Nook users: What are your thoughts?

**jklitten** · 06-05-2011, 03:00 PM

I recently bought my first Android phone (Samsung Infuse) and I really like it. Coming from an iPhone, switching to Android was a very liberating experience. I own an iPad 2 already, and I can't really give it up as a recording artist, but I was thinking about also picking up an Android tablet. I can't really justify spending another $500-$800 on a tablet considering I already have one, so I'm wondering, Nook users, what do you think? Is it a good experience, even with Honeycomb? What are speedbumps you run into? Do you recommend it?

Thanks.

**EVO-lutionary** · 06-05-2011, 06:47 PM

With honeycomb, not so good(yet). With CyanogenMod it's freaking AMAZING. The only speedbump I've found so far is that it is entirely too awesome! Even Netflix works! And I dual boot stock because as stock it's an AMAZING book reader(you can sorta of read the books on CM7 but they suck plus CM7 has bad battery life so if you like to read I suggest keeping stock as an option and running CM7 from the SD slot. This makes all my friends jealous and then I have to help them set up their nooks as well. BUMMER! iPads are great but bulky and walled off. The same joy you feel on android vs iphone you will feel on Nook vs iPad, trust me! Besides with the aforementioned setup you dont even have to muck with the device itself AT ALL(just put some stuff on an SD card) so if you get it and don't like it you can take it back to wal mart or wherever you got it.

**melt2sk8** · 06-05-2011, 07:11 PM

Total 'Doid n00b here. Clueless and drooling.

I bought NC running 1.2 and had 'Comb installed on an SD card because I don't have enough sense to know what I'm doing and I didn't want to totally brick the thing. Now I can go back and forth between my NC and HC which totally fascinates me.

If you're easily amused (as I am), you'll love it. But I don't have much experience with smart phones or ipads so my opinion is VERY unlearned.

HC seems to be working pretty well - sometimes it lags but it's not a big deal. If you have any previous experience at all, you'll find it easy to use (once you get past the installation).

You can't beat it for the price.

**Chris3D** · 06-06-2011, 10:05 PM

As long as you're aware of, and can live with, a few limitations, it's hard to beat. Most "real" tablets have at least one camera for video conferencing and are a bit faster. Beside that, they really don't have much more than you get with a Nook... and they can't touch it on price.

A friend of mine just bought an Archos 7 inch tablet, and returned it after 2 to 3 days because it was so sluggish. He was thinking about a Nook, but ended up buying an Elocity 7 inch tablet for $300. It's got a camera and runs on a Tegra 2, but it's stuck on Froyo. Personally, I'd take the Nook's lack of camera and slower CPU for the availability of Cyanogen... After the sale, manufacturers have zero incentive to keep up with the latest versions of Android, so being able to run Cyanogen, which is constantly updated, counts for a lot.

If your iPad has 3G, so you have access to mobile data if you want/need it, then the Nook is a great option to dabble with an Android tablet. Personally, I think the size is perfect - it's comfortable to hold and the screen is plenty big enough to read or watch Netflix without being too big. You will need a MicroSD card, which adds to the price, but unless you'll want to store a bunch of movies or music, you only need a small one, even a 2 gig would be fine. I fit 7 to 8 full movies on the internal memory, so I almost regret blowing the money on a 16 gig SD card. I haven't tried Honeycomb on mine, mostly because it's reported to be a little buggy, but Cyanogen runs great on it.

**tvking63** · 06-06-2011, 11:05 PM

You asked about "speed bumps".

Because it's an e-reader and not a full blown tab it does have some limitations

1. WiFi only. No 3G data connection
2. No hardware based buttons (which can be annoying at times) but there are some apps that help you get around that. I like zMooth. It's way better than SoftKeys that comes with Nookie.
3. No camera front or rear facing
4. No Mic, so voice to text and voice commands are not possible
5. No GPS.
6. Bluetooth as been disabled but it's possible that someone will get it going.

If you can live with those limitations, it's a great tab for the money.

**jklitten** · 06-07-2011, 07:00 PM

Thank you, everyone. It sounds like this is a great (albeit somewhat-unobvious) deal. I've heard stuff about a new bootloader that only allows you to install ROMs on an SD card. Is there some way I can assure I get one with an old bootloader? Are there better deals than the standard $225 refurb?

**EVO-lutionary** · 06-07-2011, 08:46 PM

Originally Posted by jklitten

Thank you, everyone. It sounds like this is a great (albeit somewhat-unobvious) deal. I've heard stuff about a new bootloader that only allows you to install ROMs on an SD card. Is there some way I can assure I get one with an old bootloader? Are there better deals than the standard $225 refurb?

I bought mine right off the shelf at Wal Mart and it was the older bootloader. Also, most likely all of the refrubs are. Just a guess. Try a wal mart one first cuz you could always return it!

**mwhittiker** · 06-07-2011, 09:27 PM

The Nook Color is an e-reader but so much more. I have it dual boot with 1.2 stock on 2nd partition. I have Gingerbread 2.3.3 with Phiremod 6.3 on the 1st partition. What does this mean? At bootup I can hold the "N" (nook N key) turn the power on and I am in 1.2 stock. Turn on the Nook without holding down the "N" and I am in Gingerbread ROM. I actually have a 3rd boot option. Insert a Honeycomb SD card in the SD card slot and I can experiment with Honeycomb (not quite ready for primetime.) I purchase my Nook for $230 with a case and an 8G class 10 card.

**fanatic205** · 06-10-2011, 08:03 PM

I just installed cryo cm7nightly and couldnt be happier. the Nook color is awsome for the money the screen is fantastic. Now when they get the honeycomb mods like the cm7 the nook is going to be on fire.

i dont know how i did it but i got my bluetooth to work and made calls with skype and a bluetooth ear peice. also the 1200mhz was so worth it, bottom line for 250 your getting a steal, and things are just going to keep getting better when honeycomb hits its stride.

This is the forum to come to for anyhelp the people here are so nice and helpfull!!!!!

Jason Camp

**jklitten** · 06-10-2011, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by fanatic205

I just installed cryo cm7nightly and couldnt be happier. the Nook color is awsome for the money the screen is fantastic. Now when they get the honeycomb mods like the cm7 the nook is going to be on fire.

i dont know how i did it but i got my bluetooth to work and made calls with skype and a bluetooth ear peice. also the 1200mhz was so worth it, bottom line for 250 your getting a steal, and things are just going to keep getting better when honeycomb hits its stride.

This is the forum to come to for anyhelp the people here are so nice and helpfull!!!!!

Jason Camp

Thanks for all the info! You said that 1200 MHz is worth it. Are there two different processors floating around? I was under the impression the Nook had an 800 MHz processor.

**EVO-lutionary** · 06-11-2011, 01:51 AM

Originally Posted by jklitten

Thanks for all the info! You said that 1200 MHz is worth it. Are there two different processors floating around? I was under the impression the Nook had an 800 MHz processor.

It can be safely overclocked(with a custom kernal) to at least 1000... many people run it at 1200MHz with no problems(yet tho there could still be long term chip damage we don't know about). I am assuming it was that to which he is referring.

**fanatic205** · 06-11-2011, 02:10 AM

The chip used was down clocked to 800mhz from stock speed/voltage. it was built for 1100mhz(1000mhz nook voltage) 1200mhz s easy its the 1300mhz kernel that is iffy

**Nick_IT_NC** · 06-13-2011, 01:14 PM

So this sounds like a solid buy. I think I might get one this weekend. I am looking to get a tablet, I just don't know how much I will use it, or if I even want to spend that much. This looks to be a good choice.

**jbhenry** · 06-14-2011, 09:33 AM

I started browsing this forum to get ready for the arrival of my NookColor that I just ordered yesterday. If you're still on the fence about buying one, Buy.com has them on sale right now for $199.00. It's a refurb, but it ships directly from B&N. .
Can't wait to get started.

**hopefulfarm** · 06-14-2011, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by jbhenry

I started browsing this forum to get ready for the arrival of my NookColor that I just ordered yesterday. If you're still on the fence about buying one, Buy.com has them on sale right now for $199.00. It's a refurb, but it ships directly from B&N. .
Can't wait to get started.

Which generation NC is it? As I understand, there's more than one generation. Or is that the B&W Nook?

**lexx** · 06-15-2011, 08:54 AM

I've considered getting another one just to keep one in the car. I'm using CM7 with BT and CoPilot and the navigation works great in a car. What more could you ask for. I bought a cruz ereader too, its not worth the cardboard it was shipped in.

**mark_shillingburg** · 06-24-2011, 03:53 PM

Cons: No camera, no GPS.
Pros: Everything else. The screen is great, build quality is great, thin, light. Total freedom to put what you want on it. CM7 + OC Kernel is great. And I get ~7-8 hrs battery time @1GHz while watching netflix... that's amazing. For $250 you get a nice chunk of compute power.

**joeybcdt** · 06-24-2011, 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by jklitten

I recently bought my first Android phone (Samsung Infuse) and I really like it. Coming from an iPhone, switching to Android was a very liberating experience. I own an iPad 2 already, and I can't really give it up as a recording artist, but I was thinking about also picking up an Android tablet. I can't really justify spending another $500-$800 on a tablet considering I already have one, so I'm wondering, Nook users, what do you think? Is it a good experience, even with Honeycomb? What are speedbumps you run into? Do you recommend it?

Thanks.

Been using a NC cm7 for a while. Returned Galaxy 10.1 last week. Returning Transformer tomorrow. NC can do what they can do for cheaper...and easier. Can't mount drive on Galaxy. Microsd card useless on Transformer. I may give Galaxy another try to see if I can move files another way.

As a musician I am very tempted by the Ipad 2 just because of industry support in recording, processing, etc. But I've become an Android-snob and can't imagine going back. The main use of my NC is a gig-book using Guitar Tapp. Out of curiosity what are you using your ipad 2 for?

**koopakid08** · 06-25-2011, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by jklitten

I recently bought my first Android phone (Samsung Infuse) and I really like it. Coming from an iPhone, switching to Android was a very liberating experience. I own an iPad 2 already, and I can't really give it up as a recording artist, but I was thinking about also picking up an Android tablet. I can't really justify spending another $500-$800 on a tablet considering I already have one, so I'm wondering, Nook users, what do you think? Is it a good experience, even with Honeycomb? What are speedbumps you run into? Do you recommend it?

Thanks.

Good no. Great Yes! Honeycomb no never will work properly without the source code witch google will probably never release. Just use CM7 until ice cream sandwich comes out.