Barnes & Noble NOOKcolor Review
Since the announcement of Barnes & Noble NOOKcolor release there have been a lot of discussions on the Internet about the category this device should belong to. Is it a Color eReader or an Android Tablet? Let’s see a NOOKcolor review to try to find it out.
Barnes & Noble NOOKcolor is an eBook-reading device with a 7’’ touch IPS display of a 1024x600 resolution. The device is operated by Google Android, has a web-browser and can, at least in theory, work with third party applications, which makes it one of the cheapest Android tablets available in the US ($249).
Technical Details
- Android 2.0 operating system
- 7-inch LCD capacitive touchscreen, 1024 x 600 at 169 PPI
- 8GB internal memory; microSD card slot for cards up to 32GB
- Web browser, email
- Pandora internet radio
- Barnes & Noble's LendMe feature with Lend ebooks
- Audio formats: AAC and MP3; 3.5mm headphone jack; speaker built-in
- Video Player format: MP4
- Image formats: JPG, BMP, PNG, GIF
- Supports ePub and PDF formats, both non and Adobe DRM
- Quickoffice Software for viewing Microsoft Office files: .txt,.docm, .xlsm, .ppsx, .ppsm, .doc, .ppt, .pps, .pptx, .docx, .xlx,.xls
- Games: Chess, Sudoku, Crossword Puzzles, etc..
- ARM Cortex A8 processor
- WiFi
- Dimensions: 8.1 inches x 5 inches x 0.48 inches
- Weight: 449 grams(15.8 ounces )
- Battery: approx. 8 hours
| 6" Kindle |
NOOKcolor | Apple iPad |
At a price of $249 NOOKcolor has a very bright and colorful display and a higher pixel density than Apple iPad, as well as similar viewing angles. On the other hand, the display has an illumination which will consume more energy and will discharge the battery faster than an E-Ink display. The NOOKcolor display is contrast enough which makes it comfortable to read but, unfortunately, glares are still present.
NOOKcolor is much more difficult to use in direct sunlight than the old NOOK or Amazon Kindle. On the other hand, you can now read in bed without switching on the lamp.
The reader is quite comfortable and not very heavy. I really appreciated the rubberized back panel thanks to which the device is not slippery.
The menu is user-friendly, especially for those who have already used NOOK. Some of the functions are very similar to the usual Android, for example the lock release. The library is similar to that of Aldiko Reader with shelves, also allowing you to create your own shelf. Another convenient function is the list of the latest books in the corner of the display.
NOOKcolor is connected to the Barnes & Noble Nook bookshop where you can download paid and free books. You can keep up to 6000 books in the embedded memory or use an SD-card for extension. Unlike E-Ink devices, NOOKcolor also supports video files.
At the moment there aren’t many third party applications for NOOKcolor but next year Barnes & Noble are planning to open their own app store. Barnes & Noble NOOKcolor also has the Internet radio Pandora and several games, such as the chess, Sudoku and crossword puzzles.
All in all, NOOKcolor exceeded my expectations.
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