The Nook app will show up in your Kindle Fire's library. Head back to the GetJar app anytime you want to download other third-party apps like Google Maps, Dropbox, Facebook, or a different browser. Nov 21, 2011 To get the app, you'll have to side-load it onto the Fire. You'll have to download ES File Explorer from the Android Market, as well as the APK files for the Nook app.
I am a Nook Color user as well as an Amazon Kindle Fire user. I have some books from my collection on one device, and some books on the other. I had to learn how to read Barnes & Noble Nook books on my Kindle Fire. Here’s how to install the Nook Android app on the Kindle Fire so you can do so.
- Before using any of the steps in this tutorial, you will have to allow installation of applications from unknown sources by going to on of the following locations:
- “Settings” > “Security” > “Apps from Unknown Sources” > “On“
- “Apps” > “Settings” > “Applications” > “Apps From Unknown Sources” > “On“
- “Settings” > “More” > “Device” > “Allow Installation of Applications” > “On“
- Open the Kindle Fire web browser and go here to download the Nook apk file.
- Open the notification area (top bar). It should show that the .APK file is downloading. Tap it once the download has finished.
- Select “Install“.
- You now should have the “Nook” app listed in the “Apps” area on your Kindle Fire. Open it and type your Barnes & Noble credentials when prompted. You’ll have access to all of your BN purchases.
Some users are reporting that they are using GetJar to obtain the Nook app for their Kindle Fire. I find the method above easier though.
FAQ
Why is the “Install” button grayed out?
Amazon released an update that does this sometimes. You can usually get around it by pressing the square button next to the circle home button. Then go back to the install screen. Doing that will light up the Install button.
Some people say that using the “Back” button instead of square then returning to the install screen works to light up the Install button.
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Display and User Interface comparison
Kindle
Both Kindle 2 and nook have a 6-inch display with E-Ink technology, 16-level grayscale contrast and adjustable text size. However, the display of the nook is less responsive than the Kindle's. David Pogue at the New York Times writes that
Even though it’s exactly the same E Ink technology that the Kindle and Sony Readers use, the Nook’s screen is achingly slower than the Kindle’s. It takes nearly three seconds to turn a page — three times longer than the Kindle — which is really disruptive if you’re in midsentence.
The Nook also has a 3.5-inch color touch screen that is used for highlighting text, adding bookmarks and navigating the internal library. The touch screen can be turned into a keyboard for making annotations and taking notes, or a controller for the MP3 player. Arrow keys on either side of the device control page-turning. When not in use, the nook's touch screen goes dark.
While the color touch screen appears to be a solid plus for the nook, David Pogue writes that
That “color touch screen,” for example, is actually just a horizontal strip beneath the regular Kindle-style gray screen. (In effect, it replaces the Kindle’s clicky thumb keyboard.) This screen is exclusively for navigation and controls. Sometimes it makes sense; when you’re viewing inch-tall book covers, for example, you can tap to open one. At other times, the color strip feels completely, awkwardly disconnected from what it’s supposed to control on the big screen above. Worse, the touch screen is balky and nonresponsive...
Available Content for the nook and the Kindle
According to Amazon, the Kindle has access to more than 360,000 e-books as well as newspapers, magazines and blogs that can be wirelessly downloaded from Amazon.com. According to Barnes & Noble, more than one million newspaper, magazine and e-book titles can be purchased online at BN.com for the nook. This includes access to over 500,000 free e-books. These e-books are also available on the Kindle but Amazon does not count them when they advertise because they are copyright-free, low-resolution scans available on Google Books.
According to David Pogue,
Of the current 175 New York Times best sellers, 12 of them aren’t available for Kindle; 21 are unavailable for the Nook. Kindle books are less expensive, too. Inkmesh.com studied the top-selling 11,604 books for early November, and found that 74 percent of the time, Amazon offers the lowest-priced e-books (cheaper than B&N or Sony) by an average of 15 percent.
Wireless Connectivity
The Kindle 2 3G uses Sprint's network to connect to Amazon.com to download content. The nook uses AT&T's network for the same purpose. The nook also offers 802.11b/g Wi-Fi connectivity to get online, plus a free Wi-Fi connection in all Barnes & Noble stores. However, you get no notification when you are near a wireless hot spot. And if the wireless network requires a login or welcome screen, you cannot log on to it.
Borrowing
The nook's LendMe feature allows e-books to be shared for 14 days. The borrower will need Barnes & Noble’s free e-reader app, which is compatible with PC or Mac computers as well as BlackBerrys, the iPhone and the iPod Touch. As with a paper book, you cannot read your e-book while it’s on loan. The other drawback of this feature is that each book can only be lent once - ever. Not all books can be lent either. You can lend a book only if its publisher has allowed this feature. And so far, B&N says, only half of its books are available for lending — only one-third of the current best sellers.
Amazon.com does not offer this feature with Kindle.
Audio
The Kindle offers an experimental text-to-speech feature exists, but the computer-generated voice is stilted. The Kindle also supports audio books.
Both devices have speakers and a headphone jack for listening to MP3s.
Cross-platform compatibility
The Kindle relies on Amazon’s proprietary file format so it is not compatible with titles purchased from other e-bookstores. But Amazon offers a free application that allows its books to be read on an iPhone, a PC or a Mac. Amazon also remembers where you left off if you change devices.
The nook offers the ability to download and read PDF files, which can be used to read e-books in PDF format. While the nook does not support Microsoft Word, the Kindle does.
Reliability and Performance comparison
David Pogue writing for the New York Times in December 2009 wrote that
the Nook may have some hardware advantages — a removable battery, a memory-card slot and (because of narrower plastic margins) a slightly trimmer shape — but the Kindle is still a better machine. It’s faster, thinner, lighter and much easier to figure out.
Is There A Nook App For Kindle Fire
He also found the Kindle's software to be faster, more user-friendly and less confusing than the nook.
Battery Life
The Kindle has a battery life of 30 days (with wireless off) whereas the nook can be used for 10 days without recharging.
Price
Dependent on the features, storage and technology, Kindle can cost anywhere between $79-$379 (Kindle $79,Kindle Touch $99, Kindle Touch 3G $149, Kindle Keyboard 3G $139, Kindle DX $379, Kindle Fire $199). Nook is available from $99-$249 (Nook Simple Touch $99,Nook Simple Touch with GLowlight $139, Nook Color $199, Nook Tablet 8GB $199, Nook Tablet 16GB $249).