Software
Nook HD is running Ice Cream Sandwich.
B&N does not warmly welcome Android version like Amazon. Perhaps, the
reason is that while it is such a good version, it is not good enough to be
equally compared with the version on Kindle Fire HD, which basically helps consolidating
that tablet’s position of a content providing device. Press the power button
and you will see a lock screen welcoming on, with date and time. In the middle,
there is a lock icon surrounded by representative faces for different users’
accounts. By dragging your face to the middle of the screen, you will get a
split second view of the content on the screen of the latest user, a minor bug
that hopefully would be fixed in the next upgrade of this product.
Nook
HD’s home screen
Barnes & Noble calls Nook HD’s
interface “paper-like” (of course, please do not mistake with Paperwhite), a
bad name, we supposed, but naturally, it focuses right on the heart of the
issue. The company has taken a huge step forward in providing a minimalist
experience, not compressing every glossy features in which do not serve the
main purpose. On the top, there is a black toolbar showing whose Nook you are
looking at. There are announcements in the middle which can be read by tapping (rather
than pulling down as usually), time, Wi-Fi indicator and settings icons. You
can adjust brightness, switch Wi-Fi connection, activate airplane mode and turn
on/off the lock screen freely by tapping Settings.
By default, the background is mostly plain
with visible fibers that really emphasize this “paper-like” thing. At top, you
will see the date, account icon and another small welcome message which is
customized to be suitable with the time of day. Below is the Daily shelf, a
small carousel that can quickly access to your nearest content movies,
newspaper, books, apps, comics… It is just the same as what you get on Kindle
Fire HD, but not as focused here. There is also an open area onto which you can
drag content and aps. Five desktop pages are all that you have, so you have
much area to play with. Links to the library, apps, web browser, email and Nook
store are at the bottom of the page. Search bar and a shortcut for quick access
to all open apps are further down of the page.
Barnes & Noble introduced Your Nook
Today for this tablet phase. There will a page dropped down with cute little
animation when you click this. The first time you run the feature, it would
take some time for the page to be displayed – especially when the connection is
low. At top, you can find the current local weather forecast, along with the
current highs and lows, courtesy of AcccuWeather.com (a very desirable feature,
according to B&N). On the page, there are also reading recommendations as a
special feature, based on pages that you usually read and a “Three Minute Read”
for mobile people who want to experience the feeling of finish something in a
short space of time.
Nook
HD’s library
The library page provides content which is
classified into categories – books (including comic books), magazines, movies,
and TV, apps, kids (including content from all suitable channel for the
category), catalogs, newspaper and many methods used to edit your content, live
shelves, scrapbook and file. Content in different categories is organized in
rows and can be reorganized by a swipe. Click on the title and you will
immediately connect to a page whose content is display as a grid. Like the home
page, the layout has many white spaces – a unique characteristic of UI, which
feels a little half-baked compared to Jelly Bean provided on Nexus 7. Although
it is designed for those who are looking for a simple tablet, this might be
what should be mentioned for Barnes & Noble approach here. Of course, the
icons are highlighted when placed on a dull white background, surrounded by
much white space.
