|
|
|
Nook Color Review
Product Summary
It’s a Kindle, it’s an iPad…no, it’s Nook Color! Splitting the difference between an e-ink reader and a tablet was an ambitious move by Barnes and Noble, but they have pulled it off in a way that offers either an e-reader on steroids, or a stripped down tablet, depending on how you want to view it. Though it doesn’t have the broad selection of apps that an iPad or Android tablet has, it does offer web browsing, ability to listen to music, watch videos, and use some games and apps. For only $250 the Nook Color is making Kindle obsolete and might just be a cheap alternative to buying a new tablet.
The Features
So, what is it? What does it do? The truth is that it’s something completely different. The Nook Color has a 7” LED backlit touch screen with 1024 x 600 resolution and weighs just under 1 lb. So it is definitely more of an e-reader in terms of size, but what about in terms of functionality? Where the Nook Color strays from its e-reader brethren, for starters, is in its ability to browse the web via a wifi 802.11 b/g/n network. It isn’t quite a tablet, but it does have one thing the iPad doesn’t—Flash support. It needs improvement, but the Nook Color does support Flash on websites that use it. It also has a Pandora app for listening to music as well as some other apps and games that come pre-loaded. Barnes and Noble released the Nook Color with access to the B&N Nookbook Store, and just recently installed Android 2.2 software and a new B&N app store. The store currently has about 125 apps, but it is growing and will likely support more Android apps in the future. The Nook Color has a clean intuitive interface that allows users to easily find their way around to various functions. Like an iPad or iPhone, the device uses finger gestures to perform different functions, like pinching and stretching the screen to zoom in and out. The screen has a laminate over the glass to reduce glare and the picture is sharp, clear, and bright. The device has speakers in the back that work fine for most things, though users will likely want to use headphones for better sound quality on certain types of audio. The Nook Color supports EPUB, PDF, DOC, and TXT files for reading, and PNG, JPEG, BMP, and GIF for image viewing. It also supports MPEG-4 files for video, and AAC and MP3 for audio. It comes with 8GB of flash memory and a slot that supports microSD and microSDHC memory cards. It can also connect to your computer via its USB port and included USB cable. While connected you can drag and drop any supported files from your computer onto the device. The battery life lasts for 8 hours when reading, but this is reduced significantly when browsing the web or viewing video.
The Design
The Nook Color is definitely thin, but whether or not it can be considered lightweight depends on whether you consider it an e-reader or a tablet. For an e-reader 1 lb is a bit heavy to hold like a book, but it is still lighter than an iPad, which is still the lightest of the tablets. It also has a physical home button that allows users to return to the home interface page at any time without having to navigate their way back via virtual keys. Any way you look at it, the Nook Color is a slick looking device and a pleasure to view.
What Users Say
Those who have already taken a chance on this new type of device say they love the snappy performance, the beautiful display, and the expansion slot. Some say they are annoyed with the short amount of time B&N lends books, and that there are not enough e-magazines. Others also complain that PDFs don’t load as fast as other files. Several complain that the customer service is useless if you have troubles with this device. Most love the design and say they would recommend this device to a friend.
Final Thoughts
It is tough to say what niche the Nook Color is trying to fill in the tablet/ e-reader/ portable computing market, but at $250 B&N are making it very easy for users to take a chance on this new device. For only about $100 more than a Kindle, users get many of the features of a basic tablet, plus all of the features of a Kindle. It’s relatively fast with a crisp, clear picture and allows users to view video, do some light gaming, and the B&N app store is adding new apps all the time. If you are on the fence about whether to buy a tablet or an e-reader, give the new Nook Color a try!