Tag: Product Reviews

#NOOKColor Wish List

Posted March 4, 2011 by Holly in Discussions | 2 Comments

Now that I’ve had my NOOKColor a few months, there are a few things I wish it had. I know some of these are due to the fact that I’ve been spoiled by my HTC EVO, but many of them are just common sense items.

1. Dedicated back button – When I’m scanning books in my library, throughout different folders, I’d like to be able to go back using a back button. As it stands now, I have to go to the homepage (or library page), adding at least one additional step.

2. Cursor buttons on the keyboard – This would be helpful when typing. Because the device doesn’t feature an auto-correct option (something most Android based systems have), there are a lot of misspellings. Having cursors available would have a lot of time and energy when needing to correct them.

3. “Share” feature available on sideloaded documents (something the Kindle now has) – One of the things I love best about the device is being able to share passages with Twitter and Facebook. Unfortunately that option isn’t available for content that wasn’t purchased and downloaded direct from B&N. The Kindle offers it for all content, even sideloaded.

4. Ability to move sideloaded items onto the home page – similarly, I don’t like that I can’t move books I loaded myself to the homepage. I can only add books that were purchased through B&N. I’d love to be able to add my current read, or books I need to review, to the homepage.

5. A kickstand – My EVO has a kickstand, which makes it easy to prop it up to watch videos or read without having to hold it. I wish the NOOKColor had something similar. It’s a lot heavier than the NOOK 3G and the Kindle, so holding it for long periods of time is uncomfortable. Having a kickstand would really be helpful.

6. Access to the Android Market – I don’t use my device for more than reading very often, but there have been a few times I played a game or listened to music on it. I wish I could transfer some of my favorite apps over from my EVO to use on my NOOKColor. Barring that, I’d like to see what apps B&N has created for the device. There have been a lot of rumors about an upgrade to the Android OS, but I haven’t heard anything to back that up from B&N.

For the most part, I really like the device. With a few minor changes it could be fabulous.

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Product Review: NOOKColor

Posted December 23, 2010 by Holly in Reviews | 5 Comments

With bold colors and a sleek design, NOOKColor is a thing of beauty. The gray-black plastic surround and black rubber back make this the prettiest eReader on the market, hands down.

Readers want a user-friendly device on which to read eBooks. In this, NOOKColor doesn’t disappoint. Many readers are concerned about the LCD screen being hard on the eyes. With adjustments to the contrast and brightness, I haven’t found this to be an issue. Night reading and reading in direct sunlight are a snap with the touch of a button. With 6 options for reading brightness (night reading, sepia, beige and others), readers shouldn’t have trouble with the screen. With B&N’s VividView screen treatment, glare is greatly reduced as well.

The pixel-dense homescreen is amazingly sharp and clear. The images are crisp and very life-like. The device comes with a tutorial video. It ran through the basic set-up of NOOKColor, along with some tips to make it easier to navigate. After watching the video readers should have no trouble logging in and managing the settings. The touchscreen keyboard was easy to use and very intuitive, though I do miss having cursors on the keyboard.

There are advanced menu options for customizing your reading experience. The font and text size are adjustable, notes and highlights are now searchable and passages can be shared direct to social media sites like Twitter and Facebook through the internal WiFi connection.There is no 3G access for NOOKColor.

The web browser is fully functional, unlike that of the Nook 3G, though it does run on the slow side. Users can check email, visit social media outlets, do online banking and keep track of their reads though Goodreads and LibraryThing. Because NOOKColor is using an outdated version of the Andriod operating system, I’m not sure how many will want to. A computer or even a smart phone will run faster. There are rumors that the device will be updated to Android 2.2 sometime in January, but these are as yet unconfirmed. If so, that along with an app market could bump this device from a strict eReader to an option for a cheap tablet. In the meantime, the device is meant for reading and that’s the primary focus.

B&N did release a software update last night that improved the wifi functionality and made web browsing a bit faster. It took about 10 seconds to load Goodreads.com this morning, a noticeable 15-20 second improvement.

ePub files are easily sideloaded from the computer via a USB connection. There still isn’t an option to send external content wirelessly (which the Kindle is capable of via email), but this isn’t too much of a hindrance. Drag and drop is the name of the game. With 8GB of internal memory and expandable memory options, readers can carry up to 30,000 books with them at a time.

NOOKcolor reads pdf files, but the menu options for them are severely limited. The current page being read isn’t saved, so each time you close the document your place is lost. Upon opening the document, you start on page one, regardless of the number of times you’ve opened it. Fonts and text aren’t adjustable, there is no option for highlights or notes, sharing via social media is out and there’s no search option. Readers will want to convert files to ePub before loading.

The menu options for ePub files are great. The contents of the book are available so you can jump to chapters/pages. Making notes and highlights is easy, though I don’t see an option to highlight large sections of text at a time. The same is true for sharing quotes – it seems only one word at a time can be shared. There is an internal dictionary, so looking up words is very simple. There’s also an option to find more information via Google or Wikipedia.

The homescreen can be customized with the books, newspapers and magazines of your choosing. As with the 3G, personal shelves can be created to organize the library. For reviewers this is an absolute godsend, though I think readers will enjoy it just as much. Covers aren’t available for sideloaded content however, so making sure the metadata is correct for each ePub file is a must (Calibre is a great resource for this).

NOOKColor features “extras” such as Pandora radio (readers who like background noise as they read will love this), Sudoku, Chess and Crossword puzzles, as well as the option to add your own music and photos. Photos can be added to the gallery, then used to create a slideshow or customize the background on the homescreen. There’s also a “Contacts” folder, which stores all your contacts, which can either be manually added or imported from email contacts. These contacts can be used with the LENDME feature, which allows the sharing of books. Unfortunately each book can still only be lent once.

One area where NOOKColor really shines is the children’s books. My children are too old for the stories that came free with the device (The Elephant’s Child: How the Elephant Got His Trunk and Richard Scarry’s Colors), but we still enjoyed reading them together. With the “read it to me” option, parents are off the hook reading the same book again and again to their child, and the narrators are excellent. The colors really standout with these books and make this a great tool for parents and children alike.

I’m impressed with the device as a whole. I feel this really opens the market and expands what we thought we knew about eReaders. The lack of options for PDFs (something I dislike greatly about the Kindle), slower internet browser and lack of covers on sideloaded content are drawbacks, but the enhanced reading options, beautiful color touchscreen and ability to read magazines and newspapers make this a strong contender as an e-reading device for of all ages. Though I have to admit, I don’t see a big draw for existing Nook owners to upgrade. I’m going to reserve judgment until after the (possible) January update.

Disclaimer: Barnes and Noble supplied us with this device.

How would you like to win a NOOKColor of your own? Check back later this week for additional commentary on the device and to see how you can win one! 

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nook 1.3 Update Review

Posted May 14, 2010 by Holly in Discussions | 3 Comments

Last week B&N released update 1.3 for the nook. I’ve had mine for about two months now and while I love the convenience of it, there are definite drawbacks. One of the major annoyances was the lag between page turns. I could count one-onethousand, two-onethousand, three-onethousand before it would switch pages. That may not seem like a long delay, but when you’re in the middle of a sentence – or sometimes a word – it really is. I’m happy to report this update takes care of that. I’m also really happy with the added battery life. The battery used to last for a day, maybe a day and a half. Since the update I can read for a week or longer and not run out of battery.

Unfortunately those are about the only reading issues this update addresses. They’ve expanded the reading capabilities in-store; you can now read full ebooks on site – for up to one hour. They also added wifi capability in more areas, but overall I’m mostly unimpressed with the update.

Games: I find the addition of games to be rather silly. This is a reading device. Why do I need games on it? Not only does it seem unnecessary, but using the LCD touchscreen to play them is awkward because the screen is so small and you have to scroll constantly back and forth to make changes. Plus, the choice of games is..well, I guess Chess and Sudoku wouldn’t have been my first choice, especially considering the LCD touchscreen size.

Browser: The idea of having a browser on the device is great in theory. In practice it doesn’t work so well. Again the LCD Touchscreen doesn’t lend itself to easy browsing. I had no problems logging into Gmail and Goodreads, but trying to navigate the sites was almost ridiculously hard. The major drawback, IMO, is that it runs solely on wifi and can’t be used with the 3G network. The only place I really connect using wifi is at my house..and I have internet here. So why would I need a browser on my nook? I think if they want to make it effective they’ll have to open it up and allow browsing on the 3G.

I do like the new home screen. Having icons for all applications on the home screen is nice so I don’t have to hunt for them (ie, audio player and wifi).

I would have preferred more reading upgrades over the addition of games and a browser. The ability to organize my bookshelf still remains the #1 thing on my wishlist. 

Something I’m curious about, unrelated to the update : I heard a rumor way back before its release that you can only lend a book once on nook. Does anyone know if that’s true? I lent one to my brother about a month ago and I tried to lend it to him again yesterday and I couldn’t..the lend link isn’t there anymore. Anyone else have this problem?

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Kindle vs. nook: Round 1 (Specs)

Posted March 18, 2010 by Casee in Reviews | 4 Comments


I love my Kindle. Undoubtedly it’s one of my most prized possessions. I am most definitely biased when it comes to eReaders. However, the Kindle was not my first eReader. Way back when they first came out, I had a Sony PRS-500. When I had it, I loved it. It was the first eReader I had ever seen. It was sleek looking. I didn’t care about things like screen resolution and page lagging. The Sony Reader software was very user friendly. That’s about all I remember about it. I ended up selling it.

Then my love affair with the Kindle started. Even though I told my Kindle not to worry, the nook looked pretty neat. Like the i-Phone of eReaders. It was touch screen (Sony also has a touch screen) and wireless. I’m pretty sure that’s why they call it the first “touch screen” eReader. I’m generally against touch screen’s in general b/c I am such a fast typist. I gave up using my i-Touch as an internet source shortly after I bought it. I like buttons that I can feel.

Kindle: Does not have touch screen. Buttons on both 1st and 2nd generation Kindle’s are very easy to use. I do have tiny fingers, so it might be different for other people.

nook: I don’t like the touch screen, however I find that when I am typing something in, the nook keyboard is extremely accurate. When shopping on B&N.com, I wasn’t having to keep typing and deleting.

Kindle: When I am reading my Kindle, I can comfortably hold it in one hand. The weight of the Kindle is 10.2 ounces.

nook: When trying to hold the nook, it was uncomfortable holding it in one hand though it was doable. The weight of the nook is 12.1 ounces. 1.9 ounces does not seem like very much weight, but when you’re holding it in one hand it actually is.

Kindle: There isn’t much personalization on the Kindle. In the 1st Generation Kindle, when you turn the device off, it turns off and the screen goes blank. In the 2nd Generation Kindle, when you switch it off it goes to a screensaver. There are no options for changing the screensaver.

nook: You can have a personalized picture (.jpg, .gif, .png or .bmp) as your screensaver. If you don’t want to put a personalized picture, there are different options for your screensaver. You can have “writers”, “cityscapes”, etc. This is a feature I appreciate since I changed the screensaver to cityscape and no longer have to answer the question of “who’s that?”.

Kindle: Supported file types are .azw, .txt, .mobi, .prc. The 2nd Generation Kindle allows you to drag and drop .pdf files but may not retain all functionality (font size won’t change). You can also email yourself .doc, .html, .rtf, .docx wirelessly. Amazon charges a $0.15 fee for wirelessly transferring files. However, they will convert your personal documents to an .azw file FOR FREE. Then you have to drag and drop the converted file. Kindle supports audio books (.aa, .aax) and .mp3 files.

nook: Supported file types for ebooks are .epub, .pdb, .pdf (however a .pdf that is dragged and dropped may not retain all the functionality of an .epub file. Not supported are .doc, .lit, .txt, .awz (Amazon), .lrz/.lrx (Sony) nook also supports .mp3 audio files.

Come back for Round 2 when I review page turning speed/user friendliness/more file format speak on a 1st Generation Kindle, a 2nd Generation Kindle and the nook. Make sure you don’t miss your chance to win a nook.

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Product Review: nook vs. Kindle

Posted March 17, 2010 by Holly in Reviews | 12 Comments


When the announcement first came out that B&N was releasing nook, I have to admit to being pretty excited. I’d been waiting for another e-reader to come on the market that was comparable to the Kindle, and the nook seemed to be the answer.

My two year wedding anniversary was last week and my husband surprised me with a nook…and a Kindle. He wasn’t sure which one I wanted, so he bought both (have I mentioned lately how much I love my husband?). Initially we decided I’d play with both and see which one I wanted to keep. Now I think we may keep them both. He’s been wanting one of his own, so this could be the perfect solution.

He gave me the nook in the car on the first day of vacation. We had just left home on a week long road trip to Northern California. We’d had a conversation the week prior to and I was telling him I preferred the nook to the Kindle on paper. So he left the Kindle at home and gave the nook first. I had about a week to play with it before checking out the Kindle. I’d say that gives the nook an unfair advantage, but the truth is I didn’t have much time to play with it while we were on vacation.

Look: My initial impression of the nook is that it’s very thin. I’ve been using an eBookwise ereader for years, so the lack of bulk surprised me. Comparing it to the Kindle, I’d say they’re about the same size. The nook is just a tad thicker than the Kindle and might be a little heavier, but not so much that I really notice it. I think the screen on the Kindle is smaller than the screen on the nook. Or that could just be an illusion because the case surrounding the Kindle screen is bigger.

Screen: Both devices feature e-ink screens. The eBookwise has an LCD backlit touchscreen, so this is a huge change for me. The color touchscreen on the nook really makes the e-ink standout. I kept expecting the reading screen to light up and getting frustrated when it didn’t. I can’t say if my problem stemmed from using the backlit eBookwise for so long or if it’s the screen itself. More than likely the issue is mine (though it could also be that my other e-devices – cell phone, laptop – are backlit as well). The background of the nook screen seems a tad lighter than that of the Kindle. The gray is a shade lighter, I mean. It doesn’t change or effect the reading experience.

Setup: I don’t have an iPhone or iTouch, so I’m not used to using a touchscreen. I had some trouble inputting my account information initially on the nook because of this. I kept hitting the wrong letter and having to backspace to try again. it was pretty frustrating. I also had trouble getting it to accept my password. I had the same issue when I tried to register the B&N eReader app on my Blackberry, so I don’t know if it was me or a B&N issue.

Registering the Kindle was easy in comparison, but I have to qualify that with two things: 1) I’m not used to the touchscreen keyboard and 2) I was playing with the nook in the car while my husband was driving. 2 is a huge qualification for several reasons, the main being that I get extremely car sick if I try to read in the car. So I wasn’t able to give it my full attention. I don’t know if it would have been any easier had I been stationary, but I’m going to assume it was.

It’s hard using your thumbs to type on the Kindle because it’s so wide. I keep wanting to use it like I would the keyboard on my cell phone, then becoming frustrated when I can’t. I find myself hunting and pecking because of it.

Downloading: Once I had registered the devices I tried downloading a free sample from each store. I like that the prices are shown while browsing the nook. If I want to see the price of a Kindle book I have to select the title and wait for the page to load. It tales anywhere from 10-25 seconds for the separate pages to load on the Kindle. It was pretty close to the same for the nook. The color touchscreen on the nook makes it a lot easier to see the covers of the books. They’re hard to see on the Kindle.

To start I downloaded the free sample of Too Good To Be True by Kristan Higgins. I’d say it took about 30-45 seconds on both devices to complete the transaction and have the book show on my bookshelf.
Reading: The sample shows as 14 pages on the nook. (side note: Something interesting about the nook: When a book loads it shows the actual number of pages. But the page count only turns about every 3 page turn. So essentially it’ll say I’m on page 10 for 3 pages. :end side note) The first page is the book cover, then the title page, acknowledgments, dedication, review pages and etc..all the normal pages you have to flip through in a paperback book. I had to flip through 10 pages to get to the actual story.

Page numbers don’t show on the Kindle (instead it shows a percentage) – which incidentally I find very annoying – so I can’t say how many pages it is, but it does go on quite a bit longer than the sample on the nook. If I want to read the acknowledgments or dedications I have to page back. I like that better than having to page through them to get to the story.

The text is very clear on both screens. I don’t see a noticeable difference between them. I’m able to change the font size easily on both devices, though it took me awhile to figure out how to do it on the Kindle. I kept looking in the menu options for it, when there’s actually a keyboard button. The nook has the options listed on the touchscreen while the book is open. I like that I can change the font type on the nook, besides just the size.

There is a slight delay between page turns on both devices. I’d say 1-2 seconds. It doesn’t seem to be better or worse with either device.

Sideloading: Personal content can be added to both devices via USB cord. It’s easy enough, you just plug it in then drop and drag your documents. The nook takes PDF, ePub and Adobe Digital Editions. The Kindle takes Mobipocket, PDF and HTML. I have a ton of PDF files, so I loaded a few to see how they translated.

They transferred to the nook without a problem. The text was normal size and the font easy to read. The spacing seemed to be a bit off on a couple of the files, but otherwise there wasn’t an issue. I can still adjust the font type and size, but I can’t make notes or highlight text in documents I sideload. That’s kind of frustrating.

They didn’t transfer as well to the Kindle. The text size is tiny and isn’t adjustable. I can’t make notes or highlight text on this device either. Files can be emailed to the Kindle (the nook doesn’t have that option) for $.15 per document. According to Casee, if you email a file in it automatically converts, but it didn’t work when I tried. The PDFs I emailed still loaded the same way – with tiny font. The .doc file I emailed didn’t show up at all, though I was charged for it (I’ll take that up with Amazon later).

I like the idea of being able to email files, but I don’t know if it’s worth paying for. It might be worth it to avoid having to convert files, but I’m not convinced yet. I haven’t tried converting my PDFs to Mobi files and loading them that way yet. I’m told they load perfectly though.

Connectivity: This isn’t going to be entirely fair, because as I stated above I had the nook on vacation with me, but didn’t have the Kindle. We stayed in a variety of places and I had some major issues getting the nook to connect. This was a concern for me with both devices when they were first released. The wifi settings don’t allow you to connect to password protected wifi (such as hotels and etc) and I didn’t have 3G service in many of the places we visited.

Audio: I tried loading music files on both devices without success. I haven’t really had a chance to play around with them to find out why it didn’t work, however. I’ll try to remember to check back once I do.

As for audiobooks, I know Renee has successfully loaded them from Audible, but I haven’t tried it yet.

Other stuff: The Kindle froze up for about a minute when I turned the text-to-speech on, changed the settings or turned it off. The nook doesn’t have a text-to-speech function, so I couldn’t compare.

Apparently the nook used to freeze up all the time, but it only happened to me once when an update was installing.

The cord for the Kindle is quite a bit longer than the nook’s.

Conclusion: At this point I’m leaning toward the nook, mostly because of the way PDFs load onto it compared to the Kindle. Plus, I think the touchscreen menu is easier to use. This is based on using my nook for almost two full weeks while only having used the Kindle for a few days.

I plan to do several more posts about both devices in the following weeks to come. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have questions about either device and I’ll be happy to answer them if I can.

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