Tablet NT USB charging?

bfollowell · 02-06-2012, 12:58 AM

My wife, quickly tiring of sharing the NT she got me Christmas, has bought her own. She pointed out something in the Quick Start Guide that I'd missed. According the guide, and I quote:

NOTE: To charge your NOOK, you must plug it into a wall outlet. Your NOOK will not charge when connected to a computer.

Now, even though I've never run into a battery operated/handheld device that wouldn't charge off of its USB/sync cable, I really have no reason to doubt this but I was certain I'd left my NT plugged in before going to bed one night, almost completely dead, and got up the next morning to find it fully charged.

Can anyone confirm whether or not the NT will charge off the USB cable while plugged into a computer or if, as the guide says, it will only charge off the AC adapter?

Thanks.

- Byron

AnemicOak · 02-06-2012, 10:45 AM

Most tablet devices won't charge via USB (or atleast charge well). They need more power than a USB port puts out to charge in a decent amount of time.

I haven't tried the Nook Tab, but with my Transformer and Nook Color I got some charge as long as I didn't try using them while 'charging' that way.

I'm kind of surprised that someone hasn't come out with a dual USB charging cable for any of these devices that draws power from two ports (I had something similar in the early days of portable hard drives).

Jim Lester · 02-06-2012, 05:52 PM

The Tablet and the Color both have custom MiniUSB ports (and cables and chargers) that have extra pins to allow for faster charging. Use of other cables and chargers (including a computer) will either 'trickle' charge or potentially discharge the battery depending upon what's happening. YMMV, [insert other disclaimers here],....

It's easier for us to say just use the charger/cable in the box, than it is to provide a properly nuanced view in the user documentation, since no matter how carefully you write something like that, you will never get it quite right (and customer complaints/lawsuits etc follow).

bfollowell · 02-06-2012, 05:55 PM

Understood. I'll just make certain to continue to plug it into the wall then, rather than leaving it plugged into my computer overnight. All the more reason to actually read quick start guides and user manuals!

Thanks.

- Byron

afv011 · 02-06-2012, 07:55 PM

Just to chip in, the NT will charge from the USB cable when connect to a PC; it is not mentioned in the guide because the consumption of the device while in use is greater than the 0.5A the PC is providing, so the NT is actually discharging when in use and connect to a PC, though at a lower rate than if not connected at all. If you do not use it, then it will charge the battery, but much slower than a wall charger (about 4 times slower).

kevinp · 02-28-2012, 02:53 PM

Some of the newer computers out these days have "charging USB Ports" on the front of the computer - one that specifically outputs more power for fast charging things like tablets.

geertm · 02-28-2012, 03:38 PM

Both the NC and the NT can be charged with any USB port or USB charger. It just will take longer (about 7 hours for a full charge), and you cannot use it while charging.
You will also get no charging message on the screen, because that is only triggered by the power charger.

azazel1024 · 02-28-2012, 03:54 PM

As mentioned, a few computers have charging USB ports that are designed to output 1amp of power instead of the USB2.0 max of .5amp, so it would charge on those ports. On a regular .5amp USB port, it'll charge if in sleep mode or off. If on, it depends on what you are doing. Sitting idle, it'll probably charge a bit, but not much. In actual use it'll consume more power than the .5amp the port outputs, so you'll be discharging, albiet very slowly.

Same thing I get with my iPad2. If I leave it connected and asleep to a USB port and I wake the thing up 15 or 20 minutes later the charge level will have gone up maybe 2 or 3%. If I leave it awake and connected then there is no noticable charging that occurs over the same period of time at idle. Never tried using it much while connected over USB to my computer.

Connected to a 1amp charger it'll deffinitely charge even when in use, but a lot slower than when alseep (and when connected to a 2.1amp charger, it'll charge really fast).

livramax · 02-29-2012, 12:56 PM

How fast does the NT charge using a standard micro-USB cable (rather than its special 12-pin cable) connected to a 1 amp wall charger?

geertm · 02-29-2012, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by livramax

How fast does the NT charge using a standard micro-USB cable (rather than its special 12-pin cable) connected to a 1 amp wall charger?

I expect about the same as the NC. Which for my NC is about 7 hours.

02-06-2012, 12:58 AM	#1
bfollowell Fanatic Posts: 541 Karma: 1152752 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Evansville, IN, USA Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook & Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5	NT USB charging? My wife, quickly tiring of sharing the NT she got me Christmas, has bought her own. She pointed out something in the Quick Start Guide that I'd missed. According the guide, and I quote: NOTE: To charge your NOOK, you must plug it into a wall outlet. Your NOOK will not charge when connected to a computer. Now, even though I've never run into a battery operated/handheld device that wouldn't charge off of its USB/sync cable, I really have no reason to doubt this but I was certain I'd left my NT plugged in before going to bed one night, almost completely dead, and got up the next morning to find it fully charged. Can anyone confirm whether or not the NT will charge off the USB cable while plugged into a computer or if, as the guide says, it will only charge off the AC adapter? Thanks. - Byron

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02-06-2012, 10:45 AM	#2
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	Most tablet devices won't charge via USB (or atleast charge well). They need more power than a USB port puts out to charge in a decent amount of time. I haven't tried the Nook Tab, but with my Transformer and Nook Color I got some charge as long as I didn't try using them while 'charging' that way. I'm kind of surprised that someone hasn't come out with a dual USB charging cable for any of these devices that draws power from two ports (I had something similar in the early days of portable hard drives).

02-06-2012, 05:52 PM	#3
Jim Lester Evangelist Posts: 416 Karma: 14682 Join Date: May 2008 Location: SF Bay Area Device: Nook HD, Nook for Windows 8	The Tablet and the Color both have custom MiniUSB ports (and cables and chargers) that have extra pins to allow for faster charging. Use of other cables and chargers (including a computer) will either 'trickle' charge or potentially discharge the battery depending upon what's happening. YMMV, [insert other disclaimers here],.... It's easier for us to say just use the charger/cable in the box, than it is to provide a properly nuanced view in the user documentation, since no matter how carefully you write something like that, you will never get it quite right (and customer complaints/lawsuits etc follow).

02-06-2012, 05:55 PM	#4
bfollowell Fanatic Posts: 541 Karma: 1152752 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Evansville, IN, USA Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook & Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5	Understood. I'll just make certain to continue to plug it into the wall then, rather than leaving it plugged into my computer overnight. All the more reason to actually read quick start guides and user manuals! Thanks. - Byron

02-06-2012, 07:55 PM	#5
afv011 Captain Penguin Posts: 2,947 Karma: 2077653593 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC Device: Kobo Libra 2, Nook Glowlight	Just to chip in, the NT will charge from the USB cable when connect to a PC; it is not mentioned in the guide because the consumption of the device while in use is greater than the 0.5A the PC is providing, so the NT is actually discharging when in use and connect to a PC, though at a lower rate than if not connected at all. If you do not use it, then it will charge the battery, but much slower than a wall charger (about 4 times slower).

02-28-2012, 02:53 PM	#6
kevinp Fanatic Posts: 579 Karma: 3549018 Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Michigan Device: Kindle Scribe, Kindle PW (10th & 11th gen); Fire HD 10	Some of the newer computers out these days have "charging USB Ports" on the front of the computer - one that specifically outputs more power for fast charging things like tablets.

02-28-2012, 03:38 PM	#7
geertm Guru Posts: 822 Karma: 2000000 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: The Netherlands Device: Kobo Aura One	Both the NC and the NT can be charged with any USB port or USB charger. It just will take longer (about 7 hours for a full charge), and you cannot use it while charging. You will also get no charging message on the screen, because that is only triggered by the power charger.

02-28-2012, 03:54 PM	#8
azazel1024 Groupie Posts: 182 Karma: 346596 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Ellicott City, MD Device: Nook simple touch, iPad 2	As mentioned, a few computers have charging USB ports that are designed to output 1amp of power instead of the USB2.0 max of .5amp, so it would charge on those ports. On a regular .5amp USB port, it'll charge if in sleep mode or off. If on, it depends on what you are doing. Sitting idle, it'll probably charge a bit, but not much. In actual use it'll consume more power than the .5amp the port outputs, so you'll be discharging, albiet very slowly. Same thing I get with my iPad2. If I leave it connected and asleep to a USB port and I wake the thing up 15 or 20 minutes later the charge level will have gone up maybe 2 or 3%. If I leave it awake and connected then there is no noticable charging that occurs over the same period of time at idle. Never tried using it much while connected over USB to my computer. Connected to a 1amp charger it'll deffinitely charge even when in use, but a lot slower than when alseep (and when connected to a 2.1amp charger, it'll charge really fast).

02-29-2012, 12:56 PM	#9
livramax Addict Posts: 275 Karma: 1115510 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: USA Device: Nook ST, Aura HD, Galaxy Note 8, Fire HD10, Galaxy S6 Lite	How fast does the NT charge using a standard micro-USB cable (rather than its special 12-pin cable) connected to a 1 amp wall charger?