Nook GL 4 worth it for a sideloader?

v8Rana · 07-02-2026, 10:10 PM

I'm really interested in the GL4 as a replacement for my Kindle 4NT now that its screen is going - I was thrilled to see dual buttons on a modern device!

But I only sideload files, and as far as I know the Nooks by default restrict the space available for USB transfers. How difficult is it to free up that space so I can use the entire storage (minus the amount taken by system of course)?

If I don't set up an account, is the device usable or does it lock you out of features? Thinking about Kindle refusing to let me organize my files until I jailbroke it. :/

This is harder to answer but if I decide to mess around with getting KoReader working, how stable can I expect it to be- lots of glitches, or mostly fine once it's up? I've been skimming a few threads and seeing successes but also a decent amount of difficulties. I'm not much of a software person so it's a bit intimidating...

Basically, I already know I don't want the default B&N software experience, so is the hardware worth the effort of jailbreaking etc or is it just asking for frustration? I know it's a vague thing to ask, just looking for some opinions.

Thanks! :)

v8Rana · 07-09-2026, 10:37 PM

Quick update, I ended up getting a GL4+ on sale and I'm reasonably happy with it so far!

Turns out the GlowLight 4 and 4e do have partitioned/restricted storage for sideloading, but the GL4+ allows access to the whole storage without any fiddling which is a major win imho. Audiobooks won't work by sideloading apparently, but that's not a concern for me.

I could not find a way to set up the device without registering it, which is annoying, but I just used a throwaway email so it's not a dealbreaker. There are instructions scattered around but I couldn't get any of them to work.

Because of the way it interacts with my computer (Windows 10), I can't see it as a USB storage device like you'd expect, so I can't drag-and-drop files directly. Calibre connects just fine so I can send over files, and I was able to use ADB to install KOReader, but it's going to take a bit of effort to do some of the customization with patches/plugins I had planned.

Overall, I do like the size and feel of it, so unless it flakes out on me I feel like it was a worthwhile purchase! My main hardware quibble is that the screen is still really bright on the lowest setting (compared to my PW2), but I can probably get used to it.

Hope any of that helps someone else in the future :)

07-02-2026, 10:10 PM	#1
v8Rana Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2025 Device: K4NT, KPW2, GL4+	Nook GL 4 worth it for a sideloader? I'm really interested in the GL4 as a replacement for my Kindle 4NT now that its screen is going - I was thrilled to see dual buttons on a modern device! But I only sideload files, and as far as I know the Nooks by default restrict the space available for USB transfers. How difficult is it to free up that space so I can use the entire storage (minus the amount taken by system of course)? If I don't set up an account, is the device usable or does it lock you out of features? Thinking about Kindle refusing to let me organize my files until I jailbroke it. :/ This is harder to answer but if I decide to mess around with getting KoReader working, how stable can I expect it to be- lots of glitches, or mostly fine once it's up? I've been skimming a few threads and seeing successes but also a decent amount of difficulties. I'm not much of a software person so it's a bit intimidating... Basically, I already know I don't want the default B&N software experience, so is the hardware worth the effort of jailbreaking etc or is it just asking for frustration? I know it's a vague thing to ask, just looking for some opinions. Thanks! :)

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07-09-2026, 10:37 PM	#2
v8Rana Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2025 Device: K4NT, KPW2, GL4+	Quick update, I ended up getting a GL4+ on sale and I'm reasonably happy with it so far! Turns out the GlowLight 4 and 4e do have partitioned/restricted storage for sideloading, but the GL4+ allows access to the whole storage without any fiddling which is a major win imho. Audiobooks won't work by sideloading apparently, but that's not a concern for me. I could not find a way to set up the device without registering it, which is annoying, but I just used a throwaway email so it's not a dealbreaker. There are instructions scattered around but I couldn't get any of them to work. Because of the way it interacts with my computer (Windows 10), I can't see it as a USB storage device like you'd expect, so I can't drag-and-drop files directly. Calibre connects just fine so I can send over files, and I was able to use ADB to install KOReader, but it's going to take a bit of effort to do some of the customization with patches/plugins I had planned. Overall, I do like the size and feel of it, so unless it flakes out on me I feel like it was a worthwhile purchase! My main hardware quibble is that the screen is still really bright on the lowest setting (compared to my PW2), but I can probably get used to it. Hope any of that helps someone else in the future :)

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