 Don't understand the negativity... |
| Review Date: January 31, 2010 |
| Reviewer: S. Dayton, Indianapolis, IN |
I've had my nook for 2-3 weeks now, and I don't understand why people haven't liked theirs. Maybe it's that I'm 21 and part of the Millennial Generation and can learn how to use most technology without too much difficulty. I love my nook. The screen is easy to read, it holds a library large enough for me to take a lifetime to read, the e-book store is easy to navigate, it has twice the library size of the kindle (yes, many of them are low quality scans from google books, but they are still readable and in most cases free), the color touch screen adds flair when appropriate and hides the keyboard when not in use (unlike the kindle), the screen looks like the page of an actual book, and the nook looks seamless in general.
Alleged problems people have with the nook:
Slow page turn and power on.
Touch screen not sensitive enough
Frequent crashes
Can't jump to specific pages
In my experience, the page turn is not bad at all. Perhaps it is a bit noticeable at first, but just like turning the pages of an actual book, you cease to notice it. In fact the page turning takes no longer than turning actual pages and probably less. If the lag does actually bother you, try pushing the button as you're on the last sentence. The split second that it takes you to finish the sentence will be more than enough time for the nook to turn the page. This may sound more complicated than you would like, but once you've done it a couple times it will become habit.
The touch screen is easy enough to use most of the time. The keyboard buttons are a tad small and occasionally hard to tap, but in general it's responsive. It is nice that it hides the keyboard when not in use, unlike the eyesore keyboard of the Kindle.
I've heard of frequent crashes on the nook, but I haven't experienced them. Every once in a while the nook has trouble loading and formatting a book (this does not include starting where you left off on a book, that's just fine), but if you wait for a minute or so, it resolves itself.
The nook cannot jump to a specific page number, but it does remember the farthest point you've reached in a book, and it does allow you to jump to specific chapters (and sometimes sections of chapters). With a few clicks of the page turning buttons (or swipes of the touchscreen), you reach the page you're looking for. So no significant trouble.
Problems I have experienced:
Slow Power On
Slow Formatting
The nook does take a while to power up and format books (only occurs when switching to a new book, the nook knows what you're currently reading and keeps your place). I will admit these are probably the biggest problems with the nook, but in general they are not that hard to deal with. A few seconds of patience never hurt anyone, and once you've loaded the book, you're off to the races.
Overall, I recommend the nook. It has everything one needs in an e-reader, it's fun to use, and has the biggest library selection available.
P.S. If you're considering the iPad instead of the nook or Kindle, don't. The iPad's screen strains your eyes. How many times have you gotten a headache from using a computer screen too often? Don't get me wrong, I love apple, and I'm writing this on a mac right now, but the iPad is just not the way to go for an e-reader. |
Take my home, my husband...but not my Nook!!!
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| Review Date: January 22, 2010 |
| Reviewer: M. A Graf, Richmond, VA United States |
I received one of the first shipped Nooks, just before Christmas 2009. I can't say good enough about it; it's just plain changed my life. I originally purchased it becuase I travel a fair amount and was tired of being in a hotel room at 9pm without a book to read. Haven't used it for travel yet, but it's sure changed everything else.
Immediate downloads, readable on my computer or (if I'm crazy) my Ipod Touch as well (and Bberry if truly nuts). No more piles of unread book cluttering up my bedside table, and figuring out what to do with all the books I've read. Plus, I'm reading more (boy, am I!), and the immediate access to online suggestions (BN, w links to NYT) has broadened my reading.
Questions? A simple "how to...?" Walk into any B&N and you'll find a Nook authority. E-mail and phone, of course...but how nice to also be able to have an enthusiastic human being say, "Here, let me show you..."
I'm told the choice of e-reader comes down to where you want to buy your books. I like Amazon for a lot, but B&N knows books and readers..and the Nook reflects that indepth, very specific knowledge. Go Nook!
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Love it!
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| Review Date: January 14, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Luna, |
| I have had my nook for almost two weeks now and I am very happy with it. I have not had any problem with it except that it froze twice. I didn't mind because all I had to do was turn it off and on. In December, I was thinking twice about getting the Nook because I read many bad reviews. I'm happy that I stuck with it because it is very responsive. It does not take long to go from one page to the next, it takes about the same time as turning a page on a paperback. The only thing that isn't so great is the battery... I'm a heavy reader so I have to charge my battery every two to three days(if i'm lucky). I wish that my battery did last 10 days as it is advertised. Overall, the Nook is very easy to use (read the manual first!)and it does its job well. |
Glad I gave it a chance
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| Review Date: February 10, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Eddie E. Hicks, |
I purchased a Kindle for my wife last Christmas. She loves it and uses it more than any other gift I ever purchased her. She was having so much fun with it I decided to get an ereader for myself but I was drawn more toward the Nook. I read so many bad reviews about the Nook I wasn't sure if I should get it or a Kindle or maybe something different with a touch screen and wireless connection. I thought about it for a few weeks and noticed that the reviews started getting better. I decided to go for it. I ordered it last Wednesday from B&N and received it 2 days later. I am so happy I did. I didn't experience any of the the negatives I read about with exception that battery could stay charged longer. Talking about the battery, it's nice to know that you can change it yourself and at a much lessor expense than with a Kindle. I'll probably never need it but it's also nice to be able to add a memory card to hold more content. And the Nook just looks nicer in my opinion.
The new update was released the same day I received my Nook and I updated the firmware the second day I had it and it runs even more smoother. I have been a gadget man all my life but this is my first touch screen device. I had no problems what-so-ever navigating the menus and the menus changed fast enough for me.
My wife still loves her Kindle but I think she is a little jealous. She asked me why I didn't get her a Nook for Christmas.
I was completely in the dark about ereaders until just 2 months ago. I know during my research I found people that were experiencing problems and were unhappy with every reader I checked into. If you were putting off getting a Nook because of bad reviews, I would give them another look. There has been 2 firmware updates already that probably addressed many of the earlier concerns. That's not bad for a device that was only released a short while ago. I'm sure there will be further updates as time goes on and it will get only better.
~eddie |
The Perfect E-Reader For Me!!! Forget the bashers...
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| Review Date: January 19, 2010 |
| Reviewer: NDM, Virginia |
You know, it figures that the people who would be most prone to bash the Nook would either be predisposed to like its competition (most likely posting for Amazon incognito...), or are such techno-geeks that nothing EVER meets their impossible-to-meet criteria. They are quick to criticize, and slow to praise. I've read all the criticisms on here thus far and while some have a point, most are absolutely ridiculous or downright untruthful. One guy said he bought four Nooks for Christmas and three out of the four were either rendered inoperable or ceased to function altogether. Sounds like an Amazon-paid poster to me...fishy story.
Please know that I'm not partial to B&N. It's a bookstore. I have no loyalty to them as they have never put out an electronic product before. At the same time, I also own some Sony products and they continue to work either fine or great. I don't hate Amazon, nor the Kindle. In fact, I use Amazon for purchases frequently and I would have bought the Kindle if I was partial to it. Same goes for Sony. However, I did my own comparitive research on e-readers and concluded with the Nook being the best fit for me, my needs, and my expectations. All so far, have been met. Whatever the case with negative "geek" reviews, here's my take on the Nook:
- It's out-of-the-box easy and very intuitive. Mine came on Saturday, and by that evening I had: 1)set up my B&N account, 2)fully charged my unit, 3)connected to my in-home wireless network, 4)set to my personal preferences (complete with personalized wallpaper & screensavers), 5)downloaded some easy-listening music, 6)dragged over a PDF file from work, 7)and downloaded three books (2 purchased, 1 free) from the B&N link to enjoy. All this done before dinner...
- The Eink display rules. I actually find it easier to read than an actual book, especially considering the fact that I am holding a digital unit near half the actual size of a tried-and-true book. It's light, sleek, slim, portable and cool.
- While the touch screen is one way to go, it is not really necessary. And you really need to adjust the brightness on it pretty much from the get-go. It's like staring into headlights while trying to read. But once I did adjust the brightness as well as the touch screen timer (10 sec, 30 sec or 60 sec), it was actually a nice to have function.
- After initially fully charging the unit, my Nook has lasted going-on 4 days now. Those who complain it doesn't last 10-12 days, while they are justified at being angry with B&N for "false" advertising, I still see no problem. I never read their claim for this sort of durability, thus, I'm not upset with having to charge my unit every 2-3 days. I see it the same as I see my cell phone or Ipod. And hopefully in the near future Powermat will come out with a Nook adapter...
- SD Card option. Not necessary. But nice option to have. Already bought one. Already installed one. Easy cheesy...16GB...BAM!!!
- Wi-Fi connectivity capability. I have a standard wireless router in my house. I was up & running in minutes. My first wi-fi purchase was Treasure Island for $.99 and then got a free copy of the Oxford Holy Bible. The B&N library is second-to-none when it comes to finding what you are looking for on e-book.
- Bookmarks...I don't see the problem??? I haven't even upgraded my firmware yet, but every time I open up a book in My Library on my Nook, it goes directly to the page I last read. And this is done whether I leave a bookmark or not. It just does it...so what's everyone complaining about? I have 10 items in My Library so far and it does this for each item, except my PDF files from work.
- Browser capability, or lack thereof...biggest dissappointment for me. If they could create a Netbook/E-Reader that was the size of an e-reader, but possessed the "little PC" functionality of a netbook, I would be in heaven. Until they do, I have both. Depending on the Kindle's capability, perhaps this is a strong seller for others out there. But for me, the Nook's other features outweighed not having a web browser capability.
Bottom Line: For me, I love it. Best little toy I've purchased in years. Do your own research, and pick the best e-reader for you. IMHO, I think it's great and it's only going to get better in the future. For $250, it's a great deal... |
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