If anyone is shopping for a Nook Color...

[SunnyD]

Thanks, in for one. Was looking for something for the bedroom. Is there any way to get Flash working on it?

Yes. Install Froyo on it.

Gah, I am tempted, but since I don't own an Android phone, it will be somewhat worthless as I have a huge amount of iOS apps . Can you make this thing run iOS?

Seriously? I mean... seriously? Does it say "Manufactured by Apple" on it somewhere? /facepalm

 

[ponyo]

I almost pulled the trigger but the device looks bit slow and unresponsive in the Engadget video review. I love the design and the form factor though.

 

[MagickMan]

I almost pulled the trigger but the device looks bit slow and unresponsive in the Engadget video review. I love the design and the form factor though.

That's partly why people OC them to >1GHz.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I almost pulled the trigger but the device looks bit slow and unresponsive in the Engadget video review. I love the design and the form factor though.

B&N's modded version of Android 2.1 is pretty bad, rooting & installing a different launcher makes a huge difference. It's got the Droid Gen 1 processor, so it'll take a healthy overclock with a custom kernel.

Outside of the Xoom, there aren't going to be any decent Android tablets until the 2nd 1/2 of 2011.

 

[Binky]

Smokin deal. It's hard to be disappointed with this thing for $200!!

 

[Aikouka]

Seriously? I mean... seriously? Does it say "Manufactured by Apple" on it somewhere? /facepalm

You... do realize that the tablet would have much more worth (to me) if someone made some hacked version of iOS to go on it since I already have a ton of apps for that mobile OS. Why would I want to get an Android tablet and have to buy EVERYTHING over again? I mean, I love playing with technology/gadgets, but it's hard to swallow that aspect of it :\.

$200 for a tablet is a pretty good deal... much better than $500 .

EDIT:

Also, I wasn't being serious about someone actually trying to put iOS on it .

 

[poofyhairguy]

Why would I want to get an Android tablet and have to buy EVERYTHING over again?

To play with it of course! That is why I bought one.

I won't switch from my iPhone to a Android phone because in a pinch (pun intended) I need that GPU accelerated iPhone responsiveness. But Android is so fun and customizable I wanted to play with it, and the Nook Color was a cheap way for me to give Android a test drive. For that it has worked great, with Froyo it does everything I expect a tablet to really do for me.

One last thing- I wouldn't worry so much about having to repay for everything. Many things are free in Androidland that are pay-for in iOS land. The trade off is that it displays adds while using the app, but you can install another app called Ad Free to block those ads. The apps that are pay-for usually require some piece of equipment (GPS, Camera, sensitive accelerometer) that the Nook simply doesn't have.

 

[zoiks]

Just bought one. Was looking for the Xoom but couldn't pass this up.

 

[theeedude]

Gonna get a V-mo Optimus V and tether Nook Color to it. Should be killer value combo.
Can I load free e-books to it either in plain text or PDF if it's not rooted?
I want to play around with stock UI until a stable Honeycomb build is out.
Also, from what I understand there is no way to hook up a microphone to it as of yet, although someone is trying to enable Bluetooth. Is that pretty much the state of things?

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Bastards

I can't get this deal, 'cause I don't live in the U.S.... But I might make a trip down south in a few weeks, and then I'll go to a brick-and-mortar B&N.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Can I load free e-books to it either in plain text or PDF if it's not rooted?

Yep.

I want to play around with stock UI until a stable Honeycomb build is out.

Get a decent 8GB MicroSD card (San Disk preferably) and install Honeycomb on it so you can try Honeycomb without messing with the stock software.

Also, from what I understand there is no way to hook up a microphone to it as of yet, although someone is trying to enable Bluetooth. Is that pretty much the state of things?

Yep, basically.

It might never take a microphone or other USB devices. As far as bluetooth, the holdup is a port to a newer Linux kernel...

 

[Aikouka]

To play with it of course! That is why I bought one.

That's actually what was getting me to consider buying one as well... I've always kind of wanted to play with Android, and my old Windows Mobile phone (AT&T Tilt) has Android on it now, but it's... well, kind of slow :\. I think it takes around 3-4x as long as my iPhone just to boot.

I think what makes me a bit reserved about buying one is just that there are some apps I'd prefer to use on a tablet instead of my phone, but I'd need an iPad currently for that. So instead of paying $200 (+ this warranty that everyone says to get) for this, I could put that toward an iPad (which the newer revision should be unveiled tomorrow too).

I guess I'd just be worried that... similar to a lot of things, the Nook Color, even when rooted, would just be mostly unused... kind of like my EeePC netbook that I've got in my drawer here . I also think having a good Honeycomb build would interest me a lot more as well... I was actually rather interested in the UI while reading the Xoom review.

 

[MagickMan]

8300 of these sold on ebay so far during this sale, that seems pretty good.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Here's hoping that B&N will drop the price in its stores, in the next couple of months... Would love to get me one of those next time I go to Niagara Falls....

 

[ponyo]

Here's hoping that B&N will drop the price in its stores, in the next couple of months... Would love to get me one of those next time I go to Niagara Falls....

I'm passing on the Nook. iPad2 just changed the game again. iPad1 being available for $399 means retailers will soon have no choice to clear out all those unsold Galaxy Tab soon. The only way people will buy Tab is at around $250 range. I rather have Tab than Nook.

 

[SunnyD]

I'm passing on the Nook. iPad2 just changed the game again. iPad1 being available for $399 means retailers will soon have no choice to clear out all those unsold Galaxy Tab soon. The only way people will buy Tab is at around $250 range. I rather have Tab than Nook.

Haha... good luck with that. You won't see the Tab under $399 for a looong time.

 

[MagickMan]

Haha... good luck with that. You won't see the Tab under $399 for a looong time.

That's my thinking. It takes a long time for those executive types to change their minds, and by then it'll be much too late.

 

[theeedude]

You might see the Tab at $250 at some point, maybe in a year, but what's the point of waiting if you can have Nook Color right now for $200? The main features like the screen and CPU are similar enough, plus I would trust XDA to keep coming up with Nook software updates more than I would Samsung.

 

[MagickMan]

plus I would trust XDA to keep coming up with Nook software updates more than I would Samsung.

Ain't that the truth? WTF is up with those thumb-dick bastards? They have decent gear but no business sense at all.

 

[ponyo]

You might see the Tab at $250 at some point, maybe in a year, but what's the point of waiting if you can have Nook Color right now for $200? The main features like the screen and CPU are similar enough, plus I would trust XDA to keep coming up with Nook software updates more than I would Samsung.

A year? No, I expect it this Spring. We know retailers are sitting on millon+ Tabs right now unable to move it. Tab 2 is coming. Retailers are screwed. They have to get rid of the inventory soon. They know they cant sell single core last year tech "7 tablet now with all the multicore iPad2 and Honeycomb "10 tablets at $500 . $250 Tab might even be too expensive to move.

 

[poofyhairguy]

We know retailers are sitting on millon+ Tabs right now unable to move it.

Source?

EDIT: Overall I prefer to have the Nook Color over the Samsung Tab. The screen is better (higher native LCD density) and it doesn't have all those Android buttons that Honeycomb made obsolete...

 

[JD50]

In for one, thanks OP. I can't wait to play around with this. Can't beat it for $200.

 

[theeedude]

A year? No, I expect it this Spring. We know retailers are sitting on millon+ Tabs right now unable to move it. Tab 2 is coming. Retailers are screwed. They have to get rid of the inventory soon. They know they cant sell single core last year tech "7 tablet now with all the multicore iPad2 and Honeycomb "10 tablets at $500 . $250 Tab might even be too expensive to move.

$250 off contract Tab is not going to happen this spring. $350, maybe.

 

[notposting]

Damnit. Stopped by the local B&N to check it out today...ordered one when I got home. Maybe the wife won't notice it

 

[Phobic9]

I sold my iPad for the iPad 2.... which looks to be more of the same really (not surprised).

Next stop: $200 Nook Color