Barnes & Noble Nook: Portable or Practical?

Those friends already following this blog have probably been following me on Facebook and know very well about my excitement surrounding my Nook. I got the Nook with some of my Christmas money, and now that I am traveling abroad I’ve started thinking about how it will work internationally. The basic issue will be finding wireless internet. Even if you’ve rooted the Nook (and I have– why I waited 3 months to root it, I’ll never know, but it’s the best thing since sliced bread), not having internet access alone can sometimes stunt your joy. However, if you’re patient, perhaps the world will become as wireless as McDonalds!

The other bummer would be that you cannot buy books from your Nook internationally. I’m sure I’ll write more as I figure out ways around it when I get to Brazil. It is my understanding that one can purchase books on the online store on your laptop and then side load them to the Nook. If this is the case, no big deal! I’ll still have access to the books I’ve loaded before and I’m sure I can wait until I get to my laptop for any updates I might have waiting.

Now for the exciting parts!!!!

1– The price! The price is about half (I believe) the price of the cheapest iPad. The price is nothing short of glorious considering the potential.

2– Potential: The Nook has the potential, with a few updates (which are downloadable, meaning you don’t have to buy a whole new Nook when they add the goodies), to do much of what other tablets do. If the NookColor were to come out with 3G or 4G, there’d be no competition. A rooted Nook can handle most Android apps that don’t require a camera or mic, as long as you have a wireless internet connection you can tap into, which brings us to the glorious…

3– Toddler Usability!!!! That’s right! My daughter (who is 17 months old) ADORES the Nook. Between the B&N children’s books and the Android apps for kids (which include learning animals sounds, baby games, and Little Critter books), she can stay busy forever. With airport WiFi, she can log into her YouTube playlist and dance along with Elmo all the travel long!

Overall, I remain attached to my lovely rooted Nook. It’s kind of the way you feel about your husband versus a celebrity– yeah, the celebrity may be able to make you melt when he sings and may even have the body of the century, but at the end of the day, I prefer my Nook (and my husband) to the celebrity iPad.