Just rooted - first impressions

**Phil Nickinson** · 12-29-2010, 09:04 PM

Followed the . Took longer to download the files from them than it did to actually root the thing.

It's a little disconcerting when you first plug it back in, as there's no real indication. But look in the lower right corner for the NookDevs logo.

Apps aren't showing yet in the "Extras" section, but I can download and launch just fine from the Market. Hoping a reboot takes care of that.

Fruit Ninja runs just fine. About to try Minisquadron, then NFS Shift.

**p08757** · 12-29-2010, 09:12 PM

Very very cool!

**Phil Nickinson** · 12-29-2010, 09:14 PM

Minisquadron has the same problems as it does on the Galaxy Tab -- just doesn't work.

Can't find Jet Car Stunts in the Market. Sad panda.

**Jason Calhoun** · 12-29-2010, 09:25 PM

Cool...thinking about getting a Nook Color for my kids and rooting it for them. Can you sideload apps?

**broadwayblues** · 12-29-2010, 09:26 PM

Any word on Quadrant scores? Does rooting it kill the original software? (Can it still function as a reader?

**h8rift** · 12-29-2010, 09:27 PM

@Phil...do yourself a huge favor and go to nookdevs.com -> NookColor Portal and play with some of the goodies. Just rooting it is only like 5% of the fun!

Thanks!
-h8

**J-Mar** · 12-29-2010, 09:31 PM

I hope you'll keep posting your findings Nick. How about Facebook and Twitter apps like Tweetdeck?

**h8rift** · 12-29-2010, 09:31 PM

Jason, if you sideload a launcher and the market, you wont have to sideload...look in my post above for tons of info on the Nook color.

Rooting it does not kill the reader. Sideload a launcher and get home switched from the market to swap between tablet and "stock ereader"

This device is the first that I've heard of that will boot off the ext SD if a boot.img is present, allowing you to completely boot a custom rom on an out-of-the-box NookColor (custom ROMs n/a for now. Devs working on it :-))

**h8rift** · 12-29-2010, 09:33 PM

J-Mar...after sideloading market + launcher, its just a good ol wifi only tablet with an awesome IPS screen. Movies look great, game emulators look fantastic.

**J-Mar** · 12-29-2010, 09:48 PM

Originally Posted by h8rift

J-Mar...after sideloading market + launcher, its just a good ol wifi only tablet with an awesome IPS screen. Movies look great, game emulators look fantastic.

Very intriguing. Hadn't even looked at them, but I am now.

**Phil Nickinson** · 12-29-2010, 10:16 PM

Quadrant scores .... Not bad.

**gadgetmom88** · 12-29-2010, 10:37 PM

Also check out the XDA thread: . I download apps directly from the market via this method. No sideloading required.

**.46caliber** · 12-30-2010, 01:26 AM

Getting the market as simple as side-loading an .apk?

This little guy may be a winner after all if it gets a custom ROM. I'm glad we have this forum, now I can keep an eye on it. Thanks AC guys!

**Centro85#AC** · 12-30-2010, 05:40 AM

My pops picked up one of these for Christmas. He's a huge book guy, reads one in about a day-day and a half. He's also a techie. He loves the fact that he can get on email and facebook from his Nook color.

This all sounds pretty cool. I'm assuming warranty is bye bye if you sideload and root?

**h8rift** · 12-30-2010, 06:15 AM

I'm working on porting CWM to the Nook Color so we can start the flow of Custom Roms. I'd say...give me another week or so and I should have it going. FINALLY found a trigger point on boot.

**h8rift** · 12-30-2010, 06:17 AM

Originally Posted by Centro85

My pops picked up one of these for Christmas. He's a huge book guy, reads one in about a day-day and a half. He's also a techie. He loves the fact that he can get on email and facebook from his Nook color.

This all sounds pretty cool. I'm assuming warranty is bye bye if you sideload and root?

Technically, but it has a key-triggered factory restore on boot. Just do a wipe from the device first, then do factory restore on boot (more info on XDA / nookdevs.com) and voila. Out of box Nook to return

.

Thanks,
-h8

**Centro85#AC** · 12-30-2010, 08:46 AM

That's awesome, thanks for the info man. Kinda like a Pre I guess. That's my only complaint with android, we don't have any software for a PC that can completely repartitian and rewrite the OS in case of problems or screw ups. Palm did an AWESOME job as far as that goes. Too bad they spent more time making it look pretty to beat the iphone than they did making it functional and efficient.

Anyway, maybe you can answer me this. Is there any way to run the android market and/or a custom launcher (to make it a tablet feel) without rooting? If its as simple as sideloading an apk, does that also void the warranty(assuming you are unable to do a wipe as you described..say a messed up screen or something)?

**gadgetmom88** · 12-30-2010, 09:01 AM

I'm running ADWex on my rooted Nook Color, which I downloaded from the market directly to the device. This required rooting. B&N has said that in January they will be opening their own app store for the NC. I doubt they'll allow things like home replacement apps in. What's interesting about running a home replacement app on the NC, is that the controls for the nook are still there. So at any time I can go back to the Nook interface for reading.

Centro85 - the Nook Color is the easiest Android device to remove root access and return to stock. It's even easier than returning the Palm Pre to stock. It doesn't require being hooked up to the computer, just wipe the device and do a factory reset. I wish every Android phone were this easy to root and unroot.

FWIW, I'm seeing several ROM developers on Twitter are getting ahold of the NC, so I expect we'll be seeing custom ROMs soon enough. Exciting stuff for a $250 tablet.

**red.drako** · 12-30-2010, 09:03 AM

Curse you Phil! I was SO close to getting mine rooted last night. I wanted to be first...

Oh well this is gonna be exciting none the less!

**Centro85#AC** · 12-30-2010, 09:50 AM

I could be wrong, but when I played with his I seem to remember only seeing one home button like an ipad. No back/menu etc. If you add a launcher and make it an adroid tabelet, what are you guys doing to get "normal functionality" in apps without a back or menu key?

Does anyone know what version of android is on it? Is there any way to multitask (like holiding the home button of the phones)? What about multitouch?!

Now you all got me excited about this thing...

**d3xn2o** · 12-30-2010, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by Centro85

I could be wrong, but when I played with his I seem to remember only seeing one home button like an ipad. No back/menu etc. If you add a launcher and make it an adroid tabelet, what are you guys doing to get "normal functionality" in apps without a back or menu key?

Does anyone know what version of android is on it? Is there any way to multitask (like holiding the home button of the phones)? What about multitouch?!

Now you all got me excited about this thing...

I Can answer one thing... It does have Multitouch...

**AintSkerd** · 12-30-2010, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by Centro85

I could be wrong, but when I played with his I seem to remember only seeing one home button like an ipad. No back/menu etc. If you add a launcher and make it an adroid tabelet, what are you guys doing to get "normal functionality" in apps without a back or menu key?
.

Autonooter gives you softkeys. Menu, home and back buttons on screen. Also menu and back buttons in the notification bar that is at the bottom of the screen.
It also installs gingerbread kb. I believe it is 2.1 android, Nookdevs has it posted with hardware specs.

**red.drako** · 12-30-2010, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by Centro85

I could be wrong, but when I played with his I seem to remember only seeing one home button like an ipad. No back/menu etc. If you add a launcher and make it an adroid tabelet, what are you guys doing to get "normal functionality" in apps without a back or menu key?

Part of the process of using Auto-Nooter gives you soft keys (attached pic below) which gives you home, menu, back, search. If you press the Softkeys arrow (circled in red) and it brings up the menu bar (in a red square).

Originally Posted by Centro85

Does anyone know what version of android is on it?

Android 2.1 (2.2 supposed to come late Janurary)

Originally Posted by Centro85

Is there any way to multitask (like holiding the home button of the phones)?

So far I haven't seen this. Seems to multitask, just haven't gotten the hot swap to work yet (which I never use anyway).

**Centro85#AC** · 12-30-2010, 12:43 PM

Lol, that's awesome. Thanks guys. I can't believe it has multitouch. I tried pinch zoom in the browser and it couldn't work. Only did tap to zoom and obviously the buttons. Good to know it does have the capability, even though the browser likes to forget it

**AintSkerd** · 12-30-2010, 12:48 PM

I have to correct myself. The softkeys in the notification bar are a part of Zeam launcher. I have since removed Softkeys and replaced them with Button Savior. Search for it in the market. Credit to someone on XDA in App/Themes section for the find.