Color Newbie questions - max memory, USB and Froyo

[ggjone]

Hi all,
I have purchased a Nook Color and it is on the way. Cant wait.

I have a number of questions, many of which this forum has helped me answer but I have a few left over...

1. Now B&N state that it comes with 8Gb RAM and can be expanded to 32Gb - does this mean that an additional 32Gb MicroSD card with bring it to 40Gb total or will it only address a total of 32Gb, thus 8Gb is wasted (so perhaps I should get a 16Gb Micro SD)?

2. I would like to use the NC to view pictures from my digital camera, which has a normal SD card. Is there are way to do this without first transferring to a PC then uploading via the USB cable or copy to the MicroSD? When travelling I would rather not take a PC and the NC to acheive this. I guess the NC would need to be a USB "host" for this to work - not sure if it is. I guess a product such as this may be an option.

3. When the update for Andriod 2.2 comes out, do you think the usual rooting process will work with it? I am tempted to wait for this update but may still want to root it...

4. I am in Australia and purchased the Nook from the B&N website, having it shipped to USA address (a frieght forwarder) Can I expect to be able to purchase B&N eBooks via WiFi? I am wondering if it will detect my IP address and not let me get eBooks since I am not in USA. This is not a huge problem since I can get eBooks elsewhere, just wondering...


many thanks,
Graham

[zartemis]

Originally Posted by ggjone

1. Now B&N state that it comes with 8Gb RAM and can be expanded to 32Gb - does this mean that an additional 32Gb MicroSD card with bring it to 40Gb total or will it only address a total of 32Gb, thus 8Gb is wasted (so perhaps I should get a 16Gb Micro SD)?

The two data storage spaces are not merged. Your sd card will be mounted as the directory /sdcard on the device and you can save files there or your apps can if they have the ability to save to SD card. Until the Nook gets android 2.2, you can't easily put apps on your SD card.

2. I would like to use the NC to view pictures from my digital camera, which has a normal SD card. Is there are way to do this without first transferring to a PC then uploading via the USB cable or copy to the MicroSD? When travelling I would rather not take a PC and the NC to acheive this. I guess the NC would need to be a USB "host" for this to work - not sure if it is. I guess a product such as this may be an option.

That option probably wouldn't work since there is a bar in the way. It might. But how about the other way around? You'd be limited to 32GB (and the microSD 32GB are more expensive than the SD ones), but what about getting a microSD card, putting it in an SD converter and putting that in your camera? If you camera is cool with it, then you can pull out the microSD and put it in your Nook. Another option if you will be near various wifi points is to get an Eye-Fi card, have it upload to your favorite online photo site, then download to the Nook. This will also give you backups of your photos as you are out and about.

3. When the update for Andriod 2.2 comes out, do you think the usual rooting process will work with it? I am tempted to wait for this update but may still want to root it...

It is very likely the rooting process will change. However, the currently produced Nooks can always be reset back the the Nook OS they came with. So you can root now, unroot later and do any updates, rest back to original Nook OS re-root, etc.

4. I am in Australia and purchased the Nook from the B&N website, having it shipped to USA address (a frieght forwarder) Can I expect to be able to purchase B&N eBooks via WiFi? I am wondering if it will detect my IP address and not let me get eBooks since I am not in USA. This is not a huge problem since I can get eBooks elsewhere, just wondering...

See the sticky on buying BN books internationally.

[jasoraso]

Congratulations on your purchase - I love mine!

1. Now B&N state that it comes with 8Gb RAM and can be expanded to 32Gb - does this mean that an additional 32Gb MicroSD card with bring it to 40Gb total or will it only address a total of 32Gb, thus 8Gb is wasted (so perhaps I should get a 16Gb Micro SD)?

I haven't confirmed this but I expect that 40gb is correct. The 8gb is different file tree than the SD card ... so I think that all 32gb would be accessible on a 32gb card

2. I would like to use the NC to view pictures from my digital camera, which has a normal SD card. Is there are way to do this without first transferring to a PC then uploading via the USB cable or copy to the MicroSD? When travelling I would rather not take a PC and the NC to acheive this. I guess the NC would need to be a USB "host" for this to work - not sure if it is. I guess a product such as this may be an option.

I think the easiest way to accomplish what you want is to us a microSD card in your camera (using an SD card adapter) - then pop the card out of the camera; remove from the the adapter and pop it into the Nook.
There is some talk of enabling USB host; but I wouldn't bet on it - easier to just buy another microSD card that includes a SD adapter.

3. When the update for Andriod 2.2 comes out, do you think the usual rooting process will work with it? I am tempted to wait for this update but may still want to root it...

When the minor update came out from v1.0.0 to v.1.0.1 (both android 2.1) it broke the rooting process for about 12 hours until the rooter was updated. I would guess that will be the case for any more updates. I think it will be difficult for B&N to prevent rooting (because of the nature of the rooting process); but it will need to be tweaked for each updated that B&N issues.

4. I am in Australia and purchased the Nook from the B&N website, having it shipped to USA address (a frieght forwarder) Can I expect to be able to purchase B&N eBooks via WiFi? I am wondering if it will detect my IP address and not let me get eBooks since I am not in USA. This is not a huge problem since I can get eBooks elsewhere, just wondering...

No idea .... but if you can buy nookbooks right now (for use on the Nook for PC or Android app) I would expect that you can buy them on the Nook when you get it.

[ggjone]

Thanks for all your help.

Getting MicroSD's for my camera sounds like the simplest option - I should have thought of that. Got quite a few SD's to change over though, with multiple cameras.

Perhaps if/when the bluetooth is enabled that may become another option since there are bluetooth card readers out there, but who knows how a file-system is mounted that way...

[Ankaa]

I'm quite interested in the SD-Card thing, as my mom just asked about the same possibilities (I myself use CF-cards, unfortunately) and would love to by a NC just for this reason, putting pictures on it while on the move.

Could somebody with a NC and a SD-card-camera please try if this works? Do you reckon the NC needs to be rooted to read files on the (non-nook-formated) card? Mine (not rooted atm) didn't read files on a card, which wasn't formated with the nook file system?

[debteb]

Originally Posted by Ankaa

I'm quite interested in the SD-Card thing, as my mom just asked about the same possibilities (I myself use CF-cards, unfortunately) and would love to by a NC just for this reason, putting pictures on it while on the move.

Could somebody with a NC and a SD-card-camera please try if this works? Do you reckon the NC needs to be rooted to read files on the (non-nook-formated) card? Mine (not rooted atm) didn't read files on a card, which wasn't formated with the nook file system?

I don't think you need a rooted NC to view any files on your micro SD. Before rooting my NC I could easily c pictures and view other files.

[andrewed]

Originally Posted by jasoraso

There is some talk of enabling USB host; but I wouldn't bet on it - easier to just buy another microSD card that includes a SD adapter.

USB host now enabled.