As in the past, the hackers are ahead of the game

Like outlaws and gangsters before them, hackers are at once dangerous and cool. Dangerous, because what they do is disruptive - sometimes even maliciously so - to business and everyday activity; cool, because in the process of being disruptive, they often help hardware and software engineers improve their products and deliver benefits and advances technology users have been waiting for.

For those eager to try out that Android tablet computer Jeff McCormick mentioned in his earlier post on this blog, the hackers have done them a favor: developed an Android tablet computer for a fraction of what an Android 3.0 tablet will likely run.

Their vehicle is the Nook Color, Barnes & Noble's newest e-book reader. Unlike the Kindle and its predecessor, the Nook Color is powered by the Android operating system already. An enterprising hacker has written a program that installs the full version of the Android OS on the Nook, turning it into a usable tablet computer. And another has put an early version of the Android 3.0 OS (code name Honeycomb) on a microSD card that can be loaded onto the device.

Unless you know really know your way around computers, however, you shouldn't try this at home. Installing unauthorized operating system software on a proprietary device like the Nook voids its warranty, and if you don't know what you're doing or aren't careful, you could turn your Nook into a very large coaster instead.

But if you are one of those people who become one with technology, and you're hot to experiment with an Android tablet, and the prospect of paying $600 or so for an actual Android tablet leaves you cold, well...here you go.

With a better job, though, you could afford that Android tablet when it comes out. Find one on TechCareers.com.

By Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith has been blogging for TechCareers.com since 2010. In addition to launching award-winning newspapers and newsletters at the University of Pennsylvania and Widener University, Sandy is a veteran writer whose articles and essays have appeared in several local and regional media outlets, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia CityPaper, and PGN, and on several Web sites. He is also an active participant on several discussion boards, including PhiladelphiaSpeaks.com, where he posts as “MarketStEl.” He has been supporting himself through a combination of freelance and part-time work and unemployment compensation since early 2009 and is himself an active job-seeker. Read more of his posts on TechCareersBlog.com and follow him to Nexxt for more job opportunities.