Nook Color

See also Barnes & Noble Nook.

Barnes & Noble Nook Color

Manufacturer	Barnes & Noble
Release date	26 October 2010 (Wi-Fi-only)
Introductory price	US$249 (Nook Color WiFi)
Operating system	Custom Android 2.2
CPU	800 Mhz ARM Cortex-A8-based TI OMAP3621[1]
Storage capacity	8GB internal storage, MicroSD expansion up to 32GB
Memory	512MB
Display	7-inch 1024 x 600 px WSVGA IPS LCD at 170 ppi
Graphics	PowerVR SGX 530
Input	Capacitive multitouch screen with side Volume, Nook Home, and Power buttons.
Connectivity	Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) USB
Dimensions	8.1 in (210 mm) (h) 5.0 in (130 mm) (w) 0.48 in (12 mm) (d)
Weight	15.8 oz (450 g)
Website	Official website

The Nook Color is a color version of the Nook e-reader device by Barnes & Noble. It is a 7-inch tablet with full-color multitouch touchscreen input.^[2] The device is designed for full-color viewing of books, newspapers, magazines, and children's picture books. A limited number of the children's books available for the Nook Color include interactive animations and the option to have a professional voice actor read the story. It was announced on 26 October 2010 and shipped on 16 November 2010.^[3]

Design

Designed by Yves Behar from fuseproject, NOOKcolor is elegantly simple in classic graphite features an angled lower corner that evokes a turned page, along with a beaded border and a soft-touch back that makes holding NOOKcolor comfortable.^[4]

Features

The Nook Color has a 7-inch 1024x600 resolution multi-touch touchscreen LCD display, as opposed to the original Nook's 3.5-inch secondary touchscreen. It does not feature an e-ink display, making it a tablet computer as well as an e-reader. It has a customizable display with color options, six font sizes, and internet browsing over Wi-Fi, as well as a built-in media player that supports audio and video. The Nook Color allows for the installation of applications approved by Barnes and Noble, with the company planning to provide tools for third-party software developers^[5] and an app store.^[6] Applications pre-loaded on the Nook Color include Chess, Sudoku, crossword puzzles, Pandora Radio, and a media gallery for viewing pictures and video.

As with the previous Nook, the Nook Color provides a "LendMe" feature allowing users to share some books with other people depending upon licensing by the book's publisher. The purchaser is permitted to share a book once with one other user for up to two weeks. The other users may view the borrowed book using a Nook, Nook Color, or Barnes & Noble's free reader software on an iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, BlackBerry, or any other device running Windows, Mac OS X, or Android.

The Nook Color uses a Texas Instruments ARM Cortex-A8 processor running at 800 MHz.^[1] The device has 8 GB of internal memory supplied by Sandisk, but only 5GB is user-accessible and can store an estimated 6,000 books or 100 hours of audio. As with the original Nook, microSD and microSDHC memory cards can be inserted to expand the Nook Color's memory up to 32 GB. Unlike the previous Nook, the Nook Color's rechargeable battery is not user-replaceable and is expected to last for 8 hours of continuous use with the wireless turned off. The device includes a built-in speaker and a universal 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack. Supported file formats include EPUB (DRM and non-DRM), PDF, Microsoft Office formats (DOC, DOCX, XLS, PPT, etc.), TXT, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, MP3, AAC, and MP4.^[7]

A firmware update released 25 April 2011 added an app store, email client, Flash support within the web browser, social networking tools, video and audio embedded within books, and performance improvements.^[8]

It also has been discovered that the device has hidden Bluetooth connectivity capabilities within its wireless chipset, only available after rooting, and/or flashing your device to the CyanogenMod 7 version of android for this device.

Reception

Since launch, Nook Color received generally positive reviews with PC Magazine declaring "Nook Color makes a perfectly amiable reading companion if you want to see your books in full color",^[9] while Engadget says "if you're a hardcore reader with an appetite that extends beyond books to magazines and newspapers, the Color is the first viable option we've seen that can support your habit".^[10]

In late March 2011, it was reported that the Nook Color had sold close to 3 million units since its launch.^[11]

Use as an Android tablet

As an Android device, the Nook Color can be modified to run most Android applications.

One common method that unlocks this functionality is rooting, which grants users root access to the Nook Color's file system. Doing so voids the device's warranty,^[12] though it can often be reverted to (non-rooted) factory defaults for warranty claims.^[13]

The second approach to unlocking full Android tablet capabilities is by booting a developer's custom version of Android 2.2 (Froyo) from a microSD card.^[14] This method does not require rooting.^[15] The Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) SDK has also been ported to the device, but because Google has not released the complete Honeycomb source code, the port is fairly incomplete. It is rumored that Ice Cream Sandwich, the next release of AndroidOS, will be ported to the Nook Color.^[16] See also Nook Tablet

USB port

The original Nook utilized a standard Micro USB connection for both battery charging and PC connectivity. The Nook Color uses a modified connector with two depths. The first depth is compatible with Micro USB (5-conductor), while the second depth has 12 conductors. This change was made to increase the amount of power available to charge the larger battery of the Nook Color when using the included cable at 1.9 amps as opposed to the 0.5 amp limit of standard USB connections.

Because of this, the USB cable included with the Nook Color is physically incompatible with other devices employing standard micro-usb connectors. However, the Nook Color itself is physically compatible with standard micro-usb cords and will still charge at a slower rate on such cords.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Donald Melanson (28 October 2010). "Nook Color processor revealed: ARM Cortex A8-based TI OMAP3621". Engadget. AOL. http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/28/nook-color-processor-revealed-arm-cortex-a8-based-ti-omap3621/. Retrieved 9 Jan 2011. 
2. ^ Ross Miller (26 October 2010). "Nook Color first hands-on! (updated: with video)". Engadget. AOL. http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/26/nook-color-first-hands-on/. Retrieved 9 Jan 2011. 
3. ^ Chris Davies (16 November 2010). "B&N NOOK Color on sale now; new firmware for original NOOK next week". SlashGear. R3 Media LLC. http://www.slashgear.com/b-new-firmware-for-original-nook-next-week-16114369/. Retrieved 9 Jan 2011. 
4. ^ http://www.robaid.com/gadgets/nookcolor-is-a-logical-step-for-new-e-readers.htm
5. ^ "NOOKdeveloper". Barnes & Noble. http://nookdeveloper.barnesandnoble.com/?cm_mmc=Redirect-_-NOOKdeveloper-_-Books-_-Nook%20Color. Retrieved 9 Jan 2011. 
6. ^ Nick Gray (14 December 2010). "Official Froyo update for Nook Color will enable tablet features and app store". Android and Me. http://androidandme.com/2010/12/ereader/official-froyo-update-for-nook-color-will-enable-tablet-features-and-app-store/. Retrieved 9 Jan 2011. 
7. ^ "NOOKcolor - Technical Specs". Barnes & Noble. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nookcolor/features/techspecs/index.asp?cds2Pid=35607. Retrieved 9 Jan 2011. 
8. ^ "NOOK Color - What's New". Barnes & Noble. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/nookcolor-whats-new/379002753. Retrieved 25 April 2011. 
9. ^ Dan Costa and David Pierce. "Barnes & Noble Nook Color". PC Magazine. November 16, 2010
10. ^ Topolsky, Joshua. "Nook Color review". Engadget. November 16, 2010
11. ^ "Barnes & Noble already takes delivery of 3 million Nook Color e-book readers, say sources". http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20110328PD203.html. Retrieved 29 Mar 2011. 
12. ^ timothy (1 December 2010). "Nook Color Rooted — Will B&N Embrace the Tablet?". Slashdot. Geeknet. http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/10/12/01/0532257/Nook-Color-Rooted-mdash-Will-BampN-Embrace-the-Tablet. Retrieved 9 Jan 2011. 
13. ^ "Rooting your NOOKcolor". http://forum.androidcentral.com/barnes-noble-nook-color/54069-guide-rooting-your-nookcolor.html. 
14. ^ "NookColor: Nookie Froyo". http://nookdevs.com/NookColor:_Nookie_Froyo. 
15. ^ "Nookie Froyo - the NC's first custom ROM". http://forum.androidcentral.com/barnes-noble-nook-color/54046-nookie-froyo-ncs-first-custom-rom.html. 
16. ^ "Ice Cream Sandwich Development?". XDA Forums. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1134888. 

External links

• Official website
• Official NOOK Developer Program Site
• Nook Internet Magazine
• Nook Owner Community Site
• Nook Review