Nook color: who bought one?

[SCION]

Originally Posted by Noah98

I love the way people feel comfortable insulting others on message boards when they are protected behind their computers. This is an increasingly disturbing trend here on Mobileread. Why can't people just be polite, even when they disagree?...

[Amafan]

I reserved a ColorNook at my local B&N store a couple of weeks ago and was surprised when I got the call on Friday night to come in and pick it up. I did Saturday morning as i was still unsure of it and was really intending to buy an iPad when they update it next year.

I got to the store and was absorbed by the demo display they had at the front of the store. I picked it up (heavier than I expected) and started cruising around the interface. I started the introductory video and was astounded at the display. Simply beautiful, but not perfect (I could see the lighting fixtures reflected in the screen). Leafing through the magazine demos they had was terrific. The childrens books wil appeal to parents of small children for sure. I was impressed enough to go claim my ColorNook and take it home.

The reading experience is OK. I'm still not sure if this will be my platform of choice for normal reading. The screen is good and the contrast excellent, but I do prefer the e-ink for extended reading.

After getting it home and tinkering around with it (Trying to decided whether to keep it) I added some music and personal docs (.doc, .pdf, .xls fliles) and this began the joy cycle as they all rendered beautifully and looked fantastic. They were scrollable and zoomable and just wonderful. I next loaded some pictures and videos and they worked as well. (Note: I was having some trouble with the videos until I did a full reset of the device. After that no problem.) Next I fired up Pandora and downloaded a sample of Bush's book and next thing I know it was an hour later and I knew that the NookColor was staying with me.

It wasn't all peaches and cream. The battery life is close to what they say it is, so it needs a good charging every day, but it will last most of the day even with doing a range of activities, web surfing, reading, downloading, game playing etc. I have no doubt that the battery will last a whole day with wi-fi off and while reading only.

The Android browser isn't bad but the combination of the touchscreen and sometimes small type made picking links a problem. Magnify the page before selecting links is what I recommend. It also lagged a bit when scrolling. The screen is big enough to render entire pages.

The interface can use some cleaning up. The home page is OK, but you can't transfer pics, personal docs, or sideloaded books to it. It will only show content you've downloaded from the B&N store (very annoying, Why B&N, why?). They do show up in the Library however. Also, for some unknown reason you can't delete anything directly via the Nook interface. You are forced to connect the ColorNook to the computer and delete it that way. On the positive side, Calibre works beautifully with the CN and content can easily be managed that way.

So now I'm awaiting the firmware update and App Store from B&N that's supposed to be coming next year. I'm sure it will extend the value on my purchase and who knows it just may become my favorite reader.

[ashleydelavane]

Originally Posted by NightGoat

Not bitter, it's just the fact that's it's an Android tablet, something that nook/kindle owners railed against because if it isn't eink it'll burn your eyes out, etc. But this, it has the nook name on it so it justifies everyone's hedonic adaptation that no one will admit to having. Just silly is all... silly.

I will buy an Android, it'll be Notion Ink's Adam when available. And I won't mince realities with the fact that it's an Android tablet and not an ereader.

In your post you describe Nook owners and Nook Color owners in particular as 'Hedonistic'.....hmmmmm..... let's look at the definition here....

he·don·ism (hdn-zm)
n.
1. Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses.
2. Philosophy The ethical doctrine holding that only what is pleasant or has pleasant consequences is intrinsically good.
3. Psychology The doctrine holding that behavior is motivated by the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain.


Well.... thank you!!!! Though I do not think you meant to compliment us!!! Yes most of us are probably Hedonistic, since we buy what gives us pleasure. What is wrong with that? If you are saying we are Hedonistic in general....well I would like to know how in the heck you figure that out just because we like the Nook Color. You can give everyone your opinion Nightgoat, but why say everyone is silly eh? This forum is about airing our opinions on mobile devices and helping others by sharing our knowledge. Or so I thought. And before anyone says it's a free country.... well... before you insult others and their opinion... at least wait for someone to insult you first...at least that way you have a partial justification.

[Grimm]

Originally Posted by NightGoat

Not bitter, it's just the fact that's it's an Android tablet, something that nook/kindle owners railed against because if it isn't eink it'll burn your eyes out, etc. But this, it has the nook name on it so it justifies everyone's hedonic adaptation that no one will admit to having. Just silly is all... silly.

I will buy an Android, it'll be Notion Ink's Adam when available. And I won't mince realities with the fact that it's an Android tablet and not an ereader.

Grow up. I've been an owner of both a Kindle and now two Nooks (Classic and Color) and I never railed against anything. So no, I'll admit to nothing since you do not know me or speak for me. Kindly refrain from blanket statements about people you know nothing about. Oh, and before you accuse anyone of being hedonistic, learn to spell it.

[becsta]

I ordered one this morning. I am really looking forward to receiving it and trying it out for myself after all the great reviews Ive read.

[cwosigns]

I had the original nook, and now the nook color. It is still very much an e-reader. The browser is nice, but it's really secondary.

[becsta]

I ordered my Nook color on Tuesday morning (Australian time) with a ship date of 3 December, I was so happy to receive an email this morning saying it had been shipped.

[exvaxman]

I have one. Not really happy with a number of the bugs I have come across, very disappointed with B&N support (or lack thereof).
Old time dedicated ebook person - have had every major one on the market going back to the rocketbook and some prototypes of unreleased models before that.

OK for a general user, not for a power user. The store is seamless - I will give them that.

[LoganK]

Originally Posted by exvaxman

I have one. Not really happy with a number of the bugs I have come across, very disappointed with B&N support (or lack thereof).
Old time dedicated ebook person - have had every major one on the market going back to the rocketbook and some prototypes of unreleased models before that.

I am curious to read your criticisms of the device.

It sounds as though the Nook Color may have problems with 32GB cards.

You also mentioned that it was slow, though? Which interface and compared to what? My experience has been that it is the fastest dedicated reader I've used, along with the Kindle platforms. (Granted, I don't tend to have 3000 books at a time.)

What kinds of "workarounds" did you have to do to load your own content? Do you use Calibre?

What else have you found? I've been reading eBooks for a long time, and, compared to most readers, this is a stellar 1.0 product.

[JSWolf]

I've had a go at the nook color and I am seriously underwhelmed by it.

The web browsers is awful. I connected to Mobileread and when you try to search, you tap the field to start typing in and when the onscreen keyboard pops up, the field closes and you cannot type in it. Also, I managed to download and ePub so I could try out the reader and after the ePub downloaded and I tried to open it, I was told the nook color didn't know what to do with it. Also, scrolling the screen seemed a bit choppy/slow. The iPad has nothing to worry about for sure.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Mare of Earth

UPS finally came at 7pm - been playing with it for a little while - like it so Far! Getting used to the quirks.

quirks = bugs

[SCION]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

...
The web browsers is awful. I connected to Mobileread and when you try to search, you tap the field to start typing in and when the onscreen keyboard pops up, the field closes and you cannot type in it...

Yeah, this is a known bug. I'm sure it will be addressed by B&N. I think the kinks/quirks/bugs that need to be ironed out aren't a showstopper. I understand your sentiment though. If B&N were known for NOT pushing out updates I would be concerned.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by cwosigns

I had the original nook, and now the nook color. It is still very much an e-reader. The browser is nice, but it's really secondary.

Nah.. the browser is more like forthly.

[Liviu_5]

Just trying to see if I can post using the NC and the library connection and it works; sure this one is not made as a general tablet so far, but I want a book reader for epubs and pdfs and I think the NC is excellent for that
as for the device I posted a long hands on review covering the issues I discovered to be crucial for my reading experience across the years

[LoganK]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've had a go at the nook color and I am seriously underwhelmed by it.

It is, at the end of the day, a device to throw text on a display. It would take an awful lot to be overwhelmed (or just whelmed).

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The web browsers is awful.

Yeah, and you can't install your own applications. I would love to have this device as a generic Android tablet, but I certainly wasn't expecting it. I'm more interested in opinions on the device as a book reader.

(Although, honestly, I was shocked at how much I enjoyed having the Crossword puzzle for taking short breaks from reading.)

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Also, I managed to download and ePub so I could try out the reader and after the ePub downloaded and I tried to open it, I was told the nook color didn't know what to do with it.

Yeah, that is kind of a shame. On the other hand, if you aren't opening it from the browser's download list (i.e., you go through the normal Library options), the book is available to read.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Also, scrolling the screen seemed a bit choppy/slow. The iPad has nothing to worry about for sure.

I haven't had any issues choppy displays, but I've become accustomed to the Android experience (iOS definitely wins here). I'd still say that, at half the price and with a sharper screen, the Nook Color doesn't have anything to worry about, either.