NOOKcolor - News on 2.2 and Android Market?

[KryptoNyte]

Did the revision on that Engadget article mention that we would definitely NOT have native access to the marketplace with the 2.2 update?

"Update 2: Barnes & Noble PR just got back to us to reiterate that Nook Color's own shop will begin adding apps in early 2011 and that there are currently no plans to enable Android Market. Move along, nothing to see here, folks."

[Amafan]

Originally Posted by jasonkchapman

(Skype)This one might be a little tough to pull off.

The IM version of Skype should work just fine.

[SCION]

Originally Posted by Amafan

The IM version of Skype should work just fine.

That's what I was thinking.

[LoganK]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

But their prices are too high. They need to be priced in the iPod touch range.

Prices on T-Mobile start at $200 (outright) for Android, although you really have to pay $240 to get a decent handset. The optional data plans start at $10 a month (for 200 MB).

If you haven't looked lately, you might try again. They could be terribly tempting.

(My phone was "too high" for you at $500, but since the payments are split across 20 months (no interest) I hardly notice it. T-Mobile also gives you a discount for being off-contract. They are awesome as a provider in pretty much every way.)

[Grimm]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I gotta have Angry Birds.

Someone needs to design a game for us book lovers:

Angry Books - somewhat content with Amazon's pricing, bibliophiles happily read their lives away ...until one day, a storm reared it's ugly head on the horizon - the Agency Model. Now watch as angry readers launch their books into the evil publishers in an attempt to crush this insidious evil wrought upon mankind.

[jasoraso]

I take the original comment about the "market" with a grain of salt. I'm guessing that B&N will have their own market. I think it is more an issue of B&N only wanting apps which are 100% compatible with the NC to be on the Market. However, B&N may officially ALLOW sideloading of APPS that aren't from their market. If someone goes to the effort of SIDELOADING an app - then that person wouldn't be expecting support for that app from B&N. In this case, the Kindle app could even be installed.

[slayda]

Why are they upgrading to 2.2 just when 2.3 has been announced?

[s52m3]

Originally Posted by slayda

Why are they upgrading to 2.2 just when 2.3 has been announced?

I am guessing they need time to fully test everything which means 2.2 at this point. Who knows, maybe 2.3 will come at some point also?

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by Amafan

The IM version of Skype should work just fine.

I also use Skype for international texting friends who are outside the US. It's like 2 cents per text instead of the 10 cents that my cell plan charges.

[GreenMonkey]

Originally Posted by LoganK

Prices on T-Mobile start at $200 (outright) for Android, although you really have to pay $240 to get a decent handset. The optional data plans start at $10 a month (for 200 MB).

If you haven't looked lately, you might try again. They could be terribly tempting.

(My phone was "too high" for you at $500, but since the payments are split across 20 months (no interest) I hardly notice it. T-Mobile also gives you a discount for being off-contract. They are awesome as a provider in pretty much every way.)

T-mobile doesn't have any coverage in my city of 12-20,000 here in mid-Michigan. I'd have to drive 30 minutes to get any sort of coverage. They're really a major city cell provider IMO. Their coverage

Boost mobile and Virgin are Sprint MVNOs - they use Sprint towers with no roaming. My wife and I are on them. The only Android device Virgin has is the intercept at $250 which has a terribly low resolution screen (still might get one eventually). Boost has the Motorola i1 but it's on the old Nextel iDen network - not even fast enough for streaming audio - my step-mom has one. You can get a Hero, Evo, etc onto Boost, but only through law-breaking ESN cloning.

Most prepaid still lacks a good android phone. They all come tethered to $60-$100 a month plans. It's ridiculous.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by LoganK

Prices on T-Mobile start at $200 (outright) for Android, although you really have to pay $240 to get a decent handset. The optional data plans start at $10 a month (for 200 MB).

Where are these Android phones with optional data plans? The ones I saw all required data plans.

[LoganK]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Where are these Android phones with optional data plans? The ones I saw all required data plans.

The web site does not really cater to off-contract customers(*). However, the policy of the store is, you bought it, you do what you want with it. In other words, if you want to buy a smartphone but only buy voice from T-Mobile, they are okay with that. The data plans are $5 cheaper off-contract: $10 instead of $15 for 200 MB, $25 instead of $30 for unlimited.

(*) My personal belief is that customers were being overwhelmed with options and confused. Four different prices for phones, five different prices for service? Great for the informed customer, not so great for simple purchase decisions.

The other "dirty secret" (although less-so now that they have the lower data plan) is that you don't need a full data plan to get the subsidized price. You simply need a $14.95(?) or higher plan ... including the text messaging service.

As someone above pointed out, though, they may not have the best coverage of all the major carriers (possibly due to the limited spectrum available to them). I've never had a problem, but I generally bounce between high population areas.

Oh, and T-Mobile just dropped the price of the Comet, Vibrant, and Tab.

Of course, the best advice is to wait for the next best thing, but I wouldn't want you to hold back simply because of the mistaken belief that nobody sees you as their target market.

[ypocaramel]

Actually, come to think of it, I don't care as much about Android Market (rooters will be rooters) as much as optimizing the stock B&N interface - it's got good management and social networking options, but it's slow and unreliable at times.

[PurpleDog]

Originally Posted by soondai

Holy cow. Gonna have to swing by B&N and take another look at this. Between this news and the fact I could effectively get 40 dollars off (40 dollars in free groceries if I buy 200 bucks in B&N gift cards there), I might have to take the PDN back.

Just wish the screen weren't so darn skinny. I want to read PDF books in landscape.

Hows does that gift card deal work ? I cant find anthing on the B&N site about it. Could you buy the gift cards - get the $40 - and then just use them to pay for most of the Nook Color on the spot ?

[jasonkchapman]

Originally Posted by PurpleDog

Hows does that gift card deal work ? I cant find anthing on the B&N site about it. Could you buy the gift cards - get the $40 - and then just use them to pay for most of the Nook Color on the spot ?

That's what I did, but the deal was $300/$30 at the time. The $300 covered the NC, cover, and most of the sales tax. It was the sales rep who suggested it to me.