[Q] What do you use your rooted or unrooted NST for?

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taC nayN

Senior Member
Apr 19, 2012
151
8
I'm debating on buying a NST and rooting it and I was wondering what you guys use yours for? What apps do you use?
 

bobstro

Senior Member
Jun 6, 2009
479
137
Truthfully? It's a techie toy that I like playing with. I'm enthralled with the idea of doing so much with what is, essentially, a disposable device. Not that I'm throwing mine away, but I'm willing to risk things with it that I wouldn't consider doing to a more expensive gizmo.

The big draw of the NST for me is the outdoor-readable screen. I'm relegating it to the role of my "beach computer", something I can grab and take along easily, yet get a few important things done when needed. Those are:

1. Reading. I use the stock B&N app, as I find it just fine for basic .epub files. I use the B&N Library for organizing files.

2. Email. I'm using maildroid for corporate (Exchange), gmail and IMAP access (total, 4 accounts). I don't use the Gmail app at all. On demand to save battery.

3. Calendar viewing. Calendar pad lets me see any calendars I sync to Google Calendar. Unfortunately, I can't find a 2.1 Eclair-compatible program that will integrate my Exchange calendar and contacts. Enhanced Email is ideal, but only runs on 2.2+.

4. Tasks. I use Astrid tasks. On demand to save battery.

5. Subscriptions. In addition to a few B&N magazine subscriptions, I have Calibre set up on my home system to download content for a number of newspapers and magazines each night. Those are dumped into a Dropbox folder that I sync to my NST on demand using Dropsync. They all show up in the B&N Library under "Newsstand", complete with pretty covers.

6. Notes. I use Evernote to sync between my other devices. Given the small keyboard on the NST, I'll probably mostly use this to view notes, though I can punch them in on the NST in a pinch.

7. Newsfeed aggregation. I like My6Sense.

8. Casual (infrequent) web browing. Opera Mobile works, but it's no joy to use given the device limitations. Still, in a pinch, it works pretty well.

9. Voicemail. I read my voicemails transcribed by Google Voice. I suppose I could send SMS text messages, but I haven't done much with this. On demand to save battery.

10. Weather. On demand to save battery. I use WeatherBug.

11. Password safe. I use Keepass, synchronized with other devices via Dropsync.

I've also found it handily replaces that stack of magazines on the coffee table, so I keep it laying around the family room when not otherwise in use.
 
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bobstro

Senior Member
Jun 6, 2009
479
137
What do you mean "device limitations? With the norefresh hack isn't it relatively quick?
Mostly the small screen size and poor contrast. I haven't found lack of multitouch to be a problem with Opera Mobile (yet). The flicker is annoying, but tolerable. It certainly works on a technical level, and it's fine in a pinch, but I wouldn't call it my "preferred browsing experience". Non-techies will be unimpressed. However, if it allows you to check a reservation when something else isn't around, it's well worth it.
 
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brendan10211

Senior Member
Feb 1, 2012
202
12
Cary
For Opera, you can use a custom CSS file. I recall a thread that had a really nice CSS file that covered most everything on websites.
 

Karibou3

Member
Nov 16, 2010
21
2
reading : Nook original reader, unless I need to buy a book in which case I have to use the kindle app (I don't have a US credit card so I can't buy from B&N)

The only other thing I'm doing with it for now is running Anki, a flashcard program that helps me to learn Chinese (but can be used to learn anything), it's free and synced automaticaly with an online server so it downloads the latest flashcards you wrote on say your computer. (and it also sync. your progress in memorizing stuff)

in the future I'd love to turn my nook into an outdoors computer for text input, and to take notes in class by managing the usbhost function and using an external keyboard, not quite there yet but that's what I'm really excited about
 

cbay

Senior Member
Nov 1, 2007
148
21
2. Email. I'm using maildroid for corporate (Exchange), gmail and IMAP access (total, 4 accounts). I don't use the Gmail app at all. On demand to save battery.

Have you been able to disable sync on the GMail app? I cannot seem to access Account Settings on the GMail app. It does a soft reset when I access Menu->Account Settings for the account.

I was wondering if it is possible to sync on demand for the GMail app.

Am on TouchNooter.

--
 

bobstro

Senior Member
Jun 6, 2009
479
137
Have you been able to disable sync on the GMail app? I cannot seem to access Account Settings on the GMail app. It does a soft reset when I access Menu->Account Settings for the account.

I was wondering if it is possible to sync on demand for the GMail app.
I am able to get into Account Settings on mine, but all I did was turn off notifications. Not sure if that disables the polling. I did finally freeze it using Titanium Backup to make sure. I don't use the gmail app at all.
 
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cbay

Senior Member
Nov 1, 2007
148
21
Freeze is a good idea if you have Titanium Backup Pro, I finally just renamed Gmail.apk.

--
 

kim1406

Senior Member
Apr 20, 2012
59
7
for me, main thing I need is to read RTL language, as I have lots of Arabic books, and NST is not supporting this natively. I had to root it to get moon+ reader to read Arabic.
 
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    Truthfully? It's a techie toy that I like playing with. I'm enthralled with the idea of doing so much with what is, essentially, a disposable device. Not that I'm throwing mine away, but I'm willing to risk things with it that I wouldn't consider doing to a more expensive gizmo.

    The big draw of the NST for me is the outdoor-readable screen. I'm relegating it to the role of my "beach computer", something I can grab and take along easily, yet get a few important things done when needed. Those are:

    1. Reading. I use the stock B&N app, as I find it just fine for basic .epub files. I use the B&N Library for organizing files.

    2. Email. I'm using maildroid for corporate (Exchange), gmail and IMAP access (total, 4 accounts). I don't use the Gmail app at all. On demand to save battery.

    3. Calendar viewing. Calendar pad lets me see any calendars I sync to Google Calendar. Unfortunately, I can't find a 2.1 Eclair-compatible program that will integrate my Exchange calendar and contacts. Enhanced Email is ideal, but only runs on 2.2+.

    4. Tasks. I use Astrid tasks. On demand to save battery.

    5. Subscriptions. In addition to a few B&N magazine subscriptions, I have Calibre set up on my home system to download content for a number of newspapers and magazines each night. Those are dumped into a Dropbox folder that I sync to my NST on demand using Dropsync. They all show up in the B&N Library under "Newsstand", complete with pretty covers.

    6. Notes. I use Evernote to sync between my other devices. Given the small keyboard on the NST, I'll probably mostly use this to view notes, though I can punch them in on the NST in a pinch.

    7. Newsfeed aggregation. I like My6Sense.

    8. Casual (infrequent) web browing. Opera Mobile works, but it's no joy to use given the device limitations. Still, in a pinch, it works pretty well.

    9. Voicemail. I read my voicemails transcribed by Google Voice. I suppose I could send SMS text messages, but I haven't done much with this. On demand to save battery.

    10. Weather. On demand to save battery. I use WeatherBug.

    11. Password safe. I use Keepass, synchronized with other devices via Dropsync.

    I've also found it handily replaces that stack of magazines on the coffee table, so I keep it laying around the family room when not otherwise in use.
    1
    What do you mean "device limitations? With the norefresh hack isn't it relatively quick?
    Mostly the small screen size and poor contrast. I haven't found lack of multitouch to be a problem with Opera Mobile (yet). The flicker is annoying, but tolerable. It certainly works on a technical level, and it's fine in a pinch, but I wouldn't call it my "preferred browsing experience". Non-techies will be unimpressed. However, if it allows you to check a reservation when something else isn't around, it's well worth it.
    1
    Have you been able to disable sync on the GMail app? I cannot seem to access Account Settings on the GMail app. It does a soft reset when I access Menu->Account Settings for the account.

    I was wondering if it is possible to sync on demand for the GMail app.
    I am able to get into Account Settings on mine, but all I did was turn off notifications. Not sure if that disables the polling. I did finally freeze it using Titanium Backup to make sure. I don't use the gmail app at all.
    1
    for me, main thing I need is to read RTL language, as I have lots of Arabic books, and NST is not supporting this natively. I had to root it to get moon+ reader to read Arabic.