Tablet My Nook Tablet Review

[mohawk]

Originally Posted by bakura82

Rooting for NT is simply a script that installs SU, GoLauncher, Gapps, and etc. With essentially one click on the PC, full functionality of Gapps intregration like a normal Andriod OS would kick in. You could sign with Google and get access to the Market and such. Singing on to B&N was bypassed and with Go, you never have to look at the B&N home screen. It essentially creates the Droid 2.3 environment.

Sideloading without this proved to be very difficult for me and sometimes just didn't work. I managed to get the Amazon app store on initially which allowed me to install GoLauncher, but I wasn't able to actually get the Launcher working right. I ended up having to remove all that stuff and do the full root.

I did the same thing and enabled 3rd party downloads and the first thing I did was install EZ GO Launcher and I've managed to download the kindle store, the Amazon App store and over a dozen apps from it successfully. I read in XDA somewhere in a thread (Sorry I have no link to it) that to successfully download 3rd party apps to the Nook Tablet one must use an SD card and it must be formatted using only SD Formatter 3.1. It was stated that there were problems getting successful downloads using the Windows standard formatter or even the on board formatter provided by B&N.

[bakura82]

Originally Posted by mohawk

...I read in XDA somewhere in a thread (Sorry I have no link to it) that to successfully download 3rd party apps to the Nook Tablet one must use an SD card...

I never used an SD card to Sideload. After rooting, I just installed the apk I wanted from a particular website or from an email I sent to myself. Clicking the link was sufficient once third party apps were allowed (as mentioned by Cpl Punishment above). I also threw a few on the NT via USB and simply used a file manager app (e.g. ES File Explorer) to open and run the apk.

[mohawk]

Originally Posted by bakura82

I never used an SD card to Sideload. After rooting, I just installed the apk I wanted from a particular website or from an email I sent to myself. Clicking the link was sufficient once third party apps were allowed (as mentioned by Cpl Punishment above). I also threw a few on the NT via USB and simply used a file manager app (e.g. ES File Explorer) to open and run the apk.

Ah! So there you have it. I didn't root my machine I just enabled the 3rd party downloads setting and dumped everything to the SD card. You way seems more direct.

[bakura82]

Originally Posted by mohawk

Ah! So there you have it. I didn't root my machine I just enabled the 3rd party downloads setting and dumped everything to the SD card. You way seems more direct.

Yeah. If you are like me and plan on the chance of returning the device, then I would recommend the SD card method. That is assuming you have a spare card and this methods works. In my case, I just went ahead with the root and manually removed the traces afterwards.


Anyway, back to Nate's review (which we hijacked -- sorry!). I pretty much concur with everything he said. I would add just a couple things:

• The NT screen is majestic. Compared to other tablets, there is noticeably less glare.
• The case is lackluster. During use, it would often pop when I squeezed certain spots. This happened on both devices I owned, but in different spots.

Basically, if you are going to spend money on a tablet, save up a bit more and buy a true tablet. This particular device is a tablet hardware wise, but software wise, it is a walled garden (as Nate so eloquently put it).

As do find it amusing that Nate "chafe's" under his iPad experience, but can understand how he could "could stay in [the confines of this huge garden] for years and never encounter the walls." It's probably even larger of a garden now than when I had my iPad 1. In my case though, selling the iPad (which I won) and getting two PRS-950's was... pure delight.

I am finally back in tablet world with the Acer Iconia A100 and so far, I am enjoying it... both inside and outside the garden.

[robertc88]

Where do you allow 3rd party downloads on the device? When I tried to download the amazon app store from their site, I provided my email address and it gave me a little video afterwards how to download and install the app and it said I needed to go to the settings and click on applications as the first step. There is no applications choice under settings that I saw on the NT.

[jasonkchapman]

Originally Posted by robertc88

Where do you allow 3rd party downloads on the device? When I tried to download the amazon app store from their site, I provided my email address and it gave me a little video afterwards how to download and install the app and it said I needed to go to the settings and click on applications as the first step. There is no applications choice under settings that I saw on the NT.

The applications menu shows up automatically the first time you attempt to open many .apk files. I know Go Launcher will trigger it. So will lionclaw's AppMenu.apk, which will also give you ready access to the applications menu later on (for uninstalling, force stopping, etc.). Once it's enabled, you're off and running.

I also installed ButtonSavior. That lets me easily access my alternate launcher (Launcher Pro). It's like switching back and forth between the tablet's two personalities.

[robertc88]

Originally Posted by jasonkchapman

The applications menu shows up automatically the first time you attempt to open many .apk files. I know Go Launcher will trigger it. So will lionclaw's AppMenu.apk, which will also give you ready access to the applications menu later on (for uninstalling, force stopping, etc.). Once it's enabled, you're off and running.

I also installed ButtonSavior. That lets me easily access my alternate launcher (Launcher Pro). It's like switching back and forth between the tablet's two personalities.

I was able to make some headway and I downloaded "Aldiko" which I was able to find doing an app search afterwards and was able to access it thereafter.

I also downloaded the Amazon app store but I could not find it doing a search for that app. I tried just "amazon" but it never showed any app for the store.

I'm tired now and will try some more things tomorrow. I need to download an app launcher I realize and I'll see how that goes when I try.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by robertc88

I was able to make some headway and I downloaded "Aldiko" which I was able to find doing an app search afterwards and was able to access it thereafter.

I also downloaded the Amazon app store but I could not find it doing a search for that app. I tried just "amazon" but it never showed any app for the store.

I'm tired now and will try some more things tomorrow. I need to download an app launcher I realize and I'll see how that goes when I try.

you can find the Amazon appstore by searching for appstore.

[robertc88]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

you can find the Amazon appstore by searching for appstore.

LOL. Before I went to sleep last night, I checked what the app was called on my SGT for the Amazon store.

Guess I should have tried more search strings before my last post but I was indeed able to find it using "appstore" after I checked the SGT.

Thanks for your reply. I need to download an app launcher today. After I do that I hope I can find it!

And I what to get ahold of the AppMenu.apk. I want to see "Applications" listed in the settings screen just like I do I my SGT.

[robertc88]

I have the Amazon appstore but I cannot install anything so far from it. It gives a downloading status for each I tried and when I went to notifications, they never started but just resting at 0%.

I downloaded the Launcher Pro and then I rebooted the NT. I started the device choosing that option but I have not seen any apps I downloaded in the apps section or on the front screen of the device. Is it possible to get those apps I downloaded to the front screen?

Edit: I tried an appstore download again. I did not see it the first few times but it says I need a SD card when I clicked on install.

2nd edit: Got the card, dowload started with a notification, finished and from there I went ahead and installed those apps from amazon. I also hit the home key from the app launcher I installed and now I see everything!

[mohawk]

There ya have it, Robert.

[robertc88]

I felt a nice sense of accomplishment when I finally got things right.

I was in a B&N store yesterday and I heard a discussion between a customer and an associate going back and forth about the Kindle Fire and what it allows that the NT doesn't have access to. If they only knew.

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I posted my review this morning.

http://www.the-digital-reader.com/20...let-heres-why/

The short version is that I don't like the walled garden. I expected a more open experience.

Exactly what I did! ;-) ... kept the Fire and returned the NT. Same reasons.

I actually like the NT hardware better, but being so restrictive and me not willing to root and being slave of oncoming B&N upgrades that probably will break it again, decided to keep the Fire instead.

The Fire is cheaper and so far, more open. I was able to install Nook for Android and I can even see the icon on the app. section, without any workaround or tweak.