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Is NOOK Color the First Real iPad Alternative?

Posted by on Apr 25, 2011 | 21 Comments

Owners of Barnes & Noble’s NOOK Color Reader already have one of the best reading gadgets on the market, with access to over 2 million books, 150 interactive magazines and newspapers, and more than 12,000 children’s chapter and picture books. With a recent upgrade, NOOK Color owners may have one of the best tablets on the market, thanks to Barnes & Noble upgrading the NOOK Color to Android OS 2.2/Froyo. This upgrade includes a number of popular Android apps, email support, an enhanced Web experience, and new rich content for adults and children. The cost of the NOOK Color is staying the same at just $249, which makes it an affordable alternative to the iPad.

The NOOK Color upgrade is a response to what Barnes & Noble customers wanted: access to popular apps on the reader, built-in email, and an interactive experience. Once existing users upgrade, they can play many of the games popular on other Android devices, including Angry Birds and Uno, as well as stream music from Pandora. NOOK Color users can also check email on their NOOK Color using Nook Email; the device supports many popular email services including Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, and Hotmail. One of the best new features with this upgrade is the ability to go social with the NOOK Color. With the NOOK Friends app you can swap books with friends, get recommendations, and view friends’ reviews using social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. (While there is no Facebook app yet, NOOK Color users can access Facebook Mobile using the NOOK Color’s Web browser.)

is the nook color the best tablet on the market

It’s important to note that the NOOK Color’s upgrade to Android does not make it a full-blown Android tablet. Google’s Android App Market is missing, though you can download apps from the Shop on NOOK Color, which contains complementary apps, including calendar and note apps, alongside books, magazines, and other content. The Shop also features 125 favorite NOOK apps from leading third-party developers and content providers in categories including Play, Organize, Learn, Explore, Lifestyle, News, and Kids. While some features and functionality of familiar Android tablets may be lacking in the upgraded NOOK Color, these features may just turn the NOOK Color into the epitome of a casual use tablet. If you don’t need to do a lot of heavy lifting with a tablet (and by that, I mean “work”), then this just might be the perfect tablet for everyday (or really, every evening) use at a very reasonable and appropriate cost.

If you have a NOOK Color, you can  upgrade immediately by downloading at www.nookcolor.com/update. A free over-the-air (OTA) update will begin rolling out to customers via Wi-Fi over the next few weeks.

  • http://mabertech.net Liam Green

    Yeah could be. But most people go for what they have seen on tv and what every on is on about and the “hype”.

    • http://chris.pirillo.com/ Chris Pirillo

      I’d estimate that the iPad is the only tablet PC that has lived up to its hype.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000004151461 Liam James Green

    Yeah could be. But most people go for what they have seen on tv and what every on is on about and the “hype”.

    • http://chris.pirillo.com/ Chris Pirillo

      I’d estimate that the iPad is the only tablet PC that has lived up to its hype.

  • http://twitter.com/PaulMrThe sehr glücklich

    “Is NOOK Color the First Real iPad Alternative?” tsk shut uP

    • http://chris.pirillo.com/ Chris Pirillo

      You disagree? Why?

  • http://twitter.com/PaulMrThe Paul J Mushabe

    “Is NOOK Color the First Real iPad Alternative?” tsk shut uP

    • http://chris.pirillo.com/ Chris Pirillo

      You disagree? Why?

  • http://thenicholas.tumblr.com/ thenicholas

    Hey, for half the price of an iPad, this could be the next android: Everyone can afford one, but it still doesn’t match Apple’s standard bearing device.

    • http://chris.pirillo.com/ Chris Pirillo

      I’m still waiting for Amazon to crush the Android landscape with their own Android-driven device – the next Kindle?

  • http://thenicholas.tumblr.com/ thenicholas

    Hey, for half the price of an iPad, this could be the next android: Everyone can afford one, but it still doesn’t match Apple’s standard bearing device.

    • http://chris.pirillo.com/ Chris Pirillo

      I’m still waiting for Amazon to crush the Android landscape with their own Android-driven device – the next Kindle?

  • Patrick “Debaser” Breeden

    I did Kindle support for Amazon, and I really don’t have much faith in the device. It has been known to have constant screen freezes, connection issues abound, and several other problems that should have been addressed by now. On top of that, we were – at first – told not to conclude that the Kindle leather covers were the reason Kindles were freezing. After a major publication picked up on the issue(the NY Times I believe?) that tune changed.

    The moral of my story is that the Nook seems to be the superior device in every way possible. I’d definitely want to buy it before bothering with a Kindle.

    • http://chris.pirillo.com/ Chris Pirillo

      The only reason I have a Kindle today is because I won it in a contest. ;)

  • Patrick “Debaser” Breeden

    I did Kindle support for Amazon, and I really don’t have much faith in the device. It has been known to have constant screen freezes, connection issues abound, and several other problems that should have been addressed by now. On top of that, we were – at first – told not to conclude that the Kindle leather covers were the reason Kindles were freezing. After a major publication picked up on the issue(the NY Times I believe?) that tune changed.

    The moral of my story is that the Nook seems to be the superior device in every way possible. I’d definitely want to buy it before bothering with a Kindle.

    • http://chris.pirillo.com/ Chris Pirillo

      The only reason I have a Kindle today is because I won it in a contest. ;)

  • MikeyB

    I have a Nook Color and love it. Don’t want or need anything else.

  • MikeyB

    I have a Nook Color and love it. Don’t want or need anything else.

  • Scott

    I have had the Nook Color (NC) for nearly 3 months now. I actually have 3 of them, one for each family member. Two are rooted with autonooter, so I can’t get the B&N update to install. That means I’m missing out on the Flash experience, but the rest of it is great. I did get the B&N update installed on one that is not rooted, and it really become a nice “stock” tablet with the update. Flash works like it should, and the extra apps are great. I just wish they would go ahead and “unlock” the device completely so the Android Market would be available without having to jump through hoops. As soon as autonooter is updated to include the B&N 1.2 update, I’ll update the other 2 NC tablets and really enjoy what they can do.

    By the way, the OTA update actually started April 23 in some spots.

  • 321bang

    I bought a honeycomb rooted Nook Color. It has issues. Some apps don’t work on it. I’m thinking about loading Froyo 2.2 on it.

  • 321bang

    I bought a honeycomb rooted Nook Color. It has issues. Some apps don’t work on it. I’m thinking about loading Froyo 2.2 on it.