Me and My Orphans

This week, Barnes and Noble announced that they will stop manufacturing color tablets. Then, a few days later, BlackBerry said that BB10 will not be ported to the PlayBook. Both announcements basically making my 2 tablets orphans.

As for the Nook HD +, I expected that Barnes and Noble would exit the tablet business, as the price cut was quite steep. And sales have been disappointing.  I still would recommend the Nook HD + to people who don't need video chat. It is a good tablet for the price and for people who are not sure if a tablet is right for them.

As for the PlayBook, I do feel sorry for people who paid full price for one. I paid $200 for mines. I have never regretted my decision. At the time, November 2011, it was the best tablet for me. Not sure what I would use a tablet for. Turns out, mostly reading news articles, watching videos (not too much streaming videos), paying bills and ordering things online. I do write this blog using my PlayBook. I have played videos onto a LCD HDTV, using the micro HDMI out, but not often.

I do wish the PlayBook had certain apps. The most wanted for me is a text/sms app. But other people want Skype and Netflix. Also nice would be a good VoIP app. When your phone dies, it is helpful to be able to make calls and text. Using a tablet to make a phone call may look stupid, but at least you could do it if needed.

For most people looking for a tablet, I would recommend a iPad, if they can afford it. I find Android has a less apps for tablets iOS. Would not recommend a Nexus 7, as I don't like the screen too much and quality control issues. I would never recommend a Kindle Fire, to locked down to Amazon.

Even though my tablets are orphans, The still have life in them. They might not be the fasted, have all the bells and whistles, but they do what I need and that is all that matters.

Two words of advice. Buy what you need. Buy on what it is and not what will be.

Nook Good

I really like the Nook HD +.  A 9 inch screen that is beautiful to look at. For my taste, I like the colors of the LCD screen. With a pixel density of 256 pixels per inch, reading is a joy. Words are well formed on the screen. Reading from a e-ink is thought to be easier on the eyes though.

Watching videos on the PlayBook is nice. But the videos I watch on the PlayBook look good on the Nook HD +. But those videos are not 720p or even 1080p videos. Playing a 720p video on the PlayBook look fine, but on the Nook, it is great. Only problem is the size of the videos for 720p are larger. 1080p is even worse. Good thing I bought the 32GB version of the Nook. And the Nook HD (7 and 9 inch models) accept up to a 64GB micro SD cards.

The Nook HD + weighs 515 g  (18.2 oz). As compared to the PlayBook, which weighs 425 g (14.99 oz). The Nook, while heavier, feels more comfortable in my hands. The bigger size evens out the weight better for me to hold for longer periods. The iPad 3 or 4 is heavier ( 652 g/ 23.04 oz), but has a bigger screen with a higher pixel density. I would also assume the iPad has better battery life. I really can't say how good the battery life is on the Nook HD + , as I have not tested it, but most reviews give it about 9 hours.

The Nook has no cameras or GPS. It uses a proprietary cable for charging. It has a HDMI out, again using a proprietary connection. It operating system is Android 4.0, not the latest.

But I really wanted to just for video, so I'm very happy. At $149.99 for 16GB version, USA, It is a great deal. Maybe not for everyone, but I'm happy. So happy I brought one for my friend.

0952

shawnsheeezyboy

Porn or Not

Been seeing gifs all over the place. Many are funny. Too many are porn. So thinking of starting a blog of gifs I like. No porn. Just to be a collection of the ones that I liked. No porn.

Called gif. Pronounced jif.

The gif I posted, I found in George Takei's Tumblr page, Are You Talking To Meme. I was on another Tumblr Page and found it and a link to his page. Checked out his posts. They were funny and a little corny. Yes, he is that George Takei's of Star Trek fame.

I was thinking of using Tumblr to post gifs.

Check it out
http://georgetakei.tumblr.com/

Dab of jif

No Google Waze

Everyone is now saying Google is buying Waze, the crowdsourced mapping service. I don't think so. I think there will be an agreement, but I don't think the deal will pass antitrust laws. It may be approved in the USA, but not in the European Zone. Or the other way around.

When I first heard about Google trying to be Waze, I thought it never would be approved. I thought T-Mobile/ATT merger would go thru, but it did not. I would think this is even a bigger monopoly then ATT deal. We shall see

I Need a iWatch

Got a new job and I need to use my cell phone more. But, I leave it in my pants pocket. And I have missed a couple of phone calls. So, having something smaller to look at (a watch) may help. It's not like a need to be on the phone, but that I do get calls during the day. It would be nice.

Yet, I have to ask, at what price would I pay?  The Pebble watch is $150. Not sure, no pretty sure it is too much money for my needs. It is not life or death. It would be helpful, but not a game changer.

Google Glass, even $200, will not fit my needs. It just is something looking for a reason.

I Kinda Like It

I have been using my Nook HD + tablet for awhile now. Had problems where the Nook would reset itself, but I wiped the Nook about 12 times. I believe the problem is now fixed. It may have been an update problem, mixed with processing power. While Nook HD + has a 1.5 GHz processor, but it is pushing 1920 × 1280 pixels.

It is one of the lightest tablet for it size. The size to weight ratio makes it comfortable for me to hold. And the screen is great to look at. Videos look amazing. I like the color palette. Not cartoonish, like my neice's Galaxy Note II. Not as good as a iPhone 4s. But that is my taste. My PlayBook looks as almost as good for videos, but the Nook HD + is 9 inches and while 480p video looks good on the PlayBook, on the Nook not so much. 720p is needed.

But there are somethings I have not figured out how to do on the Nook. So, the PlayBook is still needed. Also, a 7 inch tablet is more portable. It is the one I travel with.