Over the last few weeks, I’ve been following a thread over at XDA off and on, whose ultimate goal was to root the Barnes & Noble Nook Color. (For those who don’t know, the Nook Color runs Android 2.1 atop some pretty compelling hardware: 800MHz processor, 512MB RAM, 8GB internal memory + 32GB additional memory, and a spacious 7″ touchscreen.) The main reasoning behind rooting a nook: in its stock state the Nook Color is severely crippled, having access to the Android Market blocked outright.

But that is true no more. The fine talent over at XDA has cracked open the Nook Color allowing plenty of awesome hacks, with the most notable being access to the entire catalog of Android Market apps. It’s especially interesting considering the highlighted hardware above, because as it stands, said hardware is near the top end of current Android tablets. And now that the software has been unlocked, the Nook Color can officially compete in the world of tablets.

For now, instructions aren’t publicly available. Hopefully that changes. Nonetheless, it’s extremely reassuring to see that the full potential of the Barnes & Noble Nook Color can finally be unleashed, albeit even in private groups. Anyone eager to root their Nook Color?

Via: MobileWhack