Did I choose poorly, or am I just uninformed???

[TRM63]

Hello all:
This is my 1st post to the community.  I'm a new NOOK TABLET owner.

I wanted something like this… but I wanted to be "different" from my wife who already had a Kindle Fire, so I figured the B&N Nook was the way to go.

I'll quickly add that I haven't taken a LOT of time to explore ALL that it can do etc. etc., **but it sure seems to me that my wife has access to a LOT MORE FREE BOOKS in the Kindle world than I do in the B&N world. I've borrowed e-books from my local library, but that's a clunky process without the ability to renew…. and I have yet to find something close to the Kindle mothership that my wife has access to. She's got JILLIONS of books on her Fire, all of which were FREE. Right now I've got zippo on my Nook. And… I should add…. I'm really not interested in BUYING e-books.

So, I'm wondering... did I choose poorly? If what I wanted was an e-reader device with access to a LOT of freebies, should I have gone Kindle? For that matter, would I just be better off if I figured out how to 'root' my nook & turn it into a generic android tab?

Thoughts????

TRM63

[kamas716]

I'm assuming by "Kindle mothership" you are referring to the "Kindle Owners' Lending Library" through an Amazon Prime account that you pay an annual fee for?  B&N doesn't have anything like that.  And, if you have to pay for Amazon Prime, that doesn't really seem free to me.  But, if you make a lot of purchases or use Prime for other things, it may be worth the investment.

There are plenty of free books for your Nook.  Just type in 0.00 in the search bar and you'll find them.  Also, every week B&N offers up a "free friday" book.  If you scroll down the list of comments you'll find other free offerings as well.

I think the advantage of the Nook is the expandable memory and the ability to sideload books from other vendors (you can shop around if you don't like B&N's price/selection) without needing to download an app or root the device.  But, everyone has different wants/needs from their products.

[TnTexas]

This thread contains the names of several free books -> http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/NOOK-Book-Discussion/Free-NOOKbook-summary-thread-please-no-O...

But my guess is that the Kindle will have more since most of the free books seem to be self-pubbed books and Amazon's self-publishing program seems to be more popular than B&N's. 

[Charmella]

I am a fairly new Nook Tablet owner, and I think that you made a very wise choice, because it is a better product.

It's just that you have to work harder to find FREE NOOK books...not just the $0.00 way!  I subscribe to every possible website that has Free Kindle books dailycheapreads.com, pixelofink.com, freediningdownloads, etc.), then...

(1) I check to see if B&N has matched the book at $0.00...and sometimes they do...or if not...

(2) I purchased an N2A card for my Nook (separate discussion on this site) and I download the Free Kindle books to my Nook...so I actually have the best of both worlds. Hope that little of advice helps.

Sort through the posts on this site, and I'm sure that you can learn quite a bit more...I certainly did.  As I said, you have to work a bit harder than those Kindle folks, because Amazon works a lot harder in that area than does B&N.

[byter67]

Get yourself an AFN card (it’s cheaper than an N2A card) for your Nook Tablet. Have it loaded with Kindle for Android and Nook for Android (Dean at AFN will gladly do this for you if requested). Then go to hundredzeros.com and download free Kindle books to read. Categories are at the right hand side of the web page. Read the books using the Kindle for Android app.

OR

go to the B&N web site and in the Search box type $0 (that’s a zero). Select NOOK Books and Search. You will be taken to Nook freebies. Categories are on the left side of the B&N web page. Read these in native Nook or Nook for Android. They are pretty much the same except native Nook has a built-in dictionary while Nook for Android must have a web connection open to use a selected dictionary (or Wiki, etc.).

Also check out B&N Free Fridays though the weekly selections there are often of limited interest.

[Strayer]

The renewal process is up to the library and has nothing to do with Nook.

[bobstro]

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TRM63 wrote:

[...] I'll quickly add that I haven't taken a LOT of time to explore ALL that it can do etc. etc., **but it sure seems to me that my wife has access to a LOT MORE FREE BOOKS in the Kindle world than I do in the B&N world. [...] If what I wanted was an e-reader device with access to a LOT of freebies, should I have gone Kindle? For that matter, would I just be better off if I figured out how to 'root' my nook & turn it into a generic android tab?

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A lot depends on what sort of free books she's loading. If they're best sellers and the like, she's probaby taking advantage of some of the Amazon programs that you won't have access to. On the other hand, if they're out-of-copyright classics, you can certainly find those, either from B&N, or from a number of sources such as Project Gutenberg. 

Rooting gains you the ability to load other apps, including the Kindle reader. Be aware that the Kindle Android reader won't necessarily give you access to the same books she has access to on her Fire. Rooting, or booting alternate firmware off of uSD will give you a lot of other options that you may enjoy.

[logdog]

I've have over a hundred free books from Free Fridays and free classics.  I also went the N2A route and can download free library books directly to my Nook and can read Kindle books.  Plus, I can access free Kindle apps and shop the Google Store for free apps.  Personally, I think you choose wisely if you just close the deal with a N2A or AFN card.

[bobstro]

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logdog wrote:

[...] Personally, I think you choose wisely if you just close the deal with a N2A or AFN card.

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If you have to add a $20-30 card to make your $200 device work like you want it to, you may have made the wrong choice. You can find a full Android 4 ICS 7 inch tablet with bluetooth, GPS and cameras, and equivalent battery life for $250. While the NOOK screens are a bit better, for reading black text on a white background, it hardly matters. The Samsung is smaller and lighter as well.

[flyingtoastr Scribe]

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bobstro wrote:

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logdog wrote:

[...] Personally, I think you choose wisely if you just close the deal with a N2A or AFN card.

---

If you have to add a $20-30 card to make your $200 device work like you want it to, you may have made the wrong choice. You can find a full Android 4 ICS 7 inch tablet with bluetooth, GPS and cameras, and equivalent battery life for $250. While the NOOK screens are a bit better, for reading black text on a white background, it hardly matters. The Samsung is smaller and lighter as well.

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For reading long periods the screen most definitely matters, especially since the easiest way for a company to shave money on the production of the screen is to forgo anti-glare laminations. Say what you will, but the NT screen is easily one of the top tablet screens out there, and blows away everything else at this price point.

[TRM63]

yeah, I thought about this too....

The point of hmmmmmm, I already paid more than the K. Fire for the tablet... & now I have to buy add-ons in order to make it what I want it to be??
But, I think that's just life. Until I actually got one of these, I really didn't know what I wanted; an e-reader? A novelty game device? A portable web surfer? It's taken me a while to sorta figure out that the thing I'd really like to have is an e-reader device that I can pile up a summer's worth of reading/novels...and as already mentioned, the cheapskate in me certainly prefers the idea of low-cost/no-cost access.

This is also a good place to say THANKS cuz you guys have already helped me out A LOT. I really hadn't known about the AFN cards. This sounds way cool, so I'll probably pick one up. You've also given me some ideas on where all to look for freebie books online. The more of that sort of info I can get, the better.

Thanks again.

TRM63 

[bobstro]

Oh, the NC/NT screen is awesome. You can notice it in color photos and the like. But for b&w or high-contrast reading, I don't see any difference between that screen and the SGT2. The most gorgeous screen in the world doesn't help much if the device doesn't do what you want it to.

[Seabreeze-1]

I think you chose incorrectly, even if the B&N is a better machine, and not just because A has a better "ecosystem."  With two devices from a single manufacturer, you will both have access to anything either of you purchase or borrow from the library or from a friend.  With devices from the two manufacturers, you cannot both have a book you have purchased or borrowed.

[TnTexas]

Seabreeze-1: I think you chose incorrectly, even if the B&N is a better machine, and not just because A has a better "ecosystem."  With two devices from a single manufacturer, you will both have access to anything either of you purchase or borrow from the library or from a friend.  With devices from the two manufacturers, you cannot both have a book you have purchased or borrowed.

Actually this can easily be worked around on both machines. The Tablet can gain access to the Kindle app via an N2A or AFN card, and a setting can be checked on the Fire which will allow you to download the B&N app.

[Seabreeze-1]

As been discussed in this thread, it is true that you can spend more money and implement a workaround.  And you can end up with libraries that are not as nicely integrated as if purchased for a single platform.  But I am not sure that I see much benefit to such solutions for people who are primarily readers, and who maybe play with a few apps.

[orb9220]

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Seabreeze-1 wrote:

As been discussed in this thread, it is true that you can spend more money and implement a workaround.  And you can end up with libraries that are not as nicely integrated as if purchased for a single platform.  But I am not sure that I see much benefit to such solutions for people who are primarily readers, and who maybe play with a few apps.

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Well simple from just a reading aspect. Kindle app means more books to choose from and saving monies also. As some B&N titles may be $3-$4 more for exact title on amazon. Having more options and titles is always a good thing.

Also using a better e-reading app then the default B&N. With Aldiko have much more control over how the book is presented and more options to reading it my way. More fonts and fine-tune adjustments.

Also able to download and use library books without the need of going thru the PC first. More capable web browsing with Dolphin HD browser saving me time and frustration. Better and less clunky email clients. More options for pdf readers,note taking,highlighting,etc... All an improvement over the B&N defaults. And all about the ereading experience.

Tho do have Trimet Bus shedules and google streets and local news,weather apps which sure comes in handy.

.

[Scott-Michael]

TRM63: but it sure seems to me that my wife has access to a LOT MORE FREE BOOKS in the Kindle world than I do in the B&N world.

I don't think its that Barnes & Noble has less free books. As an owner of a small website hosting & development company, I can honestly say that the Barnes & Noble website is poorly designed and is void of the "total web browsing experience."

One of the features I like most about the Amazon.com Kindle Books section is that it clearly displays the Top 100 Free & Paid titles. It is also much easier to search and sort titles but ever since Amazon added its advertising system, it has become slow. BN.com is cluttered, clumsy, painfully slow and disorienting.

You can increase your book count using sites like Smashwords. And, if you feel like taking chances, get the Kindle DRM removal tool [not for the faint of heart] and download all the free books at Amazon you store on your tablet.

TRM63: She's got JILLIONS of books on her Fire, all of which were FREE. Right now I've got zippo on my Nook. And… I should add…. I'm really not interested in BUYING e-books.

I have had my [Free] Nook Tablet since January and have over 300 free titles. I won't pay the ridiculous eBook prices either. I tend to use Smashwords a lot.

TRM63: So, I'm wondering... did I choose poorly? If what I wanted was an e-reader device with access to a LOT of freebies, should I have gone Kindle? For that matter, would I just be better off if I figured out how to 'root' my nook & turn it into a generic android tab?

The Nook Tablet could have some better features, such as the avail of descriptions and recommendations/reviews for sideloaded books, and wish BN.com sold a freaking battery for it, but all-in-all I am happy with it.

[Omnigeek]

I would go with uninformed in this matter.  There are plenty of places to get hundreds of free books in EPUB format.  I've got around 900 free books outside B&N and around 100 or so from B&N.  Personally, I like the fact that I have choices in grabbing free material rather than having company A datamine my downloads -- not to mention they can't retroactively delete something from my library.  Not only does the NT have a better display and memory option(s), the user interface is much much better than on the Smoke.

Having said that, you need to look at what you want to do with said device.  If you're already in the A Prime ecosystem then you're probably better off staying inside it -- if not, the additional $80/yr should be a factor in your decision.  If you want a genuine Android tablet with all that entails (hardware buttons, camera, GPS, etc.) then neither the NT nor the Smoke will meet your needs, rooted or not.  Look at the Google Nexus 7 if that's what you want.

All in all, the NT fits my needs almost exactly (I use my Android phone for quick and dirty access and GPS applications, my MacBook Pro for more intensive computing and one of my digital cameras when I want to take pictures) and I can get plenty of extra life for it using my Zagg Sparq.  Your needs (and mileage) will most likely vary.

[murzma]

Hi you can have the best of both worlds with the Nook.  If you check on the Barnes and Noble website and write N2A in the search you will find a card that can be purchases that allows you to go back and forth between the Nook and Android; this will open up options to check out books, music etc

Good luck

[PJLLB]

You can also check out other companies like androidfornook.com or others. Because the NT has that SD slot you can boot to either Android or Nook by either purchasing a pre-loaded card or build one yourself using a dowload. The Kindle does not have that option.