Customer Reviews on Amazon.com

1. 257 of 262 people found this review helpful

   By MahJongg Rave on Amazon.com 24 November, 2010

   Very cool

   The NookColor meets my needs. I didn't want the size or weight of an iPad, and this promises to do everything that an iPad does... only more compactly. In fact, the only thing I'm waiting for in the NookColor is the upcoming upgrade that will handle Flash files.
   
   My spouse has the newest Kindle, and is content with it, but I don't like the fact that the Kindle contrast is still low and is not backlit. I love the NookColor backlit screen, and like that I can read in bed without disturbing my spouse. I've adjusted the level of illumination to practically the lowest level, and find reading is very crisp, clear and a pleasure.
   
   Although I haven't used my NookColor in bright sun, it's no problem reading in a well-lit room.
   
   I also have the Kindle app and the Nook app on my iPod Touch. Again, since it's back-lit, I find it equally clear. I bought the NookColor because I was so happy with the Kindle/Nook apps on my iPod touch, but wanted a bigger screen.
   
   Compared to the iPad, the NookColor is half the price and 2/3 the weight. This works for me, since I plan to travel with it.
   
   Although I do most of my shopping through Amazon, I also like supporting the competition when it is worthy. The NookColor fits the bill!
2. 139 of 141 people found this review helpful

   By cryogini on Amazon.com 9 December, 2010

   I Swore I'd Never Touch One, but I LOVE IT!!!

   I'm a die-hard book lover, and I swore I'd never read a book electronically, but I started to open to the idea on my last airline flight. I usually travel with a 2-inch stack of printed-out pdf files, 2 or 3 magazines, and a few books not to mention my reading light, highlighters, and sticky notes. It's too much trouble to lug it all around, and now we have to pay for overweight luggage, so having one small tablet loaded with books makes sense.
   
   I've been looking at the iPad, but decided that it was too big, too expensive, and too fancy, plus I can't bear the thought of another monthly phone bill. I primarily need to have quick access to reference materials that I have on Word and .pdf files as well as books, and occasional web access. After a lot of research and playing with various devices, I decided that the Nook Color was the best product for me. I have been extremely happy with it -- reading from the Nook Color is a much better experience than I thought it would be.
   
   I'm very pleased with how well my Word and pdf files transferred. Accessing and reading them from the Nook is easy -- I read them in landscape so I can make the print bigger. You cannot make changes to these files from the Nook, and you can't highlight or write notes as you can with a book, but when the apps come out I won't be surprised if someone makes a note-taking app like "stickies" for these files.
   
   Reading on this is a pleasure. I thought it would be horrible, but in many ways it's actually easier than holding a book. I don't have to try to hold a large book with two hands and keep the page open at the same time. I can indeed curl up with it -- I rest it on my legs and don't have to hold it at all. If I'm working at a table, I can put it on a stand or leave it flat. (The box it comes in is a stand too.) I have no problems with glare -- it's comfortable to read. If I need to, I can make the print larger! Reading in bed at night while my husband is sleeping is a much better experience with the Nook Color -- It's back-lit so I don't need a book light and I can adjust brightness. The whole page is lit up instead of a tiny spotlight that I have to keep moving around as with a regular book light. I don't make noise turning the page or taking notes. The highlighter and notes are built in, so I don't need to scramble around looking for my pens and sticky notes. And the best part is that it will show all of my highlighted notes in one list so I don't have to flip through all of the pages to review my notes. That is VERY handy as I do a lot of studying. It also has a built-in dictionary so you can look up words instantly. The only thing I have to give up is reading in the bathtub.
   
   I love it -- downloading books is easy and fast, ditto for the New York Times. I'm saving some trees, and my house might even start looking neater with less books and papers strewn all over the place. I've completely converted to the other side!
3. 67 of 69 people found this review helpful

   By Melissa Carmona on Amazon.com 4 December, 2010

   I LOVE MY NOOK COLOR!!!

   i bought this immediately after returning the pandigital novel. this far exceeds my expectations! the screen is bright and clear. I love that the wifi works even though i am far from my router. i was able to read in my car during the day without issue. buying books are so easy and quick and i love that i am able to change the wallpaper to show a picture of my son! this is absolutely one of the best electronics i have ever bought. i wanted to buy the kindle but really love the Nook Color's bright screen and i'm happy that i bought the Nook Color.
4. 43 of 43 people found this review helpful

   By JMK on Amazon.com 30 December, 2010

   Wow - what an eReader should be!

   I had the original Nook, had a friend's Kindle for a couple weeks, and now have the Nook Color. Although it's a bit weird to be writing a review of it on Amazon, I felt that potential Kindle purchasers should understand their options.
   
   The Nook Color is, by far, the best eReader I've used (including the iPad). It's not perfect, but it almost is. The LCD screen is very easy to read, which surprised me since I was a big fan of e-ink and did not like long-term reading on the iPad. The lack of need for a night light is great, and the software it ships with is lightning fast and almost bug-free. Really, there is no lag when I'm using it and the functionality (once you spend 3 minutes learning it) is near-perfect.
   
   BN is quickly catching up to Amazon on content...frankly don't notice a difference anymore. Plus, you can side-load eBooks from Google and elsewhere.
   
   I know this...I will never go back to e-ink again and love this screen.
   
   I also LOVE the delivery of magazines on this thing. Really, it's better than the real magazine. You get full color reproduction of text and pics, and it gives you an Article View if you just want to read the article. It is a great way to get magazines and will be better as they get more publishers (right now, it's a decent list but it could be better).
   
   I also really like the multimedia support...I can load photos and pics on an Micro SD card and take my music with me. If I'm in a wifi area, I get full Pandora support! I wish it had 3G, but this is still great.
   
   Having said that, the Color is not perfect. First off, the weight, while acceptable, is SLIGHTLY too much. It won't cause strain like the iPad and is perfectly capable of being read in bed (you can lock out the gyro so the book doesn't flip Portrait=>Landscape), but it's not the unnoticeable weight of the Nook or Kindle (or paperback). Still way better than a hardcover though.
   
   Second, the screen, while great, is slightly tactile, not glass like you would be used to on an iPhone or high-end Android phone...this is nitpicky, but I noticed it.
   
   Third, no Flash support yet (and, while it is a great web-browser, it's not a laptop, iPad, or even like my HTC Evo). This, and the lack of pinch-zoom multi-touch, affects my enjoyment of the web brower (note: you can zoom, just not pinch-zoom). UPDATE: Pinch Zoom is here! It's very good, but not great, implementation. Makes the browser that much better!
   
   Fourth, the newspaper delivery, while acceptable and similar to the original Nook/Kindle, is not good enough. Frankly, it's easier to read the web pages of the papers than on this and pales in comparison to the magazine delivery, which really is SUPERB!
   
   Finally, and most importantly, is the battery. This is not like an e0ink reader. To give you an idea, the other day, I started out with a full charge and I read around 600 pages of a book and did some light browsing. I did not use music or Pandora and did not pay any games. At the end of the day, I had to charge it again. This was about 7 or 8 hours of use. That's OK with me but it ain't the type of thing that you can go on a three day road trip without your chord like the Kindle or original Nook.
   
   Anyway, it looks like my cons are longer than the pros, but really, this is a great product. I can't wait to see Amazon's response and appreciate the (hopefully) friendly competition that this represents!
5. 48 of 51 people found this review helpful

   By Mark Angeli on Amazon.com 3 December, 2010

   Best eReader around!

   I purchased this item as a Christmas present from my wife through amazon (I had a gift card) and I would recommend it to everyone over the Kindle or the original Nook (maybe even the iPad).
   
   The device itself is pretty sturdy and solidly designed and put together. Its running an Android based OS, so the possibilities are endless with it, plus the selection from Barnes and Noble for books is great. Add to that the ability to use the OverDrive library system with it and you have a winner.
   
   The kids like reading color kids books and playing games, the wife likes shopping for new books to read as well as her favorite magazines, plus the web browser is pretty decent as well.
   
   Over all, this is a GREAT eReader for someone wanting more than a kindle but less than an iPad.
6. 24 of 24 people found this review helpful

   By I. Xu on Amazon.com 26 December, 2010

   My favorite new gadget.

   Just got this item, so this review won't be helpful with long-term issues.
   What I look for in a gadget: timewasting ability so that I can procrastinate more (not time-wasting as in this-product-is-a waste-of-my-time)
   I've also been on this huge reading kick so I usually am trying to impress people by downloading "classy" books to "make my vocab real big" so I can "speak like grown-up person".
   
   Love that you can use this for basic internet browsing and other small features. I'd say that if you want a lot of FREE ebooks(from borders, project gutenberg, b&n, googlebooks, etc*), the internet browsing capability is a must, especially since, unlike the kindle, this baby supports the ultra-standard .epub file format, meaning you can download any book you find on the internet straight onto this ereader without doing any messy file transfers or conversions or whatever. (The only thing is that you can't move these downloads into your official library, but this doesn't really bother me because all I hear chirping in my ear is the word FREE.)
   
   Usually I can carry this around instead of a laptop because it's much lighter and has the basic functions that I need for entertainment, including music.
   I haven't had any trouble with battery life. I generally read with WiFi on (so I can stream music with headphones in), volume at a medium setting, and brightness at it's lowest. I haven't been keeping track meticulously but since I haven't been able to get off the thing since I first got it, and have only needed to charge it once (the first time), I definitely get more than 8 hours at those settings. I don't know if this matters, but for the first charge, I left it in for the recommended three hours even though the light indicated it was done charging after two hours.
   
   I still really like the iPad (yay apps! and shiny screen), but it is definitely heavier, too powerful for my needs sometimes (i.e. basic internet/reading), more expensive, and has more glare (although this can be solved and I have just been too lazy). Also, apple only gives you built-in memory, whereas this thing lets you add a microSD card. I don't own a Kindle 3, but I think the internet browsing and sound functions are such a big part of what I do that I think I would not prefer the Kindle.
   
   Also, apparently you need to have a light touch when using touchscreens. It took me a while to realize, but monster fingers don't work.
   
   Overall, the only thing I wish this had was more apps. Then I could waste more of my life on this instead of my laptop.
   
   *to see the free books at b&n, type "0.00" into the searchbar while you are in the nookbook shop
7. 27 of 28 people found this review helpful

   By R. Cipriani on Amazon.com 20 January, 2011

   Free TEXT Messages !! LOVE it.best tablet/ereader out for the price !!

   Update3/22/11.... Loved it so much both a 2nd one when B&N had a sale on ebay.I use this little guy every day and it is still a total TREAT even 3 months post purchase. Can't beat the price for a tablet/ereader and the screen is sooooo nice.. Recenting found out how to convert my DVD movies to video and now have a video player with movies to use while traveling or just away from home. What the heck else can this little thing do ???? Love my Nook Color.
   
   found out yesterday that I can send ***FREE TEXT MESSAGES**** from my NOOK.. isn't that amazing.????/ and the joy of ownership continues
   
   My Story of the AMAZING MORPHING COLOR NOOK :
   
   Well I wasn't convinced I needed an ereader having laptop, netbook and droid phone... but was given a few gift cards for the holidays.. So for a lark I thought would check it out at our local BOOK store..
   
   1.First I was surprised at the nice size and appearance. then when I turned it oh I was blown away at the SPEED of the product..The touch screen was so responsive and easy
   2.I first checked out the access to the internet .. and 1-2-3 I was on line and surfing and in a blink it was loaded..
   3.then I went into the loaded books on the unit.. I was surprised at how readable the text was and the great options to change background color, size of text to meet my personal need. FOUND out that I can also get library books on this little guy as well.
   4.Then to the loaded apps.. Pandora Radio.. now this is the one not as good item.. not Pandora but the speakers on the Nook aren't that great but what the heck I can listen to radio music while reading my book .
   5.The few games' that are pre-loaded weren't as fascinating to me. Pretty lame ones for me but darn they are there if I need or want them
   6.But for me the option of adding a large SD card so that I could load up this unit with my books, word doc's, music and Pictures.. WOW..all that on my ereader !!
   7.email.. nice access to a Gmail account with preloaded app.
   
   Well I was convinced.. and purchased the Color NOOK.. and then the real fun began..
   After taking it home I found out( online ) what this little guy could REALLY DO... and the joy of that continues to this day.
   Right out of the box it works GREAT but with a little hacking( 10 minutes to switch from a ereader to a real tablet)) it turns into an AMAZING TABLET COMPUTER..
   found out yesterday that I can send ***FREE TEXT MESSAGES**** from my NOOK.. isn't that amazing.????/ and the joy of ownership continues..
   
   Seldom do I enjoy a tech product more and more every day..Well this Nook has been THE ONE ! I truly enjoy having this amazing little ereader that has Morphed into a Tablet computer at this price point....................... a TRUE BARGAIN and soooo Much fun to use......................
8. 26 of 27 people found this review helpful

   By A. Graham on Amazon.com 12 December, 2010

   nook color for travelers

   I purchased the NC after lots of research and trying out a standard e-reader first. Being a flight attendant space in my luggage comes at a premium. So does reading in various environments. The back-lighting on the NC makes it possible to read no matter the lighting conditions. The browser is much more convenient then loading my notebook. Being able to load library books saves tons of money for avid readers and reading in color (magazines etc.) is a real plus. The battery limitations haven't been a problem so far even though I do get a bit nervous when it gets down to 15% after a long flight. Maybe updates to the system will improve this in the future.
9. 21 of 22 people found this review helpful

   By Rural Rube on Amazon.com 17 December, 2010

   I Love the Nook Color and I have both a Nook Color and Nook Classic

   I thought I might continue to use my Nook Classic to read black and white novels but I was surprised that I almost exclusively use the Nook Color now. I think that is because it makes it so easy to use in low light and it is really easy to adjust the brightness and that makes it easy on the eyes. When I read outdoors I will use my Nook Classic.
   
   And I subscribed to Popular Science magazine mostly for the coolness of having it delivered each month over Wi-Fi but also because it is easy to read. The Nook Color has an "article view" that has just the text of each article so you can scroll easily and the font is the perfect size. Of course the pictures are in gorgeous detailed color in the normal magazine view and you can zoom in on them if you like.
   
   The biggest selling point for me was the ease of using all my existing PDF files and ePub format books and being able to buy books in the Google Bookstore (or download the thousands of free ones). I get a lot of free books in the Google bookstore and when you download them, they are put into the Nooks memory. Really cool because I no longer have to download them on my computer and drag them to the Nook using the USB cable.
   
   And finally, size does matter. In this case the Nook Color is smaller than the iPad and that is a good thing for me. The Nook Color fits in my back pocket so if I'm carrying it to the dentist or into a restuarant I'm not juggling stuff. Also it is easier to hold and use.
10. 14 of 15 people found this review helpful

    By B. Bolden on Amazon.com 5 January, 2011

    Definitely worth it

    I originally got the Nook 3g for Christmas. One of my co-workers had the Nook Color which was $50 more. At first I thought that it didn't matter if the screen was black/white with no "touch"...I only wanted it for reading. But there is a huge difference. I took the leap and returned the Nook 3g for the Nook Color. 3g isn't really worth having if you have a wireless router at home and the Color is awesome. With the regular Nook you can't read at night with out a lamp on or the $50 light add-on. Spend the extra $50 on the Nook color because the back light is just right. It really is awesome. I love being able read and google search with the flip of a screen.
    
    Some people comlain about the weight but it really isn't that bad considering you can prop it up on a pillow without having to actually hold it. This is perfect for me because I like to lay on my side while reading. It's difficult to do that with an actual book because you would have to hold the book open.
    
    Also, if you need tech support or have general customer service questions, I suggest calling your local B&N directly. If you call the 800# provided online, the call is pretty much outsourced to India and although the reps are very nice and willing to help, they do not have the training to help with Nook issues.(I had to call about a gazillion times during the Christmas rush).
    I called the store and they had a guy who is basically there to help with Nook only.
    
    The only downside is that I love collecting books and displaying them in a bookcase. For instance, I love to walk by and see the entire collection of Harry Potter. I don't know why (LOL). I have no reason to buy an actual book now, unless its not available for download.