My Review

mohawk · 11-26-2011, 12:35 AM

Here is a review I wrote on another forum not really related specificly to e-readers when someone asked what e-reader to buy. I thought I'd share my experience with the rest of the group here as I did a lot of midnight research on this site. Sorry for the extended length.

I was considering getting my own e-reader and I did my homework by googling various reviews for two days and actually doing an all-nighter on the computer, just for research. My parameters were the following. I love to read books and I especially like to read magazines like Time, Smithsonian, Nat Geo, Newsweek and others. I'd like to check my e-mail and browse the web also. I also thought that it would be nice to have a calender, contact list and a notepad. Reading some docs in PDF wouldn't be a bad option either. Well, that was my wish list and based on the exceptional return policies of both competitors, I ordered up a kindle keyboard with wi-fi and 3g, a kindle fire, a Nook color and a Nook tablet.

I am a person in my 60s and I've never had a smart phone where they use all those "Android Apps" that everybody talks about. I haven't owned a cell phone for two years since I retired.

Here are my honest conclusions.

Kindle Keyboard.

I thought that I'd really like this and be able to use it right out of the box because it was dated technology and would possibly fit my needs and abilities better than the latest state of the art products. Well, it was easy to use and it was very consistant in it's performance. It has a very nice screen for reading books and it is comparible to reading a paperback. It also would allow you to turn on audio reader, which is a great way to have someone read to you. If you spend a lot of time laying on a Chaise' Lounge, taking in the sun, around the pool or the beach, then this might be the perfect reader for you. But you'll still need to bring any magazines you like and forget about any other features. Yes, it has web, but if you use it once, you won't use it again. Even with free 3g. Think powdered charcoal for all your content. The whole kindle keyboard experience and the broader e-ink experience left me flat and unsatisfied with the whole reading experience. This would apply to Nook e-ink or Kindle e-ink, as far as I'm concerned. If you like reading paperbacks on a sunny day, outside, then this may be your e-reader. The system is very stable but extremely boring. At least for me.

This leaves the Kindle Fire and The Nook Color in comparison.

Both have very nice displays. As far as resolution and quality go. I used the Nook Color and The Kindle Fire side by side for 4 days. Both had what I was looking for. Great, vibrant image quality, great content that you could order from either B&N or Amazon. Both had browsers that worked, albiet the B&N was much better at browsing than the kindle. Both had e-mail and both were Wi-Fi only. Both have apps for calenders and contact lists.

I ended up returning all e-readers except the Nook Tablet after extensive usage and here's why.

The kindle's software is extremely buggy. The touch screen is either not sensitive enough or too sensitive causing you to double tap and lose your path or you find yourself waiting for something to happen. I believe that it's called " touch-screen stutter". There were times I wanted to throw the Kindle Fire through the window with frustration, whereas I ended up taking the Nook to bed to finish my magazine I was reading at the time. The interface on the Nook was that comfortable. The expand and shrink feature was extremely buggy on the kindle and many times thnigs would not load and it was easy to overload the processor and freeze the unit. The B&N, on the other hand was stable as a rock. Reading a National Geographic or a Time magazine was a great experience and frankly, I read the Nat Geo cover to cover moreso than with the actual hard-copy edition. The software of the Nook Color was much more refined than the Kindle Fire IMO. The biggest drawback of the Nook is that it doesn't have a lot of side applications. The calender is rudamentry as is the contact list. Amazon has much more robust applications and much more choice.

On the other hand, the Hardware construction of the Nook is far superior to the Kindle Fire, IMO. The Fire fells like a Samsung Droid on steroids. It is a big piece of glass with rounded edges so you don't cut yourself and I found it very uncomfortable to hold for an hour or more when you're trying to read. Plus the fact that there is no place to hold it without activating the touch screen and frustrating you. The Nook on the other hand is very comfortable to hold and read for long periods, as it has a border around the touch screen. The nook also has a slot for adding your own memory whereas you're stuck with the memory that Kindle gives you with no possibility of upgrading. They both use a system called the "Cloud" for storing content but then to access it, you have to be on the Wi-Fi to use it. For my dollar, I want to buy it, store it and use it without connecting to the cloud or wi-fi. the Nook allows this in a very elegant manner whereas the kindle doesn't. (Kindle Fire has no volume control without going into the software).

I went with the latest iteration of the Nook Color (aka the Tablet) as it has 1 gig of RAM whereas the Kindle only has 512 as does the Ipad2. Down the road that extra Ram will hold me in good stead as one can't have enough ram as new apps come your way.

All in all, my conclusion is that the Kindle Fire is a good product with a great backing in Amazon but is not ready for prime-time with the kludgy operation and interface. It's just not that intuitive for the average user. It's an e-reader that wants to be an Ipad and it doesn't work. The B&N Nook Color/Tablet is second generation, rock solid and gives a very intuitive and easy experience. Magazines just POP with color and readability. Books just flow nicely and the interface is rock solid and transparent. Browsing and e-mail work very well on the Nook.

Both units need more. The Kindle Fire needs numerous software upgrades to make it a comfortable experience and the browsing/email experience needs to be improved dramaticly. The Nook needs more applications and versatility beyond a portal to buy B&N content. Both are working on fixing each specific challenge they face as we speak. I'm sure in a year both will have overcome their respective hurdles but IMO the Nook will end up the better machine due to it's abilities to provide removeable mass storage and a built in mic that someone will hack and allow skype calls and blue tooth. The Nook is a hackers dream. The kindle is a closed brick and can only be made better with internal software upgrades by Amazon.

For me, the Nook is the much better reader with extra features. If you just want that pulp fiction/paperback experience, get any one of the e-ink/pearl readers in 16 shades of grey. You can get a touch of either brand for 79.00.

If you want a truly exceptional reading experience with lots of extras thrown in get a Nook Tablet or wait for the Kindle Fire, Gen2 to come out.

Good Luck.

HarryT · 11-26-2011, 02:05 AM

I'm surprised that you didn't look at the iPad - it would probably be the ideal device for your needs. Was there any reason that you didn't consider it?

mohawk · 11-26-2011, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm surprised that you didn't look at the iPad - it would probably be the ideal device for your needs. Was there any reason that you didn't consider it?

Price.

mohawk · 11-26-2011, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhillipA82

Try to get one from ebay maybe a used one. That's what I did...

Why are people selling them cheap?

Andrew H. · 11-27-2011, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mohawk

Why are people selling them cheap?

They want to buy a better one. Either they're selling their iPad 1 to buy an iPad 2, or they're selling an ipad 2 because they want an iPad 2 with more memory or 3G and not just wifi.

Cpl Punishment · 11-28-2011, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mohawk

Why are people selling them cheap?

I sold mine recently as the Ipad 3's are rumored to be come out in March...So resale top dollar was now (not exactly cheap tho !)...I am not getting another Ipad as I only used it for games and book reading.
You gave an excellent review, thanks...I bought a Samsung Tab plus over the long weekend and returned it as it was a mini Ipad..(nice). Then Kindle Fire, but its going back today as in my opinion you were right on the money..Wish I read it before I bought the Kindle, it would have save me a trip...I once had a color Nook and was actually happy with it. Scion was extremely helpful in helping me root it, but I sold it as well...Now I ll get another one (Tablet version)....Thanks again...

mohawk · 11-28-2011, 08:17 PM

I have to revise my original review of the Nook Tablet. Originally I stated that one was stuck with the thin selection of B&N apps for the Tablet and that was it's major shortcoming. Well.......since my post, after casual research, I need to amend my statement, as I found that it is extremely easy to gain access to Amazon Kindle books, their entire app library and actually the entire world of android apps. There is no rooting or pre-loaded SD cards to buy. It's Just a couple of touches on the correct screen to enable 3rd party downloads and a properly formatted SD card. So now, I'm extremely happy with my purchase as I'm not restricted to B&N content.
With this access enabled, the Nook Tablet stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Cpl Punishment · 11-29-2011, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mohawk

I have to revise my original review of the Nook Tablet. Originally I stated that one was stuck with the thin selection of B&N apps for the Tablet and that was it's major shortcoming. Well.......since my post, after casual research, I need to amend my statement, as I found that it is extremely easy to gain access to Amazon Kindle books, their entire app library and actually the entire world of android apps. There is no rooting or pre-loaded SD cards to buy. It's Just a couple of touches on the correct screen to enable 3rd party downloads and a properly formatted SD card. So now, I'm extremely happy with my purchase as I'm not restricted to B&N content.
With this access enabled, the Nook Tablet stands head and shoulders above the rest.

How did you overcome the "Please archive and then unarchive the application" (After third party apps enabled)

mohawk · 11-29-2011, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cpl Punishment

How did you overcome the "Please archive and then unarchive the application" (After third party apps enabled)

First, I read some links at XDA Developers that stated that you needed to format the SD card by ONLY using SD Formatter 3.1 to avoid problems. It was stated that even formating the SD card internally on the Nook Tablet can cause problems with downloads and the same with using the on board/PC windows formatter. The I followed the instructions with the attached link to the letter http://liliputing.com/2011/11/how-to...uncher-ex.html

Now I have the kindle store for android, the Amazon whole app library and I've downloaded free apps too numerous to mention. I've tailored my Nook exactly with the functions I needed. I really don't care if the system is bootblocked as so many others do. It doesn't affect me or what I want to do with the unit. I have no desire to root the tablet or add firmware to it. I just wanted to tear down the B&N walls preventing me from experiencing the rest of the Android world with the device. This method gives me 90% of that world. The other 10% admittedly requires rooting or firmware and that I can do with out.

With the smooth UI of the Nook Tablet and access to literally thousands of apps and the entire kindle e-book library, many for free, The Nook Tablet becomes a 7" dream machine. At least for me, it does. I can see with one of the apps I installed that shows the amount of RAM available, even when you're running just the home page that many apps run in the background and use up memory. I do believe that this is the reason the Fire runs slow and jerky with a lot of stuttering(512). The apps running in the background use up a lot of ram. The Nook Tablet has 1 gig which leaves plenty of ram for the UI and keeps the speed and smooth quality of the unit up.

Edit to Add: I forgot to add that you must add an SD card for the system to work as the internal storage is not compatable with Amazon apps store. Seems B&N and Amazon don't particularly like each other. Go Figure. They load fine on an SD card as long as it's formatted in SD Formatter 3.1. The EZ Go Launcher puts a nice overlay on your wallpaper and shows all apps you have installed, be it B&N or 3rd party. You don't even need a soft button. If you use the method I've linked, I highly recommend installing the EZ GO Launcher Pro and the ZDBOX that the tutorial recommends.

HarryT · 11-29-2011, 03:32 PM

It seems to me that you're going to an awful lot of trouble to try to convert a dedicated B&N reading device into a general-purpose Android tablet. I don't mean to be impolite, but might it not have been less hassle to have simply bought a general-purpose Android tablet in the first place? Goodness knows, there are enough of them about!

Cpl Punishment · 11-29-2011, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mohawk

First, I read some links at XDA Developers that stated that you needed to format the SD card by ONLY using SD Formatter 3.1 to avoid problems.

That was the fix...In fact I used Formatter 3.1 for MAC....I was up and running in less than 15 minutes.....Thanks...

GreenMonkey · 11-29-2011, 08:22 PM

I think, oddly, that B&N's year lead on Nook color development helped them out with the Nook tablet quite a bit. I expected the Fire to crush the low-end Android tablet market, but IMO it seems like they fumbled it quite a bit. It's doing well, but not how people expected.

The extra few bucks they spent on the extra 512MB of RAM, hardware volume controls, and a year of software polish on their particular flavor of Android has helped them out quite a bit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

It seems to me that you're going to an awful lot of trouble to try to convert a dedicated B&N reading device into a general-purpose Android tablet. I don't mean to be impolite, but might it not have been less hassle to have simply bought a general-purpose Android tablet in the first place? Goodness knows, there are enough of them about!

Installing the Amazon app store, google apps, etc is way easier so far than the rooting and such that the original NC required.

I'm out of the Nook scene for now (my NC went to ebay to pay for a christmas present...and it's being replaced by a Toshiba Thrive

), but I figure I'll get a Nook Tablet again down the road, especially if they get past the bootloader. It's a great little device and much more portable than a 10" tablet.

mohawk · 11-29-2011, 09:17 PM

Well, that's just the pearl in the oyster, isn't it Harry? The Nook color offers really great hardware specs like the 1 gig of memory and others. Even the Ipad2 only has 512. I've noticed that some of the apps running in the background use up to 400mb total. Probably causes the UI to slow down some. Tablet doesn't have that problem. UI runs very smooth and for me smooth operation with lots of options is all I'm looking for. Not much trouble at all to just go into the existing software and over ride it to have the freedom to install everything you need. If you're gonna carry these around for books you might as well carry them around for many other needs if you have the apps. Apps are available on the Tablet without rooting or adding any firmware. That's a big plus to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

It seems to me that you're going to an awful lot of trouble to try to convert a dedicated B&N reading device into a general-purpose Android tablet. I don't mean to be impolite, but might it not have been less hassle to have simply bought a general-purpose Android tablet in the first place? Goodness knows, there are enough of them about!

11-26-2011, 12:35 AM	#1
mohawk Enthusiast Posts: 30 Karma: 28 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Sedona Az Device: Nook Tablet, Tried the Fire, Currently, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 plus	My Review Here is a review I wrote on another forum not really related specificly to e-readers when someone asked what e-reader to buy. I thought I'd share my experience with the rest of the group here as I did a lot of midnight research on this site. Sorry for the extended length. I was considering getting my own e-reader and I did my homework by googling various reviews for two days and actually doing an all-nighter on the computer, just for research. My parameters were the following. I love to read books and I especially like to read magazines like Time, Smithsonian, Nat Geo, Newsweek and others. I'd like to check my e-mail and browse the web also. I also thought that it would be nice to have a calender, contact list and a notepad. Reading some docs in PDF wouldn't be a bad option either. Well, that was my wish list and based on the exceptional return policies of both competitors, I ordered up a kindle keyboard with wi-fi and 3g, a kindle fire, a Nook color and a Nook tablet. I am a person in my 60s and I've never had a smart phone where they use all those "Android Apps" that everybody talks about. I haven't owned a cell phone for two years since I retired. Here are my honest conclusions. Kindle Keyboard. I thought that I'd really like this and be able to use it right out of the box because it was dated technology and would possibly fit my needs and abilities better than the latest state of the art products. Well, it was easy to use and it was very consistant in it's performance. It has a very nice screen for reading books and it is comparible to reading a paperback. It also would allow you to turn on audio reader, which is a great way to have someone read to you. If you spend a lot of time laying on a Chaise' Lounge, taking in the sun, around the pool or the beach, then this might be the perfect reader for you. But you'll still need to bring any magazines you like and forget about any other features. Yes, it has web, but if you use it once, you won't use it again. Even with free 3g. Think powdered charcoal for all your content. The whole kindle keyboard experience and the broader e-ink experience left me flat and unsatisfied with the whole reading experience. This would apply to Nook e-ink or Kindle e-ink, as far as I'm concerned. If you like reading paperbacks on a sunny day, outside, then this may be your e-reader. The system is very stable but extremely boring. At least for me. This leaves the Kindle Fire and The Nook Color in comparison. Both have very nice displays. As far as resolution and quality go. I used the Nook Color and The Kindle Fire side by side for 4 days. Both had what I was looking for. Great, vibrant image quality, great content that you could order from either B&N or Amazon. Both had browsers that worked, albiet the B&N was much better at browsing than the kindle. Both had e-mail and both were Wi-Fi only. Both have apps for calenders and contact lists. I ended up returning all e-readers except the Nook Tablet after extensive usage and here's why. The kindle's software is extremely buggy. The touch screen is either not sensitive enough or too sensitive causing you to double tap and lose your path or you find yourself waiting for something to happen. I believe that it's called " touch-screen stutter". There were times I wanted to throw the Kindle Fire through the window with frustration, whereas I ended up taking the Nook to bed to finish my magazine I was reading at the time. The interface on the Nook was that comfortable. The expand and shrink feature was extremely buggy on the kindle and many times thnigs would not load and it was easy to overload the processor and freeze the unit. The B&N, on the other hand was stable as a rock. Reading a National Geographic or a Time magazine was a great experience and frankly, I read the Nat Geo cover to cover moreso than with the actual hard-copy edition. The software of the Nook Color was much more refined than the Kindle Fire IMO. The biggest drawback of the Nook is that it doesn't have a lot of side applications. The calender is rudamentry as is the contact list. Amazon has much more robust applications and much more choice. On the other hand, the Hardware construction of the Nook is far superior to the Kindle Fire, IMO. The Fire fells like a Samsung Droid on steroids. It is a big piece of glass with rounded edges so you don't cut yourself and I found it very uncomfortable to hold for an hour or more when you're trying to read. Plus the fact that there is no place to hold it without activating the touch screen and frustrating you. The Nook on the other hand is very comfortable to hold and read for long periods, as it has a border around the touch screen. The nook also has a slot for adding your own memory whereas you're stuck with the memory that Kindle gives you with no possibility of upgrading. They both use a system called the "Cloud" for storing content but then to access it, you have to be on the Wi-Fi to use it. For my dollar, I want to buy it, store it and use it without connecting to the cloud or wi-fi. the Nook allows this in a very elegant manner whereas the kindle doesn't. (Kindle Fire has no volume control without going into the software). I went with the latest iteration of the Nook Color (aka the Tablet) as it has 1 gig of RAM whereas the Kindle only has 512 as does the Ipad2. Down the road that extra Ram will hold me in good stead as one can't have enough ram as new apps come your way. All in all, my conclusion is that the Kindle Fire is a good product with a great backing in Amazon but is not ready for prime-time with the kludgy operation and interface. It's just not that intuitive for the average user. It's an e-reader that wants to be an Ipad and it doesn't work. The B&N Nook Color/Tablet is second generation, rock solid and gives a very intuitive and easy experience. Magazines just POP with color and readability. Books just flow nicely and the interface is rock solid and transparent. Browsing and e-mail work very well on the Nook. Both units need more. The Kindle Fire needs numerous software upgrades to make it a comfortable experience and the browsing/email experience needs to be improved dramaticly. The Nook needs more applications and versatility beyond a portal to buy B&N content. Both are working on fixing each specific challenge they face as we speak. I'm sure in a year both will have overcome their respective hurdles but IMO the Nook will end up the better machine due to it's abilities to provide removeable mass storage and a built in mic that someone will hack and allow skype calls and blue tooth. The Nook is a hackers dream. The kindle is a closed brick and can only be made better with internal software upgrades by Amazon. For me, the Nook is the much better reader with extra features. If you just want that pulp fiction/paperback experience, get any one of the e-ink/pearl readers in 16 shades of grey. You can get a touch of either brand for 79.00. If you want a truly exceptional reading experience with lots of extras thrown in get a Nook Tablet or wait for the Kindle Fire, Gen2 to come out. Good Luck. Last edited by mohawk; 11-26-2011 at 01:04 AM.

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11-26-2011, 02:05 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I'm surprised that you didn't look at the iPad - it would probably be the ideal device for your needs. Was there any reason that you didn't consider it?

11-28-2011, 08:17 PM	#7
mohawk Enthusiast Posts: 30 Karma: 28 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Sedona Az Device: Nook Tablet, Tried the Fire, Currently, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 plus	I have to revise my original review of the Nook Tablet. Originally I stated that one was stuck with the thin selection of B&N apps for the Tablet and that was it's major shortcoming. Well.......since my post, after casual research, I need to amend my statement, as I found that it is extremely easy to gain access to Amazon Kindle books, their entire app library and actually the entire world of android apps. There is no rooting or pre-loaded SD cards to buy. It's Just a couple of touches on the correct screen to enable 3rd party downloads and a properly formatted SD card. So now, I'm extremely happy with my purchase as I'm not restricted to B&N content. With this access enabled, the Nook Tablet stands head and shoulders above the rest.

11-29-2011, 03:32 PM	#10
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	It seems to me that you're going to an awful lot of trouble to try to convert a dedicated B&N reading device into a general-purpose Android tablet. I don't mean to be impolite, but might it not have been less hassle to have simply bought a general-purpose Android tablet in the first place? Goodness knows, there are enough of them about!