More Nookish Questions

[jumpuphigh]

I'm thinking about getting a Nook for the 3G capabilities. I'm about to be travelling a lot and although I'll have my laptop with me, I won't always have wireless access in places.

I'm wondering how well it works. Can I access any webpage with the 3G? My friend just has wireless and I was able to access DW although it was squished in all the wrong places. Any problems that you've encountered? Mostly, I would want to read my email, read DW & Tweet with it.

Feedback would be welcome. Thanks

Comments

[finch]

If you're accessing a website like DW you might want to try the mobile version - it's obviously designed for phones, but it simplifies it and can eliminate layout issues.

[jumpuphigh]

Oh brilliant! How do I do that?

[finch]

http://m.dreamwidth.org/ should redirect you.

[jumpuphigh]

Thanks so much! I'll have to try it on the Nook once my friend is around to borrow it from.

[princess]

The 3G service doesn't access the internet as far as I know, it's only for DLing from B&N. I have a traditional Nook with 3G and love it, as long as you remember that restriction.

[jumpuphigh]

Ok. I was wondering. Thanks

[doro]

Oh, please check back with B&N, because when I was looking at a Nook (still haven't gotten myself any kind of ereader yet), the whole point of 3G was (internet) access even when you're not in a WiFi spot. You pay extra for the 3G version of the Nook, and they provide the connection with no additional fees.

The WiFi-only Nook should access anywhere there is WiFi, and especially in a B&N store.

[princess]

Um, I'm fairly certain, having tested in a few places, that unless they changed it for the Nook Color/on a firmware update I don't have, that the 3G is only for browsing books/buying books/DLing books, not for using the whole internet.

If I'm missing a firmware update however, that would be good to know... :)

[doro]

Just called B&N here in SoCal, and the gentleman said:

3G only for D/L books.

The following is from my notes:

Older non-color Nook comes with
WiFi - D/L books, and access internet but only from WiFi locations
or
3G & WiFi - as above, using 3G elsewhere only for D/L books

Newer color Nook comes with
only WiFi, 3G not available


Thank you for helping me get that clear, as I now know I won't be getting 3G in a Nook.

[rosebee]

Funny - the B&N saleslady told me (& showed me on the demo model) about the browser in the Nook (noncolor), and how it was clunky but in a pinch she used it last weekend to check her gmail at a wifi hotspot while vacationing on the coast.

[jumpuphigh]

I remember the salesman telling me that when I looked at it as well. However, he also told me that B&N doesn't use DRM so his word is suspect.

[mscongeniality]

The other thing is, you can reduce the size of a web page if it is too wide to display properly on the Nook's screen.

[jumpuphigh]

How do you do that?

[mscongeniality]

There's a menu bar across the top of the touchscreen where you can add to favorites, etc. On it, there's a magnifying glass icon. You touch that, then choose to zoom out.

[jumpuphigh]

Oh, cool. Thanks

[cathepsut]

Or just find your next Starbucks or McD... ;-)
I have a Kindle, but the Internet browser on it is terrible for navigation, so I don't use it at all. From playing around on the Internet with 3G on my iPhone I can tell you that compared to WiFi it is oainfully slow and frustrating. But I have a fairly slow connection.

[jumpuphigh]

Well, if I was going to go find a wireless connection, I'd just use my laptop. But I'm planning on hitting quite a few National Parks and doing some camping so that won't always be an option.

[venusinchains]

Like somebody said, the e-ink nook with 3G can only use it for data transfer. And the color nook has only the WiFi... Except for a color version that was (is?) exclusively available from The Home Shopping Network. I would assume that the HSN version would also be 'only for data transfer,' but, the color nook is so much different from the black and white version, I'm really not sure.

[jumpuphigh]

I looked at the specs for the HSN one (hello, expensive) and it doesn't list 3G anywhere on it. Is that something they talked about on the channel?

ETA: Found this under the FAQs for the product:
2. Does NOOK Color offer 3G service like the NOOK 3G+WiFi?
No. Your NOOK Color device connects to Wi-Fi only. It does not offer 3G cellular service.

[venusinchains]

Honestly, I don't have access to HSN. I was told that theirs was a different machine from the B&N one, and that it had a 3G card. (I assumed that explained the, what was it? $500+ price tag on it.) I didn't check it out for myself. Sorry about that. That is interesting though - they're doubling the price for nothing.

I've also heard that there will be an 'update' for the color nook that will make it more like an ipad - but that could mean a download for the current model (definitely no 3G capabilities there) or an entirely new machine (and a 3G addition seems unlikely). Neither in time for your trip.

It's looking like an iphone and a couple of apps might be your best bet.

[jumpuphigh]

According to the comments, it's the exact same model as is sold by B&N for $100 less. The commenters seem to be pretty ticked off to discover that.

[dreamatdrew]

OK, I can't speak for the nook, but for Kindle (in this case, K2, but applies to K3/whispernet based on anecdote), dreamwidth mobile works like a charm most of the time, Gmail's mobile interface works, and the full blown is.. well, useable, but NOT a preference in my case. Twitter works as well, though you can't click on links in a tweet and get them to work. (It has to do with the fact it tries to open in a new window/tab, and there is no place for another window/tab to go, and amzn is stupid about just redirecting it to the main window like anyone with some sense would do...)

[jumpuphigh]

Thanks!

[highways]

Where are you planning on doing the traveling? The Nook cannot really download stuff when you're out of the United States -- well, without annoying proxy stuff I haven't bothered with. They did not mention this to me when I bought it, even though I told them I was on the way to an airport to move to another country and was concerned about international use. (Lesson: have no faith in the salespeople.)

[jumpuphigh]

All US and I don't want the Nook for reading books. I just wanted an easier, more portable way to connect to the Net when I'm away from outlets and wireless signals.

When I checked out the Nook, the salesperson lied to me about a few things as well.

[highways]

To be fair, I doubt they lied so much as they were just totally incompetent

Honestly though, if you just want it for the Internet access I'd get something else? Like, there must be a cheaper or similarly priced device that actually does what you want to use it for -- the Nook does the Internet okay, I think, for a book reader. But it's really best for reading books and I think it'd get pretty annoying if you used it for nothing but the Internet.

[tameiki]

While I'm semi-technically challenged, I've been seeing articles about people jailbreaking Nook Color to make it into an android based tablet. There's a link in the article on how to do this. If you Google "jailbreak Nook color", you'll probably find more information about what this means and what it will do. Just my two cents :)

[jumpuphigh]

I'm definitely looking forward to the day when we have cheap, light tablets. One of my friends just bought a device (the name of which escapes me) that he rooted and he loves it. It was about 1/2th the price of the color Nook.

[tameiki]

Or... you could go to Geeks.com and purchase a tablet. I think the lowest priced one is around $130? I have no idea how good it is but it's an option.

[jumpuphigh]

What I was really hoping for was 3G access without a tremendous high-priced 2-yr contract. I think I'm going to do more research into pay-as-you-go access for my laptop.