warriormom Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I am getting an e-reader for my birthday next month. I have a few questions: 1. I am leaning toward buying the Nook (although the Nook Color is really cool). Any disadvantages to buying the Nook? Speak now or forever hold your peace :tongue_smilie: 2. Any favorite vintage/classic books that you use for homeschooling? 3. Do you have your child use your e-reader? 4. Do you download books like OPGTR on your e-reader? Why or why not? 5. Will I regret not getting a Nook Color? If you have one, what do you think of the apps? They do not seem as impressive as Apple :( 6. Any other advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemongoose Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 1. The e-ink is better with the Kindle. The kindle is also lighter. Kindle will be coming out with the library feature that the nook has, so that sealed the deal for me! I like the kindles feel more than the nook, my only real reason for wanting a nook was the library lending. 2. I am using the kindle to read the classics myself. As the children get older, I will likely allow them to read on it for school, or get one for them if I dont want to share!:tongue_smilie: 3. No, they are too little. 4. I have not yet because I am enjoying the free classics right now. I am thinking about getting the WTM kindle edition though! 5. I wouldnt want a nook color because they are back-lit not e-ink, so they are not as good for your eyes. This matters for me when it comes to a dedicated e-reader device. 6. Go handle both the kindle and the nook for yourself. Some people really prefer the feel of one over the other, you wont know which that is unless you try them yourself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzq Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I just bought a Nook Color a few days ago. I am enjoying it so far. I wanted the color and to be able to check e-mail and facebook on it. I also wanted to be able to download from our library. I asked the lady at the store how long I could try it in case it didn't do what I wanted and she said 2 weeks. We only have dial up at home so the wi fi does not work at home. I have had some very frustrating moments since acquiring my new toy. I took it to the library and tried to look at the different apps. I also wanted to look at some of the free books and try downloading them. Well I would get about 10 minutes into looking and then it just quit on me. I didn't know if it was the internet service or the Nook. But today I went back to the library and figured out that I could do everything else ( surf the net, get e-mail, read facebook,) except for downloading too many free books. One or two and it gets stuck but I just leave that area and go somewhere else. I also had trouble shopping at Barnes and Noble which I think is hilarious since that is their goal. Anyway I think I am going to ask about it at the store next week. As far as the apps. I have only downloaded free ones. There are not that many that are appealing. They have a few games and I don't really care about those. I would like to get Epicurious for recipes but I don't want to buy any until I know I am keeping the nook. So I have the Calendar which is basic and will NOT sync with your Outlook calendar unless you buy some software for your computer which costs $40. Ouch! I also got Pulse -- this is a news feed type thing. But what I like about it is I can refresh all the news at the library and still read the articles when I am offline at home. I was able to add my google reader and choose some of the blogs I follow and I can read those at home too. I am tickled about doing that. Of course the pictures don't show up at home but the words do. I can also get my facebook updates and read those at home too. Another app that looks interesting is the office one. It costs $8 but then you can edit and create excel,word, and powerpoint on it. My other tormenter was trying to download library books. You need to have Adobe Digital Editions and we could not get that to download on dial up or on my desk top. I was finally able to get it on our laptop. Then when I tried it, I had to set up an account(free) with Adobe. For some reason that would not work either until we set it up with photoshop. Go figure on why these links were not working for us. Anyways we have had success downloading library books today. Yay! I really enjoy reading on my nook. I don't read long hours so I don't feel the eye strain others talk about. I also change the brightness according to the lighting around me. I did read outside in the sunlight but I had to have it on the highest brightness and it still wasn't that clear. But otherwise it is nice. I liked the Read to me feature for kids books on the sample book they give you. I think young children would like it. I have a bit of music on my nook too. I like having soft music when I read. The funny thing is the speaker is in the back of the nook and it seems like it would be better if it was in the front. I have not tried it with headphones yet. I watched the sample video in the cookbook they give you too and that is fun and very clear. Enjoyable. I cannot compare to other readers since this is my first. I do think I am going to keep it though. My son wants to "root" it but I am afraid to do that. I guess if you do that then you can have all the amazon apps and such. If it is done though your warranty is invalid. I have read a little about just rooting the SD Memory card and I am not sure if that is the same or not on the warranty. Sorry for the long post. I hope my experience will help you decide. Blessings, Suzq Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jyniffrec Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I like using the kindle for instructor's manuals so much that I am scanning in all of mine that aren't electronic and getting rid of the hard copies. My scanner has a pdf creator on it. My daughter has her own kindle and reads a lot of classic books on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warriormom Posted May 7, 2011 Author Share Posted May 7, 2011 I just bought a Nook Color a few days ago. I am enjoying it so far. I wanted the color and to be able to check e-mail and facebook on it. I also wanted to be able to download from our library. I asked the lady at the store how long I could try it in case it didn't do what I wanted and she said 2 weeks. We only have dial up at home so the wi fi does not work at home. I have had some very frustrating moments since acquiring my new toy. I took it to the library and tried to look at the different apps. I also wanted to look at some of the free books and try downloading them. Well I would get about 10 minutes into looking and then it just quit on me. I didn't know if it was the internet service or the Nook. But today I went back to the library and figured out that I could do everything else ( surf the net, get e-mail, read facebook,) except for downloading too many free books. One or two and it gets stuck but I just leave that area and go somewhere else. I also had trouble shopping at Barnes and Noble which I think is hilarious since that is their goal. Anyway I think I am going to ask about it at the store next week. As far as the apps. I have only downloaded free ones. There are not that many that are appealing. They have a few games and I don't really care about those. I would like to get Epicurious for recipes but I don't want to buy any until I know I am keeping the nook. So I have the Calendar which is basic and will NOT sync with your Outlook calendar unless you buy some software for your computer which costs $40. Ouch! I also got Pulse -- this is a news feed type thing. But what I like about it is I can refresh all the news at the library and still read the articles when I am offline at home. I was able to add my google reader and choose some of the blogs I follow and I can read those at home too. I am tickled about doing that. Of course the pictures don't show up at home but the words do. I can also get my facebook updates and read those at home too. Another app that looks interesting is the office one. It costs $8 but then you can edit and create excel,word, and powerpoint on it. My other tormenter was trying to download library books. You need to have Adobe Digital Editions and we could not get that to download on dial up or on my desk top. I was finally able to get it on our laptop. Then when I tried it, I had to set up an account(free) with Adobe. For some reason that would not work either until we set it up with photoshop. Go figure on why these links were not working for us. Anyways we have had success downloading library books today. Yay! I really enjoy reading on my nook. I don't read long hours so I don't feel the eye strain others talk about. I also change the brightness according to the lighting around me. I did read outside in the sunlight but I had to have it on the highest brightness and it still wasn't that clear. But otherwise it is nice. I liked the Read to me feature for kids books on the sample book they give you. I think young children would like it. I have a bit of music on my nook too. I like having soft music when I read. The funny thing is the speaker is in the back of the nook and it seems like it would be better if it was in the front. I have not tried it with headphones yet. I watched the sample video in the cookbook they give you too and that is fun and very clear. Enjoyable. I cannot compare to other readers since this is my first. I do think I am going to keep it though. My son wants to "root" it but I am afraid to do that. I guess if you do that then you can have all the amazon apps and such. If it is done though your warranty is invalid. I have read a little about just rooting the SD Memory card and I am not sure if that is the same or not on the warranty. Sorry for the long post. I hope my experience will help you decide. Blessings, Suzq Great info! Thanks! Any other experiences with the nook or nook color? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlaura Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I really really love my nook color. But I was looking for something with internet capabilities. I love the children's books, and the magazines. I love reading in the dark in bed. I do about 99% of my internet time on it. And I read and download a good number of books. There aren't too many apps yet, but the flash player capability is great. If you don't need the internet and really just want an ereader, I think going to hold both a kindle and nook is the best way to decide. Nook can borrow library books, but kindle will be able to soon as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GypsieFamily Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 Peter (9) and Susan (8) have both had an ereader each for over a year. (Kindle brand, which we like, but I don't know anything about the Nook. We did try the kobos and hated them, we returned them for a refund). I wouldn't bother about color, but that is just us. Most of the books don't have coloured pictures. I downloaded all 1500 books in the children's literature section of Gutenberg when we first got them. We live in a caravan, so this is pretty much their only access to books. We have a small number of printed books, but really weight and space are too much of an issue. I have noticed a huge improvement in the kids' vocabulary and richness of phraes and expression since reading these pre 1923 books. I'd say go for it. We got them because of circumstance, but I love them, and there is no way I could have bought even a fraction of that number of books for that price. Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 1. I am leaning toward buying the Nook (although the Nook Color is really cool). Any disadvantages to buying the Nook? Speak now or forever hold your peace While I long for a Nook color because I am a gadget freak, my reasons for getting my original Nook remain the same and I adore it. Because I can't leave anything the way it is, I have customized it with wallpapers and screen savers from some of my favorite books as well as some of my own photographs.. Here is the breakdown. The latest 1.5 firmware upgrade added some new features as well. Pros: -lightweight -6" screen -e-ink display and touch screen navigation make it the best of both worlds. -password protection -huge capacity and ability to add up to a 16 GB micro SD card class 2, 4 and 6 are supported -you can page turn on the left, the right or swiping the touch screen in the middle and you can do it with incredible speed thanks to the latest upgrade -battery replaceable by user -chess and suduko, if it matters to you, it doesn't to me -outside mono speaker as well as a stereo headphone jack -mp3 player -dictionary -sync across multiple devices, handy if, like me, you also have your Nook on your phone or PC -ability to annotate and bookmark -Android OS -supported formats: * EPUB * PDB * PDF * PDB (Non DRM) * PDF * Graphics: JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP * Audio: MP3 Cons: With the last firmware upgrade, absolutely none. For my part, I think the Nook is the best ereader on the market at this time. I do wish it had a little bit better organizational system still but the new "shelving" ability made a huge difference. I make shelves for everything and it makes it a great deal easier to find. More reasons to love it . I love it because I can have a book RIGHT NOW. I don't live close to a store. I love it because I can listen to my Gregorian Chants while reading SWB's History of the Medieval World. I love it because the books are cheaper than a hardback, there are insane amounts of freebies available and all those pdf's for school that I used to print out? Now we can read them without spending a fortune in ink and binders. *now I just use an online converter to make them into Nook format. I love that I have 500 of my favorite books and another 200 I haven't read yet in my purse at all times!!!! I love that it doesn't hurt my hands to hold when my arthritis is bad like some of the heavier books I read do. I have cookbooks and knitting patterns all free pdf's handy on my Nook to prop up on a stand. *Note, Nook for PC on my netbook gives me all my cookbooks in glorious color!! It may not be for you, but you may be surprised if you give it a chance, how handy it can be. Here are my favorite online easy peasy sites to convert files for your ereader format Nook likes epub, Kindle uses mobi, both will read pdf http://www.docspal.com/ http://www.2epub.com/ Here is where I get all my free stuff.. Site for Free Ebooks http://manybooks.net/ this is my favorite, it has a huge listing of public domain books in a very friendly format http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page http://www.free-ebooks.net/ http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/freebooks.htm http://www.baen.com/library/ http://www.suvudu.com/freelibrary/ http://www.homeofheroes.com/books/index.html http://freehomeschoolinglibrar.blogspot.com/ Pages with more resources http://www.freeliterature.org/ Great homeschool ebooks, specifically, textbooks California Free Textbook Initiative http://globaltext.terry.uga.edu/books 2. Any favorite vintage/classic books that you use for homeschooling? Right now I have the Elson readers and Intermediate Language Lessons as well as many of books for our history reading on a shelf called Jenna's School. 3. Do you have your child use your e-reader? Mine is 10, I would not allow a small child to use any of my gadgets alone 4. Do you download books like OPGTR on your e-reader? Why or why not? 5. Will I regret not getting a Nook Color? If you have one, what do you think of the apps? They do not seem as impressive as Apple. The Ipad is a tablet computer, the Nook Color is an LCD e reader with some fabulous internet features. And while I want one dearly, the Nook Color would not replace my Nook. My Nook goes everywhere with me and the charge lasts for a week or more. The Nook color is like a smart phone battery-wise, it uses a lot of juice because it is back lit. If I could only have one, the original Nook is it, hands down. 6. Any other advice? Go play with them and get a feel for them. __________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaNYC Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I am getting an e-reader for my birthday next month. I have a few questions: 1. I am leaning toward buying the Nook (although the Nook Color is really cool). Any disadvantages to buying the Nook? Speak now or forever hold your peace :tongue_smilie: 2. Any favorite vintage/classic books that you use for homeschooling? 3. Do you have your child use your e-reader? 4. Do you download books like OPGTR on your e-reader? Why or why not? 5. Will I regret not getting a Nook Color? If you have one, what do you think of the apps? They do not seem as impressive as Apple :( 6. Any other advice? I have the original Nook. The Nook Color looks tempting, but since I use mine almost only for reading, I'm not shelling out $250 for some backlighting. I love reading with the e-ink. It's always in my bag. Ds and I take the subway into Manhattan pretty often and it's so convenient to read, turn pages, even change the book I'm reading all with one hand. If I'm in an area with wi-fi, I don't find it difficult to pull up Facebook, email, or any webpage - but being online with it does take some getting used to. I have downloaded about 12 (FREE) classics for ds for when we start 5th grade in September. It's great doing readalouds with the Nook. Right now we're reading the original Robin Hood - which I got for 99 cents. Ds has no interest in using it to read on his own, but he will sometimes play chess on it. The other thing I love is being able to get library books on it. I'm not sure if it's the same everywhere, but we get to keep them for about 3 weeks and then they return themselves - perfect for me! No more late fees. And thank you Lizzie for all of that info. I didn't know about most of those things. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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