10-17-2011, 04:41 PM | #1 |
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Nook STR Vs SONY & The World
I went to Best Buy today once more to check out a T1. I did the same a while ago and the unit they had was flashing like crazy when turning pages. So I didn't pick it up and figured I would come back to check another unit.
Well, I went today. I opened a book (the pre-loaded '80 days') and as I opened it, it started flipping pages... and that was it. It eventually stopped, but everything was frozen. Could not get it to respond at all. Taking it as a bad sign, I didn't, once more, purchase the device. Really glad I didn't now that I read that auto-delivery is not working at all right now on T1s... Anyhow... long intro to say that, for the first time, I saw a Nook STR live. And OMG - the screen is SOOOO much better than anything else I have seen so far. The T1, next to it, has a darker background and lighter fonts... as do all other readers I saw there. Now, I know this might belong in the Nook forum but it's the comparison with SONY I care about - anyone own both brands? Any insights on how the screens compare? Any other comparisons? I am really tempted to look into the Nook as a backup reader. Would that be feasible? If I remove DRM, will I be able to transfer my SONY-store books over? Is that even legal? |
10-17-2011, 04:43 PM | #2 |
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Most reports I've read say that the Nook STR seems to have a worse screen, fwiw. Although keeping in mind that they are all Pearl screens, I don't know if B&N Nook has a lower "grade" screen, or whether it was all random. I think the Nook STR, in terms of form factor, has everything I want in an ebook reader. Configurable side page turn buttons, touch screen, and wi-fi. I just don't think the implementation has been great, I don't like the restrictions around having non-B&N books, or the lack of a supported browser, etc. All of this may be fixable by rooting the STR and it's still on my "list" but I don't know if I should wait.
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10-17-2011, 04:46 PM | #3 | |
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I had one. You may want to do some reading in the NOOK sub-forum particularly about the home screen. None of your sideloaded content will appear on the homescreen, except what you are currently reading. The bottom row is for books they would like you to buy. On the right of the screen is a list of their books/periodicals you recently added to your library. For these reasons, many bypass the homescreen altogether and sleep from the library screen. You can't delete anything directly from the device. You must login to your online B&N NOOK account and delete books from there. You can archive stuff. I mention delete because they frequently force download samples to your device and you can't opt out of it. For sideloaded content you must connect to a computer and delete using a file manager. Book metadata is not recognized. Not even book summary. You must manually place your books on shelves. This can't be done on a computer or online to be synced. If you do a factory reset, you will need to redo your shelves directly on the device. Last edited by SCION; 10-17-2011 at 05:01 PM. |
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10-17-2011, 04:52 PM | #4 |
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The sooner you start remving DRM from your book collection, the less tears and hassle you'll have to go through later in life when you have more. The only people who shouldn't be worrying about it are the 'read and dispose' crowd.
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10-17-2011, 04:57 PM | #5 | |
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10-17-2011, 04:59 PM | #6 |
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10-17-2011, 04:59 PM | #7 | |
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10-17-2011, 05:00 PM | #8 |
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10-17-2011, 05:03 PM | #9 |
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I swear, I am tempted to buy a NOOK just so I can buy this cover:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/mast...=9781616825645 It's the coolest ebook reader cover ever!!!! |
10-17-2011, 05:05 PM | #10 | |
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10-17-2011, 05:11 PM | #11 |
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I was impressed with the Nook STR when I saw it in demo mode at Best Buy and thought the text looked fantastic. Then I drove across the street to B&N to play with one not in demo mode. The text looked like night and day. Partial refresh on the STR is not for me. I suggest you look at one in non-demo mode before making any final opinions since everybody is different on what they like or don't like.
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10-17-2011, 05:12 PM | #12 | |
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10-17-2011, 05:21 PM | #13 | |
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I just assumed screen quality would not be affected by it being in demo mode... but, given your comment, I'll look into it. I would be willing to put up with quirky software, if the screen is as good as what I saw there. |
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10-17-2011, 05:32 PM | #14 | |
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I was happy with the wireless, delivery, etc. Just that while the Nook STR has greatly improved how the Nook handles side-loaded content, it is still worse than the Sony line has been for 2-3 generations now. To me, the biggest deal is that the device gets out of my way when it comes time to read. The Kobo has the most useful home screen out of the box (IMO), because of this. The home screen can be my reading list. I can read a periodical and go back to my book with just a couple button presses. The Nook is pretty poor in this area with lots of wasted space on the home screen. The T1/x50 come in second behind the Kobo, but PRS+ can fix the x50s to my satisfaction, and I managed to produce a tweak to get the same out of the T1 as well (show recently opened on the home screen). Having good categorization of books is the other big deal, and the fact that the Kobo doesn't have shelves in any sense, and the Nook doesn't expose any way for apps like Calibre to auto-shelve for me got old really quick. Even with the issues, the T1 is hard to beat in this area, except maybe by the x50s. The Nook has been no more stable for me than the T1, but then again, I am not one of the folk hitting the T1 crashes. I can't deny that they happen though, and the Nook is probably more stable at this point. I just found out that really the only thing I like over the Nook vs the x50 is the font selection, and I got that with PRS+. Amasis on the T1 has less 'fuzzy' text in my books than the Nook did, as well, oddly enough. It feels like a lot of companies are snatching defeat from the jaws of victory (Sony, Nook and Kobo are all doing it). I'd go Kindle if that didn't mean tying myself more closely to their ecosystem. Right now I like the fact that I can lookup, buy and download from most ePub sellers on the T1 without whipping out the PC. |
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10-17-2011, 05:33 PM | #15 |
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I have both a Nook STR and a Sony PRS-T1 and I think that the Sony screen is much more readable. I find the Sony to be clearer and especially better in that the print spacing is not squinched vertically in the Sony as it is in the Nook. Yes, while the Nook supposedly has a vertical spacing control, it does not work too well with many of the ePub books that I have. One more reason to detest ePub. Sony, PLEASE bring back BBeB, it was SOOOO MUCH more readable.
Harvey |
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