Comments on: A Week with NOOKcolor: Hardware

By: Rhobbs12

Rhobbs12 — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 01:10:00 +0000

Does anyone know if you need a router in order to connect to the internet? My internet provider is Time Warner Cable

By: Sheri

Sheri — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 04:41:53 +0000

I bought a KIndle3G/Wifi the Nook with 3G and Wifi and the NookColor in the past week. I returned the Kindle after not being able to download library books . Someone told me you could convert the format but it wouldn’t work for me. I really wanted the 3G but the Nook didn’t connect today even with it. The NookColor did and from the same place. Don’t get that. The only thing I don’t like about the NookColor is the battery life, although I’ve had to plug the regular Nook in daily also. The other reason I picked up the 3G one was you can replace it’s battery . You can’t with the NookColor. Do you have any idea how long it will last? Thats my only worry.

By: Artful1

Artful1 — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:15:05 +0000

Magazines look gorgeous on the NookColor….and the subscription prices are nice too!! I subscribed to National Geographic and the pictures are stunning. I also subscribed to GQ, Men’s Journal, and Consumer Reports. Across the board, reading, and browsing was as easy as a swipe of the finger. The “Article” view functionality is ingenious. The browsing (which is enabled when you tap the screen) at the bottom of the mag is just like flipping through a magazine, but without the annoying subscription card/tabs that get in the way. I’ve shown the NookColor to dozens of friends and families, and I know for sure that at least half went out and bought one that weekend. Just love it.

By: Seth Mootchnik

Seth Mootchnik — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 01:24:42 +0000

Curious how this new version does with magazines. I have a number of car magazines and it would cool to have them all on one device. Does Zinio support the Color Nook?

By: Chris Burns

Chris Burns — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 18:00:01 +0000

Oh definitely. The people at B&N are marketing toward people who are primarily readers, so you can bet I’ll be writing from many different perspectives.

By: DigDug

DigDug — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 17:41:25 +0000

Nice review I look forward to seeing it progress this week – maybe SG can put a sticky link on the right of your homepage so we can access it easily during the week?

I am strongly considering this as a gift for a non-geek, so perhaps you could consider adding commentary from that perspective as well (e.g., as a “Xmas gift for mom” type use)?

By: Chris Burns

Chris Burns — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:25:20 +0000

I’ll be writing up more about this as the “Week with” review continues, but you can bet I’ll be including your comment here in my talk about prices. I agree with you completely that it doesn’t make sense for the cost to be UP on this device when they want to sell it as an all-encompasing ereader.

By: Michael Firestone

Michael Firestone — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:18:31 +0000

I am considering buying the Color Nook but have yet to see anyone discuss content costs. I noticed that the B&N e-subscription price for National Geographic is $1.99 per month ($23.88 per year). However, if I go to the National Geographic website, they sell an interactive e-subscription through Zinio at a cost of only $15 per 12 issues. For Popular Science, the B&N e-subscription cost is $2.99 per month ($34.88 per year) but the Zinio e-pub price is only $12 per year. Is the Zinio version and the B&N ColorNook version of these magazines (which I currently purchase in hard copy) the same/equivalent? What do you make of the B&N version cost being so much more? The extra cost seems to weigh against purchasing the NookColor.

By: Chris Burns

Chris Burns — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:03:29 +0000

You can use the NOOK for webbrowsing – it displays in e-ink and you’re probably going to want to connect just through wifi networks — take a look at an example of how it works here: http://www.slashgear.com/barnes-noble-nook-review-0665189/ in the video near the bottom (right about in the middle of the video)

By: Chris Burns

Chris Burns — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:45:13 +0000

yeah no 3rd party anything yet. they’re pushing for developers to work with them — http://androidcommunity.com/a-bit-of-extra-clarity-for-would-be-developers-of-nookcolor-apps-20101029/ — but as of yet, its pretty much a closed device. i agree completely with you Just Jon that there should be something like VLC on this to play some videos, but it might end up going back to the idea that this is a reader-centric device. then again, why then add the ability to watch videos at all?

By: nontekkie

nontekkie — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:16:08 +0000

I am specifically looking for an inexpensive portable device to access the web. Can the basic Nook ($149) be used for that? Baseball scores, directions, general web surfing. The ereader part would be a bonus for me. I”ve gotten the impression that the only sites you can connect to are Barns and Noble for book downloads.

By: beejaycee

beejaycee — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:13:59 +0000

Not being one of the ones who posted a thumbs down, I can’t speak for them but as of yet, I don’t think you can add a 3rd party ANYTHING. I have a Ncolor and have been watching this issue. As of yet, no one has been successful.

By: Just Jon

Just Jon — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 08:38:18 +0000

As i got 2 thumbs down for suggesting that one might get a better experience viewing video on this device by installing a third party video player, I suggest that those who gave me the negativ rating explains why. Are you afraid of third party software?

By: ypocaramel

ypocaramel — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 07:21:55 +0000

With regards to the one-handed grip, I think it might work with a lanyard, so put that signature design element to use! ;)

Or B&N could take a page from Asia and make cute little screen cleaning charms for the loop! Then you could at least keep the microfiber cloth at home.

By: Chris Burns

Chris Burns — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 05:01:16 +0000

Since you purchase a NOOKcolor through Barnes and Noble and not through a provider, my best guess would be that it doesn’t matter which Wifi you’re connected through. For example, the internet I’ve connected through here is Comcast, and it downloads content just fine.

By: wayne schafer

wayne schafer — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 04:38:05 +0000

Will the device only download ebooks if you are able to conect to AT&T wireless. We only have Verizon where I live and was wondering.

Thanks for a great review!

By: Eva Kiser

Eva Kiser — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 03:48:39 +0000

Thanks for the in-depth review. this looks like a great ereader with many of the features I require.

By: Just Jon

Just Jon — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 22:00:51 +0000

Being build upon a regular Android platform, why not just install another media player that runs more video formats. As benckmarking goes, running smooth video is as good as any.

By: Chris Burns

Chris Burns — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 18:17:46 +0000

I don’t miss e-ink in that I’ve used it in the past, but I use laptops and non-e-ink devices so regularly that I don’t mind continuing to use this bright screen to read, especially since there’s so many different modes of color/size/etc for the text. I’ll be going into this more later in the week as I review the rest of the device.

By: Rob Ward

Rob Ward — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 18:04:46 +0000

You said you don’t miss e-ink? Are you someone who didn’t like it that much in the 1st place or did you get so tired of not having color e-ink that you just prefer this lcd screen?

I really like my e-ink screens for reading, and I’m not sure I’d want to switch to lcd.