That’s right, it doesn’t just read books: The Nook Color also has its own app store, with over a thousand apps up for sale. And while its selection pales in comparison to the Android Market’s hundreds of thousands, it’s got a number of brand-name apps that were specially ported to the Nook, and that work with popular online services like Twitter.
Here are the apps that I use on my Nook Color, along with some others that you should check out! All of them are free to download unless otherwise noted.
The Smithsonian Channel
You know your Nook Color can use Netflix … at least, if you downloaded the latest update and are paying $8 a month (or are on the 30-day trial). You’ve probably also browsed YouTube on it and watched a few videos that way. But there’s also a free app for the Smithsonian Channel, which has tons of free, PBS-style videos about things in the Smithsonian’s collection … and other stuff around the world.
Evernote
I used to use Tomboy Notes for my notetaking needs, but the Ubuntu One Notes web app just doesn’t cut it (and doesn’t let me edit notes on my Nook anyway). Exit Tomboy, enter Evernote, which is possibly the world’s best — or at least most comprehensive — note-taking app, period.
Evernote apps are available for pretty much any other device you could possibly have, and they let you record pictures and voice clips and then review them on your Nook. You can also view and edit your text notes straight from it, and Evernote’s Nook interface is beautiful and lets you type on it in landscape mode. Is Evernote not your style? Then check out Springpad instead, an Evernote competitor.
Skitch
This app lets you draw quick sketches (or “skitches”) or edit pictures, then import them into Evernote. Granted, it’s not quite as useful on the Nook Color as it is on a smartphone or a device with a camera, but being able to fingerpaint on the Nook Color’s 7-inch screen is just plain fun.
Pulse News
I personally use Google Reader for processing huge volumes of incoming stuff to read, because it lets me go through them all in a row and automatically marks off the ones that I’ve read. But Pulse News’ tiled wall of pictures is great for discovering interesting stuff on popular websites and magazines, and skimming through their headlines to discover the things you like most. It’s shiny, fun, and interesting, just like the Nook Color itself.
I tried Taptu out as well; it has a similar concept, plus a bunch of niche versions of the same Taptu app that come preloaded with, say, fashion or food websites. I didn’t like how nearly all of the articles I tapped on required me to open them in the Nook Color’s web browser to read them, though.