Just Played With The New Nook Tablet
So I am at the Android Developer Conference this week (AnDevCon II) and Barnes & Noble has a booth in the exhibition hall. When I stopped by yesterday, all they had on display was the NC. I stopped by again this afternoon between classes, and what do you know..they had a couple of Nook Tablets we could mess around with.
Random thoughts after playing around with it for 10 minutes, and talking to one of the technical reps:
1) I thought there was notably less glare than the Nook Color (NC). I stood under a bright light in the exhibit hall, and while there was glare, I could still read pretty well. I even tried to position the screen for maximum glare and thought the screen was still readable.
2) While it might be just 2 ounces lighter than the NC, it is noticeable.
3) Other than the glare reduction (i believe the rep told me there is an anti-glare layer between the glass and the screen itself)..the screen is exactly the same as the NC
4) Device seemed pretty responsive. No noticeable slow downs when moving between screens, flipping pages, etc. Didn't play any games or video.
5) NICE: the Nook Tablet is still bootable from SD. The rep said that while they think only 3% of sales of the NC go to people who want to root it, they are still sales they wouldn't otherwise have. And they aren't interested in removing the ability to root for those who want to do that. I was pleasantly surprised how ok they are with rooting. Plus, he said they have to keep the boot from SD option. When someone brings a messed up device into a B&N store, they can wipe the device clean and restore it to its original condition by booting the system from an SD card (by using the OS on the card to restore the system on the device).
6) the android version is 2.3.3
7) the UI of the device is pretty nice. I haven't played with my NC on the stock B&N OS though (i run CM7), so I'm unsure how different the UI is between the NC and Nook Tablet.
Overall, felt like a nice 7 inch device. Didn't feel much different than the NC, but I am guessing the spec bumps will make it a noticeable upgrade if you use it for things other than just reading.
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November 9th, 2011 - 21:45
This is only slightly on topic
but I was planning on getting an eReader (finally I know) and I’m wondering how distracting some of these color devices are. One of the main reasons I can’t read books on my computer is because I get distracted by the internet, games, etc. Do you find yourself having the same problem with a device that allows you to do more than read?
I guess what I’m saying is, should I get the Kindle Fire?
November 9th, 2011 - 23:25
Personally, I think the color ereaders are too distracting for ME for serious reading. I found it too easy to check email, check the MobileRead forums, browse espn, etc. Plus the e-ink screen is much easier on my eyes. I don’t have the issues some have with lcd screens, I just prefer e-ink…especially for fiction reading. If you want to read interactive kids books, comic books, graphic novels, etc…maybe the Nook Tablet or Kindle Fire would work for you. But if you want a device for long periods of reading fiction (text) books, I would recommend an e-ink device, an m-edge cover, and this light.
As for the Kindle Fire versus the Nook Tablet..I would lean toward the Nook Tablet (not the Color), unless you are heavily invested in the Amazon ecosystem. The lack of expandable memory in the Fire is a deal breaker. Though if Amazon wants to send me a Fire for review (which of course will never happen) I would be willing to try it out
I doubt I end up buying a Nook Tablet since it is not in my budget. If I had a spare $250, I would invest in it. The ASUS Transformer Prime looks amazing, though (if I had an extra $499 lying around).
November 10th, 2011 - 09:54
Thank you so much. I don’t have a reader, but I was really wondering if I would like e-ink better and I’m pretty sure I’m the same as you. I can’t do the iPad screen so I’m sure I couldn’t do the Fire or Tablet. And you’re right, I wasn’t a big fan of the non-expandable memory. So, thanks again, I think you’ve made the decision for me. E-ink is key.
November 14th, 2011 - 10:25
Joe Abercrombie, The Heroes ebook for $1.99.
Available today only! Monday Nov. 14 Amazon Daily
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kdd_kbhp_pointer?ie=UTF8&docId=1000677541&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=right-1&pf_rd_r=0AMEC0FQWM1Q4BXX51NZ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1331250282&pf_rd_i=1286228011
(Feel free to post this one.)
November 14th, 2011 - 19:33
Awesome..thanks for the tip, John!
November 15th, 2011 - 22:17
You’ve probably already mentioned this, but what’s your favorite eInk device that you’ve used. I was planning on Kindle, but I now keep hearing that it’s not as compatible with all formats as it likes to comport.
November 17th, 2011 - 08:45
Bryce..I would say the Kobo Touch is my favorite so far, though I haven’t tried the Kindle Touch. While I buy all of my books from Amazon, I also ‘liberate’ them using Calibre and convert them to epub. The biggest things I like about the Kobo Touch are the ability to EASILY add your own fonts, and how often they update the firmware to add new features (and yes, the updates also fix bugs). I don’t use annotations in books, or the dictionary, or really anything else. I just use it simply to read. And for that, the Kobo seems to have the most customization options so i can make the reader display books exactly the way I want. So, for me, the extra bit of work to liberate and transfer books is worth it. If you want something you use to buy and read on the device with no work, I would try the Kindle Touch. Sure you can buy books from Kobo, but personally I’ve just accepted the fact that I prefer the Amazon ecosystem (with the Kobo reader).
November 17th, 2011 - 09:54
Awesome, thank you so much. Now I have some things I really need to think about.