Barnes & Noble's Nook Color 1.2 (Android FroYo 2.2) Review: Tablet or e-Reader? - Shelly Palmer

All tablets are ereaders but all ereaders are not tablets BampampN recently released a software update for its Nook Color which takes the full color touchscreen ereader and gives it some tabletlike features At 24995 it is less than half the price of an iPad 2 or Xoom and it offers some significant benefits for normal nongeeky readersIf you think you will enjoy reading on a 7inch backlit computer screen that you can comfortably hold in your hand as opposed to an eink screen that needs ambient light to illuminate it I can recommend the Nook Color without hesitation It is nicely priced and offers a bunch of features that make it an ereader on steroidsIs the Nook Color a tablet Let39s not get caught up in the semantics Here are some of the things you can do with itamp183 Read a bookamp183 Enjoy animated children39s booksamp183 Play some gamesamp183 Check your emailamp183 Browse the webamp183 Listen to musicamp183 Play online videosamp183 Store files on removable media for use with other devicesIs it an iPad No But not only because of the hardware limitations it39s not an iPad because it not part of the Apple App Store iTunes interface and ecosystem If you want an iPad 2 nothing else will doWill the Nook Color do all the things an iPad can do No But it can do a lot of stuff see the list above and for most people who like to read it will be a wonderful experience and a good device to ownShould you think of the Nook Color as a quotPoor Man39s iPadquot No The Nook Color is not trying to be an iPad it is positioned as a powerfully featured ereader and that39s exactly what it isDoes the Nook Color do anything an iPad can39t do Yep It plays Adobe Flash files so you can watch Flash video and see Flash animations According to Steve Jobs iPads iPods and iPhones will never ever play Flash files I was taught never to say never but Mr Jobs has spoken BTW 98 of computers in the world can see content that is made with Flash It is a ubiquitous format and that fact that Apple iProducts do not play it is truly unfortunate and kind of a painThe Nook Color is also physically smaller than an iPad This makes it very easy to type with your thumbs If you want to touch type with all 10 fingers you can do that too But if you39re a superfast thumb typist this is a very nice form factorWhat about Apps and Android and all that tech stuff If you are going to ask a technical question about the Nook Color don39t buy it It is not technically on par with current technology tablets because it does not have to beWhy would I buy the Nook Color Its weaknesses limited app store restricted user experience etc are its strength Barnes ampamp Noble has gone out of its way to create a Nook ecosystem It is nowhere near as big or sophisticated as Apple39s but it doesn39t have to be BampampN is controlling its App Store and making the online shopping experience simple and convenient The few apps that are available are valuable The device comes preloaded with features that allow you to instantly benefit from the purchase ereader email web video music and games Do you need more If you do you know who you are If you don39t this is a perfectly excellent ereader with some very serviceable tabletlike featuresWhy shouldn39t I buy the Nook Color If you are looking for a tablet that is fast has two cameras for video chat has a bigger screen has access to hundreds of thousands of apps and has a huge developer community and user base then the Nook Color is not for youHow is the Nook Color different from other Android 22 FroYo devices This is a critical point Google lets manufacturers use the Android operating system for free There are some strict and some not so strict guidelines regarding how the software can be deployed and advertised While in theory all Android devices are compatible in practice they are not Software cannot add features to hardware that the hardware does not support For example Android 22 supports camera apps but there39s no camera on the Nook Color so the fact that the software supports the function is meaningless in this caseI am a Linux Hacker and I heard that the Nook Color is running Linux Yep Hack away amp8211 rooting a Nook Color should be funSpecification Summary for those who must knowamp183 7 inch VividView capacitive touch screen at 1024amp215600 resolutionamp183 800MHz ARM Cortex A8based 45nm OMAP3621 processoramp183 8GB internal memory 5GB used for storageamp183 80211 bgn WiFiamp183 microSD expansion card slotamp183 35mm headset jackamp183 Integrated mono speakeramp183 Standard microUSB port for charging and book transfer via cableamp183 Dimensions of 81 x 50 x 048 inches and 158 ouncesBottom line For 249 it39s awesomeShelly Palmer is the host of MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer a daily show featuring news you can use about technology media ampamp entertainment He is the author of Television Disrupted The Transition from Network to Networked TV 2008 New York House Press and the upcoming Get Digital Reinventing Yourself and Your Career for the 21st Century Economy 2009 Lake House Press Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts ampamp Sciences NY the organization that bestows the coveted Emmy Awards For information about Get Digital Classes visit httpwwwshellypalmercomseminars Watch Digital Life with Shelly Palmer Tuesdays at 10p ET on WNBC39s NY Nonstop httpwwwshellypalmercomdigitallifeRead all Shelly39s MediaBizBloggers commentaries at Shelly Palmer ReportCheck us out on Facebook at MediaBizBloggerscomFollow our Twitter updates MediaBizBloggerMediaBizBloggers is an openthought leadership blog platform for media marketing and advertising professionals companies and organizations To contribute contact Jackmediadvisorygroupcom The opinions expressed in MediaBizBloggerscom are not those of Media Advisory Group its employees or other MediaBizBloggerscom contributors Media Advisory Group accepts no responsibility for the views of MediaBizBloggers authors

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Barnes & Noble's Nook Color 1.2 (Android FroYo 2.2) Review: Tablet or e-Reader? - Shelly Palmer

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