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Barnes & Noble's Color Nook (vs iPad)
- Thread starter bigdaddymac
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The more you see these other devices the more you realise what Apple has done so well with the iPad. The A4 custom silicone which was created specifically for this device and it's functions. The result being everything flies on the iPad. Smooth transitions and everything just snaps on it with no stuttering or lags. Flipboard shows how good iPad is in this area.
That old Alan Kay quote that Steve Jobs likes to quote keeps cropping up in my mind when I see devices like that Nook.
That old Alan Kay quote that Steve Jobs likes to quote keeps cropping up in my mind when I see devices like that Nook.
this thing certainly have potential.
hardware wise its very similar to the iPad
- a similar CPU (both use ARM Cortex A8, iPad at 1000mhz, Nook color at 800mhz, compared to iPhone 3GS with the same processor at 600mhz).
- a similar screen, both IPS with similar resolution. obviously since its a smaller screen the pixel density is higher
Personally I wouldn't worry about laggy performance, the software is likely an earlier build and will be optimized. The hardware certainly supports iPad/iPhone like fluid operations.
Depending on the person, the 7" form factor might be a plus or minus. For me it's definitely a plus, at 7" and much lighter weight its better suited for one hand usage
It'll all depend on how B&N implement its app store
My personal break down of the pros and cons of the Nook Color compared to the iPad
Pro:
+ obviously the price
+ form factor, smaller and significantly lighter
Con:
- Alot less apps (how big of a con depends on the person, if i remember correctly about 1/3 of iPad owners never installed an App. For me this is definitely a con, but not a big one. I've been an iPhone user since the 1st gen and currently have over 80 apps on my iPhone 4 but when I think about it I only use about 3-6 apps on any regular basis (pandora, netflix, etc) )
- battery life
hardware wise its very similar to the iPad
- a similar CPU (both use ARM Cortex A8, iPad at 1000mhz, Nook color at 800mhz, compared to iPhone 3GS with the same processor at 600mhz).
- a similar screen, both IPS with similar resolution. obviously since its a smaller screen the pixel density is higher
Personally I wouldn't worry about laggy performance, the software is likely an earlier build and will be optimized. The hardware certainly supports iPad/iPhone like fluid operations.
Depending on the person, the 7" form factor might be a plus or minus. For me it's definitely a plus, at 7" and much lighter weight its better suited for one hand usage
It'll all depend on how B&N implement its app store
My personal break down of the pros and cons of the Nook Color compared to the iPad
Pro:
+ obviously the price
+ form factor, smaller and significantly lighter
Con:
- Alot less apps (how big of a con depends on the person, if i remember correctly about 1/3 of iPad owners never installed an App. For me this is definitely a con, but not a big one. I've been an iPhone user since the 1st gen and currently have over 80 apps on my iPhone 4 but when I think about it I only use about 3-6 apps on any regular basis (pandora, netflix, etc) )
- battery life
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I must admit I'm interested in this. I have a kindle 3 and an ipad. I like both for reading but there are pros and cons to both.
I bought the kindle after the ipad because the ipad is to heavy to lay back on the couch and hold in the air to read. If I go and read in bed it will be with the ipad because of the light. I'm also not a fan of the e-ink flash beside the fact that the page turning speed is minimal on the new kindle.
what I'm saying is as a reader the ipad doesn't really suit, it's a lot heavier than a standard book. The weight of the kindle, nook, and kobo are perfect, that combined with no e-ink flash and an LCD screen designed for reading might just suit. Still I'm a tech whore, I need to stop buying things.
I bought the kindle after the ipad because the ipad is to heavy to lay back on the couch and hold in the air to read. If I go and read in bed it will be with the ipad because of the light. I'm also not a fan of the e-ink flash beside the fact that the page turning speed is minimal on the new kindle.
what I'm saying is as a reader the ipad doesn't really suit, it's a lot heavier than a standard book. The weight of the kindle, nook, and kobo are perfect, that combined with no e-ink flash and an LCD screen designed for reading might just suit. Still I'm a tech whore, I need to stop buying things.
I don't understand why people insist on comparing the iPad and the Nook as a similar product. Just because one of the iPad's functions overlaps with the Nook's doesn't make them the same type of product. The Nook is a pure book reader, and it does its job better than the iPad does. However, book reading is one of the millions of functions of the iPad, which was not intended to be a replacement for the Nook. This is also a mistake on the part of the people who market it. While the Nook can read books very well, it cannot do any of the other things (very well) that people do on their iPads.
iPad is a great substitute for a netbook but I need a computer to create content as well. When the Air came out I replaced my laptop with an Air and the iPad became redundant so I sold it.
I'm personally shopping for either the Nook or the Galaxy Tab. Its really unfair to compare these products directly to an iPad because they're half the size. The iPad is a viable netbook/notebook replacement whereas these are sized as a more perfect traveling companion, in my opinion. Their size makes them perfect for e-reading or other light tasks on the go without being as heavy or unwieldy.
There were plenty of times in bed that I would opt for my iPhone over the iPad for reading, checking e-mails, etc... just because I hated holding up the ipad above me for any period of times.
I'm personally shopping for either the Nook or the Galaxy Tab. Its really unfair to compare these products directly to an iPad because they're half the size. The iPad is a viable netbook/notebook replacement whereas these are sized as a more perfect traveling companion, in my opinion. Their size makes them perfect for e-reading or other light tasks on the go without being as heavy or unwieldy.
There were plenty of times in bed that I would opt for my iPhone over the iPad for reading, checking e-mails, etc... just because I hated holding up the ipad above me for any period of times.
The Nook is marketed as a color ebook / magazine reader. (Click OPs link) Marketplace is not mentioned on their website, nor is it even mentioned that it's a Droid. If you want a dedicated, ebook reader, check it out.
Roll over. Seriously.
I read up a little more about it. Barnes and Noble plans to open a app store next year.
I have both an Ipad and the NC. Trust me, this device is nice! I went to the
local BN shop in my area to test drive one of the samples they just got in.
I was prepared to really rip this thing. When I started using it I was really impressed. The screen is beautiful and the device seemed really responsive!
local BN shop in my area to test drive one of the samples they just got in.
I was prepared to really rip this thing. When I started using it I was really impressed. The screen is beautiful and the device seemed really responsive!
I have an iPad and a highly advanced 3 1/2 year old that can't keep her hands off my iPad. She is already learning how to read and is getting this Nook Color for Christmas! It should arrive next week. They have a Nook Kid's Corner with "Read to Me" as well as reading books that are GREAT for kids. It's just the right size and much smaller and lighter for her little hands to hold. I don't mind spending that much on something that will be highly educational for her as well as fun! I think this has a great potential to be a very nice gift this Holiday Season and will definately put a dent in iPad sales because of the price. If you are primarily a reader, this is the way to go! For everything else...iPad!
I bought a Nook Color for my wife for Christmas. She loves to read, so that will be her main use. The fact you can checkout books from our local library and read them on the NC really helps out a lot. But she also likes to sit in her chair and browse the web on her iPhone, so she will really like the larger screen that the NC has at half the cost of the iPad.
Ok, I think you guys are missing the point on the Nook Color. So I will try to provide a few more details that may help explain why it IS a competitor to the iPad/iPad2.
For the record I do not have an ipad/ipad2 but I do have an iphone4 and have used an ipad, ipad2, and Nook Color. The ipad2 is a great device, and if I had $500+ available, I would get one. However, I could also get 2 Nook Colors for the same price... one for each of my kids to watch movies on during our next long car trip.
I think we can agree that OOB (Out Of Box) the Nook Color is missing too many significant features to be compared favorably with the ipad (see below for how that can be changed). The exception to this would be for those ipad users that only use the ipad features that are currently available on the Nook Color. If that is all they use it for, they are obviously missing out on a lot of what the ipad can do, but the Nook Color might have been a better option for that sub-group.
To get a better handle on the Nook Color you should also know that it is an Android device and, as a result, there is a VERY vibrant Mod (Modification) community working to update the Nook Color to a fully featured Android device. In fact, you can already run Android Froyo, Gingerbread, and Honeycomb (the same OS that is on the Motorola Xoom) on the Nook Color with full access to the Android Market apps. The NK also has an SD card slot and you can load an entire OS (of your choice) on an SD card that will allow you to boot your NK into a variety of Android OS's, without having to modify the stock OS found on the NK internal memory. You can take out the SD card and reboot and your right back to stock. Technically, this voids the warranty, but it would be near to impossible to prove if the card was not in the slot when you sent it in for warranty work.
So how can a Nook Color be Compared to a ipad? Run a MODified OS instead of the stock OS.
So hear is a list a features that help the Nook Color compare favorably to the iPad/iPad2. Keep in mind that we all know that the ipad2 has cameras (mediocre cameras at best) and MUCH more processing/graphics power. You do get SOMETHING for the extra $250 you spend on the WiFi only Ipad2 16gig.
I'm sure I've missed a few, and there ARE things that ipad does better. I'm just trying to point out that (if you willing to update the software on your device) the Nook Color is a MUCH more competent device than what it would otherwise be running stock B&N software.
So THAT, is why some people are comparing the Nook Color to the Ipad.
For the record, I'm going with the Nook Color, because it's WAY less expensive, and it does everything that I need it to do, and in some cases BETTER than an iPad.
Thoughts?
For the record I do not have an ipad/ipad2 but I do have an iphone4 and have used an ipad, ipad2, and Nook Color. The ipad2 is a great device, and if I had $500+ available, I would get one. However, I could also get 2 Nook Colors for the same price... one for each of my kids to watch movies on during our next long car trip.
I think we can agree that OOB (Out Of Box) the Nook Color is missing too many significant features to be compared favorably with the ipad (see below for how that can be changed). The exception to this would be for those ipad users that only use the ipad features that are currently available on the Nook Color. If that is all they use it for, they are obviously missing out on a lot of what the ipad can do, but the Nook Color might have been a better option for that sub-group.
To get a better handle on the Nook Color you should also know that it is an Android device and, as a result, there is a VERY vibrant Mod (Modification) community working to update the Nook Color to a fully featured Android device. In fact, you can already run Android Froyo, Gingerbread, and Honeycomb (the same OS that is on the Motorola Xoom) on the Nook Color with full access to the Android Market apps. The NK also has an SD card slot and you can load an entire OS (of your choice) on an SD card that will allow you to boot your NK into a variety of Android OS's, without having to modify the stock OS found on the NK internal memory. You can take out the SD card and reboot and your right back to stock. Technically, this voids the warranty, but it would be near to impossible to prove if the card was not in the slot when you sent it in for warranty work.
So how can a Nook Color be Compared to a ipad? Run a MODified OS instead of the stock OS.
So hear is a list a features that help the Nook Color compare favorably to the iPad/iPad2. Keep in mind that we all know that the ipad2 has cameras (mediocre cameras at best) and MUCH more processing/graphics power. You do get SOMETHING for the extra $250 you spend on the WiFi only Ipad2 16gig.
- 8gig internal and Micro SD card support up to 32gig (about $77 for 32gig class 10)
- 1024x600 169ppi 7" screen has 169ppi (better than ipad's 132ppi)
- Modified Nook Color has Bluetooth (keyboard support)
- Modified Nook Color has access to App Store
- Modified Nook Color has access to all Google Apps
- Modified Nook Color can use WiFi or Bluetooth GPS data from other android devices (like an android phone) **GPS Navigation**
- Modified Nook Color has access to Book Store software other than B&N
- Modified Nook Color runs stable up to 1.1ghz (possibly higher)
- Modified Nook Color has access to Adobe Flash
- Modified Nook Color has access to many other web browsers (Chrome, Mozilla, Dolphin)
- Nook Color is Lighter than ipad (better reading experience)
- You can hold Nook Color with one hand more easily (better reading experience)
- Smaller form factor makes it more portable (I'm more likely to take it with me)
[*]Nook Color is only $249
I'm sure I've missed a few, and there ARE things that ipad does better. I'm just trying to point out that (if you willing to update the software on your device) the Nook Color is a MUCH more competent device than what it would otherwise be running stock B&N software.
So THAT, is why some people are comparing the Nook Color to the Ipad.
For the record, I'm going with the Nook Color, because it's WAY less expensive, and it does everything that I need it to do, and in some cases BETTER than an iPad.
Thoughts?