While initially I had planned on getting a nook tablet and rooting it seeing as it has a gig of ram and a gig processor...I noticed these other two devices and was wondering if its worth (at best buy) the extra 10 bucks for the acer iconia a100 which has been confirmed will be getting ICS or go with the player thats 10 bucks cheaper but not as big screen. I will be getting the amazon kindle fire for my wife (she likes how it handles best). Overall I know hardware wise the nook tablet seems to be the best bet (right now). How much of a hassel is it to root/custom rom it? (when I had my droid eris back in the day I rooted and modded the crap outta that so I'm used to that). Is it worth saving 10 bucks and going with the samsung player and not having to really worry about rooting but having 2 inches less....or going the acer iconia a100 and spending 10 bucks more again not having to root..but not having a gig of ram....or stay with the nook tablet choice and root it?
Can't speak for the other two options, but the NT is a nice device. Root is simple. Custom software is still in the early stages of development. As such, there is a scheduled Tuesday (tentative) release of the current test version on CM7. There is development of an ICS CM9 ROM in process as well. But there are no ETAs on anything alpha or beta.
My problem with the A100 is the poor battery life, plus i think the nook still has the better screen.. especially for reading if that's something you'll be doing.
The samsung player is nice hardware and works really well.. plus you get gps, camera etc.. but for me the screen is too small especially for reading.. but movies are nice.
I had both and returned both... you gotta love amazon with a prime account
Rooting the nook is cake... especially with the SD card method... and there are lots of guides here on the forum.. Once that is done you can get lots of apps..
But ultimately... you need to figure out what you want from the "tablet" and go from there..
I have what amounts to an unlimited toy budget, so I have the Samsung 5, the NC, the NT, the NST and one of the Asus Transformers.
I carry the Samsung wherever I go. I like it a lot, it's far more portable than the even the NC/NT or NST. I use Newsrob to read news articles on it, and listen to the BBC on it at night via TuneIn.
Eventually, I may give the NC away - the NT completely replaces it for my purposes.
I'll probably sell the Transformer at some point. Yes, it's big, shiny and sorta fast, and the games look great, but it's also big and shiny - the screen is not as good as the NC/NT because there's much more internal reflection. It's not very portable, and I find that I really don't like Honeycomb because you have to copy files to a Honeycomb device via the MTP interface or via wifi; I like being able to copy directly over the USB interface and synch stuff with Calibre - not an option over the MTP.
I like the NST for times when I'll be away from power for a bit, and because magazines on the NST are real epubs, none of that newfangled ehanced magazine stuff. So you can read them in any epub reader you like.
ok..nc=nook color, nt=nook tablet, nst=?
Nook Simple Touch
Sent from my BNTV250 using Tapatalk
I can't vouch for the others either but have my fair share of "tablets". I have used this nt more than any of them and I think the simple reason is size. It is the perfect balance of size and weight. I don't do any heavy gaming but feel that it offers a great environment for reading, browsing, email and tinkering. 2" less of screen real estate would in my opinion make it to small and 2" more is uncomfortable to balance. This nt is the sweet spot for me. Sitting up, laying down, portrait, landscape, it's all good.
The hardware you get for the price (especially if you can grab it for $199) is unmatched. Rooting is cake and development is starting to heat up.
I doubt you would be disapointed but in keeping with your question I'd say its between the nt and the acer.
I'll probably go nook tablet since hardware superiority over software inferiority(which can be fixed by rooting) seems to be the route to go. Here's another wrench into the question that I THINK I know the answer: is the nook tablet an upgrade from an iPod touch 4g? I realize I will be losing camera features and access to the tons of apps iTunes has, but once rooted I have android market. Any views on this? Basically looking for the "laptop lite" device...but bigger than my ipod and added feature of one handed computing while holding my daughter reading a book
Just want to let you know that the A100 does have 1GB of ram, the 512mb is a typo on their website. (you can find 1GB corrections and printed on the box) You can probably stretch the battery life to 6 hours with minimum brightness and wifi on.
well shoot..now that that has a gig of ram..makes things interesting...although one common factor I've seen listed almost everywhere IS horrible life with the acer as well as issues with viewing the screen unless you're viewing it straight on.
I was in Best Buy looking to purchase a tablet in November and saw the Acer for $250 and the salesperson told me they were sold out (only kept 5 in store). They had plenty of Nook tablets and sice I didn't want to wait, I purchased the Nook. I took it home and lset it up and was immediately impressed by the sharp and bright screen over the Acer but I was not happy at all with the default home manager. I fired up the internet and did a search and it brought me to this forum. Since late November, I have rooted the device amongst other hacks and recently installed CM7 alpha. I prefer Go Launcher over ADW home manager so I used NoBloat and Homemanager apk's so that I could switch to Go Launcher and install the Twitter and Facebook widgets. I had to fix permissions and i WIPED THE Develick cache and everything seems very responsive and smooth (i turn off all animations). Everything can be accessed on one homescreen (thanks to Go Launcher) and with cm7, no more problems with default Google widgets not loading. Once Bluetooth and Overclocking is added to the kernel (see cm7 post) the NT will be hard to beat.
I had a NT and an A100 tablets, on top of an iPad-2.
The iPad-2 cannot be beat when it comes to choice of apps and overall experience. My only problem with iPad is that any file I need to upload to my device has to be done with iTunes. And since I switch computers, iTunes is constantly removing stuff from my iPad. This for me a deal killer.
As for the other two tablets: NT and A100. I prefer by far the experience on the A100, everything is available from Google market. I don't need to sideload anything. It is multitouch, meaning that I can play piano, or other games that require more than 2 points to be recognized on the screen. The only issue I have with it is that its screen is not as bright as the NT. the A100 I own has only 8 gigs of storage, so I need to add more storage, but it is not a big problem since it has a microSD slot.
As for the NT, it's at best a glorified ereader. I don't have access to the full 16 GB of internal memory. It only recognizes 2 points on the screen. This is enough for a large number of apps, but a deal breaker for many interesting apps. I need to use Root Explorer to move files around. I rooted my NT to deal with some of the restrictions, but this is not a perfect solution. At best, it's a stop-gap solution. I can't use Google maps, as it needs my location, and I haven't figured out how to do it. The screen on the NT is definitely brighter than the A100, but it's not a big selling point in my opinion.
All in all, if I had to choose between the two, I would definitely go with the A100. It's an easy choice for me.
moukazwina said:
I had a NT and an A100 tablets, on top of an iPad-2.
The iPad-2 cannot be beat when it comes to choice of apps and overall experience. My only problem with iPad is that any file I need to upload to my device has to be done with iTunes. And since I switch computers, iTunes is constantly removing stuff from my iPad. This for me a deal killer.
As for the other two tablets: NT and A100. I prefer by far the experience on the A100, everything is available from Google market. I don't need to sideload anything. It is multitouch, meaning that I can play piano, or other games that require more than 2 points to be recognized on the screen. The only issue I have with it is that its screen is not as bright as the NT. the A100 I own has only 8 gigs of storage, so I need to add more storage, but it is not a big problem since it has a microSD slot.
As for the NT, it's at best a glorified ereader. I don't have access to the full 16 GB of internal memory. It only recognizes 2 points on the screen. This is enough for a large number of apps, but a deal breaker for many interesting apps. I need to use Root Explorer to move files around. I rooted my NT to deal with some of the restrictions, but this is not a perfect solution. At best, it's a stop-gap solution. I can't use Google maps, as it needs my location, and I haven't figured out how to do it. The screen on the NT is definitely brighter than the A100, but it's not a big selling point in my opinion.
All in all, if I had to choose between the two, I would definitely go with the A100. It's an easy choice for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can access all the internal memory once rooted and permissions set correctly. Google maps is functional as is, but if you want to use navigator, you need to use app such as GPS tether. I am rooted using go launcher, but kept all the B&N bloat and am very pleased with the NT. I think it's great value for the money. Could it be better? Sure, but what couldn't? CM7 and CM9 will only make the NT even more attractive.
Related
I mean I already have a rooted Nook Color with Android installed on it and it runs pretty smooth..
Should I consider buying the Nook Tablet just for the faster processor and RAM? Or is it pretty much the same?
Thanks.
If you already have a NC with CM7 (assuming you're not using stock B&N software) on it, there is little reason to move to the NT...until it gets root and ROMs. It all depends on what you want to be able to do. Besides, if your NC does everything you want it, why upgrade?
i'm trying to decide as well. I think it depends on how much support this will receive.
It is not worth it if we never see ics on it and certainly if it doesn't get any version of cm7. ics should run much better on here vs. the NC. I think the NC will be pushing the hardware to run ics really well. Apart from that I don't think there is a huge difference. If you run stock quite a bit it should be much better/quicker.
I run cm7 off of sd now and still use stock for some things, i can't live without cm7. when 1.4 comes out for nookcolor i think comparisons will be really easy to make and again when cm7 or 9 get on the nook tablet-a real comparison of what you get will be easy to make.
can you live with just stock on nook tablet for a few weeks/months?
That all depends on your needs... Ask yourself what you with your Nook Color...
Is it primarily for reading books or are you using it as a full-fledged tablet?
If you used ManualNooter, then you'll see some similarities with the options that were unlocked in your Nook Color.
If you are looking to use apps, you may not be as impressed with the NTab at launch - it has the same app limitations as a stock NC. (No sideloading apps at present.) Perhaps that will change with NTab user demands, but only time will tell...
Do you watch a lot of video on your NC? If so, then you might like the NTab more, as the screen quality has been bumped up quite a bit. So far, it still only handles the same video formats as the Nook Color, but the screen and GPU are much more powerful, yielding a much richer video playback experience overall.
(I'm talking about playing mp4 encoded video files off a microSD card - YouTube and Netflix streaming aren't as important to me as using the NTab as a media player, so I can't speak for HD streaming via 'the web'.)
The speed of the NTab is the most impressive thing - It is *VERY* fast.
Pop into your local Barnes and Noble and test drive it - it's a completely different device than a stock or rooted Nook Color. You'll get that within minutes of testing it out.
This is the double edged sword of the NT/NC debate. For all intents and purposes, they are the same device save the hardware changes and preloaded apps.
All they are doing with this device is solidifying their market with better specs, there's no impetus to upgrade if you already own the NC.
I know next year is FOREVER away but I guarantee you that their next device will be just as friendly and worthy of upgrading to.
Well, my Sony reader died 3 months after it was given to me. I've been using the Nook app for Android and its time for an upgrade. On the way to pick one up now.
I have had my Nook Color for less than a year. I am getting it for (hopefully) Improved performance with large (50mb+) pdf files... and well, im a sucker for gadgets damnit.
I received my Kindle Fire last night and doubt I will end up keeping it. I had a Nook Color that flew off my Subaru at 50 MPH and did not survive. I decided to put off repurchasing it for what would become the Kindle Fire.
Now that I have it, I miss my Nook Color even more. It had a home button, volume rockers, and an SD card slot that the Fire does not have. It also feels much more comforable in my hands. The Fire is heavier in a smaller footprint. The UI seems 3/4 baked. I get the feeling that Amazon released a very basic tablet at a very aggressive price point. I imagine they will release a pro version of the Fire in the future.
That being said, I am going to try the Fire for the next few weeks and most likely return it during before 30 days. I am an Amazon Prime customer, so my purchases are mostly within the Amazon ecosphere. If the Nook Tablet is rooted, I will likely pick it up. If not, I may opt for a new Nook Color at the lower price and put what I want on it.
I love Amazon, but BN design is very compelling.
Filovirus
As I post this from my Nook Tablet, i must say, this is rather sweet!!!
I'm very much digging mine and I never thought I would put my Bionic. All it is now is a wireless hotspot for my NT.
Listen, I understand how people are looking at KF and thinking - man, it's already rooted, has CWM and ROMS are but a minute away. Our NT is still locked down, and we're being told it may stay this way.
So naturally, being in your return period, you're thinking about switching boats to KF.
I have one word explaining why that's a real bad idea: SPECS.
Ok, say you have a KF running CM on it.
RAM - you have 512MB RAM. That's low, not enough for GB or ICS. No need arguing that GB will run on it - yes it will, but it'll never be as smooth as a 1GB RAM device. Android will keep closing apps to free up mem, that creates response lag.
Anybody who had an original SGS with GB on it knows - you just can't make an SGSII out of it, it will always lag here and there. Read engadget review - they are complaining about how laggy it is.
Memory - You've got 6GB memory. That's it. You'll never have any more. That means you'll constantly feel deprived of space - you can't load full HD movies to watch, you can't load your music collection on it. You'll constantly be sacrificing something.
Books/Media store - you only have access to Amazon media store, since B&N doesn't have a store you can install and use. On a NT, though, without any root we already can stream Amazon content, read Kindle books, and that's all with native support of everything B&N has to offer.
No MIC - forget about using your Fire with Google Voice. There's no mic. Also forget about recording yourself reading books to your kids, to use in case you're on vacation or something.
Amazon Cloud you say? Yes, but only where you have a good WiFi connection. As soon as you're out of range - the fun stops. Phone tethering you say? Those 2GB will disappear MEGA FAST if you stream to your KF.
Amazon videos you say? Sure, but remember - that ain't free. Pay Amazon Prime membership fee, then also pay for movies themselves. And again, only when on WiFi and you don't get to keep it.
On the other hand, consider this:
With NT, even without root, we already have a device that's:
Very snappy
Able to sideload apps
Able to run a different launcher
Able to run Opera browser - nice n fast
Able to run 720p videos in browser, full screen
Able to play almost any video up to full-HD 1080p BlueRay
Able to play AVI files with free third-party players (no need for conversion)
Has 33GB+ of memory with an added SD card. I've just loaded tons of movies, books, magazines and music on it, and still have space remaining
Will be able to be used as a phone with Google Voice
Run Amazon Market (some have reported that even older Android Market APK works)
Run both Amazon's and B&N's premium content.
Think about it. Yes, KF was hacked faster than our NT was, but in the end, we already have almost everything we need, AND we have a much more powerful device.
KF was quicker at the start, but it has almost depleted its potential as a modern Android tablet, considering what future versions of Android need. Our device still has tons of untapped potential.
EDIT:
Engadget released a comparison between the two HERE.
Here are some interesting parts for the lazy:
Both tablets are a good size for one-handed reading, though the Nook edges out the Kindle here a bit, with its slightly lighter weight (14.1 ounces to the Fire's 14.6). The Nook's subtly convex back and plastic bezel make a bit easier to hold.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both devices rock 1GHz dual-core processors, but the Nook has an edge here, with its 1GB of RAM to the Fire's 512MB -- and certainly the difference is noticeable, even when booting up something as simple as a game like Angry Birds. Things are even more pronounced during video playback. We took Shutter Island for a spin via Netflix streaming on both devices, and it was really like night and day. Motion is far less choppy on the Barnes & Noble device. The HD playback on the Nook also picked up subtle imagery like patterns on ties, which were largely lost on the Fire.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tl;dr version: PATIENCE!
+1 to NT and I repped you too!
oh wait..not SD. LOL
That is why everyone needs to pull their pants back up and wait.
It will be rooted.
I also voted this thread up!
How hard would it be for them to close the sideload loophole? The thing updates automatically, right? Obviously they are not going to be excited hearing about everyone using the Amazon store.
I agree the Fire is not a good alternative for exactly your reasons, but that doesn't necessarily mean that this is worth keeping if it turns out to be locked down tight.
compscure said:
How hard would it be for them to close the sideload loophole? The thing updates automatically, right? Obviously they are not going to be excited hearing about everyone using the Amazon store.
I agree the Fire is not a good alternative for exactly your reasons, but that doesn't necessarily mean that this is worth keeping if it turns out to be locked down tight.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my opinion, a locked NT as it is right now is still much better than a KF running CM.
But given that they locked it down, don't you think it was a mistake/accident that they allowed apk installs through the browser? When they push the first update will that ability still be there?
DarkDvr, normally i would agree with you if the market only have two 7inch tablet to choose from (KF and NT). However this is not the case, we have tons of options in 7inch tablet market, and if B&N really is being an ass to lock down the NT, then people can choose other tablets that might fit their need better.
Last year when NC came out there was only two 7inch tablet (NC, and Samsung Tab), so we get a lot more developer support, and people are willing to be more patient, but this is no longer the case.
7inch tablets:
Nook Tablet
Kindle Fire
Samsung Tab (~$250 refurbished for 3g version, cheaper for wifi version)
Nook Color ($199)
Lenovo Idea Pad A1 (Cortext A8, 512mb ram, bluetooth, GPS, f/b camera, microsd slot, $199)
Acer Iconia Tab A100 (tegra 2, 1gb ram, Honeycomb, bluetooth, f/b camera, <$200 on BF)
Kobo Vox (Cortex A8, 512 ram, Gingerbread, MicroSd, $199)
Samsung Tab 7.0 Plus (Exynos dual core, 1gb ram, honeycomb, GPS, BT, F/B camera, $399)
Samsung Tab 7.7 (Exynos, 1gb ram, Honeycomb, GPS, BT, F/B camera, 1280x800, price?)
HTC Flyer (1.5ghz, pen input, $299)
Dell Streak 7 Tablet (Tegra 2, 800x480, Honeycomb, f/b camera)
And those are only the major brands, there are other off brands like Archos, Velocity Micro, Coby, that i didn't include.
So to me, if B&N really want to piss off the community that help make their NC a success to began with, then I will vote with my wallet and let them know that it is not a good idea to piss off the people your loyal customer, and your first adopter for the NT.
EDIT
Don't get me wrong, I still have high hope for the NT, and i really like the NC/NT simple but elegant design. However if B&N really choose to lookdown the NT's bootloader (which the dev community haven't conclusively proven yet), then i really don't want to buy a product from a company that chooses to piss off it's loyal customers.
gordon1hd1 said:
7inch tablets:
Nook Tablet
Kindle Fire
Samsung Tab (~$250 refurbished for 3g version, cheaper for wifi version)
Nook Color ($199)
Lenovo Idea Pad A1 (Cortext A8, 512mb ram, bluetooth, GPS, f/b camera, microsd slot, $199)
Acer Iconia Tab A100 (tegra 2, 1gb ram, Honeycomb, bluetooth, f/b camera, <$200 on BF)
Kobo Vox (Cortex A8, 512 ram, Gingerbread, MicroSd, $199)
Samsung Tab 7.0 Plus (Exynos dual core, 1gb ram, honeycomb, GPS, BT, F/B camera, $399)
Samsung Tab 7.7 (Exynos, 1gb ram, Honeycomb, GPS, BT, F/B camera, 1280x800, price?)
HTC Flyer (1.5ghz, pen input, $299)
Dell Streak 7 Tablet (Tegra 2, 800x480, Honeycomb, f/b camera)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, I definitely think that locking NT was a huge mistake that B&N will pay for, but for some of us NT IS the best option.
Samsung Tab - 10 inch heavy shovel - screw that
NC - too weak and laggy, even after mods
Lenovo - 512 RAM, weak
Acer Iconia - I see $330+ price even for 8GB version
Kobo Vox - 512 RAM and don't trust that brand
Samsung Tab 7.0 Plus - 400+tax for a tablet is overpriced
Samsung Tab 7.7 - even more expensive?
HTC Flyer - slow and laggy, overpriced since day 1
Dell Streak - slow and laggy, low res screen
What I'm saying is that when you, like me, are in the market for a cheap tablet, there's only 2 good options - NT and KF. Rest of them are either overpriced as a device (going into netbook or UP category, where they just can't compete) or some shady brands.
At least that's my thinking.
EDIT:
Don't get me wrong, I still have high hope for the NT, and i really like the NC/NT simple but elegant design. However if B&N really choose to lookdown the NT's bootloader (which the dev community haven't conclusively proven yet), then i really don't want to buy a product from a company that chooses to piss off it's loyal customers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, and given a choice, I'd always go for a company that doesn't insult my intelligence and doesn't treat its customers as morons. However, I have full faith in XDA community and still believe this will get hacked. And when it does, I'll be pointing finger at KF and laughing maniacally.
Depending on the weather here on the forum in the next 12 days, B&N may be losing my $260 to a Samsung G 7+ (maybe even a KF if I'm feeling crazy). Or just wait a few months see what turns up after Christmas.
gordon1hd1 said:
So to me, if B&N really want to piss off the community that help make their NC a success to began with, then I will vote with my wallet and let them know that it is not a good idea to piss off the people your loyal customer, and your first adopter for the NT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I saw a quote linked somewhere here recently from someone from B&N and they said something about 3% of NC coming from modders. I don't know how accurate or guesstimated that number was, but we shouldn't forget that they sell millions of these devices to normal consumers and there are only thousands of us. I'd like to think they keep people like us in mind, but we certainly aren't they primary market by a long shot.
I agree that there are lots of other options, but it's disheartening when none seem to have the build quality and specs in the same price range as the Nook models, excluding BF sales that might be hard to get. The IdeaPad looks intriguing at first glance but is the same basic hardware as the year-old NC and with a worse screen (and eww: the $200 version has 2GB storage that probably won't ever fit ICS). Acer A100 looks nice but also has a cheaper screen and a small battery.
DarkDvr while i am like you, think that the NT might be the best fit for my use case also. But with so many choices out there, i think our dev and support community won't be anywhere near the same as it was with NC. Plus with the bone headed move on B&N part, i don't see many true devotee sticking to the NT like yourself. And that is the ultimate problem, without a strong dev community, the NT most likely won't get all the goodies like CM7/CM9, which is what made the NC awesome.
By the way the Samsung Tab i was referring to earlier is the 7inch model, the same one that came out right before NC. Both are rocking Cortex-A8 processor.
I am honestly VERY happy with the status of my KT right now. As it stands, with a launcher, widgetlocker app and all the other sideloaded apps I wanted I have everything i wanted.
I dont care if I lose amazon marketplace support, because honestly I can find any apk I want all amazon does is give me a way to read reviews (which i can through the browser + android market)
the only thing, and trust me it is a HUGE thing, i am terrified of is that come day 15 or 16 or even 30, B&N releases a firmware update i cannot click 'no' to and it updates my nook and closes the hole we've been using. I dont know if its possible, but I reckon it is and that would make me a very sad camper since stock, this thing is a total piece of **** software wise (nook market is worthless), i bought a tablet, not an ereader.
boomn said:
I saw a quote linked somewhere here recently from someone from B&N and they said something about 3% of NC coming from modders. I don't know how accurate or guesstimated that number was, but we shouldn't forget that they sell millions of these devices to normal consumers and there are only thousands of us. I'd like to think they keep people like us in mind, but we certainly aren't they primary market by a long shot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Boomn i think you underestimate the word of mouth, and unofficial advertisement B&N get from the modder community. Every few weeks there is a story on Engadget, Liliputing or Gizmodo about how great the NC community is, and the release of the a popular Rom for the NC. Or how most of the highly rated reviews on B&N, Amazon, BB are from modder who brought the NC to use as a tablet. So while we as a community might be small, but our influences on "Normal" people's purchase decision are much higher than B&N thinks.
And if B&N think that they can piss off the dev community, while taking on Amazon, and all the other 7inch tablet maker out there, and still make the NT a commercial success, they might be in for huge disappointment. Just look at how many of the NT and KF review out there mention rooting or app side-loading as part of the official review, and how much negative PR B&N got from the 1GB storage limitation on the review sites.
.
Because I live in Italy I'll receive my NT only on 26Nov. (if I will lucky), so no give back option for me
So.. I really, really hope that a hack will be found. Just the root will be enough for me
With the root we'll be able to run custom recovery, trow away what we don't need and add what is missing (settings, etc).
BTW for me realease the source and lock the bootloader is a nonsense!
First post.
I'm a full-time iOS developer with about 6 iOS devices on my desk right now. I really like iOS and love developing for it. Having said that....
I picked up a Kindle (e-ink) about a year ago and then switched to a Nook Simple Touch the day they were released. I've been watching the KF/NT release with great interest.
I eventually decided on the Nook Tablet and stumbled across this site the day I got it (the 16th). I have been blown away by the things you people have accomplished in just a couple of days and I've had a blast watching the hour-by-hour discoveries.
My main reason for getting the NT was as a reader and everything you folks are doing is icing on the cake. Very nice icing!
I'm also very optimistic that breakthroughs will continue even if the pace slows a bit. For me the KF is just too restricted in capability--even it if can be rooted.
As an aside, I also have access to a handful of Android devices including a 10.1 Galaxy Tab, and a Lenovo Ideapad K1 (it helps when the company is buying), but I prefer the Nook Tablet to either.
As long as I can keep side-loading apps I'll be happy. I certainly understand the sentiments of those not wanting to reward B&N for what appears to be a snub. At the same time as long as they continue to allow me some method to get a few more apps on the device I'm good with it.
It's been my experience that once I get a device setup--either iOS or Android--I really only end up using a handful of apps (after trying dozens)--but I want them to be very good apps that *I* get to choose.
Thank you to you all!
This thread should not exist, has nothing to do with android development and sounds more like a sales pitch than anything.
I get it you prefer the NT, me too but this thread is pointless and should be deleted...
gordon1hd1 said:
Boomn i think you underestimate the word of mouth, and unofficial advertisement B&N get from the modder community. Every few weeks there is a story on Engadget, Liliputing or Gizmodo about how great the NC community is, and the release of the a popular Rom for the NC. Or how most of the highly rated reviews on B&N, Amazon, BB are from modder who brought the NC to use as a tablet. So while we as a community might be small, but our influences on "Normal" people's purchase decision are much higher than B&N thinks.
And if B&N think that they can piss off the dev community, while taking on Amazon, and all the other 7inch tablet maker out there, and still make the NT a commercial success, they might be in for huge disappointment. Just look at how many of the NT and KF review out there mention rooting or app side-loading as part of the official review, and how much negative PR B&N got from the 1GB storage limitation on the review sites.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point, we are certainly a vocal and influential bunch. However lots of those "normal" consumers would never check any place like Engadget for any review and have probably never heard of it. Mentions of modding/hacking/flashing in online store reviews go right over lots of people's heads too. Amazon and B&N are going to sell a ton of their tablets through physical stores like Walmart, Target, BestBuy, etc where most people still shop too. I agree that we probably do have more influence than just 3%... and now I'm not even sure where I was going with this point, lol
notinterested said:
This thread should not exist, has nothing to do with android development and sounds more like a sales pitch than anything.
I get it you prefer the NT, me too but this thread is pointless and should be deleted...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the general forum for the NT not the development forum. Calm down.
Knuxr said:
This is the general forum for the NT not the development forum. Calm down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My mistake, was on the wrong tab.
Still though, pointless thread is pointless. We all know the better device.
notinterested said:
My mistake, was on the wrong tab.
Still though, pointless thread is pointless. We all know the better device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree with that, but this thread serves as a reminder why it is still better than the Fire, to those that might not know.
notinterested said:
This thread should not exist, has nothing to do with android development and sounds more like a sales pitch than anything.
I get it you prefer the NT, me too but this thread is pointless and should be deleted...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...Excuse me?
Forgive me for not appreciating your "experience" on XDA since, omg, feb 2010, but this is a General NT forum, and this thread is very much important to people who are right now at a tipping point between NT and KF, considering the latest root news for both devices.
So drink some coolaid and move along, kid.
just curious
Better screen quality and expandable memory via uSD card.
History of the nook color. More ram. Sd card slot. More internal storage (yes I did not look into storage enough initially, but now that it is rooted, I have access to it anyhow)
Sent from my Nook Tablet using Tapatalk
Looking for a worthy successor to my Sony EReader. The Nook is acknowledged to be the best reading experience of any of the readers. The NT should carry this tradition forward.
Having 200-some books in EPub format - I was not about to switch to a proprietary, locked-down format with Amazon. That would be as bad as going with Apple.
I have two rooted Android phones - which I love. The chance to pair the Nook reader with the Android technology was irresistible. I have been playing with writing code for Android for a couple of years - really looking forward to the extra real estate on the NT.
Then there is Barnes and Noble. Well, you can't have everything...
The rootablity of NC of which I own and love, each of the other nooks, all of which I own and the hope of more on the NT. I have even gifted the ATT+wifi nook to family and still retain all of the wifi only units.
It is great to see root achieved here but why not to the boot loader?
Captn
Mostly because of owning NC, thinking NT would follow in its steps. Didn't quite pan out as of yet.
RussianMenace said:
Mostly because of owning NC, thinking NT would follow in its steps. Didn't quite pan out as of yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Things are coming along quite nicely. Remember, the NC wasn't rooted and fully customizable right away.
downsay said:
Things are coming along quite nicely. Remember, the NC wasn't rooted and fully customizable right away.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nor did it have a locked bootloader.
Haven't decided yet. Have a Fire right now but I'm 75% sure im going to exchange it for an NT because of the UI sluggishness and also the browser really impressed me in the NT.
Screen, speed, and the ergonomics of the tablet. Im not a fan of the flat glass tablets. Im not a fan of cheap feeling tablets. If i was ide just get an acer iconia
I heard the silk browser was better, but w/e.
I chose the NT because of the exterior build, the sd slot, better hardware specs, and better screen.
Expandable memory, more on board storage (or so I thought), greater possibility of new ROMs and rootability.
Biggest reason is uSD slot, but the extra 512MB of memory and mic are nice as well.
More RAM
Expandable storage (SD card slot)
Better display
Nicer looking (to me, anyway)
I already have a Kindle Simple Touch
The 20% discount, duh.
Memory Basically
I like the Nook because of the expandable memory. It's a shame that ads out there are misleading the consumers...saying it has 16gb over the Kindle's 8gb...Kindle allows you to use most of it. I bought both of these to try. I like the thinness of the Nook and even though I had to buy a memory card its interface is better. I hope B&N can offer up some of the memory or I can figure out how to root. I've never done it before and I don't want to end up with a useless tablet if I don't root it right.
Partly because of the specs, more ram, plus allow micro sd. Reviews like Engadget have said that videos play more smoothly on the NT.
And partly because I like the covers for the NT. I had a "Canvas writer's cover" for my NC before and really like the mounting system, it's really solid. I bought a "Leather writer's cover" with my NT.
Those covers are awesome, just like carrying around a book. I didn't like the ones for the KF, the book cover ones for the KF all seem to have cheap straps around the corners for mounting.
for the specs...
more ram and sd card implementation are the main reasons.
i live outside the US so i need to use the device in particular with files saved on. so i need more space as i can and the extra slot gives me the flexibility i need.
more ram of course sounds nice and grants very good performances.
No reliance on the cloud for storage.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I couldn't decide... so I bought both.
My wife saw the kindle and assumes it is a christmas gift for her.. so now I have reason to keep it. The Nook Tablet is for me.
The bumped HW specs is the main reason for the NT
The OS on the KF, however, is fantastic.
I am sure we will start seeing amazon launcher ported to other tablets (already done!) and would be great to have the Amazon launcher on the NT. But the locked bootloader is like someone pissing on my ice cream. NT is already losing the popularity vote in the media, as all they are talking about is "KF vs Ipad"... The NT is completely shadowed by the KF simply because Amazon knows how to market.
But NT is killing the few extra million that the dev community would be worth by unnecessarily locking their bootloader. I can somewhat understand locking it for phones for carrier reasons. But there is absolutely no benefit for B&N to lock the bootloader on this. You are only raping yourself of millions from people not buying and not buying future versions because they will assume the same.
But back to the 2 tablets...
NT feels SOOO much better in your hand due to the curved bezel.
KF is a brick. Gets hard to hold after a while.
NT hardware is faster
KF software is better
Both can be rooted
Both have Google Framework
Both have amazon appstore and video player
Both run GoLauncher and ICS Launcher perfectly
I was not able to run Zeam, Launcher 7, and a few others on either device.
Wave Launcher runs great on both, tho on the both, the resizing of the swipe location was really glitchy, but other than that it works fine. Just use the gesture area presets to find a spot.
I like dual launchers (amazons and go) on the KF
I have no desire to keep the default NT launcher.. it is just garbage compared to KF.
I am still playing with both... I think it depends on where development goes to determine which one I give my wife for Christmas
Were looking at picking up an eReader. I was leaning towards the Kindle Fire vs Nook Color but now read about the Nook Tablet. From what I am understanding the KF is rootable now? And at this time what one would you pick and why? I do not want to buy only to regret the decision later?
So when it comes down to the two when rooted what are their real comparisons? Can I use Android Market and Amazon Market on the Nook Tablet? Spec wise it seems the Nook Tablet blows the KF out of the water but how about actual usage?
How is the comparison between the two when they are rooted? I know I will loose cloud which means storage is severely lacking if I root the KF. But is there anything that will be lost by rooting the Nook Tablet?
Which at this time do you recommend going with and why?
If you plan to root and install a custom rom I would suggest the nook tablet. The Nook Tablet has an sd card slot which is essential if you actually plan to have any use for your tab. 8gb runs out pretty quickly and plus 1GB versus 512mb of ram is a big difference performance wise. you can install amazon market (which sucks....) and also the officially market with ease. plus booting from an sd card is nice.
Sent from my sensation 4G
There's nothing lost by rooting the NT- it has all the same preloaded apps and B&N stuff as pre-rooted, just you have all the benefits of root access as well. (alternative launchers, market, file explorers etc.)
I've been loving the NT since I first rooted it months ago- no complaints. I've been so happy with it I haven't even delved into putting CM7 on it just yet- but I'm sure I'll eventually get around to it. But even just rooted I highly recommend it.
About a month ago we were on vacation with some friends for a week -think mountains, snow, cabin, lots of down time. Friends had a KF (stock) and I had the NT (rooted). So during that time I observed a nice real-world comparison of the two. Granted, it was a little unfair since the KF wasn't rooted also, but many of the NT's advantages aren't related to that.
1. Speed. The NT is definitely snappier. I found it faster on the web, and gaming was definitely smoother.
2. Storage. The SD card slot is awesome. It was easy to swap movies with a friend who had some on the card for his phone. The KF was left out in the cold for this (no microSD card slot on their laptop either). Also, my NT was loaded down with tons of books, movies, downloaded 3D game content, music, etc. I had no worries for storage. Meanwhile the KF owner had their usable 6GB and that's it. They didn't load up much content before the trip because you don't feel you have much room to load up.
3. Hardware volume buttons. Major convenience. A bunch of times I needed to turn the vol down real quick to hear someone- no problem without fiddling in software. I saw the KF owner have to fumble with finding onscreen vol controls to do the same.
4. Sturdy. Not like I go around dropping it, but I didn't have as much fear of doing so as the Kindle owner. The NT feels sturdier in hand, and drop-tests I've seen confirm it actually is. Also, the NT feels nicer in your hand when you hold it for long periods. The outer bezels feel nicer, rather than the all-glass front of the KF. This is something you won't notice at first glance- but a few hours into a good book you will.
5. Screen. Personally, I think the NT's screen looks at least slightly better. This could be subjective of course.
6. Battery life. I dunno if it's typical, but in this exact case the NT stomped all over the KF. I was literally amazed how much better the real-world battery life was for the NT. And I didn't excessively use power-saving settings either. The differences were very evident too due to a lack of convenient power outlets. So the KF spent more time in another room being charged than my NT did.
7. Usage comparison. We swapped and compared devices a lot. My friends were much more impressed with my NT, than I was with their KF. Again, highly subjective of course, and also partially unfair since it was stock vs. rooted + multiple hacks making the NT of course the better user experience. Even so, the NT definitely holds it own. Now apparently even more so with CM7.
To me the $50 more is nothing compared to the better value of the NT. Of course, the KF is a nice device too, I just personally would feel I'd slighted myself if I had got one instead of the NT.
Moved To Q&A
Please post all questions in the Q&A section
I have been using the NT for about a month and a half, and honestly I think I should have gotten something better.
It does have its problems such as the wifi connection drops a lot and I have to restart the tablet. This is not the fault of the devs, but of B&N. I don't understand why we should have to hack and find workarounds just to get the full use of the NT.
Does anyone else feel that they should have gotten a different tablet? Perhaps an actual tablet?
I am considering selling the NT. I don't think I would have had the amount of issues with an actual tablet and one that is not so locked down.
Although I'm really satisfied with the capabilities of even just a regular root, the only time I've regretted buying an NT was when I heard Asus was coming out with a new 7 inch tablet later this year. That makes me want to sell this thing instantly, haha.
To be honest with you i bought my NT as a stop gap between selling my iPad2 and waiting for the iPad3.. with the intent to sell this once i picked up the new iPad..
and for the first week or two i did regret buying it but then.. Considering what i use it for
1.Watch movies (netflix, hulu, and divx on the SD card),
2 Browse the internet and 3. Actually read a book or two.. it's actually perfect for all that.
Used the SD card method to root (Thanks Albert) and then side loaded all the apps that i needed. Never had Wifi or reboot issues, the screen is actually brighter and clearer than the iPad 2 i had and the battery life is above average for a 7 inch
I will be holding on to this for a while.. and i think once they perfect the other rom's and get the bluetooth working it's actually a keeper.. especially if ICS gets ported.
But as always you have to ask yourself does it do what i need?.. the only reason to get a different tablet would be if you needed GPS, Camera's, bigger screen, 3G, a different app store, video out etc....
if none of that is the reason.. then whatever tablet you buy will fill you with the same... should i have really bought this feeling..
I am comparing the NT with the $199 refurbished 16Gb HTC Flyer. I find that I miss CM7 on the Flyer... and the Flyer somehow seems harder to hold. I guess I got used to both CM7 and the bezel on the Nook Color and now the Nook Tablet. I haven't decided which I will keep yet, but I am leaning towards keeping the NT.
Heck no ... I've had 250.00 dollars worth of hacking fun with mine I have a feeling there is a lot more coming. Just wish I knew how to code to help out
Basically it boils down to what you want to do with it. Technically, you bought an e-reader. If you wanted more, you should have bought more. Myself personally, I came to XDA before I made up my mind between various tablets. I settled on the NT because I could see there was a bright future for it. The hardware bugs will be worked out eventually. Blame B&N for the hold-ups thus far. Give it a while. If you sell now, in 6 months, you will regret buying something else and will be looking to get another NT.
Understandably, there are limitations to this device. It's half the price of an iPad. You don't get any of the fancy things like GPS, 3G/LTE, camera, etc. But it is a great tablet for the money.
I bought this because my cheap e-reader broke. It was mainly to read with. That said, since I bought it 2 months ago, I haven't read more than a page of a book!
I've had tons of fun putting Android on, customizing it, and getting it how I like it. I'll be 10 times happier when a fully functional port of ICS is released for it. Netflix and videos look amazing on its screen, indisputably better than the supposedly identical screen on the Kindle Fire (just read ANY review).
I've never had an issue with the WIFI dropping or restarting. There are a few issues that the great devs and contributors here have helped me to conquer.
There are still a couple things I'd like to see get done to this device though, other than the glorious port of ICS. I'd love to be able to use ALL of the 16 GB of data on board. That was one top reason I chose it over the Fire, but I'm confident the great people here will solve that in time. Another is that, despite there not being onboard GPS, I'd still like location-based tools to work, like they do on any other WIFI device like my phone.
Other than that, I'm really happy with what I bought. I may not use it for what I initially intended, but hey, who has time to read when you're busy installing your favourite apps, customizing widgets, and making your home page perfect?
And on the issue of buyer's regret, when it comes to tablets and smartphones, there will ALWAYS be something better within 3-6 months!
You can use your 16Gb, just repartition it, it is very easy.
My only regret so far is that I got the 8gb NT. It is actually my father-in-law's device, but I told him I would configure it to have better access to the Android market. I had read several posts about rooting and installing Go launcher (or equivalent) and was excited to do this. For the time being at least, it doesn't look like this is an option, and the 512k RAM looks to be an issue. I may try to convince him to return it and get the 16GB version. Since it's not mine, I guess I need to let him see if he is happy with it, but I'm chomping at the bit to put some of the great work from this forum to good use on his system!
Maybe I will have to just get my own. I have been talking about getting some kind of tablet with my wife, and will likely get something in the next couple months. Since I am used to a smartphone, it's hard not being able to install any app that I am familiar with, and I will likely go for something with more features.
As others have said, it's all about what you actually need/expect. And there will always be times when you second-guess what you do purchase... Buyer's remorse is just part of being human, IMO!
arclite00 said:
I have been using the NT for about a month and a half, and honestly I think I should have gotten something better.
It does have its problems such as the wifi connection drops a lot and I have to restart the tablet. This is not the fault of the devs, but of B&N. I don't understand why we should have to hack and find workarounds just to get the full use of the NT.
Does anyone else feel that they should have gotten a different tablet? Perhaps an actual tablet?
I am considering selling the NT. I don't think I would have had the amount of issues with an actual tablet and one that is not so locked down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I was able to get my Nook Tablet much more easily than a Kindle Fire because my University has a deal with Barnes & Noble; my school bookstore is basically a small B&N store full of textbooks. If I had the choice, I would have chosen the Kindle Fire, but I still like my Nook Tablet, especially now that CM7 is running on it.
I don't regret it, but let me say - I never liked my device hacks to be easy! Sounds masochistic, yes, but I've always enjoyed installing custom firmware on stuff that, until some hackers got a hold of it, was never able to run anything other than what the manufacturers intended. I'm talking about Wii, PSP, PDAs, etc.
If you think development for the Nook Tab is rough, think about how slow and brutal it was getting the PSP to run custom software. I suffered at least one electrocution modding the thing's battery because I didn't have much experience with moving pins on a chipset. It was worth it to get homebrew stuff running on there though.
My point is, while the Kindle Fire owners do have it a lot easier than us, I enjoy witnessing the development process first-hand; it's oddly satisfying. I understand some people around these forums are only here because they wanted a cheap CyanogenMod 7 Tablet and want to see the Nook Tablet become that - but I'll be lurking around here long after the Nook Tablet devs reach their goals because I'm fascinated by hacking and modifying devices.
cyberma007 said:
You can use your 16Gb, just repartition it, it is very easy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just realized that after my post. Haven't checked the posts here lately. It seems a little complicated for a noob like me. Plus, don't I have to install CM7 also to do it?
No you don't need to run CM7 to repartition, I am noob as well, it is very easy, it just looks hard.
Just follow this post
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=22157605&postcount=25
Partition 10 is where you would put you own data
Partition 11 is where all apps go, when you install them.
on mine i did half half because a lot of games are pretty big and need space, but you can change it to you own need.
just do the commands in bold black, the rest that you see is what your nook outputs.
Update after using the HTC Flyer for a bit more. I think I will sell my 2 Nook Tablets and keep the HTC Flyers. At $199 they just offer so much more.... GPS, front and back cameras, working bluetooth, working skype, dual speakers that are loud, HDMI out via MHL (adapter on the way). The built-in 16gb is partitioned so there is 8+ GB for media stuff. And for my almost 7 year old, he loves that Talking Tomcat and Talking Ben work, and Galaxy on Fire 2 runs fast on the Flyer as well since there is a native adreno version. It is only single core but runs at 1.5ghz and has 1gb ram so it feels as fast at the NT if not faster in some cases. The Adreno 205 gpu is not rated quite as good as the Powervr SGX540 but seems to be well supported for gaming. Not to say that there are not some annoyances with the Flyer. I can't seem to turn off the lock screen. There is no CM7 though there are custom roms for both Gingerbread and Honeycomb for the Flyer (need to root and unlock the device first). And I need to find better cases for them. Anyway I think the refurbished HTC Flyer is a keeper at $199 from buy.com And of course I can read on them with Moon+ Reader Pro, Kindle App, Nook App, etc.
re
So far no regrets. Just installed cm7 and happy.
Plus I only paid $175 for my 16gb tablet on Craigslist.
Hopefully cm9 makes it's way to the tablet.
My only regrets are the possibility of what the Asus tablet might offer and that the NT can be had for $175 now. Those aren't really fair reasons though since there will always be price drops and always be new options if you wait. I wanted it for Christmas and it's been everything I expected. I'm rooted at 1.4.0, zero WiFi issues and it's never rebooted (I did have a frozen screen once). I plan on staying on this platform until the fine developers on this forum give me the option of ICS for my NT!
I have no regrets at all. It let me do everything I really cared about right out of the box for a price I didn't mind paying. Any additional functionality after ebooks, videos, music and some light web browsing is just so much gravy as far as I'm concerned.
I love it, but primarily because I bought into the B&N ecosystem years ago (I have about 400 books and magazine subscriptions). It's much more pleasant to read on the NT than it is on my iPad, due to weight and size. Movies are great, except for the below-average speaker. I don't surf the Internet on my NT; if I have to do it mobile, I prefer to leave that to my phone since I can do it one-handed. My only qualms:
1. There needs to be an Economist magazine app, built for the Nook. You can't install the one from Android Market, even after rooting.
2. The speaker, as mentioned above.
3. The little hook in the bottom corner is kinda annoying. Yes, I know it makes the design unique, but it gets in the way. It also makes accessing the MicroSD card a pain.
4. At $250, GPS would've been nice. Not that I expect to carry it around for turn-by-turn, but I'd like to access the map and Yelp for places to eat while in my hotel room.
I don't regret getting the NT16 at all. But then again my uses for the device are:
1. Reading. I read a LOT.
2. Playing games
3. Surfing the internet
4. Study device (read pdfs/powerpoints/word docs for school)
I also have music and movies stored on the device for the day when I need to entertain myself outside reading/games and off a wifi network. It's small and light enough to carry at all times in my purse or backpack and zippy enough to do what I need it to do.
Once CM9 is released I'll have to debate a lot on whether or not I want to keep my simple root with the BN eReader or upgrade to ICS for full tablet capabilities (like all those excellent note taking apps compatible with Honeycomb/ICS)
No regrets at all.
Initially when it appeared that B&N was going to hound us endlessly trying to disable root and return everyone's NT to 'jail', I was a bit resentful. I still don't recommend the NT to others because I don't trust them.
But I should have known the dimbulbs in B&N management are no match for the talented devs here. I've got no worries that my device can be ruined with an underhanded update- and I haven't done much of anything to secure it since I first rooted it back in December or so. (Still running rooted 1.4.0 with no problems). The fact that it can now run CM7 (which I haven't tried yet) is just icing on the cake. I'm guessing I'll love it even more once I get around to trying that.
The tablet does everything I need it to and more, and was a good deal for the price.
Next tablet I own probably won't be a locked device, but as for the NT itself, no regrets. That's 100% thanks to the devs here.