Fire - Nook Tablet or Other??

[sherbearjt08]

Hi. I've read a million posts on here and now I have some questions.

I have a NC with CM7 from June 2011. I know I need to upgrade but I am looking at a newer ereader.

1. Storage - I have an 8GB card with tons of books and have 5GB left, so 8GB would be a minimum on storage.

2. Apps - I buy from BooksonBoard a lot. That is Adilko, can I get that on NT or Fire without rooting?

3. epubs - alot of already downloaded books are epubs from Smashwords, etc. How can I get them on to either device?

4. Books - I find myself buying more from Amazon than B&N.

5. Movies and music - haven't used my NC for either

6. Rooting - would prefer not to, if I can just download an app and change some settings. Definately need to access whichever store I don't buy the reader from. (I am going to get a new SD card and do a new card to upgrade my NC, but its a pain not to be able just to use something from the box)

7. Games - i do have some games that I downloaded to my NC that I like to play, but not alot.

I did buy the Fire but freaked out and returned it when I saw it did not have expandable memory. (now I wonder if I really need it for what I use it for). It was a really nice device. The NC is heavy, and that I don't like. Would I use it more as a tablet if I could - maybe. The NC is very slow. My main concern would be getting epubs onto the new device and getting to Adilko, Moonreader (epubs) and either Kindle or B&N App.

Or maybe there is a good tablet out there for around $250?

Appreciate all the input.

[jocampo]

If you don't need color, maybe you should get an eink reader.

Now, if you watch movies or browse Internet a lot, I believe the Nook Tablet is better than Kindle. However, I ended return it because I mainly buy from Amazon. Because I wanted a reader, not a multimedia device, I found no reason to buy a Nook Tablet if I am not going to use it as an ereader device anyway. The Nook Tablet is less open, but better hardware and more vivid colors than Kindle.

Now, I respect your comment about SD cards, but if you are going to buy from any regular online store like B&N or Amazon, you should not worry about that, as they all reside in the cloud.

You can still download and back 'em up via Calibre locally, on your PC at home, but as long as you have wifi or some connectivity, you can get any book any time, in seconds.

[sherbearjt08]

I use Calibre right now and typically side load if I need to. I can still do that with either a NT or a Fire?

I like the color - I had a Sony eink before this. I want to use it as a multimedia device but the NC is too slow. I wanted something I could use as a multimedia device without losing my epub books.

I should say that I don't buy from B&N that much. Amazon has much better store and selection and pricing. Not to mention the Amazon Prime membership which looks awesome.

[tubemonkey]

I'd wait a few months. For example, Asus is supposed to be releasing a quad core tablet in the second quarter for around $250. As other quad cores hit the market, expect to see last year's dual cores at a discount.

Full blown Android tablets give you full access to Android Market, all ereader apps, mSD card slot, cameras, GPS, etc. The Fire and Nooks are saddled with compromises.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by sherbearjt08

My main concern would be getting epubs onto the new device and getting to Adilko, Moonreader (epubs) and either Kindle or B&N App.

Pretty easy to do with the Fire since Amazon has left it open to sideloading apps.

The Nook Tab is locked down more than the Color is. When the Tab first came out you could sideload apps no problem, but then B&N did an update which took that ability away. (or maybe you can, but not as easily http://liliputing.com/2011/12/sidelo...-required.html) So you'd have to root the Tab in order to get other apps on it...

More info here on rooting (note: I've not tried this myself)...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I403bagL9rw
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1466583

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I'd wait a few months. For example, Asus is supposed to be releasing a quad core tablet in the second quarter for around $250. As other quad cores hit the market, expect to see last year's dual cores at a discount.

Full blown Android tablets give you full access to Android Market, all ereader apps, mSD card slot, cameras, GPS, etc. The Fire and Nooks are saddled with compromises.

+1, this would be the way to go if the price holds true.

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by sherbearjt08

I use Calibre right now and typically side load if I need to. I can still do that with either a NT or a Fire?

I like the color - I had a Sony eink before this. I want to use it as a multimedia device but the NC is too slow. I wanted something I could use as a multimedia device without losing my epub books.

I should say that I don't buy from B&N that much. Amazon has much better store and selection and pricing. Not to mention the Amazon Prime membership which looks awesome.

If money is not an issue, or ... in other words, if you can afford a 300 bucks tablet, wait and/or buy something different than the Kindle Fire. Also, if you're like me and buy from Amazon mostly, do not spend your money in the Nook Tablet and get something that works out of the box.

Take a look on several Samsung Tablets, 7 and 9 inches. More expensive but full Android experience. Depending of the model, some have a few ports that Fire does not.

[BruceMcF]

Originally Posted by sherbearjt08

Hi. I've read a million posts on here and now I have some questions.

I have a NC with CM7 from June 2011. I know I need to upgrade but I am looking at a newer ereader.

1. Storage - I have an 8GB card with tons of books and have 5GB left, so 8GB would be a minimum on storage.

Physical storage: ++ Nook Tablet, ++Kobo Vox, --Kindle Fire
Cloud Storage: ++Kindle Fire, +Nook Tablet, +Kobo Vox

2. Apps - I buy from BooksonBoard a lot. That is Adilko, can I get that on NT or Fire without rooting?

Don't need Aldiko to read BooksonBoard DRM'd ePubs on a Nook, but do need to sideload from a PC via Adobe ADE. Kindle Fire needs to sideload Adilko, since its stock reader is not an ePub ereader. Kobo Vox can load Aldiko, and AFAIR its an ADE system, so it may be able to read BooksonBoard directly.

++Kobo Vox, +Kindle Fire, +Nook Tablet

3. epubs - alot of already downloaded books are epubs from Smashwords, etc. How can I get them on to either device?

DropBox or USB will copy books onto any of the three, or copy onto a microSD and plug into a Nook Tablet or Kobo Vox. Kobo Vox and Nook Tablet read ePub natively, Kindle Fire need an app.

++Kobo Vox, ++Nook Tablet, +Kindle Fire

4. Books - I find myself buying more from Amazon than B&N.

Kindle Fire is the best portal to Amazon, then Kobo Vox since it can install the Android market directly and Kindle Android app without muss or fuss, Nooks bring up the rear.

++Kindle Fire, +Kobo Vox, -Nook Tablet

5. Movies and music - haven't used my NC for either

All three are fine streaming video media tablets, all three have Pandora, all three let you download MP3's from DropBox and play onboard. Sound on the Kindle Fire should be better with stereo speaker. Nook Tablet 16G has the best Netflix performance if you have enough bandwidth at home to max Netflix out.

Streaming & Music, headphones: ++all
Streaming & Music, speaker: ++Kindle Fire, +Kobo Vox, +Nook Tablet

For Amazon Prime members, Kindle Fire is best. Kobo Vox would be second, despite being the lower powered of the three, because its easier to download Amazon's apps for Android.

Amazon Prime: ++Kindle Fire, +Kobo Vox, -Nook Tablet

6. Rooting - would prefer not to, if I can just download an app and change some settings. Definately need to access whichever store I don't buy the reader from. (I am going to get a new SD card and do a new card to upgrade my NC, but its a pain not to be able just to use something from the box)

Vox is open, Kindle Fire needs sideloading, Nook Tablet needs rooting to get beyond the small B&N market.

++ Kobo Vox, +Kindle Fire, -Nook Tablet

7. Games - i do have some games that I downloaded to my NC that I like to play, but not alot.

All three have the horsepower to play smartphone-oriented games, so I'd expect this is the same as the rooting ranking:

++ Kobo Vox, +Kindle Fire, -Nook Tablet

Decide which of your criteria are your highest priorities ~ its possible to sort those criteria to make the Kindle Fire, the Nook Tablet or the Kobo Vox come out on top, so its a matter of what your priorities are.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by BruceMcF

Kobo Vox can load Aldiko, and AFAIR its an ADE system, so it may be able to read BooksonBoard directly.

The Vox can sideload Aldiko (although I'd choose Mantano over Aldiko), but it can't read ADE books without an app sideloaded. Unlike the eInk Kobo's it doesn't support Adobe Adept DRM directly.



The only other comment I'd make on the Vox is that it's no upgrade to the Nook Color. It's very similar in specs to the NC (single core processor, etc.).

[sherbearjt08]

I used Adilko because I can download direct from Booksonboard.com.

My epub books were sideloaded using Calibre.

I'm thinking the option of waiting for the Asus Tablet might be the best bet. Comes out around my birthday. I'm going to try to set up a new SD card tonight with a newer CM7 or 9, whichever is recommended to see if that speeds things up.

More comments appreciated!

[BruceMcF]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

The Vox can sideload Aldiko (although I'd choose Mantano over Aldiko), but it can't read ADE books without an app sideloaded. Unlike the eInk Kobo's it doesn't support Adobe Adept DRM directly.

Thanks ~ as I indicated, I wasn't clear on the latter, though I'd read a detailed step by step on loading ADE via the Aldiko app on the Kobo. The Kobo eInk's being directly supported and the Vox not probably accounts for confusion on that in the coverage.

The only other comment I'd make on the Vox is that it's no upgrade to the Nook Color. It's very similar in specs to the NC (single core processor, etc.).

I'd only reckon it an an upgrade in terms of weight and ability to run apps out of the box without rooting ~ even there the screen is widely reviewed as worse than the IPS 1024x600 in the NC and the NT is an upgrade on that, especially in direct sunlight.

While I don't place a substantial priority on whether I have to root a subsidized Android media tablet, nor on weight, the OP did seem to, and in both respects the Kobo is an improvement. I'll normally trade an ounce or two for better built quality, which the NC has over the Vox, except for the failure point of the USB power supply plug.