Nook Color Opinions?

[momof2intx]

I saw the thread below about the Kindle. I did some researching and have decided to get the Nook color this weekend for Mom's day. I had been against the e-Reader idea...I love the feel of a real book in my hands but the Nook looks great with the ability to have apps, email etc...sounds a lot like an iPad at a fraction of the price.

For those of you who know about both....does the Kindle allow apps/games/email etc like the Nook? Am I making a good choice?

 

[Mom_Rides]

We just got a Nook Color a couple of weeks ago. It was a joint gift for DH and myself - a split of Mothers & Fathers Day gifts. I could have cared less to get one. I don't mind having a book in my hands and I was unsure that I would like reading on the Nook. My mom has the Sony E-Reader but I didn't like that at all! I thought it was extremely hard on the eyes and hard to see but she loves it. I have no experiences with the Kindle.

DH really likes it for the web capabilities and he said the app store is getting better selections everyday. He also likes that he can get some of his favorite magazines on it (like Mens Health).

He just downloaded a book for me last night for Mothers Day and I took it to work today and read 26 pages on my lunch. I found it very easy to use and read with it and really no different from reading an actual book. I think I may just like it after all

 

[TallyTutter]

I saw the thread below about the Kindle. I did some researching and have decided to get the Nook color this weekend for Mom's day. I had been against the e-Reader idea...I love the feel of a real book in my hands but the Nook looks great with the ability to have apps, email etc...sounds a lot like an iPad at a fraction of the price.

For those of you who know about both....does the Kindle allow apps/games/email etc like the Nook? Am I making a good choice?

I did exactly this on Monday. I love it. It's like an iPad Jr. The only thing I can't do on it that I wanted is watch Netflix. I didn't mind that it might be harder to read outside because the great outdoors & I don't get along anyway (I burn VERY easily). Buy it & try it, you can always take it back.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

It really depends on what you want it to do in addition to reading books and where you want to use it.

It's a wifi-only device and the glare will keep you from reading without a struggle outside, near windows when it's bright outside, near light sources (lamps behind you). The battery life is about 8 hours.

If you're looking for a tablet device that will check email and run apps from the Barnes & Noble app store, this will work. If you want to use apps from other markets, the device has to be hacked or rooted.

The Kindle has wifi and 3G and a rudimentary browser. You can check email on it anywhere in the US, most of Mexico and Canada, all over Europe and other countries without the need for a wifi connection. It's a black and white e-ink screen, so it's not the flashiest web browser, but it will do what you need it to do (check in for a flight, check and send email, google, news, etc.). Because of the e-ink screen you can read it indoors, outdoors, bright light. Like a regular book, you'll need a booklight when it's dark. Amazon sells Kindle covers with built-in lights. They are powered by the device, so no need to replace batteries. Battery life is almost a month. If you use the wifi and 3G, the battery life is 2-3 weeks. No color, no apps... but it's a fantastic way to read a book.

 

[sissy_ib]

I did exactly this on Monday. I love it. It's like an iPad Jr. The only thing I can't do on it that I wanted is watch Netflix. I didn't mind that it might be harder to read outside because the great outdoors & I don't get along anyway (I burn VERY easily). Buy it & try it, you can always take it back.

They do sell an anti glare screen protector but it does mess with the color some. That just wont work for me as I have a few magazine subscriptions and the pages just would not look the same. I'll deal with glare the 1% of the time it affects me personally.

There are not to many apps on it just yet. In fact they just upgraded it and added the apps market last week. You can "root" your nook and open up the android market but this does void your warranty. Too much work and not enough gain for me. More apps to chose from would just be more money I would spend on the darn thing

I love my NC and I take it EVERYWHERE! I love the touch screen over buttons. The back-light does not give me eye strain. I look at a computer all day so I guess my eyes are used to it. I find the B&N store very easy to use. Same with my library. Free book Fridays are always fun. You can download the nook app to an ipod, iphone, ipad, android or your computer with out having a nook and download books. Good for me as my router went out and I don't have wifi in the house right now. I can download nook books to my computer and transfer them over. (super easy) It fits in my purse. Battery life is about 8 hours of active use. I know the kindle is something like 30 days, but very rarely am I going to be away from a power outlet more than 8 hours while actively reading.

I know I am biased because I own a NC but it really is a great product. Everyone I know who has a kindle or other e-reader said they chose it based on price. The only downsides to the NC are the lack of 3G and the store is only available in the US and Canada. 3G is not too important to me and when I am going out of the country I stock up on books before I go. Only problem might be if I was going to be out of country for an extended amount of time.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

I will start off saying I don't own a Nook Color (so take that into account) but I was able to play with my co-workers for awhile the other night and I can't say I'm a big fan.

As an ereader- I don't like the backlit LCD screen for reading; it is better than some LCD screens out there but it still causes eye strain for me. Plus it is heaver than my Kindle and IMO the Kindle is more intuitive than the NC (this is a complaint I had with my Nook wifi as well).

As a tablet- It gets better marks in this category, especially with the new upgrade they are rolling out but I still wasn't impressed overall. It doesn't do everything my ipad does (Netflix, etc) plus it was slower.

I think if you are in the market for a tablet and can't afford an iPad (or an equivilent) then it may be a good choice but it is not something I will spend money on.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Everyone I know who has a kindle or other e-reader said they chose it based on price. The only downsides to the NC are the lack of 3G and the store is only available in the US and Canada. 3G is not too important to me and when I am going out of the country I stock up on books before I go. Only problem might be if I was going to be out of country for an extended amount of time.

I chose my e-reader based on the quality of the device (lightest, sharpest screen, battery life, faster page turns, etc.) and the quality of the connectivity. Free 3G coverage worldwide AND each Kindle has its own email address. If I'm halfway around the world (or at the baseball game) and I need to read a document (PDF, Word, or an ebook) I can have someone email it directly to my device immediately where it shows up on the main page of titles. I email little love notes to my daughter's Kindle all the time. The next time she turns on her Kindle she sees it. I usually title the notes "Call your mother!"

 

[momof2intx]

I chose my e-reader based on the quality of the device (lightest, sharpest screen, battery life, faster page turns, etc.) and the quality of the connectivity. Free 3G coverage worldwide AND each Kindle has its own email address. If I'm halfway around the world (or at the baseball game) and I need to read a document (PDF, Word, or an ebook) I can have someone email it directly to my device immediately where it shows up on the main page of titles. I email little love notes to my daughter's Kindle all the time. The next time she turns on her Kindle she sees it. I usually title the notes "Call your mother!"

So sorry if I sound stupid but what is the difference of 3G or no 3G?

So the Kindle has it, the Nook doesn't....correct?

 

[Tistal]

It's a wifi-only device and the glare will keep you from reading without a struggle outside, near windows when it's bright outside, near light sources (lamps behind you). The battery life is about 8 hours.

I have no problems reading my NC under bright lights (florescent in my office at work, near a lamp at home or in bed while hubby watches tv). I have not tried reading it outside, but I suspect the outcome will be the same. They sell screen protectors (why would you not want one of those anyways when you're going to be actively touching the screen?) that are anti glare.

 

[TallyTutter]

So sorry if I sound stupid but what is the difference of 3G or no 3G?

So the Kindle has it, the Nook doesn't....correct?

The Kindle can be bought with 3G, the B&N Nook Color does not have 3G.

3G is internet available via cell phone towers, it's "always on" if you are near a tower. Amazon pays for the Kindle's 3G service so you are not charged extra, you do not need to have a cell phone account to receive 3G on the Kindle. You're not going to have 3G EVERYWHERE because you'll need to rely on cellphone towers to receive it.

Wireless is received via a router like at Starbucks, McDonalds, B&N or via your own home router. I have wireless at home & at work so I don't worry about it.

Both the Kindle & the Nook Color have their strengths & weaknesses, you just have to list out what is important to you and then choose.

 

[sissy_ib]

I chose my e-reader based on the quality of the device (lightest, sharpest screen, battery life, faster page turns, etc.) and the quality of the connectivity. Free 3G coverage worldwide AND each Kindle has its own email address. If I'm halfway around the world (or at the baseball game) and I need to read a document (PDF, Word, or an ebook) I can have someone email it directly to my device immediately where it shows up on the main page of titles. I email little love notes to my daughter's Kindle all the time. The next time she turns on her Kindle she sees it. I usually title the notes "Call your mother!"

Sorry if I sounded like I was bashing the Kindle. I was not saying the Kindle is not a quality product. I know it is and I know it does somethings the NC does not. I'm saying people I have talked to IRL have said price was a factor. And to me that is not the way to buy things. If something is a want I wait until I have the cash to get the one I really want.
The biggest factor for me is the full color. I love having my magazine subscriptions and they are beautiful on the screen. If you want a full functioning tablet no e-reader is the way to go. Wait until you have the extra cash for a tablet. For me the NC is perfect because I wanted an e-reader. And now as a bonus it does a few other cool things for me.

 

[RitaE]

Well, I have an iPAD, a nook color and a Kindle.

First of all, the nook color does have access to some apps as is - but it is nowhere near the functionality of an iPAD. You can root it to be a more functional Android Tablet, but it does require some tech expertise.

The nook color and the Kindle are really two different machines so it is hard to say this one is better than that other. The nook color is a tablet, with an lcd screen that has color and is backlit. If you want to read things that are color intensive like magazines or children's books - then the nook color is an excellent choice. Note that since it has a backlight, it does have some display problems outdoors. The nook color can also play movies.

The Kindle (and regular nook) is a single purpose eInk device. It excels at displaying text in an easy on the eyes manner. It can be read outdoors easily. If you want to read novels, then eInk is a great solution.

As mentioned above you do have some other issues such as 3G and file compatibilities that you might wish to research.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

I think you could say the same about people everywhere buying anything... some people consider price the most important factor and others consider their needs.

I have an iPad we use to view colorful publications or download them from the library directly. We don't view as many as we thought we might. It's a nice back up if I don't need to bring my laptop with me and we're traveling. We mainly use it as an extra TV in the kitchen by streaming Netflix and Hulu. Even with backlighting, the iPad and the Nook Color are really indoor devices.

Enjoy your Nook!

Sorry if I sounded like I was bashing the Kindle. I was not saying the Kindle is not a quality product. I know it is and I know it does somethings the NC does not. I'm saying people I have talked to IRL have said price was a factor. And to me that is not the way to buy things. If something is a want I wait until I have the cash to get the one I really want.
The biggest factor for me is the full color. I love having my magazine subscriptions and they are beautiful on the screen. If you want a full functioning tablet no e-reader is the way to go. Wait until you have the extra cash for a tablet. For me the NC is perfect because I wanted an e-reader. And now as a bonus it does a few other cool things for me.

 

[LisaNJ25]

I love my nook. I am posting from it now. My sister just got a kindle and regrets not getting the nook color instead.

 

[tigger51276]

I got the Nook Color as an xmas gift and i have to say the only downside to it is that I'm spending way more money on books now that it is so easy to get them! I love, love, love it. I've used it outside many times and have not had a problem with glare. I just dim the backlit a bit and it's just fine. I also have found that I love holding the Nook far more than a book as it's so much easier to handle and doesn't close on me and lose my page.

Seriously though, the only thing I don't like is the fact the battery is only about 8 hours and I can read longer than that. Also my charger cord totally fell apart and starting smoking a couple months back and I had to buy a new one....wasn't happy about that and was really happy I was awake to catch it before there was a fire!

 

[momof2intx]

Well I watched some YouTube comparison videos and then tonight at work I noticed a little something peeking out of one of my co-workers aprons....I asked her....is that a....NOOK? She said yep! After playing with it for a while, I fell in love so it will be off to B&N tomorrow to get my Nook.

I'l be happy to have sometihng finally that will be MINE....it will be off limits to the kiddos...password protected!!

 

[Kteacher]

Love my Nook color! I took mine to the B&N where I purchased it and they did the 1.2 upgrade download for me. I'm still learning all the tricks to it, but love it so far. I took it on a cruise, and it was tricky reading it outside in bright sunlight, but doable.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

Also my charger cord totally fell apart and starting smoking a couple months back and I had to buy a new one....wasn't happy about that and was really happy I was awake to catch it before there was a fire!

This is not the first time I have heard about the microUSB chargers falling apart (both Kindle and Nook) but I have never heard about one smoking before. I don't know what company they are using to produce these chargers but I think they need to look into other options.

I'll really have to keep an eye on my Kindle when it's charging from now on. As much as I love it, it's not worth our house burning down.

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

DH bought me the wi-fi b&w Nook for Christmas and I love it. I love being able to hold it, read and turn pages with one hand. DH is a light sleeper and I love to read so he also doesn't hear me turning pages at night. I love it so much, I bought him a Nook Color for his birthday.

The Nook Color is now a semi-tablet. For $250, you're getting an Android platform with the ability to purchase apps. If you want, purchase a micro-SD card and download the Android 3.0 Honeycomb software on to it. When you insert it into your Nook Color, it will become a full tablet. You can't beat that! DH has all intentions of rooting his Nook to make it a full blown tablet. I will admit, it's a bit heavier than the Kindle or Nook wi-fi, but it's so worth it.

 

[LisaNJ25]

Well I watched some YouTube comparison videos and then tonight at work I noticed a little something peeking out of one of my co-workers aprons....I asked her....is that a....NOOK? She said yep! After playing with it for a while, I fell in love so it will be off to B&N tomorrow to get my Nook.

I'l be happy to have sometihng finally that will be MINE....it will be off limits to the kiddos...password protected!!

I do let my kids play angry birds and read some of the free kids books but I also have if password protected. Dont want them to see the cover of some of the books I read