Touch Considering Buying. Wanting to know a couple things

[Lazaras]

My Nook Classic has a messed up screen (lines going verticle and horizontal) so while i can still use it the lower eight of the screen is hard to make out. Been a goodcouple years but time for an upgrade.It's either this or the kobo next7. I fully intend on hacking whichever i get so i have expanded functionality. I don't really expect much out of the nook (it's black and white with a low end, for tablets, processor.)

There are a few things I want to do though that are 'must' haves since I realize it's hit and miss on which apps will actually work. My biggest concern is the complaints that you only get half a keyboard to use. I don't know why that happens and it worries me. Greatly.

IM/IRC app.

Word Processor. Even something as simplistic as notepad would do, but I'd love something with a little more (think Focuswriter or Wordpad... though something like Abiword would be nice.) This is a big thing for me. I would love to have something like this especially something where i can save/pick up. Sure could n theory open google docs, but i want something where connectivity will be a non-issue (and still be able to sync to docs/google drive.)

MUSH app. I've heard Blowtorch is good but I don't know how well it works. Granted i know Color is a no-go but while Color would be nice so long as I can use the thing.

Would Be Nice:
Text Adventure/IF interpreter. Preferably something that could handle the infocom game formats but I'm not that picky so long as i can play SOMETHING to pass the time.

Gmail, RSS feeds, and maybe a couple boardgame like apps (thinkmonopoly, or Life, except hopefully something different.)

Am I asking for too much?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Lazaras

Am I asking for too much?

Personally my advice would be that, if you want a tablet, buy a tablet. Don't buy an eBook reader and try to make it into something that it's not.

There are lots of very nice, reasonably-priced, tablets on the market these days - take a look at the Galaxy Tab 2 7", for example.

[Lazaras]

$250 vs $99. Yes the Galaxy is very nice but really the features listed basically are what I'd want out of the device as a backup in case the computer's occupied. Plus eink display, I like that.

[SistahGolden]

You can get a brand new, color Nook Tablet direct from B&N on ebay right now for $149 http://www.ebay.com/itm/300707810483...ht_11090wt_966

Save the time and get a color screen and device designed to be a tablet for only a bit more.

[cutterjohn42]

Originally Posted by Lazaras

$250 vs $99. Yes the Galaxy is very nice but really the features listed basically are what I'd want out of the device as a backup in case the computer's occupied. Plus eink display, I like that.

If you watch you can find good deals on Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0+es. I ended up buying one while considering a kindle fire or nook tablet as the specs of the GT7+ are just superior in EVERY way to those two. Honeycomb on it is nice, and icecream sandwich should be hitting any day.

Kobo: run away from these clowns. I've owned both their WiFi version and Touch. Both had a tendency to self corrupt and/or randomly factory reset. They never figured out the touch driver as more than half the time I had to multi-tap to get a page turn and sometimes I'd get multi-page turns as if the device was busy doing something more important than responding to user input. i.e. their hardware is ok, but their firmware is strictly amateur hour, actually worse than amateur hour. My touch bricked itself yesterday, desktop sw wanted me to factory reset and now it just boot loops factory reset to poweroff then does again if you power on again. As to hacking them or getting any apps like that on their eink: forget about it.

If you're talking their Vox I'd still just stay away and go with a more reliable OEM, and I'd just generally stay away from those China tablet rebadgers(e.g. Kobo, Pandigital, etc.) unless you really like spending more time hacking your device than using it. (The Samsung is VERY nice for this, the shipped setup is so nice for me that I've no reason yet to want to hack it.)

eink: I'd go Sony, Nook Simple Touch or Kindle Touch which were my three choices yesterday when my POS Kobo Touch bricked itself and I ended up with the Nook Simple Touch(was in stock and available nearby). It is hackable and you could probably add the apps that you want but mine is an ereader as I've got a tablet & smartphone for other things, plus I bought a JXD s5110 recently purely for gaming(emulation mostly).

No multi-taps to do page turns(and other things) on my NST, nor does it randomly reset itself(yet)... Already it's shown itself to be VASTLY superior to Kobo. Kobo is just cheap junk and it's no longer even cheap versus the bigboys who know what they're actually doing.

[EDIT]
Oh, BTW LCD==next to USELESS in sunlight just so you know, well you certainly aren't going to be reading on it in sunlight... passable for a few simple short things.
[/EDIT]

[livramax]

The NST is great for reading and checking weather, top news headlines. Its screen resolution is not conducive for general email/shopping/web-surfing uses.