[Nook Color Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] smarcin:
Well, here's my 2 cents worth. I got my husband an iPad, the original one. We both already had Android phones. My kids got me my Nook Color for Christmas, at my request. I feel the iPad is so limited in how you interact with it. It has no proper file system, so if you want to put files onto it, they have to be associated with a certain app. My husband was hoping to use it to take pdfs and excel files with him to look at and edit at work. It's a huge hassle. Apps generally cost more, in my experience, on the iPad. There are possibly more accessories for the iPad, but they tend to cost more, too.

As for the Nook Color, I am very happy with it. I have a 16GB microSD card in it that I can boot into either CM7 or CM9 (Ice cream sandwich). Or, if I choose, I can boot into the original Nook OS. I ran a script to stop updates, and am at 1.3. So, I can boot into the Nook OS, read books, get freebies from B & N on Fridays, and read for an hour a day, in the store, any Nook book. Honestly, I spend most of my time booted into Android. I find my Nook runs much faster on Android. I sometimes have trouble tethering my Nook to my phone on the Nook OS, but generally it works better on Android. (I have rooted my HTC Evo 3D phone.) I can do just about anything on my Nook on Android that I can do on my Android phone, except make calls. The Nook TABLET actually has a mic on it, but there aren't as many hacks for it as there are for the Nook Color, yet. I think that someday we might be able to either use a USB mic or get a BT mic working on the Nook Color, but it's not certain. I personally like the apps better that are available on the Android market vs the apps in the Apple app store. And, my primary desktop is an iMac. I also dual boot both my aging laptop and my netbook to Windows and Linux.

Of course, you can totally replace the Nook OS by flashing Android to the onboard memory called emmc. If you have the proper microSD card, though, some people say the difference in speed is negligible. The onboard memory is actually 8GB of SanDisk flash memory.

If you decide to boot from a microSD card, read at least some of the thread linked below on choosing a microSD card. In general, the class 10 and even some class 6 cards do not work well when running the OS from them. I got a 16 GB SanDisk from Costco that says it's a SanDisk Mobile Ultra. It's benchmarks for both writing small files and large files are pretty good. And it was only $20.

I suggest you get a warranty for your Nook Color, wherever you get it. There is an ongoing problem with the charger cable going bad. And, though it is a micro USB cable, it is proprietary in the sense that it will only charge in the fast mode if you have one from B & N. If you have troubles, most people seem to be able to get one from either a B & N store or over the phone with their support, but only if under warranty. I got the 2 year warranty from B & N, which is $40. If you have to go buy a new cable, it comes with the AC charger and costs $24.95! Possibly your best bet is to buy one of the refurbed Nook Colors from B & N's ebay store. The current price is $149, with free shipping. It doesn't state, but I think they come with the standard 1 year warranty. I would check on that, though. And also ask it you can get the extended warranty for it. Though we have a warranty from Square Trade for our iPad, I wouldn't do it for the Nook. I think it's better to go through B & N because of the charging cable problem.

If you want to root your Nook Color and load Android into the memory, there are many threads telling you how to do that in the Developers sub-forum. Otherwise, here's some threads you might want to read:

Thread on choosing a microSD card

Thread on making a dual boot microSD card

How to keep your Nook from updating

Barnes and Noble has info at their "book clubs"

If you get a used one, and hope to use the Nook's own OS at all, be sure the seller deregisters the Nook, or you will have a hard time using it as a Nook.