[Avenarius]

First of all, the stock device can read very few of my PDFs. Mostly I just get a big X every time I try to open a file. Since these files open fine on any device with Adobe Reader, my conclusion is that the built-in Quickoffice reader stinks. Secondly, the stock NC isn't very good even for epub files, as the screen is always cluttered with the status bar as well as book information at the top of the screen. One would think that the whole idea of replacing a book with an ereader is to simulate the printed page on a screen, but the NC goes completely against that by displaying all sorts of superfluous information while you're reading.

Despite these shortcomings, I decided to stick with my NC, as I'd read good things about how much better this device was after rooting. Unfortunately, the reading experience isn't much better on a rooted NC. Since my primary interest is reading PDFs, I first downloaded ezPDF reader after reading good reviews of it. This turned out to be a total waste of a dollar as the app either lags or freezes up completely with most of my PDF files. After two updates, it now won't even open most files. I then tried Adobe Reader and Aldiko, and both are able to open my PDFs without any problem. They also display pages without any screen clutter. The trouble is I can't figure out to how to get either reader to remember the page. Once the Nook goes into sleep mode, that's it, you have to go back and re-open the file, which of course resets the book or article to the beginning. This is a huge annoyance, as there's no reason the device shouldn't be able to remember the state of an app.

Aside from the problems with reading books, the rooted version is fairly difficult to use, especially for anyone with no experience with Android. Not only do apps exhibit some curious behavior - for example, if you open an app within another app, you have to press the home button before you can get back to the original app - but also file management seems fairly abstruse compared to a PC or Mac. Given the difficulty even with basic functions, I couldn't recommend rooting to anyone who's a novice at Android. On the other hand, the stock NC isn't really very usable, especially if you read PDFs.

All in all, the NC is a pretty awful reading device, which is a real shame too, as the hardware and screen seem really good. While I suppose a programmer could use the NC as a tablet, I can't really see much other use for it. It's cerainly not a universal or easy-to-use ereader.