Touch Real advantages of a (rooted) Nook Touch

[K_Dua]

Android openness VS. competition



So.... in the end.. what are the real advantages of getting (and rooting) an Android eink ereader ?

If one roots a Nook touch.. one gains some ground in comparison to the factory Nook Touch.. cos u get to keep the factory usage and u gain access to the android market.
Still, what is the betterment comparing to any of the other ereaders ?

- 0 - How does the Rooting process flow?
Must one register the Reader with B&N, or can anyone, even outside the US do it ? Is, not being able to buying ebooks with the Nook Touch itself, the only limitation, for a non american owner ?

- 1 - How's the PDF support ?

_ Is there any Android App that allows one to read and take notes on a pdf, maybe even save them and export them ?
- if so, are the files exported as an image, or is one able to keep using them as pdfs ?

_ how's the scanned PDF support, for eg ?

_ is the Aldiko app the only one allowing PDF usage in landscape mode ?

-2 - Are there any apps available which allow one to open different formats, such as TXT. or Doc. , for eg ? PDF and EPUB support is great, but what about other formats ? (Kindle books (through Kindle app) is known to work, for eg.)

- 3 - What about Internet browsing and media usage? Is the Opera Mini app the best choice? What apps should be top10 , for a Rooted Nook Touch owner ?


- 4- Dictionaries .. Best options ?

- 5 - Running Wikipedia offline ?
Has anyone been able to do it ? The thread has been frozen for a while ..

Hardware :

- 6 - Stylus (Wacom penabled) support ?
The Sony readers have great support for other styluses. Nook doesn't seem as good.

- 7 - Accessing the data from the SD card _ Speed .
Any problems ?


- 8 - Usability of a 6" screen ?
Can one use it to browse the web when working&researching for data?
_Whats the extended use average time on such a small screen? Does one feel the need to go for a backlit and bigger desktop screen , for eg ?
Can one rely on it to work, in order to rest the eye-sight from LCD screens?




In the end.. does one really gain grounds by going the extra mile and buying&rooting a Nook Touch, or is the distance towards the Sony, or the Asus..for eg.. , somewhat slim ?

These and other issues are my main concerns before acquiring the Nook Touch, in Europe (importing it from the US).


I'd appreciate some light on these or other issues..

[PF4Mobile]

Please see my answers below

Originally Posted by K_Dua

Android openness VS. competition



So.... in the end.. what are the real advantages of getting (and rooting) an Android eink ereader ?

If one roots a Nook touch.. one gains some ground in comparison to the factory Nook Touch.. cos u get to keep the factory usage and u gain access to the android market.
Still, what is the betterment comparing to any of the other ereaders ?

- 0 - How does the Rooting process flow?
Must one register the Reader with B&N, or can anyone, even outside the US do it ? Is, not being able to buying ebooks with the Nook Touch itself, the only limitation, for a non american owner ?

here is what I did:

I registered the ereader with B&N. I am in Canada, no problem with that. Skipped adding the address and the CC.

Rooted the device as instructed here:
http://www.the-ebook-reader.com/nook-touch-root.html

More info also here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1138564

This is very comprehensive collection of links..



- 1 - How's the PDF support ?

Natively it is not great

_ Is there any Android App that allows one to read and take notes on a pdf, maybe even save them and export them ?
- if so, are the files exported as an image, or is one able to keep using them as pdfs ?

ezPDF and Repligo are PERFECT. You get all you need

_ how's the scanned PDF support, for eg ?

I have tried that accidentally, was not scanned but a PDF doc printed to rescale the size of everything. What I ddi was to print a letter doc to a reduced format B5. The document was visible no problems with the speed.

_ is the Aldiko app the only one allowing PDF usage in landscape mode ?

Nope. The above can do a lot more than Aldiko. Did not like Aldiko.

-2 - Are there any apps available which allow one to open different formats, such as TXT. or Doc. , for eg ? PDF and EPUB support is great, but what about other formats ? (Kindle books (through Kindle app) is known to work, for eg.)

I came across of a CHM viewer... can`t remember the name, I was not interested in it

- 3 - What about Internet browsing and media usage? Is the Opera Mini app the best choice? What apps should be top10 , for a Rooted Nook Touch owner ?
Could not get Opera to run in Landscape mode. Not extremely happy with it. Web is just for extreme situations, not recommended. Long term reading/browsing not very comfortable.


- 4- Dictionaries .. Best options ?

Have not tried one but I cam across of a couple Webster versions..see the Market

- 5 - Running Wikipedia offline ?
Has anyone been able to do it ? The thread has been frozen for a while ..

Did not try that and I don`t really understand what you want to say with off line.

Hardware :

- 6 - Stylus (Wacom penabled) support ?
The Sony readers have great support for other styluses. Nook doesn't seem as good.
I tried an Wacom pen stylus and a eee note stylus, none of them worked. I would love to have one that I can use with this ereader.

- 7 - Accessing the data from the SD card _ Speed .
Any problems ?

Nope, I could not see any difference between the two. The slot for the microsd card is not very usable, Kobo is better in this sense. you better leave the card there once you inserted it. You can get it in and out by pushing it with the pin of a pen or something similar in size. Using your nail might work, using the tip of your finger is very difficult if not impossible. Strong nails required :-) and longer.

- 8 - Usability of a 6" screen ?
Can one use it to browse the web when working&researching for data?
Not great I would say. All the other functions other than reading and annotating ebooks in epub format are difficult. You have to use all sort of triks to get the readability you need for a comfortable reading. rescaling everything to 800x600 is the problem here


_Whats the extended use average time on such a small screen? Does one feel the need to go for a backlit and bigger desktop screen , for eg ?
Can one rely on it to work, in order to rest the eye-sight from LCD screens?

Have not used it long enough to tell you how it is.
I will soon start reading
The big problem that I see with studying on such device is that when and if you have to go back to refresh something ...let`s say you have reached a paragraph that needs you to review something that is a couple of pages back ..then ggoing back is anoing athough you know that on a 10`screen or on paper that will be on the same page. On the 6`with epub at list I had to browse back and I had problems with finding the right page/paragraph.
I would say that casual reading and some annotations would work. Studying...it depends on your style and on what you study or work on.


In the end.. does one really gain grounds by going the extra mile and buying&rooting a Nook Touch, or is the distance towards the Sony, or the Asus..for eg.. , somewhat slim ?

I did not have the time to wait for Sony or Kindle to come with something new insize or capabilities, I believe that Kindle is the first one that will really improve the PDF reading and annotation.
That unless Nook has plans for a 10" android which I will by in a second

Onyx's Wacom based could be a very good one but because the software development seems to be slow I don't see them making major changes. Nook's options to get traction basing their ereader on Android is one of the best decision in my opinion!!


These and other issues are my main concerns before acquiring the Nook Touch, in Europe (importing it from the US).
I have made some suggestions in the Onyx thread, you already know them

I'd appreciate some light on these or other issues..

[K_Dua]

well..

that put me off a little bit... lol ..

My idea with a small reader was :

portability&speed and Web browsing

so i could 'almost' have an eink tablet in my bag, 3secs away.. and also be able to go through a couple of books i need to read this Summer while i wait for a solid 9"/10" reader.
I, in deed, have been talking to Nathan from the links you posted, and he agreed with me, in terms of awesome speed (both touch & page turning and WebBrowsing) for a eink device. He was really excited about the Opera app.. but u seem not be of the same opinion. Not being able to run it in landscape mode is pretty lame.

I might go for a refurbished Sony 950, or just call it quits and go with the M90, .. but i hate buying a short term product. Specially when a good alternative might months away...

Yes.. i am a musician(composer)&writer and i'm going into Architecture now.. which means.. i will be reading & researching both offline&online even more than presently.. I really need to get my eyes off these LCD 50-60Hz frequencies..
I'm gonna get an Asus Slate in September and .. coupling it with a good solid large screen eink device would make for a brilliant work-platform. (plus i need light weight stuff on my backpack,cos i bike everywhere)

What i mean by running Wikipedia offline is _ uploading the total amount of the encyclopedia onto a SDcard .. which currently occupies between 8 and 12G (english version) allowing one to access it even if you're not over WiFi. I've read here in MR that is possible but the thread has been on a bump .. for a while now.

But.... if u tell me that one cant go online with decent comfort and speed with the Nook Touch.. then i'll just go for a bigger screen device alone, for reading.. cos the Nook seems to be, by far, the quickest ereader online, currently.
Have you tried the Tablet apps Nathan speaks about, other than the Opera mini ?
It kinda oozes while refreshing, like on the review video he's put up.. but it seems more user friendly.

I'll turn my attention to the M90again , then... lol ..
(its like u say_ if only the Nook Touch was 10".. or the Sony, for that matter.)

Thanks very much mate.
We'll keep talking

[EldRick]

If you want good PDF support, buy a Kobo Touch - it offers pan, zoom, and landscape support. and performance is reasonable. Their browser is also usable for simple tasks, unlike the K3 and NT.

I have both Nook Touch and K3 (and tested a K-DX-G), and PDF support on all three of them is horrible - unusable, IMHO.

[PF4Mobile]

Originally Posted by EldRick

If you want good PDF support, buy a Kobo Touch - it offers pan, zoom, and landscape support. and performance is reasonable. Their browser is also usable for simple tasks, unlike the K3 and NT.

I have both Nook Touch and K3 (and tested a K-DX-G), and PDF support on all three of them is horrible - unusable, IMHO.

If you need to annotate a PDF with Nook Touch you can't. That is the end of the story for us. I hope I remember that correctly.

[K_Dua]

hehehe... :P

Well i guess i'm folding on this one then..
Hell.. i cant read without annotations.. I always have a pencil when reading paperback.
And TextEdit is always open, when reading online, on the MAC/PC.

I don't understand why developers don't figger out that there is a lot of ppl that would rather go for 2 or 3 thousand page turns instead of 7 or 8 thousand . Battery life.... VS. only one faster readers.. and BIGGER! screens! I'm sure there's a balance somewhere..
Just not where the market's at, currently..!

What good is it having the (eink) format.. if one cant make use of it? I would actually like to know the % of ppl who use paperback in A4 size, against the ones who use smaller formats.. in everyday life.. I'd bet the ones who read with a "6inch screen-size" are way less than 30% !!

just a thought.........


PS: thanks for your help friends.

Again.. , i guess i'll wait for some market brand to catch up with their users.


PS2: LOL are all ereader clients campers or sth.. that they can't charge their readers every couple of days..instead of every couple of weeks.. Is that convenience really not just a luxury being traded for actual usability ??!
(the same thought.. still ..)

[PF4Mobile]

Originally Posted by K_Dua

hehehe... :P

Well i guess i'm folding on this one then..
Hell.. i cant read without annotations.. I always have a pencil when reading paperback.
And TextEdit is always open, when reading online, on the MAC/PC.

I don't understand why developers don't figger out that there is a lot of ppl that would rather go for 2 or 3 thousand page turns instead of 7 or 8 thousand . Battery life.... VS. only one faster readers.. and BIGGER! screens! I'm sure there's a balance somewhere..
Just not where the market's at, currently..!

What good is it having the (eink) format.. if one cant make use of it? I would actually like to know the % of ppl who use paperback in A4 size, against the ones who use smaller formats.. in everyday life.. I'd bet the ones who read with a "6inch screen-size" are way less than 30% !!

just a thought.........


PS: thanks for your help friends.

Again.. , i guess i'll wait for some market brand to catch up with their users.


PS2: LOL are all ereader clients campers or sth.. that they can't charge their readers every couple of days..instead of every couple of weeks.. Is that convenience really not just a luxury being traded for actual usability ??!
(the same thought.. still ..)

6" vs 10" is casual reading vs studying
6" easier to carry or to hold
10" better rendering for documents in letter or A4, less battery life probably
each has it's pros and cons.

[PF4Mobile]

Hey K_Dua... have a look at this
http://www.innoversal.com.tw/en-us/p...s/lattice.aspx

It is not e-ink, it's a kind of but it is 10" and Android!
Not sure when I can buy one or read some reviews. I will dig more into it

[=X=]

You might really want to consider a NookColor or a Samsung Tab 7". These devices are LCD but they pretty much cover all your needs.

The battery life is about 4-8hrs depending on what your usage. Just reading on these devices will give you long battery life.

I have a nookCOLOR and I've rooted the device and installed CM7(completel removed the stock OS). I carry it everywhere with me and it is a great device for reading ANY format, annotating PDF, ePUB, MOBI, MS Word documents, etc..

Surfing on the device is fantastic, I personally use Opera Mobile since it has hardware acceleration and renders the pages better than Opera Mini. Mini is great when I have a slow network connection and need the data compressed.

I'm keeping my eye on the nook Touch since it is an eInk device the battery life is excellent. Right now the stock OS is quite limited because of B&N. Once the dev community gets some stick time I'm hoping they can create a full Android ROM that will give the same features as the nook Color.



=X=

[K_Dua]

Thanks P4FMobile.. I had gone through their Papyrus ereader before..a couple of times.. but its no better than the competition.. (also not Pearl eink ) and its an 8" screen..

As to their tablet is concerned.. .... well.... i've been all over the Adam tablet (Notion Ink) since December 2009!.. and... i was really .. really close to getting it. they were the 1st using Pixel Qi tech.
I talked to this guy here in Portugal who was able to get one on the 1st pre-order.. and i was put off a little bit, too. Its not that its not great.. Its just that i'll spend €1000 on the Asus Slate ep121 (thats a real! computer) a couple of months from now.. and i wont need a similar screen.

The issue here is really getting my eyes off these screens for as much time as i can.
Battery life is important .. specially because the Asus Slate will go for 4hours tops!.. but i couldnt care less for more than a couple of days.. per charge, on an eink device.

I read a lot on screen , i research a lot.. and i mix music a lot as well.. so sometimes there are days that i spend like.. 13..14hours looking at a screen..

What i need is a eink device that will allow me to get my eyes off these screens here.. and my ass off this chair at my office/studio hehehe.. , and just work with a capable eink device. *

=X=

i've actually played for a couple of minutes with a Samsung 7" this past weekend at a store here.. and it was pretty nice. Still the initial idea was always an eink device.. Going with a 6" like the Nook..is just a buying-time idea.. while there are no solid 9"plus .. ereaders.. (and 'improvising' an eink web-browsing "small-tablet") .

Plus.. if i go with a 7" screen... i'll get a Sony Daily E. 950.. which is .. for me the most solid eink reader out there.. of them all !!
(its just that it is a 7"... lol .. and Sony might be launching a new ereader model soon)
Hell... i wouldnt mind paying $500 for a 10" one similar to the Sony.. Just as long as it would DO the job, u know.


Anyway.... thanks for all the input. much appreciate it.
The search goes on


* I believe i really need to let the market catch up with my expectations & anticipation...

[K_Dua]

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=133637

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpazF6ptq4o

if this becomes viable in a near future.. i might hold & wait..

Just thinking out loud :
Maybe even get a Kobo Touch.. in the meantime cos its WAY easier to get here in Europe than any of the Sony or Nook.
Its just that .. having a more-than-4-hour-battery-capable-Android-device still seduces me.. so i havent discarded the Nook touch 100%.

(Note: one can run android 2.1 (X86) on the Asus Slate.)

[PF4Mobile]

Use the Nook Touch till you get something better
You said you are getting into Architecture ...consider eee Note for drawing
It can also be used for reading, not great due to reflections...
Annotation is poor and not exportable. Landscape mode and annotations for PDF do not work toghether.

[jago25_98]

Dua, know exactly how you feel. I got a kobo and iPad. Both don't fill the gap. Debating a nook touch rooted with vnc tosave the eyes but really I should wait for mirasol displays? Truth is they could be blocked until the kindle marketing drive abates... Another year who knows

[K_Dua]

yeah.. that's a bummer .. jago25_98..

I've been checking updates on the Mirasol products..as well.. but so far.. its all pretty slim.

The problem with VNC through the NookTouch.. is that.. although one's using the e-ink screen.. its still a 6"s .... and .. that's like the dog-running-after-its-tail problem.. lol .. u know :P ?

You're sparing your eyes from 50-60Hz frequencies.. but you're frowning all the time..cos u can't even read the hyperlinks.. not to mention the strain&stress/frustration you inherit from trying to activate tinny hyperlinks with your fingertips.

I've recently decided not to exclude the spix screens .. Both Sony and Samsung use it.. as well as.. the PocketBooks 902 ..
Its a worse screen .. True.
Still, the difference is very relative.. considering other features.

Anyway.. I've awaiting on Sony's new models.
The 7" Sony is by far the best ereader out there.. in my opinion.. and if they update it.. or.. (i wish) release a 9or10" new model.. i'll buy it without even thinking twice.

Plus.. , (PF4Mobile) i've decided to not exclude a cheap 7" (LCD) tablet.. Its not as probable.. but i'm still looking at a couple of options.
The new Acer looks impressive.. and the Samsung is still a solid product.(both Not Cheap though :P)
But I would have to get one AS WELL AS getting the Eink device.

cheers

keep posting

[joQ]

Originally Posted by EldRick

If you want good PDF support, buy a Kobo Touch - it offers pan, zoom, and landscape support. and performance is reasonable. Their browser is also usable for simple tasks, unlike the K3 and NT.

I have both Nook Touch and K3 (and tested a K-DX-G), and PDF support on all three of them is horrible - unusable, IMHO.

Sony's pdf support is superior to Kobo. It has reflow and optional landscape mode. It even has the option of zooming in on 2 or 3 column pages to just the column you are reading, and then it will follow along the proper columns as you read. But alas, it's too expensive.