Nook Color gets Flash support, curated app store

A month ago we reported that Barnes & Noble was set to roll out a major software update for the Nook Color in April. This morning, Barnes & Noble finally flipped the switch on that update, which is a customized version of Android OS 2.2 (Froyo) and most notably adds a free built-in e-mail client, Flash support for Web browsing, and an app store with a selection of over 125 free and paid apps.

Those whove already rooted the $250 Nook Color with custom firmware thats been circulating on the Web for months will be quick to note that this update is still limiting because it doesnt offer access to the Android Market and allow you to run any app you want. However, for the thousands of less tech-savvy customers who purchased the Nook and havent hacked the device, the official update--dubbed version 1.2--at last turns the Nook Color into a more fully functional Android tablet.

The update also marks a subtle but important shift in Barnes & Nobles marketing strategy for the device. While its still calling it the Readers Tablet, its now inserted the adjective full-featured in front of it and says that at $249, the Nook Color presents the best value of any tablet on the market. Thats something a lot of rooters have been saying for awhile, which one could argue makes the new marketing message slightly ironic.

Not coincidentally, Barnes & Noble is launching a new ad campaign for the Nook Color today as well. However, the initial ads that will run are less about the devices new features and more about reading in general and the idea that while the way we read may be changing, its still reading--and more exciting than ever. Amazon has been running ads with similar themes for the Kindle.

   
Heres a look at the highlights of Nook Color version 1.2. You can manually download the update at www.nookcolor.com/update or wait to get it over the air via Wi-Fi. However, it may take several days to get the update automatically delivered to your device, so manually updating is the way to go if youre impatient.

    * Android 2.2: Barnes & Noble says Android OS 2.2/Froyo offers system improvements, enhanced browser performance, including support for Adobe Flash. You can also easily switch between larger desktop or mobile Web versions of sites, with enhanced pinch and zoom. You also get improved global search and shortcuts to settings. (Note: the Flash video samples Barnes & Noble showed us ran smoothly but we have yet to run our own tests of Flash on the Nook Color and will do so hopefully later today).
    * Free e-mail app: Every Android device comes with a basic e-mail app so its high time the Nook Color got one. As you might expect, the free Nook Email app works across top Web mail services including Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, AOL and Hotmail and allows you to access multiple Web mail accounts from the app. All updated Nook Color devices will now include Nook Email and Nook Friends app preloaded, as well as Pandora Internet Radio, Crossword Puzzle, Sudoku, Chess, Contacts and Gallery. Nook Friends is an app that allows you to share what youre reading with friends (see below for more details).

      Nook app store. (click to enlarge).
    * A Nook app store not called Nook App Store: Apple is suing Amazon for calling its appstore for Android an app store, which is probably why Barnes & Noble isnt calling its app store an app store. But semantics aside you can now download apps to the Nook Color. Barnes & Noble is highlighting games like Angry Birds, Uno and More Brain Exercise, the news app Pulse, Drawing Pad and various kids books. Its also got Lonely Planet Phrasebooks apps the recipe app Epicurious. Thats just a small sample and new apps will come on board in the weeks and months to come. Again, its not the Android Market, with its thousands of apps, or Amazons impressive appstore for Android, which already has a wide selection of apps. But its a whole lot better than the handful of apps that initially came with the Nook Color.
    * Slide page turn animation: Users requested a slide page turn animation, so they get one. (Note: Landscape book reading was originally supposed to be included in v1.2. B&N says it now plans to include it in its next software update, though it declined to give a specific date).
    * Enhanced Nook Kids digital picture books: We got a demo of the new interactivity in some of the new Nook Kids books and while its certainly a welcome addition, weve seen plenty of creative kids apps a digital picture books on the iPad, so it didnt seem like anything groundbreaking.
    * Nook Books enhanced: At launch, Barnes & Noble said that some books would have video embedded into them in the future and now it has added that feature. How much extra youll have to pay for these types of books is another matter, but 225 multimedia titles are currently available and the list is growing, according to the company. This obviously makes some sense for health and fitness books, tech and travel guides, as well as cookbooks, and you can expect more digital books to have rich multimedia content as the color tablet market continues to grow.

      The new email app (click to enlarge).
    * Nook Friends app (beta): We mentioned that the Nook Friends is going to be preloaded on Nook Color devices going forward and Barnes & Noble is calling it the go-to social network for people who love to read. It says that Nook Color users can create a group of Nook Friends to easily swap books, get a friends take on a new bestseller, discover great new reads or see if someones enjoying a book they recommended on the Friends Activity tab. You can also view yourhow users Nook Friends content ratings and reviews, shared quotes, recommendations and how theyre progressing on their latest book. You could call this Barnes & Nobles take on the digital book club and it will be interesting to see users response to it.

While well be downloading the version 1.2 update along with the rest of the Nook users, we did get an early look at it last week and were generally impressed with what we saw. To be clear, if youve rooted your Nook or happen to own an Android tablet such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab, a lot of these enhancements will probably make you yawn. But the update certainly makes an excellent device better and more functional--in fact, this is the Nook Color that a lot of people thought Barnes & Noble should have released in the first place.

During our demo of the e-mail app, we couldnt help but ask Jamie Iannone, president of Barnes & Noble Digital Products, why it wasnt there at launch--along with a few other apps.

Iannone paused for a moment before responding, then said: We were really focused on getting the reading experience right. That was the number one priority. And we just ran out of time to get this other stuff really right for launch.

Five months later that other stuff is here. And while the Nook Color (in its official software form) may still fall short of being a full-fledged Android tablet, its doing a better job masquerading as one.

As always, let us know your thoughts on the update after youve downloaded it--and whether youve spotted any bugs. Also, in the comments section feel free to let Barnes & Noble know what apps youd like to see made available for the Nook Color