well.

I haven't tried standalone playback yet, but I use RockPlayer on my phone. It's probably not the best but it plays different formats.

Question, how and where do I enter these lines of code to make things work?
http://nookdevs.com/NookColor_Enable_Live_Wallpapers

Such as live wallpapers...I don't know how to do that.
 
BigBeef said:
Sorry, I meant not rooted. I used video playback in Skyfire and it works as well.

I haven't tried standalone playback yet, but I use RockPlayer on my phone. It's probably not the best but it plays different formats.

Question, how and where do I enter these lines of code to make things work?
http://nookdevs.com/NookColor_Enable_Live_Wallpapers

Such as live wallpapers...I don't know how to do that.
Click to expand...


The latter parts, the ones that begin with ADB, use the Android Debug Bridge. It's a tool that allows your computer to side load apps/ stuff onto the device.

Here's a link to setting it up for a nook color:
http://nookdevs.com/NookColor_USB_ADB

I believe the first parts are just command line stuff for linux computers. Thinks like unzip and setting permissions can be done without the command line in windows.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top