Color Rooting with SD card

[dkperez]

Unfortunately, I'm probably newer and more ignorant of the whole android thing than everybody...

After more pie, and a night's sleep I returned to the fray this morning...

It APPEARS that if I go to the app screen, then open the file manager, then rummage down to the My Files folder, then Books, then select an author I get a list of books. If I select a book, I get a screen asking how I want to complete the action......

First problem: On that screen, I have TWO aldiko icons, both saying "com.aldiko.android"... Why do I have 2? How do I get rid of the one that shouldn't be there?
If I select the FIRST one, it appears to open the book, but DOESN'T put it on the bookshelf or wherever stuff should be going in aldiko. If I select the SECOND one, it appears to "import" for a while, then eventually shows the book as "new content" in the library - I can now see the book on a "shelf"...

Second problem: If I now hit "Home", then apps, then file manager, instead of being at the top of the file manager, I'm BACK to looking at the shelf in andiko. Which as far as I know, has NOTHING to do with file manager. How do I get this thing to put me in the FILE MANAGER, not a shelf in a book reader?

Lastly (for the moment), is there SOME WAY to turn on an indication that the thing is actually DOING SOMETHING as opposed to still waiting for a command? It's so slow that I'm constantly hitting buttons multiple times because it takes so long for ANYTHING to happen... Is this incredible slowness because android is running from an sd, or is the NC just this much of a dog doing anything other than being a book reader?

[murraypaul]

The reason the Nook Color, Kindle Fire and iPad are locked down in the way they are is to make things simple for users by removing choices.
For people who just want to read, and not understand how things work, they are ideal.
A fully unlocked tablet gives you a lot more choices. That is more freedom, but also more complexity. You need to be comfortable with fiddling with things to get them to work. If you aren't, then it might not be the right choice for you.
The CM7 Android is basically a phone version, running on a tablet, on hardware which was never meant to run a full version of Android. It doesn't have the hard buttons you would normally have, and the soft buttons, as you have found, just don't work right sometimes.

The way to make things as simple as possible is to put all the apps you actually want to run on the first page of the home screen. That way you just press home, then launch the app you want, and you don't have to go through the app list each time.

It is possible that the speed issues and force close messages are due to the SD card you are using. You are better off with an older, slower card than a new class 6 one. The newer cards are optimised for bulk reading and writing, and are actually much slower for random access reading and writing, which is what is important in this case. The standard recommendation is a Sandisk class 2 card.

[gMike]

You've already experienced about $1,000 worth of frustration trying to get the NC to work as a tablet. Why not consider the Nook 2 Android card for $50. Install the N2A card and it all works just like it's supposed to.

[dkperez]

I'm quite comfortable "fiddling" as long as what I'm fiddling with is at least marginally rational. And as far as speed, I'm now getting three drastically different answers... There's the "you need at least 16GB of class 6 SD card" to the "a really fast class 4 card like a Sandisk will work well", to now the "class 2 card"... I"m currently using an off-brand class 4, 4GB card, which certainly isn't providing dazzling performance.

But, you've clearly got much more experience and knowledge of Android, and it's operation on the Nook Color, so if I can get a few answers I'll know if it's worth messing with this or better to just reformat the SD card and go back to being an NC. And if the answer is just "because it's the way Android is" just let me know.

BTW, one of the REASONS FOR unlocking is to have a BETTER bookreader/library/setup than the NC.

How do I start applications from the beginning? For example, I run the Market, and install Dolphin Browser. End up with an "Open" or "Uninstall" screen. HOW do I shut down "Market" app so the next time I hit "Market" it DOESN'T dump me onto the same "Open" or "Uninstall" page from the Dolphin Browser I last installed?

Settings... There are a bunch that don't make sense... Is there a list somewhere of what all these things are and what the settings change?

Can I get specifics on which bookreader works best for reading epub books on this thing? Aldiko SORT-OF works, but getting books from memory to the reader/library is painfully inefficient. There's GOTTA be an easier way to get the book to the reader than having to go to home/apps/file manager/down to directories/into the books and on and on...
How do I get a library/catalog/whatever that looks and WORKS as much like the Nook Color or, worst case, Calibre. It needs to be able to access memory (where my books are) and the SD card.

How do I make the Back button, actually do a BACK? Just unwind where I am to the last place I was, not dump me all the way back to the desktop.

How do I delete all the refugee cell phone stuff? Camera, Car Home, Phone, Talk, Voice Dialer, etc? 'Cause even though a trashcan shows up at the top of the screen when I hold them, they never go away.

Is there SOME WAY to turn on an indication that the thing is actually DOING SOMETHING as opposed to still waiting for a command?

[Nahgem]

I bought the N2A card for mine, so I don't have any answers on what may or may not be working with your root, and haven't entirely worked out how to get rid of the unnecessary cell phone stuff myself.

As far as reader apps go, I found that Mantano was the easiest for me to use as far as library organization goes. A lot of the other apps required me to browse for files or put them all in a specific folder first, and then ignored any metadata I'd set in Calibre. Mantano doesn't care where the files are, it syncs from everywhere on the device, AND it recognizes tags and metadata from Calibre. No shelves as far as I can tell, just a basic searchable list like the stock Nook reader, but the tags make for fantastic organization.

[oppy]

Originally Posted by dkperez

And as far as speed, I'm now getting three drastically different answers... There's the "you need at least 16GB of class 6 SD card" to the "a really fast class 4 card like a Sandisk will work well", to now the "class 2 card"...

If you plan on running CM7 from the uSD, use a SanDisk class 2 or 4 card. They seem to work best. If you're interested in knowing why, there's a long thread about it on XDA.

BTW, one of the REASONS FOR unlocking is to have a BETTER bookreader/library/setup than the NC.

Funny, I dual boot just so I can use the stock reader.

How do I start applications from the beginning? For example, I run the Market, and install Dolphin Browser. End up with an "Open" or "Uninstall" screen. HOW do I shut down "Market" app so the next time I hit "Market" it DOESN'T dump me onto the same "Open" or "Uninstall" page from the Dolphin Browser I last installed?

Yeah, I find that a little annoying also. Just hit the back arrow until you get to the market home page. Same thing with browsers. Hitting the n button seems to act more to minimize a program than close it. I believe that's an Android thing. You'll get used to it.

Settings... There are a bunch that don't make sense... Is there a list somewhere of what all these things are and what the settings change?

Well, if it's working okay you probably don't need to change anything. I'd recommend installing Nook Tweaks from the Market so you can overclock once you get familiar with the OS.

How do I make the Back button, actually do a BACK? Just unwind where I am to the last place I was, not dump me all the way back to the desktop.

Use the back arrow soft key. The n button minimizes (for lack of a better term).

How do I delete all the refugee cell phone stuff? Camera, Car Home, Phone, Talk, Voice Dialer, etc? 'Cause even though a trashcan shows up at the top of the screen when I hold them, they never go away.

You don't. Remember, you're using a modified OS intended for a phone.

Is there SOME WAY to turn on an indication that the thing is actually DOING SOMETHING as opposed to still waiting for a command?

Patience, young padawan.

[dkperez]

Thanks for the replies... I've got a 16GB Sandisk class 2 on its way, so I'll shortly have the slowest/fastest card for running from the SD.

Can I "dual boot" from the SD card so I can switch from Android to Nook without having to screw with anything ON the Nook?

As far as the other stuff... Are you serious? Is Android REALLY this primitive?
No close applications? No real unwind? No activity indicator? Or is it that this O/S is a refugee from a cell phone?

[oppy]

Originally Posted by dkperez

Can I "dual boot" from the SD card so I can switch from Android to Nook without having to screw with anything ON the Nook?

That's pretty much what you're doing. If you want to run stock OS, just pop the card out and reboot. Actually, I think you can do the same thing by holding the n button when you reboot. Maybe someone will chime in and confirm.

As far as the other stuff... Are you serious? Is Android REALLY this primitive? No close applications? No real unwind? No activity indicator? Or is it that this O/S is a refugee from a cell phone?

Well, that's kind of what it is, although it's really Linux under the hood if you strip everything away. I guess "primitive" is in the eye of the beholder.

[afv011]

Originally Posted by dkperez

As far as the other stuff... Are you serious? Is Android REALLY this primitive?
No close applications? No real unwind? No activity indicator? Or is it that this O/S is a refugee from a cell phone?

That's how it works. It's not primitive, just a choice. There is no close button so when you return to the app it's in the same state it was when you left. Android will manage the memory and kill apps in the background as needed. If you don't like it, you can always exit apps by pressing the back key.

[dkperez]

On to something I presume this thing should do... Connect to the PC. Plug in the USB cable just like always when it was a Nook Color. Nothing happens. Is there some setting I need to change so it knows it's plugged into a USB, so I can move files back and forth, see stuff in memory, see the SD card, etc?

[dkperez]

Found a note at another site that told me what I needed...... I'm sure it was another of those "choices", but just out of curiosity, what would cause a normal user to go to the "notification bar" to find out the USB was plugged in, then realize they needed to select the USB (not the USB debugging) to get to another screen to hit yet ANOTHER button to tell android to turn on the USB storage?

[oppy]

Maybe you'd just be happier with an iPad or something. You just don't sound happy, and life's to short to get worked up about little stuff like that.

[taosaur]

Originally Posted by dkperez

what would cause a normal user to go to the "notification bar" to find out the USB was plugged in, then realize they needed to select the USB (not the USB debugging) to get to another screen to hit yet ANOTHER button to tell android to turn on the USB storage?

What would cause a user to beg for spoonful after spoonful of information on an internet forum rather than explore the interface and settings, and look up resources for becoming more familiar with Android and CyanogenMod?

The whole purpose of installing a custom ROM is to gain more control and allow customization, meaning that what you see "out of the box" is not what it's intended to look like. What it's intended to look like is up to you, and exploring the settings and interface is how you will get there. If that process does not sound enjoyable to you, then do more research next time to ensure that you can accept the limitations of the stock software on the next device you purchase.

[Tabatha]

Originally Posted by dkperez

Found a note at another site that told me what I needed...... I'm sure it was another of those "choices", but just out of curiosity, what would cause a normal user to go to the "notification bar" to find out the USB was plugged in, then realize they needed to select the USB (not the USB debugging) to get to another screen to hit yet ANOTHER button to tell android to turn on the USB storage?

You may want to google for Android 2.3 user manual. There is one out there, as I downloaded it.

Cm7 android is not really as complicated as you are making it out to be, as stated earlier, you may be better off with an Ipad, or just use the stock Nook. It's just like all you computer experience, you had to learn something new all the time by doing and using, NOTHING works by tap tap tap. Take the time to explore the device and os. You wouldn't be able to convince me you picked up any computer os that quickly. I'm still trying to learn Win7, and will stay with the familiar WinXP until I feel comfortable with Win7. Not a 5 min. learning curve!