Reading on my Android has become one of the greatest features of the device. I’m actually working up a nice, long series about the pleasures of reading on the Nexus One, and I’m glad that Barnes & Noble released their Nook application before I finished it. The article figures to be a multi-parter, but I wanted to get the Nook application in there on the first shot. It’s that good a reading app.
What makes the Nook different than other e-readers? What stands out to me is its usability right after download. I didn’t have to change the font or anything before I dove into a sample reading of Jane Austen’s Price and Prejudice — which is a much more enjoyable read right now, I might add, than it was in high school. You can easily change the font if you want, and there are eight font faces and five font sizes from which to choose. It defaults at Amasis and the fourth-largest. That was nice, but I found reading comfortable enough at the second-smallest level as well.
Scrolling is nice and easy. Just flip your thumb (or finger) to the left to advance a page, or to the right to go back. If you move slowly the application actually has a page-turning animation, where you can preview the text on the next page, as if it were a real book. That is, a real book that is printed on only one side. You can also tap the screen to reveal a scroll bar, great for when you’re jumping around. If you know the chapter number you seek, you can pull up the menu and click GoTo.
Reading a book with your Nook desktop app and also on your Android phone? You can sync accounts so your bookmarks match up. This will also sync with your Nook reader, if you have one and also have an internet connection handy.
In terms of straight reading, I obviously love this app. I would, however, like to see two improvements in a future version:
1. Annotation. I highlight books and write in the margins. I know that the desktop Nook app allows you to highlight and take notes. Adding this to the Android version would put it over the top.
2. Sharing. Reading doesn’t have to be a solitary endeavor. My girlfriend and I always share books we read. She’s the one who turned me on to Nook in general, and I’d like to be able to share what I’m reading with her, right from the app.
Neither of these seems tough to implement. Now that B&N has the app out for Android, I suspect we’ll see improvements in the future if it becomes a popular app. Considering that it accomplishes its main task as a reader masterfully, I think it will.
