Quote:
Originally Posted by kartu
Very interesting. Where can I see the list of standard android apps that I can install on Nook Touch without hacking it?
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Since B&N sells and supports some popular Android Apps for the Nook Color, some have speculated that it's only a matter of time before the Nook Touch is granted similar access. I rather doubt that (and I think you do, too). Android development has plenty of existing hurdles related aspect ratios and screen resolution without considering e-ink's special little snowflake requirements.
Only a tiny minority of the standard Android apps I installed on my (rooted, obviously) Nook Touch worked well. Most apps ran more like "proof of concept" party tricks than consumer-ready apps -- plenty good for hobbyists and geeks, but too quirky for mainstream consumers. Standard things that mobile apps routinely employ, like splash pages and menu animations, look terrible on an e-ink display and cause delays while the screen re-re-refreshes and tries to keep up.
Forgive me if I'm reading too much into your statement, kartu, but I think that your point, however subtle, was that Android's "standard" label isn't a big bonus on an e-ink device, because e-ink devices aren't the "standard" for which Android was designed, as evidenced by the fact that "standard" Android apps don't work and play well on an Android-powered e-ink device.
I agree that Sony probably expended a lot of effort in reworking (or rewrapping) everything and pouring it into an Android-flavored package, and simply extending their existing foundation would have been easier, at least in the short run.
However, I believe that their (apparent) choice to go with Android stems from the introduction of Sony's new Android tablets. A Sony accountant probably saw an opportunity to spread their Android startup costs over two departments instead of one (I'm only half-joking), and as the products are similar, there are some long-term efficiencies to be gained by having one common development environment (possibly more perceived than actual).
That said, having used Sony Reader's Android (cr)application in all its poorly designed, non-intuitive "glory", I'm afraid. I'm very afraid.