"killer app" for Nook Color

[ZeroTX]

So, I figure if someone figures out a way to sideload the Android Kindle app on the Nook Color, that'll probably help with sales to people who already have a big Kindle library going, but prefer the Nook hardware. We all know it has the capability of running the app, but is locked down...

For me it's not relevant, as this is my first e-reader and I'll only have purchased B&N ePubs (de-DRM'd and archived so I'm not locked into a platform or store). But for many people I know this is a big issue that will end up leading them to an iPad or Android tablet if they decide to go with an LCD. However, from what I can tell the pixel density and image quality on the NC is superior to both iPad and Galaxy Tab. Hence better for reading.

Thoughts?

[LoganK]

Yes, it would attract more attention if it was an Android tablet. Yes, having to choose a device based on where you bought books in the past really stinks.

Yes, the screen is sharper, but not so much sharper that it will make a big difference to most people using normal font sizes.

[spec]

Originally Posted by ZeroTX

So, I figure if someone figures out a way to sideload the Android Kindle app on the Nook Color, that'll probably help with sales to people who already have a big Kindle library going, but prefer the Nook hardware. We all know it has the capability of running the app, but is locked down...

B&N already announced their version of android market coming in Q1 2011, you can already sign up for their developer program which is free. What that means is amazon should be able to sign up too, or b&n will have an antitrust dispute on their hands. If amazon is let to be a developer on nook color, that would mean they'd develop kindle for nook color. At least that what I'd do.

Q1 2011 is not that far, but guessing by tech skills you displayed in your post you probably know that calibre converts mobi to epub. I dont know how good the conversion is, but it's an option for the impatient.

[ZeroTX]

Originally Posted by spec

B&N already announced their version of android market coming in Q1 2011, you can already sign up for their developer program which is free. What that means is amazon should be able to sign up too, or b&n will have an antitrust dispute on their hands. If amazon is let to be a developer on nook color, that would mean they'd develop kindle for nook color. At least that what I'd do.

Q1 2011 is not that far, but guessing by tech skills you displayed in your post you probably know that calibre converts mobi to epub. I dont know how good the conversion is, but it's an option for the impatient.

It'll be interesting to see. I hadn't thought of the anti-trust angle. I can't imagine anyone not wanting to have their market be as big as possible, in this case Amazon. I have Calibre and have used it to convert some files (not for Kindle, but nonetheless). It's a great program!

I was really thinking of it in terms of the mass market. I don't think B&N is doing this in order to necessarily become a hardware company, but on the other hand it could be seen as a way to ween people over to NOOKbooks/B&N instead of Kindle/Amazon. The B&N purchased books experience on the Nook will still be superior to a Kindle app or a side-loaded book, so if price is equal, a Nook owner would clearly pick the B&N version of any given book, I would think.

For me what made the decision was the open standard. While I do own an iPod, I never use Apple's music format. I buy physical CD's and rip them as MP3 files, because I'd rather those files be available to me for the foreseeable future, regardless of what hardware I might end up with. Given the all out war we have with iOS vs. Android, there's a great possibility that my next device won't be an Apple product (yet to be seen). The difference here is that although the iPod has its own format (AAC), it still plays the universal standard format (MP3), whereas Kindle has its own format (MOBI), it will NOT read the universal standard format (ePUB). Now if Amazon figures this out and makes Kindles ePub compatible and makes a color LCD competing product, then we'll see...

Right now Barnes & Noble has won my business and that's a win for them this year!

-Michael

[LoganK]

Originally Posted by spec

B&N already announced their version of android market coming in Q1 2011, you can already sign up for their developer program which is free.

There was also talk of a nook SDK that never came to light. Combined with Apple paving the way for banning books with the word "fuck", South Park content, magazines that mention competitors, and applications that compete with the stock, I wouldn't recommend buying the Nook Color for its potential.

Originally Posted by spec

What that means is amazon should be able to sign up too, or b&n will have an antitrust dispute on their hands.

No, they won't. That's merely wishful thinking.

Originally Posted by ZeroTX

While I do own an iPod, I never use Apple's music format.

You could argue that Apple's music sold with DRM was their format, but MP3 is MPEG-1 and AAC is MPEG-2. They are both "open" (to a similar extent). Your iTunes-purchased DRM-free AAC will play just fine on Android.

Originally Posted by ZeroTX

Kindle has its own format (MOBI), it will NOT read the universal standard format (ePUB).

To continue my streak of being contrarian...

It's hard to argue that ePub is universal when Amazon controls the vast majority of the market. It's also difficult to argue that ePub is open when it is unlikely to find Major Name Brand content without proprietary DRM wrapped around it.

Don't get me wrong. I think ePub is a better flawed format than the flawed format that is Mobipocket. However, I don't want anyone to get the false impression that a reasonable segment of the market is open. While eBooks have gained some traction recently, the marketplace is still very much set against the customer.

Of course, most people don't care about any of these factors until Sexy New Reading device comes out and it won't work with their library or their favorite book seller folds and they are left stranded without access to their bookshelf.

[spec]

Originally Posted by LoganK

There was also talk of a nook SDK that never came to light. Combined with Apple paving the way for banning books with the word "fuck", South Park content, magazines that mention competitors, and applications that compete with the stock, I wouldn't recommend buying the Nook Color for its potential.

No, they won't. That's merely wishful thinking.

The statement "I wouldn't recommend buying the Nook Color for its potential." is right on the money. SDK for nook was only mentioned that they'd consider it if enough people wanted it. Enough people did want it and it didnt happen. Nook Color things are a bit more advanced. The developer program is already open (but you can't do anything except siging up). Cancelling it by b&n is of course option.

I do disagree with you on the antitrust thing. If dev program is open to everyone how would b&n explain not letting amazon in other than to unfairly eliminate the competition on otherwise open platform. But that's far fetched speculation. There is no platform yet. There's mention. There's bad past experience with nook and sdk. And definitely paying for future potential of nook color is not a good idea with company that has history of not delivered promises.

But nook "classic" was and still is a great device

[LoganK]

Originally Posted by spec

But nook "classic" was and still is a great device

I think the Nook Color is a fantastic choice today. Not perfect, but very close and certainly better than I expected.

However, don't buy it today if what you really want is Angry Birds and Kindle for Android.

[Mac Jones]

[sjkevin]

Goodbye, warranty. Also: goodbye, social life.

The nookcolor is gonna make a fantastic PDA. Oh yeah, and I'll be able to read books on it, too!

(In case anybody's confused: the picture Mac Jones just posted is of a hacked nookcolor. You won't get that out of the box from B&N, although it'll probably be available next year from their app store.)

[btn]

Q1 2011 is not that far, but guessing by tech skills you displayed in your post you probably know that calibre converts mobi to epub.

Only if it's not drm protect. So in other words it basically useless.

[jhempel24]

actually there are plugins that will convert and strip in one button

[bbz_Ghost]

People are already using the Kindle app on the Nook Color - the rooted ones, of course. But honestly: an eBook reader app on an eBook reader just to read the competition's eBooks, you consider that to be a "killer app"?



And actually that picture above is a developer unit of the Nook Color, in the lab at B&N when they put Angry Birds on it almost 2 months ago. The root was just released about 48 hours ago; that Angry Birds demo was to show people what the Nook Color is quite capable of.

Now with the root in place and improving each day, so will the Nook Color.

[btn]

eBook reader app on an eBook reader just to read the competition's eBooks, you consider that to be a "killer app"?

How about an app to read an ereader.com, owned by B&N, book you own?