New Barnes and Noble "Nook Glowlight Plus" announced! - Page 4

booklover6 · 10-22-2015, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ottdmk

Hmnn. So, it's basically a Kobo Glo HD with water/dust proofing and a capacitive screen.

I don't think so. The software (firmware?) is quite a bit different. Unless things have changed with this version of Nook, you can't use Calibre to create and maintain collections. That's one of the things I love best about the Kobo.

John F · 10-22-2015, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ottdmk

Hmnn. So, it's basically a Kobo Glo HD with water/dust proofing and a capacitive screen. ...

Or to put it another way, they are basically completely different, other than sharing the same screen (and EPub engine)?

I'm assuming the lighting system is different?

GERGE · 10-23-2015, 08:47 AM

Any idea about the engine? RMSDK?

Barty · 10-23-2015, 03:00 PM

I went to a B&N to look at the nook plus in person. Had my paper white 2 with me.

Aesthetically, it looked quite nice. Alas, it is terrible for me to hold. The aluminum(?) back is very slippery. Worse: the metal on the side protrudes slightly above the front bezel, creating a sharp edge all around. I couldn't use this thing without some sort of back cover. (Maybe that's their plan!) The old glow light on the next table looked a bit toy like by comparison, but it was much nicer to hold.

The screen is flush with the bezel, albeit not seamlessly. The bezel is a different material and has a cross hatch texture. This is good, bad, or indifferent depending on your pov. Going by memory, the flush screen on the voyage is nicer but of course it's in a different price category.

I turned the lights up on the nook and my PW until they glowed and turned them back down so they stopped glowing. Both screens' background looked very similar. I didn't see any obvious uniformity problem, given the fluorescent light in the store.

The increased resolution over my PW was noticeable and looked quite nice. Georgia and even a couple of sans serif fonts looked very useable to me (I don't like any of the kindle fonts and always load my own.) Thankfully, you can change to minimal left right margins. I don't know why they use huge margins in their ads so the reader looks like 3/5 bezel and blank space. Found no way to turn off the header/footer so lots of wasted space on top and bottom. Aesthetically, it looks nice, I guess. Functionally, I prefer more actual book text.

It has the same font stepping problem as the kindle, where there is a single size change that goes from a bit too small to way too big. What's especially stupid is it does not have eight laid out choices like the kindle but +/- buttons, so in theory they could have had every size from 6 to 60, but no they can't have people tapping too many times so instead they fixed it to eight sizes or whatever. They could've used a slider but I guess that was too much trouble. Sigh. It's a fine line between simple and stupid. Maybe there are work arounds.

Speed looks fine. Menu, page turns, etc are all very responsive.

Unfortunately, it is very noticeable the "ink" on the nook is not as dark as the pw2. It is tricky to say for sure because the lower resolution on the pw2 and my custom fonts make everything look bolder and perhaps as a result darker, but after looking very carefully and comparing not just the text but things like lines in the menu and the scrubber, I think the pw2 sites have darker blacks. For me, contrast is the most important attribute in a display and I'll take contrast over a bump in resolution, provided the resolution isn't terrible to begin with, which the pw2's is not.

(Wish I'd had a camera.)

I think it's a solid product by B&N but it is not for me.

JSWolf · 10-23-2015, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GERGE

Any idea about the engine? RMSDK?

Yes, some version RMDSK.

Ladyrixx · 10-23-2015, 03:07 PM

Does anyone have a teardown of it? I'd love to know if you would be able to increase the storage like you could with a Kobo Mini. Also, if it's running a flavour of KitKat, it might be hackable like the NST...

eschwartz · 10-23-2015, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barty

It has the same font stepping problem as the kindle, where there is a single size change that goes from a bit too small to way too big. What's especially stupid is it does not have eight laid out choices like the kindle but +/- buttons, so in theory they could have had every size from 6 to 60, but no they can't have people tapping too many times so instead they fixed it to eight sizes or whatever. They could've used a slider but I guess that was too much trouble. Sigh. It's a fine line between simple and stupid. Maybe there are work arounds.

Do you use the Kindle FONT_RAMP workaround (it allows you to redefine the font sizes)?

Barty · 10-23-2015, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Do you use the Kindle FONT_RAMP workaround (it allows you to redefine the font sizes)?

I edited the jars. That was before the font ramp hack was known

JSWolf · 10-23-2015, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Do you use the Kindle FONT_RAMP workaround (it allows you to redefine the font sizes)?

But you do realize that this doesn't work with KFX eBooks. So you are back to the original too small/too large problem with KFX.

Barty · 10-23-2015, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But you do realize that this doesn't work with KFX eBooks. So you are back to the original too small/too large problem with KFX.

I haven't updated my firmware in over a year. KFX is alien to me.

SCION · 10-23-2015, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barty

Found no way to turn off the header/footer so lots of wasted space on top and bottom.

Yeah, I took a look today and that really bothered me. As one who prefers a bigger screen, the unnecessary "always on" header/footer is a turn off. I find it annoying on my Kindle DX, but given the size, I'll gladly accept it. For me, the B&N footer is distracting, and it's the same in their Android/iOS apps.

Nate the great · 10-24-2015, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ladyrixx

Does anyone have a teardown of it? I'd love to know if you would be able to increase the storage like you could with a Kobo Mini. Also, if it's running a flavour of KitKat, it might be hackable like the NST...

Yes. There's no internal card slot that I can see:
http://the-digital-reader.com/2015/1...s-been-hacked/

aagstn · 10-24-2015, 03:40 PM

I just picked up a PW3 during the sale and thought I might be returning it with this device coming out. I loved my original Nook and thought this might bring me back. Tried one in store today and it was a total disappointment. Metal is very uncomfortable to hold at the edges and the bumpy front looks very cheap. Screen is not on par with the PW3 as the fonts seem lighter and the device is slower than the kindle when navigating. Nook glow plus was a pass for me.

hardcastle · 10-24-2015, 07:03 PM

I gave the device a try in a Barnes today. The screen was very attractive and the build quality was excellent.

I wasn't such a big fan of the texture on the front of the device though, it drew too much attention to the space surrounding the screen, and the metal on the back was an odd pick. Maybe going for an iPad style? Not my cup of tea, given that I use my iPad in a case.

JSWolf · 10-24-2015, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hardcastle

I gave the device a try in a Barnes today. The screen was very attractive and the build quality was excellent.

I wasn't such a big fan of the texture on the front of the device though, it drew too much attention to the space surrounding the screen, and the metal on the back was an odd pick. Maybe going for an iPad style? Not my cup of tea, given that I use my iPad in a case.

The metal isn't all that much of an issue because with a cover, you won't be feeling the back.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Samsung-made Nook tablet announced by Barnes & Noble	alanHd	News	2	08-21-2014 07:26 AM
"Barnes & Noble holiday sales drop on Nook slump"	John F	News	134	01-27-2014 03:56 PM
Barnes & Noble One Week Sale on Nook STR, Glowlight, Nook HD	charmian	Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links)	6	09-26-2013 10:36 AM
"Nook May Be Expanding Internationally, But Barnes & Noble Stores Aren't"	scrapking	Barnes & Noble NOOK	3	03-31-2012 12:04 PM
Barnes & Noble mulls Android SDK for Nook, says web browser "if readers want it"	sforce	News	15	10-22-2009 03:25 AM

10-23-2015, 08:47 AM	#48
GERGE Guru Posts: 732 Karma: 5797160 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Istanbul Device: Kobo Libra	Any idea about the engine? RMSDK?

10-23-2015, 03:00 PM	#49
Barty doofus Posts: 2,524 Karma: 13088847 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kindle Voyage	I went to a B&N to look at the nook plus in person. Had my paper white 2 with me. Aesthetically, it looked quite nice. Alas, it is terrible for me to hold. The aluminum(?) back is very slippery. Worse: the metal on the side protrudes slightly above the front bezel, creating a sharp edge all around. I couldn't use this thing without some sort of back cover. (Maybe that's their plan!) The old glow light on the next table looked a bit toy like by comparison, but it was much nicer to hold. The screen is flush with the bezel, albeit not seamlessly. The bezel is a different material and has a cross hatch texture. This is good, bad, or indifferent depending on your pov. Going by memory, the flush screen on the voyage is nicer but of course it's in a different price category. I turned the lights up on the nook and my PW until they glowed and turned them back down so they stopped glowing. Both screens' background looked very similar. I didn't see any obvious uniformity problem, given the fluorescent light in the store. The increased resolution over my PW was noticeable and looked quite nice. Georgia and even a couple of sans serif fonts looked very useable to me (I don't like any of the kindle fonts and always load my own.) Thankfully, you can change to minimal left right margins. I don't know why they use huge margins in their ads so the reader looks like 3/5 bezel and blank space. Found no way to turn off the header/footer so lots of wasted space on top and bottom. Aesthetically, it looks nice, I guess. Functionally, I prefer more actual book text. It has the same font stepping problem as the kindle, where there is a single size change that goes from a bit too small to way too big. What's especially stupid is it does not have eight laid out choices like the kindle but +/- buttons, so in theory they could have had every size from 6 to 60, but no they can't have people tapping too many times so instead they fixed it to eight sizes or whatever. They could've used a slider but I guess that was too much trouble. Sigh. It's a fine line between simple and stupid. Maybe there are work arounds. Speed looks fine. Menu, page turns, etc are all very responsive. Unfortunately, it is very noticeable the "ink" on the nook is not as dark as the pw2. It is tricky to say for sure because the lower resolution on the pw2 and my custom fonts make everything look bolder and perhaps as a result darker, but after looking very carefully and comparing not just the text but things like lines in the menu and the scrubber, I think the pw2 sites have darker blacks. For me, contrast is the most important attribute in a display and I'll take contrast over a bump in resolution, provided the resolution isn't terrible to begin with, which the pw2's is not. (Wish I'd had a camera.) I think it's a solid product by B&N but it is not for me.

10-23-2015, 03:07 PM	#51
Ladyrixx Zealot Posts: 146 Karma: 585496 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Astak EZ Reader Pocket Pro, Kobo Mini, Nook Glowlight 2, Kobo Forma	Does anyone have a teardown of it? I'd love to know if you would be able to increase the storage like you could with a Kobo Mini. Also, if it's running a flavour of KitKat, it might be hackable like the NST...

10-24-2015, 03:40 PM	#58
aagstn Evangelist Posts: 422 Karma: 1004351 Join Date: Jun 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 3, iPad mini 2	I just picked up a PW3 during the sale and thought I might be returning it with this device coming out. I loved my original Nook and thought this might bring me back. Tried one in store today and it was a total disappointment. Metal is very uncomfortable to hold at the edges and the bumpy front looks very cheap. Screen is not on par with the PW3 as the fonts seem lighter and the device is slower than the kindle when navigating. Nook glow plus was a pass for me.

10-24-2015, 07:03 PM	#59
hardcastle Zealot Posts: 138 Karma: 3651501 Join Date: Dec 2013 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Gray Kindle Basic	I gave the device a try in a Barnes today. The screen was very attractive and the build quality was excellent. I wasn't such a big fan of the texture on the front of the device though, it drew too much attention to the space surrounding the screen, and the metal on the back was an odd pick. Maybe going for an iPad style? Not my cup of tea, given that I use my iPad in a case.