I'll answer questions about the nook color!

[The Terminator]

Is it comparable to the ipad?

[peitsao]

Can I replace the battery if I buy an extra battery? Given the short battery life, I want to be able to switch them if I am on the road and cannot recharge.

[eGeezer]

Originally Posted by DuncanWatson

No nook is slaved to a PC. When you connect a classic nook (wifi, or wifi/3g) the computer just sees the Nook as a USB drive. It isn't slaved to a particular computer and can be used on any computer whether it runs windows, linux, mac os, bsd, android, or any other system that supports USB 2.0 drives.

I personally have side-loaded books on to my nook from 4 different computers, each running a different OS. (1 fedora, 1 ubuntu, 1 os X, 1 winxp)

I interpreted the comment about a nook being slaved to a PC to merely be referencing the inability to side-load except thru the USB port. In other words, "can the NC sideload via Wifi, or is it still dependent on a PC connection?"

Just my interpretation of the question.

I believe only the iPad(/iPod/iPhone) fits the description of "slaved to a PC", except most folk differentiate between "PC" and "Mac". I am, of course, referring to syncing (therefore slaved) to a specific computer with a specific iTunes, so the iPad/iTouch/iPhone is truly only slaved to a specific iTunes which resides on a specific PC/Mac.

[DuncanWatson]

Originally Posted by eGeezer

I believe only the iPad(/iPod/iPhone) fits the description of "slaved to a PC", except most folk differentiate between "PC" and "Mac". I am, of course, referring to syncing (therefore slaved) to a specific computer with a specific iTunes, so the iPad/iTouch/iPhone is truly only slaved to a specific iTunes which resides on a specific PC/Mac.

The original PC vs MAC difference was an open hw platform running intel (and variant) chips vs a close proprietary HW platform running motorola chips. Now of course Macs are Intel platform machines running slightly proprietary HW (not dissimilar to Compac PCs in the early 90s.). I think PC has become the superset term for desktop and laptop computers (regardless of the PC and Mac series of ads).

Either way for me I run mostly Linux and BSD OS variants which puts me somewhat outside the norm.

It is an important feature that my Nook connects to my various linux computers seamlessly since it just shows up as a USB drive. Sony's Reader Library 3.0 SW only runs on OS X (10.4.11+) and Windows (XP +). That limits my usage as a MS free household (and only miles away from MS headquarters).

I assumed the person posting was referring to the SW due to being a sony ereader user. I can see what you mean about potentially meaning the USB vs wireless connection though. Of course I also agree with you regarding how ITunes users are the ones locked down the most.

[Rebo]

Originally Posted by peitsao

Can I replace the battery if I buy an extra battery? Given the short battery life, I want to be able to switch them if I am on the road and cannot recharge.

The battery is non user replaceable so switching a spare on the fly is probably not too practical. There are though plenty of external batteries that are designed for iPad or other mobile devices that should be be compatible with the NC.

[JadePriest]

How bad is the glare? The wife likes to read while we are traveling so will it be really hard on her eyes to read while it is sunny out?

[hal2814]

Originally Posted by DuncanWatson

The original PC vs MAC difference was an open hw platform running intel (and variant) chips vs a close proprietary HW platform running motorola chips. Now of course Macs are Intel platform machines running slightly proprietary HW (not dissimilar to Compac PCs in the early 90s.). I think PC has become the superset term for desktop and laptop computers (regardless of the PC and Mac series of ads).

Either way for me I run mostly Linux and BSD OS variants which puts me somewhat outside the norm.

It is an important feature that my Nook connects to my various linux computers seamlessly since it just shows up as a USB drive. Sony's Reader Library 3.0 SW only runs on OS X (10.4.11+) and Windows (XP +). That limits my usage as a MS free household (and only miles away from MS headquarters).

I assumed the person posting was referring to the SW due to being a sony ereader user. I can see what you mean about potentially meaning the USB vs wireless connection though. Of course I also agree with you regarding how ITunes users are the ones locked down the most.

The PC was a closed platform, too. The only difference was that IBM kept clones out of the market through controlling their BIOS while Apple controlled both the ROM and the OS. Once companies reverse engineered IBM's BIOS, it was trivial to get the rest of the hardware to work with DOS or CP/M since Microsoft and Digital Research would gladly sell copies of their respective OSes to whoever wanted one. Even if you managed to copy Apple's ROM, you still had to deal with making a compatible OS. Given the price difference between the an IBM and an Apple at the time, it was FAR more lucrative to clone IBM PCs and it was easier, too. I only remember a couple of Apple and Mac clones. They were buggy, had compatibility issues, and didn't last long. But I think you're right that the term PC is becoming ubiquitous again and applying to both the IBM lineage and the Apple lineage.

(Ironically, the Macs of today are keeping their OS from running on commodity IBM PC compatible hardware through their EFI (a sort of BIOS-on-steroids). People who are successfully running OS X on commodity IBM PC Compatible hardware have done it by reverse engineering the EFI.)

But back to the point, I took "slaved" to mean "had to be connected to the PC to get content." That confused me because I thought the Nook could wireless download content from Barnes and Noble. So I guess there are at least three ways to interpret the statement.

[peaceridge]

Originally Posted by DuncanWatson

No nook is slaved to a PC. When you connect a classic nook (wifi, or wifi/3g) the computer just sees the Nook as a USB drive. It isn't slaved to a particular computer and can be used on any computer whether it runs windows, linux, mac os, bsd, android, or any other system that supports USB 2.0 drives.

I personally have side-loaded books on to my nook from 4 different computers, each running a different OS. (1 fedora, 1 ubuntu, 1 os X, 1 winxp)

Any ideas of whether it can sideload on a Windows 7 64bit? From Calibre?

[eGeezer]

Originally Posted by hal2814

But back to the point, I took "slaved" to mean "had to be connected to the PC to get content." That confused me because I thought the Nook could wireless download content from Barnes and Noble. So I guess there are at least three ways to interpret the statement.

Nice, concise history lesson with details I had never actually heard explained before.

However, while the nook can certainly download book in on the B&N website via wifi, it is the only website from which it can do so. I was talking about all those OTHER sources, which require side-loading via a computer/USB and don't end up on the "nookshelf".

While I wouldn't hold out much hope B&N would make it any easier to purchase from any other source, I am willing to ask the question until we get an answer.

[DuncanWatson]

Originally Posted by peaceridge

Any ideas of whether it can sideload on a Windows 7 64bit? From Calibre?

I don't use windows 7 64-bit but as it would see the nook as a USB drive I don't foresee any problems at all.

[DuncanWatson]

Originally Posted by hal2814

The PC was a closed platform, too. The only difference was that IBM kept clones out of the market through controlling their BIOS while Apple controlled both the ROM and the OS.

The MAC also kept the add-on board market tied up to Apple where the various bus architectures were varying degrees of open for the PC market.

[cybrdmn]

I don't see many answers from this nookanswers character...

[eGeezer]

Originally Posted by cybrdmn

I don't see many answers from this nookanswers character...

Was thinking the same thing...

[thrawn_aj]

Originally Posted by cybrdmn

I don't see many answers from this nookanswers character...

Indeed. The whole thing was rather strange (in a funny way ). I would so like to go into a random forum one day and start out with "I'll answer questions about <put subject here>"

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by THE TERMINATOR

Is it comparable to the ipad?

Nope.