Nook HD buying questions

[Josieb1]

Hi

I am after a cheap 7inch tablet which I can use as an ereader and make notes on to either email home or ideally drop into Dropbox. The Nook HD is currently £159 for the 16gb so I am looking at that as I like the SD Card ability. I need to be able to use these apps and just wondered if anyone could confirm I could use them please?

Kindle
Dropbox
Some kind of documents app (I use Pages on my iPad)
A PDF reader
Google Docs
Facebook (ideally)
Web access (when on wifi)

Basically I write book reviews for a web site and when commuting I want to be able to read and write reviews. I currently read on a Kindle PW and write reviews on an iPhone when out and about but the iPhone is a bit small.

I've never had an android device so not really sure what I'm getting, I've always been an apple person but the current iPad mini is far too expensive considering the screen it has.

Thanks

[mystika1]

I use all of the things on your list except for dropbox. Maybe someone else can answer that one.. :-) I have the larger hd+ and it is wonderful.

Penny

[Josieb1]

Thank you, I'm off to play with one.

[Rbneader]

Since the update to add Google Play it's basically a full Android tablet. I don't think any of those apps will cause problems or be incompatible.

[Josieb1]

Thank you, I picked one up tonight and so far i'm very happy with it.

[oj829]

Dropbox was an app always available in the nook app store even before B&N became a part of the borg and opened up to officially supporting Google Play. In fact, even with the new Google-poisoned firmware update, you can still download "pure" nook apps including Dropbox and the Dolphin browser (which has Flash support that the Nook HD/HD+ no longer supports. There WAS a flash plugin for the native Nook HD web browser - not labeled as such - but since Google chrome muscled out the native Nook browser, Flash went buh-bye on the Web on the HD.)

(Re-looking at your list, you'll need Google Play to get Google Docs or the Kindle app, but all of the other capabilities you list were there on a NookHD pre-Google Play.)

[Josieb1]

I write book reviews so for me Kindle, Dropbox and Google Docs plus a decent PDF reader were the most important. I'm happy with everything so far except the PDF reader as I want reflow with the ability to increase text size. So far only Foxit seems to be able to work like that.

Thanks for your input.

[taosaur]

Originally Posted by oj829

In fact, even with the new Google-poisoned firmware update, you can still download "pure" nook apps including Dropbox and the Dolphin browser (which has Flash support that the Nook HD/HD+ no longer supports.

You are the first human being I've encountered who is upset that B&N "joined the Borg" rather than trying to reinvent the wheel on limited resources. They're Android devices, man. Pretending otherwise was a failed marketing move.

Originally Posted by Josieb1

I write book reviews so for me Kindle, Dropbox and Google Docs plus a decent PDF reader were the most important. I'm happy with everything so far except the PDF reader as I want reflow with the ability to increase text size. So far only Foxit seems to be able to work like that.

Thanks or your input.

The last time I tried a PDF was several versions ago, but Mantano Reader had good reflow with adjustable font size at that time. I remember finding it superior to EZPDF for text-dominated PDFs. I avoid PDFs whenever possible, but I understand some businesses and publishers still use it just to have a (bloated, inflexible, inefficient) standard.

Some apps are incompatible or just don't run properly on the Nook HD/HD+, but all of your cloud apps work fine. The only major app I use that doesn't work is Google Voice.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by taosaur

The last time I tried a PDF was several versions ago, but Mantano Reader had good reflow with adjustable font size at that time. I remember finding it superior to EZPDF for text-dominated PDFs. I avoid PDFs whenever possible, but I understand some businesses and publishers still use it just to have a (bloated, inflexible, inefficient) standard.

I actually discovered this app just as you posted. I have lite version now and am very impressed.

Thank you

[oj829]

Originally Posted by taosaur

You are the first human being I've encountered who is upset that B&N "joined the Borg" rather than trying to reinvent the wheel on limited resources. They're Android devices, man. Pretending otherwise was a failed marketing move.

And keeping app-sideloading disabled means it's still critically crippled. Now B&N is pretending it's ... something different. Not sure what. But all NookHD app access is controlled by Google and/or B&N. Smells like Apple to me.

For some people, being part of the Googleborg is not the be all and end-all of portable achievement. The new FW means, for one thing, that the NookHD is not really the family-tab it was meant to be. Under the new firmware, you can't get Flash without Nook Dolphin (yes, I know it's dying; it's also still necessary at a lot of news sites). "Article View" is gone because their old browser is.

Dealkillers? Maybe not for a lot of people, but the switch caused a lot of chaos in our home. Speaking for myself, I got my own $129 HD, a $55 N2A card, and have declined to load Google shovelware which is becoming more of a PITA than its worth.

[Josieb1]

I wouldn't have bought a Nook Tablet without Google Play. I need the Kindle app, its a deal breaker for me.