Posted on 04/15/2011 8:04:19 PM PDT by Gamecock
Takeaway: The Nook Color is a $250 e-reader powered by Android. Learn how to hack it into a powerful and fully functional Android tablet.
The Android Honeycomb 3.0 operating system and the first fleet of tablets that are going to run it are all looking mighty impressive. Unfortunately, it’s also looking like most of them will be even more expensive than the Apple iPad, which starts at $500.
If you’re tempted for an Android tablet but don’t want to spend a small fortune, then you may want to try the Barnes & Noble Nook Color (right). Out of the box, it’s primarily intended to be an e-reader but it’s a 7-inch touchscreen device that is actually running Android under the hood. It even gives you a few apps like Chess, Sudoko, Crossword puzzles, and Pandora.
However, you can also kick things up a notch with the Nook Color by hacking it to run a full version of the Android OS. Then you can install your favorite homescreen UI and your favorite Android apps. You can even install the Amazon Kindle app and other e-reader apps and libraries so that you’re no longer locked into just the Barnes & Noble library on this device.
Of course, hacking or “rooting” the Nook Color will void your warranty and should only be done by those who are very comfortable fiddling with technology. Also, TechRepublic is not responsible for any damage that you do to your Nook Color while attempting any of the steps that we’re about to show. Proceed at your own risk.
Nevertheless, the process is relatively simple and if you run into trouble you can always do a factory reset on the device and start from scratch. Just keep in mind that if you’re not tech-savvy and you do this incorrectly then you could cause your Nook Color to become unbootable.
Okay, now that we’ve got the disclaimers out of the way, let’s go through the steps on how to hack the Nook Color.
Hack Nook Color into Android tablet These steps are based on the work done by NookDevs.com. I’m going to show you how to “root” a Nook Color using a Windows computer. You can also do it from Mac or Linux, but the steps are a little bit different (consult the NookDevs guide for details).
Before you begin, you’ll also need a MicroSD card (with an SD adapter). It will need to be at least 128MB, but I’d recommend a 1GB card so that you’ve got plenty of room. You’ll also need an SD card adapter to connect the SD card to your computer, unless your computer has an SD card slot built-in.
Now, here are the steps:
1. Charge up and then power on your Nook Color and register your Barnes & Noble account on the device (you won’t be able to do this step after you root it).
2. Mount your SD card on your Windows PC and make sure all of the files are cleared off of it. Go into My Computer and check the drive letter of the SD card.
3. Download Win32DiskImager and then extract the ZIP file.
4. On the Nook Color, go to Settings | Device Info | About Your Nook Color and check “Software version”
5. Next you need to download a little program called “auto nooter” (by GabrialDestruir) that creates a bootable SD card image for booting the Nook Color. However, the version you need to download will depend on the software version of your Nook Color. For example, if you’re running Nook 1.0.0 then you need to download auto-nooter-2.12.18.img.zip and if you’re running Nook 1.0.1 then you need to download auto-nooter-2.12.25.img.zip. For later versions, see the NookDevs guide for links.
6. Once you’ve downloaded your version of auto-nooter, unzip it and note the location.
7. Open Win32DiskImage.exe Click the folder icon to select the auto-nooter file that you just downloaded and unzipped. Click the Device drop-down and select the drive letter of SD card (from Step 2).
8. Click the Write button. The software will erase the MicroSD card and replace its contents with the bootable Android files. Once it has completed, you can click Exit.
9. Remove the SD/MicroSD card from your computer.
10. Hold down the power button on your Nook Color and then select “Power off”
11. Insert the MicroSD card into the Nook Color (The MicroSD slot is on the back in the lower right corner underneath the little gray “Nook” door.)
12. Plug the Nook’s USB cable into the PC and into the Nook Color. This will cause the Nook Color to boot. (The Nook’s power cable may blink and Windows may complain about missing drivers.)
13. If you’re using auto-nooter for Nook 1.01 or later, then after the root process is completed it will automatically boot into the boot animation and the new boot sequence. If you’re using auto-nooter for Nook 1.0.0 then once the device shows up in Windows, wait 5 minutes for the scripts to finish running and then disconnect the USB cable, remove the MicroSD card, and hold down the power button for 15 seconds to boot the Nook Color. It will boot into the Nook logo animation and the new boot sequence.
14. Once the Nook Color boots you’ll see the Android logo and welcome message. Touch the Android logo and then log in with your Google account. Your now ready to download apps and customize your Nook Color as an Android tablet.
I’d recommend going into the Extras screen and opening the Android Market and downloading an alternative homescreen app (my favorites are HelixLauncher and LauncherPro). That will override most of the Nook UI and give you a more native Android experience.
Once you get your Nook Color rooted and running your favorite Android apps, you can always kick it up another notch by trying out an early version of the Honeycomb 3.0 tablet OS that has been hacked to run on the Nook Color using a bootable MicroSD card.
In a month or two you won’t need to hack it. They’re turning it into a tablet.
So I put off buying an ereader, until I discovered that the nook color could be turned into a Android tablet.
Went to the local Barnes and Noble, brought one home and 50 minutes later I had a Wi-Fi Android. It took 40 minutes because I watched this video a couple of times before rooting.
Anyway, I now have a functioning Android tablet for 1/2 the price of others. It steams videos just fine, downloads apps form the Android Market in the blink of an eye. The process went so smoothly I rooted my daughter's nook too.
BTW, B&N is reportedly about to offer an update to it's current OS that will allow more Android apps to work on the nook.
Mega-BUMP!
This thread’s title stopped me cold: had no idea what the Hell it was about.
I don’t even own a cell phone — isn’t a tablet made of aspirin?
The Nook Color is an interesting (affordable) device. You and your daughter both like it?
I was in line at Staples a few months ago, hmm, maybe it was late last year, a geek in line behind me talked my ear off about this hack.
Love it!
I was resisting getting an e-reader, but being able to root the nook made a convert out of me!
Over the years, I’ve owned many scientific calculators - TI-59, HP-28C, HP-28S, HP-48SX, etc.. Just last year my HP-49G+ gave up the ghost, after 15 years of service, so I bought an HP-50g.
I have to say I was amazed at how little progress had been made in scientific calculators. I seriously considered bying a small netbook, figuring I might do better running Octave and R.
When Octave and R have been ported to the Android OS, a small tablet with a good display could be a solid replacement.
Thanks. I’ll look it over when it gets to Staples in May.
I did this about 3 months ago. Everything works OK (except for the USB debug bridge). Even downloaded and installed the Amazon App Store. Wish I would have bought one when it was on sale at Best Buy for $199
Thank you for posting. I just rooted my Android phone this week. I wish I’d done it sooner. Took an hour or two. Cyanogen Mod 7.
Have you had any issues with the Android phone apps scaling to the bigger screen?
I have a B&W Nook for books and love it, but would like a tablet for its own sake.
First and foremost, it is a very solid ereader. I keep mine stock, and use a Nooter for SD to run plain android when I want to, or Honeycomb SDK or Gingerbread from Cyanogen. Keeping them on cards lets me enjoy in store reading at B&N as well as all the advantages of plain android.
Angry Birds, man.. Love it on a tablet.
Kinda curious how the update will act.. but right now, gotta get my taxes done.
Can I ask what can you do now on your phone that you couldn’t before?
I did mine about a month ago, added a 32GB SDHC class 10 chip and it is great. Movies play flawlessly, audiobooks sound great and the apps run smooth and clean.
The single biggest thing is that I can store apps on the card versus having to store then on the phone. The phone only had 18 or 20 mb of free space previously, so being able to store a 13 mb app on the card is a very big deal. I have apps on the phone which I previously couldn’t have at all because of size considerations.
The OS is fancier, with live wallpaper enabled with the Cyanogen Mod, but that’s much less important.
I’m still discovering features. One that I found today was a blacklist feature in the phone program that enables you to reject calls. Now I need to find someone to reject :)
Help me out...I was thinking of a NEXTbook Next3...Andoid tablet. What’s the difference ?
Thanks,
I’ve been debating whether to mess with doing it.
Thanks for the video link. Reading this (and posting) from my Nook Color. I’ve decided to wait until tomorrow (after the possible update) before I root it, but I love it as it is now. Spent last night reading The Federalist while listening to John Lee Hooker (on Pandora) on it.
(I play Angry Birds on the wife’s Droid X) ;)
...sigh...
Obviously not very competent with it yet.
That comment was intended for you... :)
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