B&N to release NOOK GlowLight 3

[Calenorn]

I'm having a deja vu moment. I seem to recall the same questions about partitioned memory arising when the Glowlight Plus was released. Oh, yes:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...rtition+memory

Have they learned from their mistake? It IS Barnes & Noble, after all.

Silly me.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Really? Amazon certainly doesn't advertise the ability to change color "temperature" with their Paperwhite 3. Color temperature is not brightness.

The PW3 does not have the ability to change the light color.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rcentros

You got that one right, O. Oliver Obvious. I don't own a Kobo, but maybe I should go to the Kobo forum and incessantly whine about why I don't own (and won't own) a Kobo.

Nah, I've got a life.

Go back and red my message. I changed it. Just not soon enough for you to see the original.

[downeaster59]

Meet Nova Launcher.
Now live on my Glowlight 3.

"Look on these works, ye Kindles and Kobos, and despair!"

[dordale]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

The partitioned storage just killed it for me. I might check to see if there's an easy workaround, but my lust for the Glowlight 3 is gone.

Have to say this is exactly how I feel.

Honestly, I probably wouldn't have bought the new nook anyway, as I'm happy with my Kobo Aura One and my Kindle Voyage, but I was intrigued by the new nook--actually looks like it would be a comfortable device for reading on.

I realize I could get by with 1GB of storage for sideloaded books--but why on earth should I compromise on this?

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by dordale

Have to say this is exactly how I feel.

Honestly, I probably wouldn't have bought the new nook anyway, as I'm happy with my Kobo Aura One and my Kindle Voyage, but I was intrigued by the new nook--actually looks like it would be a comfortable device for reading on.

I was waiting for Black Friday, myself. The Nook STwG isn't going to last forever and the Glowlight 3 was a natural replacement.

I realize I could get by with 1GB of storage for sideloaded books--but why on earth should I compromise on this?

Yeah. Every time I plug it in and see the space available I would have a sour taste in my mouth.

I could have lived with B&N keeping half. But practically all?

[raindog89]

The online specs claim it has "6.5GB for NOOK Store content and side-loaded content".
This is major mispresentation to not mention it is partitioned.

That being said, is there anything to do about it? If you root, would it be possible to repartition? I see someone has already loaded a launcher.

[downeaster59]

I've been playing with my Glowlight 3 more as a "proof of concept" thing, to see what can be done with the device as is.

Yes, it is possible to install a launcher and apps. I installed Calibre Companion and, as a test, sent two books to the G-3. They live in the "internal storage" partition - that which is listed as being over 6 gb. The "sideloaded" partition is listed on the device as the external sd card. (You can see these names in the full settings menu, that you can access only with another launcher installed.) Using Calibre Companion, then, I can get books onto the "internal storage". However, the stock Nook reader cannot see them there. So, I installed AlReader. That app can find those CC books. However, the page turn buttons do not work for AlReader. I can turn pages just fine, and quickly, by touch or swipe. I suppose I could install the Kindle app, just for fun.

I haven't tried to root the device, and I have no plans to go there. I'm not going the repartition route, either. High risk of serious screw-ups! Just for the fun of it, I may try Tasker. But that's as far as I plan to go right now.

So, there are some ways around the storage limitations. They involve some prep work, and have their cons as well as their pros. I'm actually having some fun exploring the potential of this device today. Soon, I'll actually do some reading!

If you've ever done anything with ADB, installing apps on this device is fairly easy. B&N left a door open, just as they did on the G-Plus. You'll have to decide if it's worth it or not. I like the learning experience.

That's all for now.

Edit: I also remember the same kind of discussion happening when B&N launched the G-Plus! Déjà vu, all over again!

Edit #2: The adjustable light color is growing on me! I'm liking it more than I thought I would.

[SleepyBob]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I was waiting for Black Friday, myself. The Nook STwG isn't going to last forever and the Glowlight 3 was a natural replacement.



Yeah. Every time I plug it in and see the space available I would have a sour taste in my mouth.

I could have lived with B&N keeping half. But practically all?

Has anyone actually tried to sideload more than 1GB yet?

[groot]

Originally Posted by SleepyBob

Has anyone actually tried to sideload more than 1GB yet?

Copied a 2 GB file. Fails with out of space error at 1.0 GB as expected. But as downeaster59 said, apps can save to and read from the additional storage directly if you want to deal with that. My guess is that the partitioning is more to prevent direct access to DRMed content than limiting our storage. But it's still a disappointing customer experience and not as promised.

I tried a couple launchers (OpenLauncher, RelaunchX), FBReader, FileManager and F-Droid. App compatability seems comparable to Onyx devices. UI colors and animation can be problematic on e-ink, but it's mostly stock Android.

[downeaster59]

One more interesting tidbit - without root, I can't access the folder where Nook content is stored. Makes sense, in a way. But root may not be worth it. I tried rooting the Glowlight Plus and then i tried installing Google Play. What a pain that was! And Play Store never worked.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by raindog89

The online specs claim it has "6.5GB for NOOK Store content and side-loaded content".
This is major mispresentation to not mention it is partitioned.

I wonder how last minute the decision was? The initial software doesn't seem to be aware of the limitation.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Go back and red my message. I changed it. Just not soon enough for you to see the original.

I don't know exactly what you're talking about (I could check it out, I guess), but I'll try to ignore these messages in the future and try to be less caustic in any future responses. Sorry.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by downeaster59

Yes, it is possible to install a launcher and apps. I installed Calibre Companion and, as a test, sent two books to the G-3. They live in the "internal storage" partition - that which is listed as being over 6 gb. The "sideloaded" partition is listed on the device as the external sd card. (You can see these names in the full settings menu, that you can access only with another launcher installed.) Using Calibre Companion, then, I can get books onto the "internal storage". However, the stock Nook reader cannot see them there. So, I installed AlReader. That app can find those CC books. However, the page turn buttons do not work for AlReader. I can turn pages just fine, and quickly, by touch or swipe. I suppose I could install the Kindle app, just for fun.

You've got a lot done on this device in just a few hours. Is the Nova Launcher hard to install? I like the fact that it and Calibre Companion allow sideloaded content to reside on the "main" partition (if I understood you correctly). Not that I would really need it, but it would make me feel that all that extra memory could actually be useful ... for something like, maybe, SimpleNote for reading notes (or writing, pasting to them). Obviously I don't understand how all this would work or how difficult it would be to accomplish. But it gives me something to look into.

That screen really is nice.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I wonder how last minute the decision was? The initial software doesn't seem to be aware of the limitation.

I kind of wonder also. Maybe Barnes & Noble could sell a "free" memory edition (something like taking the ads off of the Kindle) for $20 or $30 more. (Just wishful thinking, I know.)