dumbed down nook root?

[T_MB]

I have been reading a lot about rooting the device and I have some questions I cannot find answers for.

I am not really interested in web-browsing, checking e-mail, or running games. The only reason I would root the device is to get access to a decent PDF viewing and something that reads word docs. I don't even necessarily want/need to be able to download apps directly on to the device. I would be happy to just download the 1 or 2 apps I want on my PC and then just drop them in the nook directory when I have it connected.

Questions is can/how do I do this?  Can I just install the e-reader easy root and then just not connect with youtube/gmail?

[Byteguy]

If you have to scroll or zoom, PDF viewing is really going to be painful.  The e-ink display is VERY slow to update when compared with a computer screen.  You see that when you're paging through the list of books already.

You may be going to a lot of trouble and voiding your warranty for something that is not going to make you happy and is going to eat your battery in a shockingly short time.

I do a lot of work over VPN where screen-paints are slowed by networks.  Trust me, it sucks.

[MacMcK1957]

Zooming is just not something that e-ink is really designed to do. The ease of spreading the fingers on an iPad or tablet, and seeing the smooth expansion of picture or text, really can't be matched on e-ink. Instead you'd get zoom a bit - redisplay screen - zoom some more - redisplay screen. Not really a great experience. If that is a functionality you really need, the NST really isn't the device you want.

[T_MB]

Thanks.  Confirmed my gut that this would be a high risk/low return proposition.

[bobstro]

There's work being done over at XDA on both multitouch and scrolling issues. By shifting to b&w mode for the drag & drop or scrolling duration, things are fairly smooth. I still wouldn't consider it a luxury experience, but PDF reading is improving on the NST.