MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - HD/HD+ - What Are Your Must-Have Apps Now That Google Play Is Available?

Xanthe · 06-24-2013, 03:28 PM

I just put the N2A card in my Nook HD+ (bought the 32GB Class 4 card from Amazon and paid for the download N2A software - saved about $12, IIRC), because I wanted to see what was what with it, and I didn't want to break my warranty yet.

I don't know if you really gain all that much, now that Google Play is available. I suppose it depends on whether or not certain apps that you want are not available on the straight Nook platform. Using the N2A card allows you to download the apps that Nook blocks because they are "Unidentified Sources". You can access the Amazon Appstore with it. I'm guessing you can access the other Android app markets also, though I haven't tried that yet. I've been able to download Android apps directly from websites (IndieBound, for example). Both cores are now clocked at 800 MHz at rest, as opposed to the straight Nook's 396 MHz at rest; the device does open and close programs fast. You can install Flash on it, getting the software from Adobe's archived versions website. You also get full access to all the Android settings controls, not just the ones that B&N has sandboxed for us.

The limitations I've come across so far are the sites like Cablevision/Optimum which offer Android apps, but only for specific phone devices.

When powering up the device, it boots into N2A's CM10 software, but if you install a program called Quick Boot you can press its icon, choose "Bootloader" in the menu that comes up and it will reboot into the stock Nook software without powering down and up. To get back into CM10 if you are in the stock Nook software, though, you have to power down then power up - Quick Boot doesn't work on the Nook side. If you don't want to boot into CM10 at power up, you have to remove the microSD card from the device, because it defaults to that, and then you will just boot into stock Nook until you replace the N2A card.

I'm not going to put N2A on my HD because it's perfectly serviceable for the things I need it for as it is. My HD+ with N2A is now an unfettered Android tablet without having to root it and break the warranty.

06-24-2013, 03:28 PM	#16
Xanthe Plan B Is Now In Force Posts: 1,894 Karma: 8086979 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Surebleak Device: Aluratek,Sony 350/T1,Pandigital,eBM 911,Nook HD/HD+,Fire HDX 7/8.9,PW2	I just put the N2A card in my Nook HD+ (bought the 32GB Class 4 card from Amazon and paid for the download N2A software - saved about $12, IIRC), because I wanted to see what was what with it, and I didn't want to break my warranty yet. I don't know if you really gain all that much, now that Google Play is available. I suppose it depends on whether or not certain apps that you want are not available on the straight Nook platform. Using the N2A card allows you to download the apps that Nook blocks because they are "Unidentified Sources". You can access the Amazon Appstore with it. I'm guessing you can access the other Android app markets also, though I haven't tried that yet. I've been able to download Android apps directly from websites (IndieBound, for example). Both cores are now clocked at 800 MHz at rest, as opposed to the straight Nook's 396 MHz at rest; the device does open and close programs fast. You can install Flash on it, getting the software from Adobe's archived versions website. You also get full access to all the Android settings controls, not just the ones that B&N has sandboxed for us. The limitations I've come across so far are the sites like Cablevision/Optimum which offer Android apps, but only for specific phone devices. When powering up the device, it boots into N2A's CM10 software, but if you install a program called Quick Boot you can press its icon, choose "Bootloader" in the menu that comes up and it will reboot into the stock Nook software without powering down and up. To get back into CM10 if you are in the stock Nook software, though, you have to power down then power up - Quick Boot doesn't work on the Nook side. If you don't want to boot into CM10 at power up, you have to remove the microSD card from the device, because it defaults to that, and then you will just boot into stock Nook until you replace the N2A card. I'm not going to put N2A on my HD because it's perfectly serviceable for the things I need it for as it is. My HD+ with N2A is now an unfettered Android tablet without having to root it and break the warranty.