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Comment by hugh3 | Hacker News Reader

My Nook is good for travel, but now the novelty is wearing off I use it less for that. Last week I went away for a week carrying only a small cabin bag, which should be the killer app for the Nook, but when it came time to pack I didn't feel like dealing with questions like "Is my Nook charged?" and "Where the hell is the charger cable for my Nook?" and "If I start charging now, will it have enough charge to make it for the entire flight?" so I just shoved four paperbacks into my bag. Heavier and bulkier, but less effort.

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  Where the hell is the charger cable for my Nook?

If you haven't read it already, DNA wrote the definitive essay on the evils of proprietary power cables and connecters. It's a great read.

"Dongly Things" by Douglas Adams

http://www.douglasadams.com/dna/980707-03-a.html

Does it have an exchangeable battery? I recently went on a four day hiking trip and switched off my phone most of the time, so that I would have power in case of an emergency. Only later did it occur to me that I could simply have packed another battery. I was thinking all complicated, solar chargers and what not.

For my digicam I have two batteries. One is always in the device, one is either in the charger or packed with the camera fully loaded. I find that works very well.

The other advantage of a paperback on a flight is the FAA allows you to use it during takeoff and landing. I overlooked that the last time I packed my ebook reader.

Don't know about the Nook, but I have a Kindle (had it for 3 months already) and I use it everywhere.. in a bus, bathroom, waits on a queue... and the charge is good enough that I can take it for a weekend and not worry.

It should definitely last for 4 paperbacks. Maybe your Nook is the color version?

Charge isn't a problem if I plan ahead and charge it before I go. But if I'm packing a few hours before my flight I'll look at my Nook and see that it's gone flat.

Should have gotten a Kindle, hardly any need to wonder if it's charged.

And even if it isn't charged, you just need a standard micro USB cable, not anything proprietary. I can use the same cable (including the car charger!) for my phone and for my Kindle and for a number of other little peripheral devices.

That, and the only time I've ever had my Kindle go dead on me was when I accidentally left the WiFi on and used it constantly for like three weeks.

Though you can do the same thing with the Nook. The Nook Color (like the iPad) requires more power than conventional USB to charge quickly, but you can use a standard micro USB cable to charge it.

The Nook seems to go flat when I'm not using it, but never when I am.

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