Barnes & Noble rolls out second Nook update

Barnes & Noble says its version 1.2 software upgrade adds features to the Nook and improves performance.

(Credit: Barnes & Noble)

A new software upgrade is now available to owners of Barnes & Noble's Nook e-book reader. This is the second upgrade since the device launched in early December and it appears to be more substantial than the first, which arrived shortly after the product shipped and addressed a handful of small but pervasive bugs.

Barnes & Noble notes that version 1.2 "continues to improve Nook performance to provide enhanced overall reading experience and in-store connectivity for Nook customers to enjoy exclusive content and promotions in Barnes & Noble stores."

Here are the key updates, according to the FAQ at www.nook.com/support. Alas, you still can't stream full e-books to your Nook free of charge in a Barnes & Noble store (the company says that capability is coming in a future update).

• Enhanced in-store seamless connectivity to enjoy free Wi-Fi, with more in-store content and promotions exclusively for Nook owners
• Improved opening of e-books and periodicals
• Improved response to Reading Now & Settings buttons
• Current reading page and bookmarks on all e-books is properly saved when your nook is powered off
• Bookmarks display page number
• Eligible LendMe e-books in My Library include a LendMe flag
• Easier navigation of daily subscription with issues rolled into one folder
• Improved "back" button functionality for navigating e-books and periodicals
• Personal files downloaded onto nook and displayed in My Documents can be sorted by author and title
• Overall system improvements and battery optimization

You can either download the update manually from www.nook.com/support (there's a download link along with instructions) or just turn on the device's wireless connection and wait for it to be updated automatically.

"Automatic over the air (OTA) updates, which do not require any action from nook customers, are under way and will be conducted seamlessly over the next week," says Barnes & Noble spokesperson Mary Ellen Keating.

We'll take a trip over to a Barnes & Noble store and check out the in-store features as soon as we get the update loaded onto a Nook. In the meantime, if you've got a Nook and have updated it, let us know what you think.

[tipoo_]

Any chance of a speed comparison between the firmware revisions?

[Shinespark]

I'd like to see that too, I found this thing abysmally slow, even for an e-reader.

[jinkong]

Just downloaded the updates. It does seem smoother and responds better... haven't tried it in store yet...
Overall, I like the nook better than a Kindle in terms of reading. I really don't need the ability to access the web since I can just use my phone or walk over to my computer. The hardware in hand feels better than the Kindle and that must add to my overall impression to the Nook experience. I had some issues with losing my place in a book when the battery dies, but this new 1.2 update is alleged to have fixed the problem. We will see.

[solitare_pax]

I wasn't aware that the Nook was even out for the public to buy.

[kalel130]

Wow, I don't know what's more impressive: the fact that you didn't know it was out, or that you admit it... hm.

[bicparker]

Barnes & Noble is marketing the Nook like hot dead chicken in their stores.

It isn't out for the public to buy in-store.

I have checked with the Dallas area B&N stores and the Nook is still not in stock at the stores as of February 1st. The displays for it were half empty, dirty, and non functional with some broken parts where the display models were supposed to be (and this was at two of the more upscale malls and a high profile shopping center north of Dallas including a two story B&N). The in-store employees' attitudes, when asked about buying it, were cavalier, at best (i.e., "Nope, can't buy it" or "Yeah, we can't help you" with no effort to even take an order, direct you to online sales, etc.).

If I didn't know any better, my impression would be that Barnes & Noble is either 1) Not actively selling the Nook, or 2) letting this product dead end itself.

I get these marketing emails from B&N about every two weeks regarding the Nook, but that is about it. If B&N wants to really sell this puppy, they need to dig down and do some basic retail marketing.

[onemoremile]

Interesting. I found a big Nook display with two women leading people through demonstrations of the product one week ago. Unfortunately, even the store personnel demonstrating the device could not alter the extremely sluggish performance. I asked how to highlight and annotate what I had read. After a little trial and error, the woman from the store was able to figure out how to do it, but everything was so slow that it seemed unusable to me. It does not take me too long to pull out a highlighter when reading a physical book!

[Cazio]

I'd say that the update noticeably lessens response times. The GUI also got a fairly major update, which I'm surprised isn't mentioned. Obviously, I haven't had a chance to test the battery life. Also, for me at least, the process of updating caused the nook to lose my place in the book I was reading.

[zzxxyyzz]

I don't understand the point of this article. The folks who have the nook and care about, already should know that the update is out.

Unless you provide a hands-on review of what this update actually fixes/improves, this article is completely pointless.

[basquedude]

The article is helpful for people who are thinking about buying a nook; not the folks that already have one.

[svk1069]

I did not know the update was out until this article because I did not use my nook today. After reading it I immediately went and upgraded my software.

[svk1069]

P.S. Why this is news is that review after review of the nook said that if Barnes & Noble worked out the bugs, the nook would be a superior device to the Kindle.

Well Barnes & Noble just did that.

[bicparker]

have considered getting a Nook, but the only time I had a hands-on try-out with one, it was so dog slow and buggy, that I just said, "forget it".

It was clear that its firmware needed fixing. This sort of information might make me want to give it a second look (if they would ever get it in the stores! After the first demo, I wouldn't buy one sight unseen).

[DarienP]

I just updated my Nook. The update fixed the following problems: 1.) Bookmarks now work properly. 2.) I can now turn the Nook off, then on again without losing my page. 3.) The battery indicator on the main screen seems to be accurate and it "reads" the same as the battery percentage found in "Setting." What still seems awful is boot up time after one has had the device turned off. After this second update my Nook took so long to boot up that I actually thought that it had frozen up. I do love my Nook but wish it had optional back lighting. Yes, back lighting drains the battery but I prefer to NOT have to use a clip on light at night.

I'm sorry, but if you're asking for backlighting on an eInk display, you're just showing you don't know how eInk works. At best, they could possibly include side-lighting, some LEDs embedded in the plastic aside the reading surface, but putting a light behind an eInk display would be like putting a lightbulb behind your (physical) book page as you were trying to read it.

[EdCenter]

How about an Indiglo E-reader?

[Ayesuku]

The 1.2 update has certainly made the Nook much smoother in its performance. Page turns are noticeably faster (forward and backward), and scrolling through the "cover flow" view is definitely a smoother and more reactive experience. Also, the GUI really did get an overhaul. I like the new look.

The update says it formats books and periodicals faster, but I haven't really noticed an improvement here. Maybe I'm just crazy, I don't know. Things I don't know about are More In Store and battery life, but I'll find those out.

Also, just since maybe some people don't realize, but after any device--especially Android-based ones--flashes an entirely new set of software(which is what the Nook update does), the first boot-up of the new software will ALWAYS take forever. You'll likely notice that normal reboots will probably take less time.

[bdinh14]

i dislike the new interface

[svk1069]

I'll confirm what the other commentors have said: This update makes my nook quite noticeably faster and smoother.

I was never really bother by the supposed slowness prior to the update though. I bought a Kindle and tried it out for two weeks before I ultimately decided to return it. I did not notice the Kindle being necessarily that much faster like people claimed. With this update, the nook is now faster than the Kindle.

I would like to see CNET update their review of the nook to take this update into account.

[dtwmiller]

Just updated our Nook and it still seems slow. Overall though, I do prefer this for an ereader vs. the Kindle, Sony, etc....

[JoeF2]

Just updated it, and it seems to be more responsive.
I particularly like the sorting of my own documents.
It also has a more colorful GUI update.

[salwm]

Love the new update. My biggest concern was losing bookmarks when I powered down the Nook and that has been taken care of. The menus are quicker to navigate and they look great, although I liked the old look as well. It is also quicker to move through your book titles on the e-ink screen.

[glitch437870]

Thanks for this writeup. I've been waiting to get the nook till the first few software updates. All the negatives I saw on the one at the local store seemed fixable by software. Good to see that they seem to have addressed the main ones. I'll probably head over to the store next payday.

[milesd3503]

This update did seem to help most performance issue, however i have been freezing at an alarming rate since installing.

[tooni2n]

I?ve had my Nook for not quite 3 months now and I know I made the right choice for my own needs. I purchased a Sony prior to ordering the Nook ? although the reading was fine and the backlit screen was nice, I found it far less than easy to set up and use. I returned it. My wife wanted her own Nook and as it had the lending feature; it was enough to sway me over into the realm of the unknown, the untested, and the unproven in the wide expanse of electronic gadgetry. Absolutely, no regrets and I applaud my wife?s intuition.

The Nook is simple to use and has an embedded instruction manual that?s easy to read ? I would advise anyone purchasing the Nook to take the time to read the manual before reading anything else ? it?s time well spent. Navigation through the Nook?s screens is easy and straightforward. Reading is comfortable with a range of different fonts, sizes, and ample contrast between the white background and the print. Page turning is a snap using a swipe of a finger as one would with a book or the user can use the forward and back buttons. Having read a previous review, I expected a long delay in the refresh rate when turning a page. I did not have any issue with this ? to me, it was not much different in timing than with turning a page in a ?normal? book. The Nook has no back-light feature and I have no issue with this as external book lights are inexpensive, small, and have a separate power source.

The wireless feature that comes with the Nook lets me select, purchase, and receive a new eBook in moments from B&N. It also allows B&N to keep the Nook current with software updates and improvements ? mine is just as current as a new one being sold today. If you are into it, short articles are sent each day when the wireless mode is enabled. Disabling this mode (airplane) lengthens the battery life and allows you to use it while in flight.

Using various online providers of free eBooks, I?ve accumulated a collection of classics and out-of-print books. These, music, and other audio files are moved onto the Nook via the supplied USB cable. Using the same USB cable with the AC charger (a special plug) it can be recharged in 3 or four hours ? it uses a pop-up to remind you that the battery is getting low rather than just powering down.

Personally, some differences that add greatly to the appeal of Nook are the options / features that make it a device that I have control over. Want more memory? Add the amount you want. It took me less than 5 minutes from start to finish to add more memory. When the battery does die, I?ll replace it ? not the factory.

Complaints/Dislikes? I?d like a broader selection of periodicals ? possibly something that B&N is working on, but at present none have enough appeal to entice me to purchase a subscription, however, I do like the concept and think it has great potential. I don?t know that I?d like the Nook ? or any e-book for that matter ? as a textbook. The comments about highlighting and maneuvering around the text are valid in my opinion. The lending of books, as I understand it, can only be done once ? so sharing is between, not among Nooks.

It?s been less than 3 months since my purchase and overall, I?m quite happy with the Nook. Is it perfect? No. But it?s pretty darn close to great.

[jahpeople]

Been using the new firmware since it went live and I'm pretty happy with it. As others have noted turning pages seems more responsive (emphasis on seems), but there are still those times where turning a page may cause the nook to hang for a few seconds. The gui overhaul is more than purely cosmetic. Besides being faster and snazzier looking, the increased width of the navigation arrows has done much to minimize accidental menu selections. The one thing I absolutely hated about the old gui was how tiny the up/down arrows were, drove me friggin nuts. Bookmarks/last read point still work well ... but better? I don't know as I don't ever power down my nook ... I mean why would I? Overall update seems stable/good.

[chaivchong]

I have update my nook and am now unable to receive ebook sent through calibre ebook manager. I'm also not able to read new pdf file and pdf ebook that I saved in my document folder in the nook.

[amti48]

Has anyone found the nook software to lock up? Mine does and the only way I can fix it is to power down the unit. I have downloaded the latest upgrade, this helped fix many problems that should not have existed on a first release of a product. Thus far I am not impressed and sincerely question this purchase.

[tigerjuju]

Nook still needs a lot of work. I tried it when it in store. The UI is not nearly as intuitive as Kindle. But much worse than that, the response of the system is so unbelievably sluggish. And the fact it uses touch screen did not help. Everything I issued a command on the LCD, I can't tell the system is not responding b/c it did not register my touch signal or it is just working to process the command. I have to give it 3 to 5 seconds to be sure.
Do not buy this junk until it gets better... a lot better.

[johnr11]

Sadly it has a bug when you try and view your personal library. If there is a missing author, or some field it is blowing up and doesn't show any books. Great up grade! Stay away from it...