Planning to buy ngp or ng3, need advice on android apps

gezzer · 07-27-2018, 06:25 PM

Hello,

My first e-reader was a nook simple touch and i was pretty happy with it since it was able to run an android comic book reader app called "Perfect Viewer" really smoothly on it(after rooting). Then the screen broke.

Later, i got a kobo aura hd, seeing people were able to flash android and run apps on it. But the android experience on aura hd was terrible, the Perfect Viewer app is kind of cpu hungry because it has many scanned comics enhancement features that work on the fly, with all that processing on a barely working android system page flips take around 5 or 7 seconds. And after all that hassle, some people here confirmed that android on aura hd is really slow. i just currently read zip comics through koreader with a mediocre experience and i plan to sell that device.

I'm planning to buy a nook glowlight plus or 3 right now, but i'm unable to find a collective thread about android store apps experience on them.

My questions are:
-can i run most android apps on ngp or ng3?
-if not, can the owners of the device test the "Perfect Viewer" application and report here, if possible?
-how is the general android apps performance on those devices?
-is it possible to root or install 3rd party apps on both devices without disassembling the device?(im able to perform serial port hardware console access method and i have the equipment needed but i prefer to not to open up my device)

Here is the google play store link to the perfect viewer app, if anybody wants to test it on their devices: https://play.google.com/store/apps/d....perfectviewer

Thanks in advance!

Pajamaman · 07-28-2018, 10:15 AM

Don't get the ng3 for your intended purpose. It's flaky as hell. It is not the successor to the NST. That's my advice to you. I bricked one after installing relaunchx. It worked for a bit, then I set it to launch exclusively from Relaunch, and boom.

I should have spent the $$$ on a new Onyx which is built to run open Android. I invested in a nice old NSTGL on ebay. Works fine. Could do with a higher-def screen and orange light, but that's about it.

Ryzir · 07-28-2018, 03:58 PM

I've got a GL3 that I sideloaded RelaunchX, ALreader, Colordict, and Solid Explorer. Everything works really well for me. I did accidentally set RelaunchX to always open when I hit the home button and it didn't brick my device.

You don't need to root to side load apps just ADB but I rooted mine so I could remap the hardware keys. More info on ADB and rooting can be found here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/noo...ght-3-t3802331.

I'll try and find some time to install Perfect Viewer to see if it works.

Ryzir · 07-28-2018, 05:05 PM

Perfect Viewer seems to work good. I installed version 4.2.0.1 from APKPure.

I didn't spend a lot of time on the settings and I couldn't get the hardware buttons to work but like I said I didn't spend a lot of time trying. I got the hardware keycodes from this thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/sho...&postcount=104

downeaster59 · 07-28-2018, 08:07 PM

Yes, as others have said, it is possible to root the NG3 and install Android apps. That said, the NGP and NG3 were not designed with third party apps in mind. The hardware isn't bad, but is limited. I have run Instapaper and a couple of reader apps with no problem, but the Kindle app is definitely a no-go. Some apps will work fine; others will not. That's mainly due to hardware limitations.

If you get either Nook, I recommend you get a launcher that will go as light on the hardware as possible. I use Zeam Launcher, which is quite lightweight yet does what I need it to do. It's no longer on Play Store, but it's not hard to find online. I tried ReLaunchX. It works fine, but I went back to Zeam. I like its simple and clean interface.

gezzer · 07-29-2018, 05:24 PM

thank you all for sharing experiences,

@ryzir, thanks for taking the effort and trying the application, and also thanks for sharing that thread, it is very useful.

@downeaster59, i don't mind the launcher being slow, i wont be switching any apps at all. the device will serve the purpose of reading manga 90 percent of the time.

@pajamaman, i'm sorry to hear that. i also saw your thread on xda-developers forum, and wonder if you tried to connect to the hardware serial console to unbrick your device?

Checking my options, i don't really have much choice in the place i live. i could currently buy a ngp, a tolino vision 4 hd, or a onyx boox vasco da gama. onyx boox one has a ppi of something around 200, so it is out. ngp seems okay for now.

I'm also wondering if the tolino vision 4 hd could serve the same purpose since it runs on android and it has frontlight temperature adjustment feature. Do you also have any idea on how easy it is to sideload tolino shine 4 hd with 3rd party android apps?

Can you also point any differences between the ngp and the ng3 in terms of sideloading 3rd party android apps? or is one of them are easier to unbrick in case something goes wrong, maybe?

My kobo aura hd has a hidden microsd card so even at the worst case scenario, you can take out the internal microsd card and flash it with the fresh system image on the pc, then the device comes back to life easily. I know it isn't easy to unbrick these devices with internal onboard storage but do they have a recovery-fastboot-hardware recovery mode that doesn't become unusable easily?

Pajamaman · 07-29-2018, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by downeaster59

Yes, as others have said, it is possible to root the NG3 and install Android apps. That said, the NGP and NG3 were not designed with third party apps in mind. The hardware isn't bad, but is limited. I have run Instapaper and a couple of reader apps with no problem, but the Kindle app is definitely a no-go. Some apps will work fine; others will not. That's mainly due to hardware limitations.

If you get either Nook, I recommend you get a launcher that will go as light on the hardware as possible. I use Zeam Launcher, which is quite lightweight yet does what I need it to do. It's no longer on Play Store, but it's not hard to find online. I tried ReLaunchX. It works fine, but I went back to Zeam. I like its simple and clean interface.

Careful mixing launchers. That's what blew up mine.

Pajamaman · 07-29-2018, 06:14 PM

The base NG3 software is flaky. Check out the Nook sub-forum. Good luck.

07-27-2018, 06:25 PM	#1
gezzer Member Posts: 22 Karma: 1582 Join Date: Dec 2016 Device: nook simple touch, paperwhite 2, paperwhite 3, kobo aura hd	Planning to buy ngp or ng3, need advice on android apps Hello, My first e-reader was a nook simple touch and i was pretty happy with it since it was able to run an android comic book reader app called "Perfect Viewer" really smoothly on it(after rooting). Then the screen broke. Later, i got a kobo aura hd, seeing people were able to flash android and run apps on it. But the android experience on aura hd was terrible, the Perfect Viewer app is kind of cpu hungry because it has many scanned comics enhancement features that work on the fly, with all that processing on a barely working android system page flips take around 5 or 7 seconds. And after all that hassle, some people here confirmed that android on aura hd is really slow. i just currently read zip comics through koreader with a mediocre experience and i plan to sell that device. I'm planning to buy a nook glowlight plus or 3 right now, but i'm unable to find a collective thread about android store apps experience on them. My questions are: -can i run most android apps on ngp or ng3? -if not, can the owners of the device test the "Perfect Viewer" application and report here, if possible? -how is the general android apps performance on those devices? -is it possible to root or install 3rd party apps on both devices without disassembling the device?(im able to perform serial port hardware console access method and i have the equipment needed but i prefer to not to open up my device) Here is the google play store link to the perfect viewer app, if anybody wants to test it on their devices: https://play.google.com/store/apps/d....perfectviewer Thanks in advance!

07-28-2018, 03:58 PM	#3
Ryzir Connoisseur Posts: 65 Karma: 28684 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Nook GL3, Kobo H2O, Nook STG, Sony PRS-300, Sony PRS-500	I've got a GL3 that I sideloaded RelaunchX, ALreader, Colordict, and Solid Explorer. Everything works really well for me. I did accidentally set RelaunchX to always open when I hit the home button and it didn't brick my device. You don't need to root to side load apps just ADB but I rooted mine so I could remap the hardware keys. More info on ADB and rooting can be found here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/noo...ght-3-t3802331. I'll try and find some time to install Perfect Viewer to see if it works. Attached Thumbnails

07-28-2018, 05:05 PM	#4
Ryzir Connoisseur Posts: 65 Karma: 28684 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Nook GL3, Kobo H2O, Nook STG, Sony PRS-300, Sony PRS-500	Perfect Viewer seems to work good. I installed version 4.2.0.1 from APKPure. I didn't spend a lot of time on the settings and I couldn't get the hardware buttons to work but like I said I didn't spend a lot of time trying. I got the hardware keycodes from this thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/sho...&postcount=104 Attached Thumbnails

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07-28-2018, 10:15 AM	#2
Pajamaman Wizard Posts: 2,827 Karma: 10700629 Join Date: May 2016 Location: Canada Device: Onyx Nova	Don't get the ng3 for your intended purpose. It's flaky as hell. It is not the successor to the NST. That's my advice to you. I bricked one after installing relaunchx. It worked for a bit, then I set it to launch exclusively from Relaunch, and boom. I should have spent the $$$ on a new Onyx which is built to run open Android. I invested in a nice old NSTGL on ebay. Works fine. Could do with a higher-def screen and orange light, but that's about it.

07-28-2018, 08:07 PM	#5
downeaster59 Wizard Posts: 1,215 Karma: 2957301 Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Rochester, NY Device: iPad mini 6, Onyx Leaf 2, Onyx Tab Mini C, Nook Glowlight 4 Plus	Yes, as others have said, it is possible to root the NG3 and install Android apps. That said, the NGP and NG3 were not designed with third party apps in mind. The hardware isn't bad, but is limited. I have run Instapaper and a couple of reader apps with no problem, but the Kindle app is definitely a no-go. Some apps will work fine; others will not. That's mainly due to hardware limitations. If you get either Nook, I recommend you get a launcher that will go as light on the hardware as possible. I use Zeam Launcher, which is quite lightweight yet does what I need it to do. It's no longer on Play Store, but it's not hard to find online. I tried ReLaunchX. It works fine, but I went back to Zeam. I like its simple and clean interface.

07-29-2018, 05:24 PM	#6
gezzer Member Posts: 22 Karma: 1582 Join Date: Dec 2016 Device: nook simple touch, paperwhite 2, paperwhite 3, kobo aura hd	thank you all for sharing experiences, @ryzir, thanks for taking the effort and trying the application, and also thanks for sharing that thread, it is very useful. @downeaster59, i don't mind the launcher being slow, i wont be switching any apps at all. the device will serve the purpose of reading manga 90 percent of the time. @pajamaman, i'm sorry to hear that. i also saw your thread on xda-developers forum, and wonder if you tried to connect to the hardware serial console to unbrick your device? Checking my options, i don't really have much choice in the place i live. i could currently buy a ngp, a tolino vision 4 hd, or a onyx boox vasco da gama. onyx boox one has a ppi of something around 200, so it is out. ngp seems okay for now. I'm also wondering if the tolino vision 4 hd could serve the same purpose since it runs on android and it has frontlight temperature adjustment feature. Do you also have any idea on how easy it is to sideload tolino shine 4 hd with 3rd party android apps? Can you also point any differences between the ngp and the ng3 in terms of sideloading 3rd party android apps? or is one of them are easier to unbrick in case something goes wrong, maybe? My kobo aura hd has a hidden microsd card so even at the worst case scenario, you can take out the internal microsd card and flash it with the fresh system image on the pc, then the device comes back to life easily. I know it isn't easy to unbrick these devices with internal onboard storage but do they have a recovery-fastboot-hardware recovery mode that doesn't become unusable easily?

07-29-2018, 06:14 PM	#8
Pajamaman Wizard Posts: 2,827 Karma: 10700629 Join Date: May 2016 Location: Canada Device: Onyx Nova	The base NG3 software is flaky. Check out the Nook sub-forum. Good luck.