My experience setting up my new Nook Color

[JackOnan]

Yeah, I noticed no one responded to my picture of the slight bulge near the "n" button. But I think overall build is excellent.

On a random note, I'm 99.9% close to where I want things (which is ironic because I'm wiping soon). The last bit of conquest was implementing the ad hoc wireless fix:

[FIX] AdHoc Wifi support on the NC! - xda-developers

I'm not sure why, but I just couldn't get the NC to see my Droid when it tethered wifi. But the fix was quick and painless, and now I have 3G (more or less) on the NC anywhere my phone is. EDIT: I guess technically it's wifi on the NC!

-Matt

I agree, the build quality is still very good.

Its good practice. I heard that Froyo may not be coming in Jan after all but sometime in 2011.

Its great that you got tethering working, this really opens up the possibilities of the NC. A 3G dongle would be nice too. Wonder if the USB port will support one?

Also should mention that I think the Fast Web Installer from AppBrain seems to be gone - I remember seeing it in the popup from the site, but can't seem to find it now. The FAQ also only mentions installing from Market.

Edit: Nevermind, I found the FWB

 

[gadgetrants]

Edit: Nevermind, I found the FWB

Great, let me know if it works for you. Something to keep in mind: if you have more than one registered device, the device you're trying to install to (in this case, the NC) needs to be selected on the AppBrain website as the "default app list" (check under settings). You'll know it's set up right if you see an "Install" button when you browse a new app on the website.

-Matt

 

[rico2001]

Jack, one thing I suck at is gauging other people's level of knowledge, so sorry for the RAM speech! You're not the first here to get it.

Yeah, our beloved sub-forum moderator has noted that with the arrival of 2.2, the OS will get access to all 512. So I'm not entirely sure why the system would report a total of 512 when it can only access half of it.

I know what you mean about slow-downs. My Droid has 256 MB native (right?) and needs a good firm reboot every 4-5 days. I haven't noticed anything similar with the NC yet. But of course, the NC isn't running camera, phone, and GPS services. It's maintained a very zippy disposition.

-Matt

I think the NC or any android device running 2.1 can see and show the 512 mb total although it can't utilize but 256mb of it.

If you get an app called Merory Usage, it reads:
Memory
Total: 489 mb
Free: 276 mb
Active: 153 mb
Inactive: 99 mb

Free means free and has not been used at all. Inactive is ram that has been used but is now free for other applications to use if they wish.

2.1 is not using the other 256 mb of ram.

Example: My HTC Evo running 2.2
Memory
Total: 414 mb
Free: 100 mb
Active: 171 mb
Inactive: 117 mb

 

[JackOnan]

Great, let me know if it works for you. Something to keep in mind: if you have more than one registered device, the device you're trying to install to (in this case, the NC) needs to be selected on the AppBrain website as the "default app list" (check under settings). You'll know it's set up right if you see an "Install" button when you browse a new app on the website.

-Matt

I only have one device and I see the Install button as usual, but still taking me to Market on the NC to install the apps. I hit the sync button and also agreed to the terms in the Fast Web Installer app on the NC...Do I need to have the NC USB connected or will it do it over wifi?

 

[rico2001]

^ You should be on wifi.

Being connected to your pc with the usb cable will go into usb mode. Usb mode will lock out the NC and mount both the it's main storage 5GB and your inserted microSD card so you can manaully modify (upload, delete, etc.) files.

Note: I haven't been able to use correctly either appbrain or fast installer apps. They both seem to need a full market installed, which I do not have on my NC.

 

[JackOnan]

^ You should be on wifi.

Being connected to your pc with the usb cable will go into usb mode. Usb mode will lock out the NC and mount both the it's main storage 5GB and your inserted microSD card so you can manaully modify (upload, delete, etc.) files.

Note: I haven't been able to use correctly either appbrain or fast installer apps. They both seem to need a full market installed, which I do not have on my NC.

Ok, I got it working now - I disconnected the USB and had to refresh the AppBrain page in my PC browser and enable ActiveX controls. A dialog then popped up with the apps permission info. I hit "install this app" and it said "sent app to phone". I then saw the install notificaion on the NC taskbar.

I do have the Market that came with autonooter, so maybe it is required.

Edit: Sometimes it takes a few minutes for the install notification to show up in the NC.

 

[rico2001]

^ Glad to hear.

Using any launchers yet?

 

[JackOnan]

^ Glad to hear.

Using any launchers yet?

I've been using Zeam, which came with autonooter I think. I tried LauncherPro, but it was buggy in the emulator - wallpaper would crash it. So I like Zeam - seems to do everything I need.

Now I'm trying to get softkeys double physical home press to display the softkeys menu - but doesnt seem to do anything...

 

[rico2001]

I've been using Zeam, which came with autonooter I think. I tried LauncherPro, but it was buggy in the emulator - wallpaper would crash it. So I like Zeam - seems to do everything I need.

Now I'm trying to get softkeys double physical home press to display the softkeys menu - but doesnt seem to do anything...

Yea I like Zeam, was using it before the update but haven't re-installed it yet. Works well, is very smooth and is very customizable. It has some wallpaper sizing issues but you can get around this by using the stock NC launcher to set your wallpaers. I can almost see custom roms not being necessary down the road, although I'm sure there will be plenty to choose from. If B&N gives us a fairly full 2.2 that gets rooted, we could be good to go.

And about softkeys, here is the configuration I believe you want:
-Open Softkeys
-Go into Settings
-Check Run Services
-Go down to Physical Home Keys > Home Button: change to "Single Tap Softkeys, Double Tap Launcher"

These configurations will disable the Softkey's on-screen softkey icon and make your hardkey "n" button bring up the Softkeys's menu. Then you can do anything you want from that menu (home, back, app settings, etc.)

Hope that helps.

 

[JackOnan]

Thanks rico - I did have those set. The problem was I didn't have softkeys set as my default system launcher. Went to manage applications and cleared zeam as the default and then set softkeys as the default and its working nicely now. The only problem is at boot time I have to press home to get to the home screen but I may have seen a fix for this somewhere...

 

[rico2001]

Thanks rico - I did have those set. The problem was I didn't have softkeys set as my default system launcher. Went to manage applications and cleared zeam as the default and then set softkeys as the default and its working nicely now. The only problem is at boot time I have to press home to get to the home screen but I may have seen a fix for this somewhere...

Hmm something seems wrong, you should boot straight to zeam every time.

 

[gadgetrants]

The only problem is at boot time I have to press home to get to the home screen but I may have seen a fix for this somewhere...

It is a bit strange. Technically you have three home launchers now: the stock NC home, SoftKeys, and Zeam. What shows up after booting?

As an experiment, you might consider running Home Manager, which has a nice interface for viewing your launchers and deciding which is the default:

Home Manager - Android app on AppBrain

Screenshot from AppBrain:



-Matt

 

[rltipva]

Jack,
am a newbie to the rooting world and I own a Nook Color. I upgraded from the Nook 1st Gen to the color last month, actually I have three. We have them all on one account so we dont have to buy multiple books. I want to root one of them but I have a few questions I hope you can answer. I plan to upgrade to version 1.0.1 in the next few days so I have read the new easier way to root. 1.) If I do root, will I still be attached to the B&N account and be able to buy books like I do now? 2.) Can I revert back to the normal stock Nook Color if I want to? 3.) can I download apps from the market place alike I currently do on my Droid cell phone? 4.) Will I be able to side load books the same way I do now? (plug into PC and drag and drop into files)
I hope you can help me out or at least point me in the right direction...thanks in advanced.

 

[JackOnan]

Hmm something seems wrong, you should boot straight to zeam every time.

After reading all 27 pages in the softkey thread over at xda, apparently this is the way it has to work if we want to use the physical home button for softkeys to popup.
Quick hacked up app to create soft menu/back keys - SoftKeys v3.00 - Page 11 - xda-developers

Softkeys 3.0 is out - trying it now. Edit: Seems to work well.

@gadgetrants
Right now I get a black screen at boot, with the softkeys bar at the bottom.(Edit: This is after I slide to unlock)
I think I will try Home Manager.

Update: Found the cause of the problem:
If softkeys physical button is set to "Single Tap Softkeys, Double Tap Launcher", it will black screen at boot after slide to unlock(you then have to press the home button once to get to your launcher).
If softkeys is set to "Single Tap Launcher, Double Tap Softkeys", all works as expected. So I'll just use "Single Tap Launcher, Double Tap Softkeys" which is what rico told me to use in the first place

 

[JackOnan]

Jack,
am a newbie to the rooting world and I own a Nook Color. I upgraded from the Nook 1st Gen to the color last month, actually I have three. We have them all on one account so we dont have to buy multiple books. I want to root one of them but I have a few questions I hope you can answer. I plan to upgrade to version 1.0.1 in the next few days so I have read the new easier way to root. 1.) If I do root, will I still be attached to the B&N account and be able to buy books like I do now? 2.) Can I revert back to the normal stock Nook Color if I want to? 3.) can I download apps from the market place alike I currently do on my Droid cell phone? 4.) Will I be able to side load books the same way I do now? (plug into PC and drag and drop into files)
I hope you can help me out or at least point me in the right direction...thanks in advanced.

Hi, and welcome to the forums.
1. Yes
2. Yes, but it would require a full factory reset which would wipe everything out. You might be able to restore your books from your B&N account.
3. Yes, but Market doesnt seem to return full results yet - using AppBrain seems to result in more.
4. I believe so.

Maybe someone else can confirm these as I haven't really used things on the B&N side.