Thinking of a Nook Color

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Hay tube monkey how would you compare your Nook Color to your Kindle 3? Not only which is better than the other but what features does the Kindle have that the Nook Color does not and what features does the Nook Color have that the Kindle 3 does not? If one cost more than the other does the more expensive one warrant its price?

I will give you my opinion. I do own a Kindle, returned the NC.

1st, the Kindle 3 is a dedicated e-reader using e-ink screen. A totally different device focus on reading only. It excels on what it does, which is allowing you to read a book indoor or outdoor with no glare at all. Four weeks of battery, 8oz, it also reads the book for you.

The Nook Color is a tablet with a customized UI running on top of Linux Android. B&N locked Android so users can't get access to the market and use Android's power and features. They want you to buy books from B&N, spend money on the store, so for them, unlocking the device makes no sense. The Nook Color is heavier, give you hours, instead of weeks of battery and does not support landscape mode.

A great disadvantage of the Kindle 3 over NC is its poor Internet Browsing capabilities and of course, no color at all. This can or cannot be a problem for people who mainly read novels or technical books, but if you like magazines and read full color books most of the time, an eink device is a "no no".

[Care]

Originally Posted by jocampo

If you don't like the Nook classic mini touch screen, you should check a Sony or Kindle 3. They have better eink technology thank Nook and they are really good pieces of software, besides extremely good battery life.

That is subjective. I get that the "pearl" screen is supposed to be better, but I prefer the Nook Classic screen. I don't like the grey like look of the Kindle 3.

I have the Classic Nook and the NOOKcolor and I love them both. I prefer the reader on the Color, but I do like the eink on the Classic.

Like I said previously, I think anybody should try out any reader first. Take it home and give it a good run and see what you think. If you don't like it, take it back.

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by Care

That is subjective. I get that the "pearl" screen is supposed to be better, but I prefer the Nook Classic screen. I don't like the grey like look of the Kindle 3.

Actually, it is not. In terms of contrasts, measured with a colorimeter, the pearl screen is better than initial versions of the eink screen. Human eyes need good contrast for reading and that is better achieved with the pearl eink screen. A statement from the company who manufactures both, clarifies the same topic and confirms it.

[jbcohen]

Hmm, the Nook Color is a tablet at that cost, interesting. Can it run other applications beyond book reading? Personally I am not willing to pay that for an electronic reader but if its a tablet that might be a different story all together.

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Hmm, the Nook Color is a tablet at that cost, interesting. Can it run other applications beyond book reading? Personally I am not willing to pay that for an electronic reader but if its a tablet that might be a different story all together.

Out of the box, Nook Color does nothing else than book reading. It has Internet Browsing capabilities and you can hear music but that's it. You need to root the device in order to release all the Android power and get Market access. The process voids the warranty. You can check here in Nook sub-forums to get additional information about it.

[iandix]

also B&N will be opening their own App market for the nookcolor. I would guess it will have mostly games, and social apps (facebook and such) .. But that is just guess work till they open it

as for rooting the nookcolor voids warranty, maybe.. the same way as I replace windows with linux on my laptop ... (hmmmm)

But it's very very easy to flash back to stock software, the NC is 99.9% unbrickable. so how will B&N ever know that it was once rooted?

[boswd]

Originally Posted by jocampo

I will give you my opinion. I do own a Kindle, returned the NC.

1st, the Kindle 3 is a dedicated e-reader using e-ink screen. A totally different device focus on reading only. It excels on what it does, which is allowing you to read a book indoor or outdoor with no glare at all. Four weeks of battery, 8oz, it also reads the book for you.

The Nook Color is a tablet with a customized UI running on top of Linux Android. B&N locked Android so users can't get access to the market and use Android's power and features. They want you to buy books from B&N, spend money on the store, so for them, unlocking the device makes no sense. The Nook Color is heavier, give you hours, instead of weeks of battery and does not support landscape mode.

A great disadvantage of the Kindle 3 over NC is its poor Internet Browsing capabilities and of course, no color at all. This can or cannot be a problem for people who mainly read novels or technical books, but if you like magazines and read full color books most of the time, an eink device is a "no no".

Ohhh boy here we go, you were so good for so long

but please stop giving the impression that BN MAKES you buy only books from BN. Yes I know you specifically don't say it, but you do this all the time and leave the impression that they do.

also Yes the nook color DOES support landscape mode. Just not in ePub. But you do have landscape mode for web browsing, Magazines, PDF's and Children's "Read to Me" books

To people reading these threads, please ignore his usual slanted anti BN claims he makes.

Barnes and Noble do not FORCE you to buy from only them. The nook and nook color both support ePub/Adobe, so feel free to shop pretty much everywhere, except Amazon or course (the irony, since he peddles the Kindle but they do pretty much FORCE you to buy from them only without do anything illegal)

and feel free to check out books from your library.

You can buy books without any apps from :
Kobo
Sony
Borders
Google
Fictionwise
and more than I can name off the top of my head.

You do not need APPS to sideload these books and even with the Nook color's webrowser you can even access your Google ebooks without sideloading them. But you can if you want to .

Joe we've seen this movie before, Please STOP>

[boswd]

Originally Posted by jocampo

Actually, it is not. In terms of contrasts, measured with a colorimeter, the pearl screen is better than initial versions of the eink screen. Human eyes need good contrast for reading and that is better achieved with the pearl eink screen. A statement from the company who manufactures both, clarifies the same topic and confirms it.

I'll throw a nook classic eink next to any kindle3 or Sony 650 950 and will wager my retirement fund that the Pearl Screen is no way, in any way, of any shape or form 50% better than the nook classic eink
(this is in reference to your "company statement")

You can throw out press release after press release all you want.

after v1.5 with the bolder text on the nook color, it's on par with the Peal screen.

[jocampo]

Replacing Windows with Linux does not void any computer warranty on a regular PC, the hardware is still covered by any issue; it is a different topic.

I always wipe out Windows from all my laptops and home computers and never had any kind of warranty problems. I even returned (with Ubuntu still on it but no personal data) a laptop that had hardware issues before the 1st year warranty period ends.

Linux distros are developed by official and well known companies so they even provide paid support in case of problems. The Linux distros (in Android flavor) provided by XDA have no paid support just forums, you are on your own. That's the main difference.

I don't want to debate if rooting is easy or not or if that's doable or not, all those factors are user's dependent, but there is a risk of locking the device. Installing Linux on a PC has no other risk that losing your data if not doing properly but will keep your hardware open for further installations.

[Care]

Rooting the Nook Color does not lock or brick the device. Anybody can do a flash back to factory by 8 interrupted boots. I guess there is a small chance that it could void the warranty of you don't flash back to factory settings, but anybody rooting knows how to do that. Also, lots of people go to outside sources to get extended and accidental warranties, they do not care if your device is rooted or not.

Besides that, I had mine rooted and set it back to factory and I still use it for browsing all the time. I check my goodreads account, facebook, and youtube with it regularly. I will root again, I just haven't bothered.

Jocampo, what I meant earlier by it's subjective, is it is subjective by taste. You might be able to technically measure these things, but can the average human eyes tell? Nope. Maybe before the 1.5 update for the classic nook, but after it looks much better than the Kindle to me. That is my opinion. You can say over and over which device is technically superior, but how many people are going to notice or care? It is personal preference. To your eyes the Kindle 3 looks better and to mine the Nook looks better, neither of us are wrong.

I have a question, but please don't take it the wrong way, I am not trying to be unkind. why do you even come to the B&N sub-forums? You obviously don't care for their products, and people come here for opinions from users of the Nook and NC. If people were posting in the "which one should I buy?" forum I can understand you wanting to share your experiences, but why here? I don't go to the Kindle sub-forums and bash it. I have gone in there if I had a question for a friend, but I stay away from other threads because I know the people there are fans and I don't have anything good from my experiences to input. Again, I am not saying stay out of the B&N forum or anything, I guess I just don't understand it. To me is seems like you either want to cause conflict or just like to put Nooks down at any opportunity. I think people here at MR take their love for their readers way too personally. I am at fault for this as well.

[jocampo]

Hi Care,

No, I don't mind you asking.

One of the things I like of mobileread is that people come here to share knowledge and ask for advices. It is a "free forum" with no restrictions others than respect members and avoid personal offense and attacks. People looking for a Kindle, visit Kindle forums. People looking for Nook Color, ask in Nook forums. You won't usually see people asking NC questions in a Kindle forum. Also, I don't think we are restricted to make comments on an specific forum just because we own or we don't own a device, are we? I think that's what we call freedom of speech.

I came her because like you, had a device, used it and move on and acquired experience while doing that. People want honest advices and opinions and that's what I provide. If you seek and check other of my posts, you will see that I've even recommended the B&N products to other people depending of what they ask.

It is not true I don't like B&N products. They don't suit my preferences and honestly believe that hacking or rooting something is not what a new user should look when buying an e-reader. Then if someone ask I provide my opinion and personal experience.

And yes, please review your sources but there is a possibility of bricking your device while changing the stock Os.

[Care]

Originally Posted by jocampo

Hi Care,

No, I don't mind you asking.

One of the things I like of mobileread is that people come here to share knowledge and ask for advices. It is a "free forum" with no restrictions others than respect members and avoid personal offense and attacks. People looking for a Kindle, visit Kindle forums. People looking for Nook Color, ask in Nook forums. You won't usually see people asking NC questions in a Kindle forum. Also, I don't think we are restricted to make comments on an specific forum just because we own or we don't own a device, are we? I think that's what we call freedom of speech.

I came her because like you, had a device, used it and move on and acquired experience while doing that. People want honest advices and opinions and that's what I provide. If you seek and check other of my posts, you will see that I've even recommended the B&N products to other people depending of what they ask.

It is not true I don't like B&N products. They don't suit my preferences and honestly believe that hacking or rooting something is not what a new user should look when buying an e-reader. Then if someone ask I provide my opinion and personal experience.

And yes, please review your sources but there is a possibility of bricking your device while changing the stock Os.

I get that, and yes we are all free to post anywhere we feel like. I just thought of it as odd. I used to post at a tech forum for audio/video and I have bought many different things, tried them, and returned them only to get something I liked better. I never bothered going back in to those forums/threads after I explained my reasons for returning the product. I guess its diferent strokes for different folks and all that.

About the bricking, are you talking about the NC? Cause the posts I read about that are usually paniced posts where the NC is in fact not really bricked. But like anything there could be risk. I don't think the average consumer even roots anyway. I really like the stock reader as it is, but that is me. I am using it right now.

[jocampo]

No problem Care,

And by the way,
I do support B&N, believe it or not I think that all people who love reading support bookstores in one way or another.

My wife and I spend lot of time in one of the B&N store close to home and read, drink coffee, and even buy pbooks from there. I actually keep buying ebooks from B&N store and read those on my Nook for Android (Galaxy Tab) or Kindle 3; they are mostly cyber-crime novels, leaving Amazon and O'reilly stores for my computer books needs.

[Care]

We don't even have b&n here. We have chapters which is pretty much the same. There is a starbucks and nice area to sit and read. Our chapters sells the kobo though, and I just didn't like it as much as the nook. Whenever I am visiting my dad in the US I go to b&n and hang out. Funny thing is if I know I am going down I usually buy from amazon. The only books I now buy from chapters are the ones that I just have to have on release day. Mind you books cost more in Canada, that's why I buy a lot when I'm in the US.

[Grimm]

Originally Posted by boswd

Ohhh boy here we go, you were so good for so long

but please stop giving the impression that BN MAKES you buy only books from BN. Yes I know you specifically don't say it, but you do this all the time and leave the impression that they do.

also Yes the nook color DOES support landscape mode. Just not in ePub. But you do have landscape mode for web browsing, Magazines, PDF's and Children's "Read to Me" books

To people reading these threads, please ignore his usual slanted anti BN claims he makes.

Barnes and Noble do not FORCE you to buy from only them. The nook and nook color both support ePub/Adobe, so feel free to shop pretty much everywhere, except Amazon or course (the irony, since he peddles the Kindle but they do pretty much FORCE you to buy from them only without do anything illegal)

and feel free to check out books from your library.

You can buy books without any apps from :
Kobo
Sony
Borders
Google
Fictionwise
and more than I can name off the top of my head.

You do not need APPS to sideload these books and even with the Nook color's webrowser you can even access your Google ebooks without sideloading them. But you can if you want to .

Joe we've seen this movie before, Please STOP>

Agreed 100%.