14 DAY TRIAL // The $249 eReader from Barnes & Noble, NOOK Color has just received the highly-anticipated Froyo software update that turns it into an Android tablet.
The manufacturer announced that the update is available for download directly from its website starting this week.
Barnes & Noble also stated that the firmware upgrade will be pushed OTA (over-the-air) in about a week for the non-tech savvy.
However, for those who wish to take advantage of the new features offered by the update, you can download and install the update yourself right now.
Make sure you download the software update file and save it on your computer. The .zip file size should be around 190 MB.
Do not rename the nookcolor_1_2_update.zip and make sure your NOOK Color's battery charge is at least at 20%.
After the download is complete connect the NOOK Color to the computer using the USB cable and choose “USB Mode” when the message appears on the NOOK Color's screen.
Copy and paste the downloaded .zip file into the main directory of the NOOK Color drive and don't try to unzip it.
Do not put the .zip file into any folder and don't create any new folders and add the update file onto it, simply drag and drop it into the tablet's root/main directory.
After the transfer finishes, safely remove the NOOK Color. The tablet will automatically recognize the file after a few minutes or when it goes to sleep mode, and it will start installing the Froyo update.
Obviously, do not turn off your tablet until the installation process is over. You will know that the installation is completed once the NOOK Color restarts automatically.
As soon as the tablet reboots itself back to the Home screen, you will notice on the bottom left status bar a green “n.” Tap on it to successfully complete the update.
The 1.2.0 software update brings several new features and major enhancements such as:
- Access to a broad collection of popular NOOK Apps through a dedicate app store; - Full-featured free email to check and send web-based email (i.e., Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, AOL) all from one inbox; - Increased browser performance and a more complete Web experience; - Support for Adobe Flash Player; - NOOK Kids new Read and Play titles; - NOOK Books Enhanced offer in-page video and audio; - Enhancements to magazine navigation; - NOOK Friends (beta) to see friends reading activities, swap books with LendMe, share recommendations and discover new titles.