So you've either rooted the stock ROM, or you've burned your Nookie Froyo SD and are rocking some stock Android 2.2 on your Nook (or both). Now you want to start installing some apps on this bad boy.
If you rooted, you may notice that the auto-noot rooting process installed several apps for you already. In addition to the YouTube, Gmail, and Market apps, you'll have Calendar, Calculator, NookColorTools, and an app called SoftKeys.
If you went the Nookie route, you've probably already installed your Google apps, so you'll have the above-mentioned apps and more.
Included with both rooting and Nookie, SoftKeys can be your best friend when using your nook. Of course, most Android devices have three or four buttons below the screen for Home, Back, Menu, and Search. As the NOOKcolor was designed to read books, Barnes & Noble only put a home button there (the "n" button). That's where Softkeys comes in . . .
Softkeys keeps a small, fairly discreet overlay icon on your screen at all times, that, when pressed, brings up an on-screen menu (on top of whatever else is going on your screen) that lets you press Home, Back, Menu, and Search. It's customizable, mostly non-intrusive, and, after rooting, you'll already have it on your NC.
I personally don't like having an ever-present icon overlay, so I take advantage of the transparency settings in softkeys to make it invisible: simply place the pop-up button somewhere you can easily find (upper right corner works great for me), set the transparency to 100, and you can touch there top bringing up softkeys--without having any intrusive icons on your screen.
If you'd prefer to try an alternative, there's a very similar app called Button Savior in the Market. It has the same function as Softkeys, but with a different interface and theme (if you want to try a version of button savior with an invisible launch trigger--similar to transparency in softkeys--you can download it here).
If you're on rooted B&N ROM, you do have the option to not use either of these apps, as most of the time, back and menu buttons are in the status bar at the bottom of the screen. Some apps will go into full-screen mode at some points, so you could find yourself occasionally stuck without menu and back if you skip SoftKeys and Button Savior.
Now, for adding your own apps, here are some suggestions to help inspire you:
1. Get a 3rd party Launcher (several choices, all in Market)
A Launcher is an important app that serves as the main gateway to your device. In the simplest terms, it's your homescreen.
Nookie Froyo gives you the stock Android launcher, which gets the job done, but is limited (read: zilch) in terms of customization.
When you bought the Nookcolor, it had the stock Barnes & Noble launcher, which shows books on your homescreen and lets you navigate to a few other functions of the device.
On stock, you're free to keep the Barnes launcher running if you want . . . but the following launchers will make one of the most noticeable differences in transforming it into a tablet:
Recommended: ADW.Launcher (free), ADWLauncher EX (with more options - pictured, $3.43), LauncherPro (free), Zeam Launcher (free)
These launchers are highly customizable, allowing apps, widgets (like the Google search bar pictured above), live wallpapers (animated homescreen wallpapers - like "Nexus," left) and folders full of apps to be added to your desktop.
All of these launchers will also give you an "app drawer" (that's the grid of squares at the bottom of the screenshot above), which opens to allow easy access to all of your apps.
2. Kindle for Android (Free, available in the Market)
Why not? It's in the Market, it's free, and it makes an excellent reading app on the Nookcolor.
Besides, if you've purchased Kindle books before on a different device, do you really want to buy them all over again in order to read them on your Nook?
Resize font, change from day/night/sepia modes, jump to any point in the book instantly . . . unless you're a Barnes & Noble loyalist, I would highly recommend installing this app on your Nookcolor tablet.
Note that purchasing books straight from the Kindle app may not work, but simply opening your browser (on either your Nook or another computer) to buy from their website should work as expected.
3. Astro File Manager (free, Market)
You'll probably want to replace it with the more powerful Root Explorer (see below) soon, but for now, the free Astro File Manager will get you started, and let you browse (and install) some non-market apps on your tablet.
4. Google Maps (free, manual installation necessary on stock ROM)
While the Nookcolor doesn't have a chip for using full GPS, it will still be able to determine your location through the network (should you allow it), usually accurate to within a few hundred yards (only on the stock ROM - nookie hadn't enabled location yet).
Google Maps offers everything you'd expect, including driving/walking/public transportation directions, and street view (see left, Street View is really something to behold on a tablet). Voiced real-time navigation won't work due to the lack of GPS hardware in the Nook (but the possibility of bluetooth on the nook could mean bluetooth GPS down the road!!).
The current version of Google Maps from the Market has been having problems on the stock NC ROM, but you can download a version that does work here (be sure you've set it to allow the installation of non-market apps after rooting - see rooting page).
After downloading the file, use Astro (above) to browse to your SD card's Download folder. Find maps.apk, and install it.
Google Maps will be installed when you push Google Apps onto your Nook for Nookie (see instructions in Nookie Froyo thread).
5. Titanium Backup (free, Market)
Titanium can be one of the most valuable apps you'll have, as it lets you backup all of your apps and system info to your SD Card or to Dropbox (see below). Should you ever need to restore your device for any reason, Titanium will help you get it back just how it was.
The first time you run Titanium, you'll probably want to hit the "Problems?" button at the bottom for it to work properly (by installing a compatible version of busybox...if you don't know what that is, don't worry).
6. Dropbox (free, Market)
Free storage in the cloud (waiting in "internet-land" to be downloaded from any device you want).
Say you want to transfer some photos from your computer to your NOOKcolor to show you're dinner guests later on that evening? Go to dropbox.com on your desktop, upload them, then open your Dropbox app on your NC, hit download, and bam--it's now stored on your SD card, to be opened by Astro or Root Explorer.
No cords needed, just an internet connection.
7. Install a new Web Browser (Market)
The stock browser that comes installed in the stock ROM is lacking (among other things) the much-desired pinch-to-zoom feature that's standard on touch-screen devices. xScope, Dolphin HD, Opera Mobile, and Firefox (Fennec) are popular browsers that all feature pinch-to-zoom and countless other features that the B&N browser won't give you.
In Nookie, you'll start with the stock Android browser, which is certainly a major upgrade over the B&N browser. Many Android users are completely content with this, but it couldn't hurt to experiment with some of the Market browsers as well.
We'd recommend you try them all. Some think Opera Mobile has the edge in terms of speed and smoothness, others think Dolphin HD (above) is plenty quick and has much more customization. Our preference is xScope, as it just might be the fastest of the bunch, in addition to having a variety of options . . .
Choice: that's why we love Android.
** the current version (4.3) of Dolphin HD has faulty pinch-to-zoom on the stock nook ROM. Just download thisDolphin HD 4.2 to use instead. **
8. DocumentsToGo Full Version ($14.95, Market)
Want to write up a new resume on a road trip? Open up this mobile office suite, type it up, attach it to your cover letter email, and you're all done. No laptop needed, only your NOOKcolor.
Have a nagging Excel spreadsheet from work, and you're at the beach? Docs to Go can handle that too.
$15 is a lot for any mobile app, but if there's one that's worth it, it's DocumentsToGo.
The most common tasks you can do on Microsoft Office or Apple's iWork, you'll be able to do on your NOOKcolor tablet with DocsToGo.
9. Root Explorer ($3.95, Market)
This app is a mobile file browser, which is highly recommended. Many of the mods from this point on are going to assume that you have Root Explorer.
While Astro lets you do many things in the file system, it doesn't let you modify the root system files (which is going to be needed for some mods), while Root Explorer does. When browsing the /system portion of your Nook, there will be a button up top to "Mount system as r-w" - this means you're allowing reading and writing of the file system (the default is r-o, or read-only).
10. Angry Birds/Angry Birds Seasons (both free, Market)
Just because your NOOKcolor tablet can be productive doesn't mean it always has to be.
You've probably played Angry Birds on some mobile touchscreen device by now, and if you haven't played it on a tablet, you're in for a treat.
Smashing kamikaze birds into vindictive swine takes on a whole new level of fun when you're doing it on a gorgeous 7" display with 1024x600 resolution.
If you rooted, you may notice that the auto-noot rooting process installed several apps for you already. In addition to the YouTube, Gmail, and Market apps, you'll have Calendar, Calculator, NookColorTools, and an app called SoftKeys.
If you went the Nookie route, you've probably already installed your Google apps, so you'll have the above-mentioned apps and more.
Included with both rooting and Nookie, SoftKeys can be your best friend when using your nook. Of course, most Android devices have three or four buttons below the screen for Home, Back, Menu, and Search. As the NOOKcolor was designed to read books, Barnes & Noble only put a home button there (the "n" button). That's where Softkeys comes in . . .
Softkeys keeps a small, fairly discreet overlay icon on your screen at all times, that, when pressed, brings up an on-screen menu (on top of whatever else is going on your screen) that lets you press Home, Back, Menu, and Search. It's customizable, mostly non-intrusive, and, after rooting, you'll already have it on your NC.
I personally don't like having an ever-present icon overlay, so I take advantage of the transparency settings in softkeys to make it invisible: simply place the pop-up button somewhere you can easily find (upper right corner works great for me), set the transparency to 100, and you can touch there top bringing up softkeys--without having any intrusive icons on your screen.
If you'd prefer to try an alternative, there's a very similar app called Button Savior in the Market. It has the same function as Softkeys, but with a different interface and theme (if you want to try a version of button savior with an invisible launch trigger--similar to transparency in softkeys--you can download it here).
If you're on rooted B&N ROM, you do have the option to not use either of these apps, as most of the time, back and menu buttons are in the status bar at the bottom of the screen. Some apps will go into full-screen mode at some points, so you could find yourself occasionally stuck without menu and back if you skip SoftKeys and Button Savior.
Now, for adding your own apps, here are some suggestions to help inspire you:
1. Get a 3rd party Launcher (several choices, all in Market)
A Launcher is an important app that serves as the main gateway to your device. In the simplest terms, it's your homescreen.
Nookie Froyo gives you the stock Android launcher, which gets the job done, but is limited (read: zilch) in terms of customization.
When you bought the Nookcolor, it had the stock Barnes & Noble launcher, which shows books on your homescreen and lets you navigate to a few other functions of the device.
On stock, you're free to keep the Barnes launcher running if you want . . . but the following launchers will make one of the most noticeable differences in transforming it into a tablet:
Recommended: ADW.Launcher (free), ADWLauncher EX (with more options - pictured, $3.43), LauncherPro (free), Zeam Launcher (free)
These launchers are highly customizable, allowing apps, widgets (like the Google search bar pictured above), live wallpapers (animated homescreen wallpapers - like "Nexus," left) and folders full of apps to be added to your desktop.
All of these launchers will also give you an "app drawer" (that's the grid of squares at the bottom of the screenshot above), which opens to allow easy access to all of your apps.
2. Kindle for Android (Free, available in the Market)
Why not? It's in the Market, it's free, and it makes an excellent reading app on the Nookcolor.
Besides, if you've purchased Kindle books before on a different device, do you really want to buy them all over again in order to read them on your Nook?
Resize font, change from day/night/sepia modes, jump to any point in the book instantly . . . unless you're a Barnes & Noble loyalist, I would highly recommend installing this app on your Nookcolor tablet.
Note that purchasing books straight from the Kindle app may not work, but simply opening your browser (on either your Nook or another computer) to buy from their website should work as expected.
3. Astro File Manager (free, Market)
You'll probably want to replace it with the more powerful Root Explorer (see below) soon, but for now, the free Astro File Manager will get you started, and let you browse (and install) some non-market apps on your tablet.
4. Google Maps (free, manual installation necessary on stock ROM)
While the Nookcolor doesn't have a chip for using full GPS, it will still be able to determine your location through the network (should you allow it), usually accurate to within a few hundred yards (only on the stock ROM - nookie hadn't enabled location yet).
Google Maps offers everything you'd expect, including driving/walking/public transportation directions, and street view (see left, Street View is really something to behold on a tablet). Voiced real-time navigation won't work due to the lack of GPS hardware in the Nook (but the possibility of bluetooth on the nook could mean bluetooth GPS down the road!!).
The current version of Google Maps from the Market has been having problems on the stock NC ROM, but you can download a version that does work here (be sure you've set it to allow the installation of non-market apps after rooting - see rooting page).
After downloading the file, use Astro (above) to browse to your SD card's Download folder. Find maps.apk, and install it.
Google Maps will be installed when you push Google Apps onto your Nook for Nookie (see instructions in Nookie Froyo thread).
5. Titanium Backup (free, Market)
Titanium can be one of the most valuable apps you'll have, as it lets you backup all of your apps and system info to your SD Card or to Dropbox (see below). Should you ever need to restore your device for any reason, Titanium will help you get it back just how it was.
The first time you run Titanium, you'll probably want to hit the "Problems?" button at the bottom for it to work properly (by installing a compatible version of busybox...if you don't know what that is, don't worry).
6. Dropbox (free, Market)
Free storage in the cloud (waiting in "internet-land" to be downloaded from any device you want).
Say you want to transfer some photos from your computer to your NOOKcolor to show you're dinner guests later on that evening? Go to dropbox.com on your desktop, upload them, then open your Dropbox app on your NC, hit download, and bam--it's now stored on your SD card, to be opened by Astro or Root Explorer.
No cords needed, just an internet connection.
7. Install a new Web Browser (Market)
The stock browser that comes installed in the stock ROM is lacking (among other things) the much-desired pinch-to-zoom feature that's standard on touch-screen devices. xScope, Dolphin HD, Opera Mobile, and Firefox (Fennec) are popular browsers that all feature pinch-to-zoom and countless other features that the B&N browser won't give you.
In Nookie, you'll start with the stock Android browser, which is certainly a major upgrade over the B&N browser. Many Android users are completely content with this, but it couldn't hurt to experiment with some of the Market browsers as well.
We'd recommend you try them all. Some think Opera Mobile has the edge in terms of speed and smoothness, others think Dolphin HD (above) is plenty quick and has much more customization. Our preference is xScope, as it just might be the fastest of the bunch, in addition to having a variety of options . . .
Choice: that's why we love Android.
** the current version (4.3) of Dolphin HD has faulty pinch-to-zoom on the stock nook ROM. Just download thisDolphin HD 4.2 to use instead. **
8. DocumentsToGo Full Version ($14.95, Market)
Want to write up a new resume on a road trip? Open up this mobile office suite, type it up, attach it to your cover letter email, and you're all done. No laptop needed, only your NOOKcolor.
Have a nagging Excel spreadsheet from work, and you're at the beach? Docs to Go can handle that too.
$15 is a lot for any mobile app, but if there's one that's worth it, it's DocumentsToGo.
The most common tasks you can do on Microsoft Office or Apple's iWork, you'll be able to do on your NOOKcolor tablet with DocsToGo.
9. Root Explorer ($3.95, Market)
This app is a mobile file browser, which is highly recommended. Many of the mods from this point on are going to assume that you have Root Explorer.
While Astro lets you do many things in the file system, it doesn't let you modify the root system files (which is going to be needed for some mods), while Root Explorer does. When browsing the /system portion of your Nook, there will be a button up top to "Mount system as r-w" - this means you're allowing reading and writing of the file system (the default is r-o, or read-only).
10. Angry Birds/Angry Birds Seasons (both free, Market)
Just because your NOOKcolor tablet can be productive doesn't mean it always has to be.
You've probably played Angry Birds on some mobile touchscreen device by now, and if you haven't played it on a tablet, you're in for a treat.
Smashing kamikaze birds into vindictive swine takes on a whole new level of fun when you're doing it on a gorgeous 7" display with 1024x600 resolution.
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