Nook Color to Get Nook Store & Flash Update

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The Barnes & Noble Nook Color is popular with the Android hacking community for several reasons. It’s cheap, it can be rooted, and it can run Honeycomb. But new updates might mean you no longer have to hack the NOOKcolor to enjoy Android.

Given that the Nook Color is sold as an e-book reader, it doesn’t come with Android Market out of the box. However, enterprising individuals have found a way to root the Nook Color and run Android Market. This gives users the ability to install the hundreds of thousands of Android apps, both free and premium, and effectively turn it into a cheap tablet out-of-the-box.

An upcoming update by Barnes & Noble will reportedly include a new application store called Nook Store, which will give Nook Color users the ability to download Android apps specifically meant for the Nook–or at least apps approved by B&N for use on the device. The update will also include Flash support, which will likely mean that the Nook Color will be updated to Android FroYo or later. B&N will also add a native email client.

These updates will certainly make the Nook Color a more attractive device at $250 (or even cheaper). With word that Amazon might be creating an Android-based ebook reader of their own, Barnes & Noble seems to be improving the standards.

Barnes & Noble’s update for the Nook Color will roll out in April.