Yesterday Barnes & Noble announced that the first software update to the Nook Color (version 1.1.0) would roll out to owners over the next few days. The update promises to improve Wi-Fi performance, enhance the reading experience for magazines and children's books, adds the option to see passwords (or hide them) as you type in certain areas, and other small fixes and improvements. The one many users will appreciate the most is the ability to pinch to zoom in the browser.
Owners who don't want to wait until the rolling OTA update comes to them can download the install package and update themselves. B&N a provided a helpful link to the file on the Nook Color support page. However, the directions are somewhat confusing/misleading. For those who've tried to apply the update and couldn't, here's a helpful guide:
- Go to this page on the B&N site for the link to the update file on your computer (not from the Nook Color).
- Download the zip file but don't open it. Just save it somewhere you'll be able to find it.
- Connect your Nook Color to your computer via the USB cord.
- Once the computer recognizes the device as removable media, open up the Nook Color drive and copy (or move) the Sideload_update.zip file to the root (not in a folder).
- Once it's done copying, disconnect the Nook Color and leave it alone. After a few minutes, or when it goes into sleep mode, the update will automatically kick in. Your Nook Color will restart and a screen will appear telling you it's applying the update. The process should take around 5 minutes.
After that you can enjoy the new pinch to zoom (which works, but isn't as smooth as the Dolphin Browser).
