Difference Between Nook Color and Acer Iconia Tab A500

Nook Color vs Acer Iconia Tab A500

With the developments in technology, the line between different devices is beginning to blur. This is the case with tablets like the Iconia Tab A500 and eBook readers like the Nook Color. The main difference between the two is in what they excel in. The Iconia Tab is primarily a tablet computer that can also be used as an eBook reader. In contrast, the Nook Color is primarily an eBook reader that can do some of the functions of a tablet.

This is reinforced by certain differences in the hardware of the two. The Iconia Tab is equipped with the Tegra 2 chipset and coupled with a dual-core processor. This is extremely more powerful than the 800MHz single-core processor on the Nook Color. The extra processing power of the Iconia Tab is necessary for running the heavier Android apps. The Nook Color also lacks cameras for taking pictures, videos, and for chatting. This is a virtual must for tablets, and the Iconia Tab has front-facing and rear-facing cameras. And then there is the issue of size. The Iconia Tab is larger and has a correspondingly larger 10-inch screen. A bigger screen is better as it lets you see more content. The downside of this is the added weight. The 7-inch screen of the Nook Color may be smaller, but its size makes the Nook Color easy to hold and a lot less stressful to hold for long periods which is typical when reading a book.

When it comes to the operating systems, the two run different versions of Android. The Iconia Tab uses the new, tablet-optimized Honeycomb version while the Nook Color uses the older version called Froyo. However, the Nook Color is limited in terms of what Android applications it can run. This is probably to avoid running Android apps that the weak processor cannot handle. Users have gone around this limitation by rooting the device which voids its warranty.

Summary:

The Iconia Tab is a tablet while the Nook Color is an eBook Reader first and a tablet second.
The Iconia Tab is equipped with more powerful hardware than the Nook Color.
The Iconia Tab is equipped with cameras while the Nook Color isn’t .
The Iconia Tab is bigger than the Nook Color.
The Iconia Tab runs Honeycomb while the Nook Color runs Froyo.
The Iconia Tab runs all Android apps but the Nook Color cannot.

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