Android Honeycomb Tablet OS is official. This does not suck! (1 Viewer)

[ManW_TheUncool]

After doing a little bit of digging, I'm actually starting to consider getting a Nook for the family instead of any of the Android tablets from Samsung, Moto, et al. or the iPad. It actually sounds surprisingly good for a $250 tablet, especially if one decides to root it and maybe install one of the more recent flavors of Android (like v2.3 Gingerbread or maybe eventually Honeycomb) ported to work fairly well on it. The core hardware is comparable to what's found on smartphones like the Droid X (sans the cellular and GPS stuff), and the cpu can apparently be overclocked pretty well to somewhere near/around 1Ghz (from its original/default 800Mhz).


FWIW, here's a preview of some Honeycomb port running on the Nook (w/ the cpu running at 1Ghz):


http://www.besttabletpcsreviews.com/nook-color-android-3-0-tablet.html


Not sure it'd ever run Honeycomb all that well since the cpu isn't dual core, but at this point, I probably wouldn't care about that for a $250 tablet -- if it eventually runs well on it, then that's just icing on the cake.


Even w/out rooting it, B&N has apparently recently updated and opened up the Nook a little w/ an Android 2.2 (Froyo) update (http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/nook/13591-news-nook-color-1-2-update-released.html) and now allows use of certain popular Android apps like Angry Birds and Quick Office (and offers their own app store for that now) and put some sort of email client and web browser (w/ Flash support) on it -- no idea if the latter are actually just rebranded(?) versions of Google's software. It basically seems to come fairly close to what most of the recent (non-Honeycomb) Android clone tablets offer in terms of included Android software and should probably be able to run many of the better apps out there (either now or soon, especially if the Nook continues to take off). And it offers what seems to be pretty nice e-reader specific software and services as well (though I'm guessing you can't run those properly on other flavors of rooted Android OSes).


Still, it seems that you'd at least want to root it minimally to do certain things like disable/remove one of the smartphone-oriented, battery-draining Android services that isn't needed, but somehow got left installed and running on it:


http://www.inspiredgeek.com/2011/03/22/how-to-dramatically-improve-nook-color-battery-life-by-disabling-android-cell-standby-service-tip/


And apparently, one of the nice things about the Nook vs other comparably priced clones is that it uses a quality IPS panel for display that most of them do not -- sounds like maybe even the Xoom's display is not IPS though I'm not too sure. FWIW, the iPad uses an IPS display.


Yeah, it lacks the camera (and mic) stuff, so no built-in videophone capability, but that's minor enough -- and I don't care about using a tablet for actual photos/videos. And you'll probably want to use headphones more often w/ it. Battery life will probably be shorter than iPad (and some of the better Anroid tablets) even after getting rid of the smartphone-oriented standby service, but it's probably no worse than anything else in this price range.


Anyway, this seems like a nice way to go for an affordable, family-oriented Android tablet -- or for those who want to root it and mess around as can be seen in the Android Tablets Forum... Certainly worth considering at this point. Need to go check one out in person...


http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/android-tablet-news/13415-rumor-amazon-debut-samsung-built-android-tablet-summer.html


_Man_

 

[Sam Posten]

The Nook does seem to be pretty interesting.

 

[nolesrule]

Thanks for posting this Man. I'd been thinking about getting an e-reader and this really makes things interesting.

 

[Sam Posten]

A very in depth review from someone with a lot of Android an iPad experience:

http://carpeaqua.com/2011/05/09/from-ipad-to-xoom/


And not a single word about the maps app =p

 

[DaveF]

Because the iPad can't do the current form of Browser-based Windows Remote Desktop -- and I've tried -- I'm ready to recommend an Android tablet for my dad. I'm just waiting for one that's worth recommending.

 

[Sam Posten]

I think you really need to try that out PERSONALLY before you blow $600 trying to make it work.


I think there's a reason it's not going to work well on an iPad for you, and that might also translate to the same problem on Android tablets: It's a bad idea from the start. It isn't going to translate well, it's not going to be effective, and it's not going to feel worthwhile from a user perspective.


But that's just me.

 

[DaveF]

I've tested it on the iPad and conferred with MattCR: the form of RDP my dad's office uses does not work on the iPad. (It's a web-browser interface that even Microsoft's own desktop RDP program is incompatible with.) In contrast, he can use it on his Android phone. I need to test to verify, but I'm confident it will work on an Android tablet.

 

[mattCR]

Originally Posted by Sam Posten

I think you really need to try that out PERSONALLY before you blow $600 trying to make it work.


I think there's a reason it's not going to work well on an iPad for you, and that might also translate to the same problem on Android tablets: It's a bad idea from the start. It isn't going to translate well, it's not going to be effective, and it's not going to feel worthwhile from a user perspective.


But that's just me.

Remote desktop is one of the cooler applications for iPad. I have several clients who live and die by it; their ability to quickly grab hold of their remote desktop, pull up their EDI software and check orders is pretty slick. It's the reason why their are numerous RDP apps available all over the iTunes store.


So they work great.


The only issue is that some offices put up a remote authentication gateway.. a lot of them there are apps on ipad that support - but some of them are more secure. Once you get through them, you have a standard remote desktop experience.

 

[DaveF]

If I could get RDP working with my dads office, he'd buy an iPad yesterday. So far, after many attempts, it's beyond my knowledge and I've given up. Need to go try it on a Xoom next I visit.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Today, I got an extremely pleasant surprise "nudge" to decide sooner rather than later on whether to go w/ the Nook Color. Had been chatting on-and-off w/ a coworker friend about tablets and such, including my recent new interest in the NC, and he decided to surprise me w/ one as his token of appreciation for my bits of help over the years as well as the very gradually developed friendship we now have. He told me he figured I just might never actually pull the trigger on this or the iPad or some other tablet (at the rate I was going), so decided this would make a perfect present from him to me. I was so surprised and utterly flattered and hardly knew how to accept it gracefully (especially as that's something I really had to learn in my adult life). He even threw in Staple's way-overpriced EW (and a nice case) to go w/ it -- and you gotta know what I think of such EWs even though I should never look a gift horse in the mouth...


_Man_

 

[DaveF]

That's pretty exciting! If you keep the Nook, let us know how it works as a tablet!

 

[Sam Posten]

Congrats! I'd keep the EW. You never know.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Thanks for sharing in a bit of the excitement. Been too busy w/ other stuff to get into it over the weekend though, so still kinda debating for now. And unfortunately, looks like I can't actually unpack the NC to check it out, if I want to return it to Staple's (w/in their 14-day return window). I wonder if getting it directly from B&N instead would yield a better, more generous return policy (for a good at-home trial).



RE: the EW, would you really go for an $80(?!) 2-year EW for *any* $250 device? Seems to me the device would have to be too crappy to bother if I feel the 2-year EW's actually worth such an outrageous %-age of the price of the device itself. The NC already comes w/ its own 1-year warranty, and I can probably double that w/ my credit card, if I (re)buy it myself -- granted, I'd probably get better customer service on the EW from Staple's, but that's the kind of service I really shouldn't expect to need (nor pay such a high rate for) though. Besides, I'd probably end up voiding the EW anyway since I'll probably root it (at least at some minimal level, if not to go all out and install some other non-B&N Android ROM instead).


Only time I recall buying an EW is for my old Panny CRT RPTV (from BB), and in that case, I was aware of seemingly common enough, potential issues to feel justified in spending ~15% of the RPTV's price on a 4-year EW -- and sure enough, I basically got what I paid for w/ the one out-of-original-warranty, in-home repair (that was quite common for those RPTVs). AFAIK, that 8-yo RPTV is still quite serviceable (since that repair) and making someone else in my extended family fairly happy since I replaced it w/ a Samsung DLP RPTV a couple years ago.


Well, I guess I did sorta buy an EW for our certified, preowned Toyota Sienna -- I paid the modest extra cost to have it be "certified, preowned" by the Toyota dealership in order to qualify for the EW-like benefits and also help ensure I wouldn't be getting a lemon, but the extra cost was indeed quite modest as a %-age of the minivan's purchase price (at something like ~4.5%) and very worthwhile especially since I'm not a DIY guy when it comes to cars...


_Man_

 

[Sam Posten]

Probably not me personally, but if it's already purchased for me I wouldn't return it for cash and keep the item.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Originally Posted by Sam Posten
Probably not me personally, but if it's already purchased for me I wouldn't return it for cash and keep the item.

Yeah, I don't really intend to return anything for cash (to pocket myself) per se. If I return anything, it'll definitely be to do something in line w/ the spirit of the gift itself. I was actually thinking I'd just take him out for a nice lunch somewhere or something (and maybe go see Thor on the big screen w/ him) w/ the EW refund, if that's all I'm returning -- actually, I'll probably do that anyway even if I decide to return the NC to partially pay for an iPad instead.


_Man_

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Hehheh... Both my coworker friend and I read about the earlier Amazon rumors, but it's starting to sound like we might get serious gifting remorse if I stick w/ the NC at this point. Still, the NC does seem like it'll be a more family-with-kids-friendly reader/tablet so far. Maybe I should just keep the NC (primarily) for the kids and anticipate adding an eventual Amazon tablet, if that turns out to be a homerun, especially if the NC and Amazon can share the same ecosystem (more or less)...


_Man_

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Decided to just keep the NC and give it to my wife instead -- she'll probably let the kids play w/ it some as well -- but we've also decided to hold off on getting her a smartphone for now since she now unexpectedly has the NC, which she liked a lot after playing w/ it some at the local B&N. That way we can see how the smartphone battles play out while also waiting and seeing how the broader tablet market battles shape up as Amazon, et al join the fray.


Since this will go to my wife, I'll probably only minimally root it and keep B&N's v1.2 (Android 2.2, Froyo-based) software on it. I'll see if I can overclock it from 800Mhz to 1Ghz, install Amazon and Google Marketplace, etc. w/out ditching B&N's software...


Updating the software from preinstalled v1.1 (Android 2.1, Eclair-based) to v1.2 as I write this. Looks very nice so far though could definitely be snappier -- hopefully, the updated software plus maybe the overclocking will make substantial diffs...


_Man_

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Trying this w/ the NC's built-in browser. Only seems to work (very slowly) in source editing mode.

 

[Ted Todorov]

Keep in mind that if you root your device, punishment awaits from Google -- no movie watching for you: http://www.androidcentral.com/google-movies-blocked-rooted-devices


Even Apple never stopped jailbroken iOS devices from viewing iTunes TV/Movies etc.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Eh... Sounds like they're only blocking use of their new rental service, and we weren't looking to rent anything to watch on these devices anyway. My wife actually isn't interested in putting any movies on her NC at all -- and if I were to put anything on there, it'd be something we already own.


And actually, sounds like what they're doing can probably be easily circumvented anyway, especially considering they're trying to block users that root their devices, not just your average Joe. If you're gonna root your device, you're most likely not gonna be stopped for long w/ what they're trying to do.


BTW, that link doesn't work for me...


_Man_