some Nook questions

[BeccaPrice]

I'm thinking about getting a Nook Color or maybe the Tablet - while I tend to be an Amazon girl, I don't think the Fire is ready for prime time just yet, and the Nook's specs are better. Too, Nooks just look more "finished" than other ereaders do.

I do have some questions about the Nooks in general.

I have heard that you need to have an active credit card on file with B&N, or your Nook is basically a brick - is this true? Can you get a B&N gift card and use that instead?

I've also heard that Nooks treat "books" (purchased from B&N) differently than "documents" (books purchased from someplace else, like Baen). How does that difference manifest?

My third question is about the sequestering of memory. I buy very few books from places like B&N or Amazon, and get more from places like Baen and Smashwords. I've heard that you can ask at a B&N store to change the memory partition - has anybody actually done this?

Thanks!

[geertm]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

I'm thinking about getting a Nook Color or maybe the Tablet - while I tend to be an Amazon girl, I don't think the Fire is ready for prime time just yet, and the Nook's specs are better. Too, Nooks just look more "finished" than other ereaders do.

I do have some questions about the Nooks in general.

I have heard that you need to have an active credit card on file with B&N, or your Nook is basically a brick - is this true? Can you get a B&N gift card and use that instead?

I've also heard that Nooks treat "books" (purchased from B&N) differently than "documents" (books purchased from someplace else, like Baen). How does that difference manifest?

My third question is about the sequestering of memory. I buy very few books from places like B&N or Amazon, and get more from places like Baen and Smashwords. I've heard that you can ask at a B&N store to change the memory partition - has anybody actually done this?

Thanks!

1. B&N's DRM uses the credit card number and name to encrypt the books. So you always need a valid credit card, even when using gift cards.

2. Only the original Nook ereader treated non-B&N books different. All other Nook eraders show all your books in one library view.

3. B&N stores can only repartition Nook Colors at the moment, and only to the new partitioning model ( 5 GB B&N content, 1 GB non-B&N).
If you are only sideloading books than the 1 GB available for non-B&N content on the Nook Color and Nook Tablet is enough for more than 1000 books. And a 4 GB micro SD-card enough for more than 4000 books will only cost you about $5.
And if you are buying B&N magazines and apps you will be glad that B&N partitioned the memory this way.