Pandigital's Nova Android Tablet Comes to Best Buy for Only $170

[DroidXDoes4G]

Not great specs...but good for the price.

Sent from my DROID3 using DroidForums

 

[gruvychic]

Is installing a ROM difficult? I'm not totally un-tech savy. I used to work as an analyst for an insurance software company before having kids. I just don't know much about tablets and such.

 

[debdroid1a]

I'm a novice when it comes to these devices...as in I only started looking at e-reader devices available a few days ago. The Nook Color looked good, but a bit more than I really wanted to pay. Then I saw this Pandigital Nova in best buy's paper and thought it looked like a good option. I'll primarily use it for reading books. But would also like to have a few apps and be able to play movies. Can you load the digital copies of DVD's on here? Something like that would be AWESOME to keep my little guy occupied at a dr office or grocery shopping. I'd also read somewhere that the Nook can only load B&N apps and such and not regular Droid apps unless you do something to it. I assume that's what rooting is??? So I thought maybe the Nova might be more flexible in that area? If the Nook is significantly better, then I'll just wait until I can buy that. I'd rather wait to get one than regret the purchase and financially be stuck with what I have.

Some guidance would be greatly appreciated.

I tried to google and see, but since it's so new, nobody has anything on that.

It probably can. My Cruz T301 can play movies. I do have to convert them. Usually the digital copies of movies on DVD's are for iThingy's. I convert to an .MP4 and found that .mpeg4 works on mine (as well as others according to the box).

This is one reason why I wanted a color tablet (black and white wouldn't work). Also for other items I need in color.

Maybe a trip to best buy (call first to see if they have one, have them hold it for you too) and see what the specs on the box or display say.

Then again, a rooted color nook might be what you want. So also look into that.

 

[gadgetrants]

Is installing a ROM difficult? I'm not totally un-tech savy. I used to work as an analyst for an insurance software company before having kids. I just don't know much about tablets and such.

I haven't played with our Nook Color in a while (my wife hides it!), but the process is basically:

(1) Download various files (utilities, ROM file, etc.)
(2) Copy ROM to sdcard
(3) Put sdcard in device and reboot

For a lot of devices, there is a built-in recovery program that detects the custom ROM and installs it as if it were a normal update. It's usually that easy.

Still, along the way some users get temporarily stuck (I hang out out androidtablets and slatedroid). It's usually because they skipped a step in the process, or didn't read through it a few times. You can also check out youtube videos which really help. If you're ambitious, you can also make it more complicated too--for example, many Nook Color owners get stuck trying to install ADB (Android Debug Bridge) on their PC, which allows more control of Android devices.

I wish I had a $1 for every self-described "non-techie" person I've seen who said "I can't believe how easy it was!" Check out reviews of the Transformer, Xoom, and gTab on Amazon and you'll see lots of testimonials to installing custom ROMs.

-Matt