I wanted nothing more today than to violate my NOOKcolor warranty and get crackin’ on those third party apps after rooting, but I didn’t get a chance. Before any hackery began, I went to slip my microSD card into the oddly misshapen slot that hid under a panel at that distinctive hook corner of my Nook, waiting for it to click into place. The card slipped smoothly into the NC’s beautiful shell; deeper, deeper…and then it was gone.

I checked online for any other instances of this taking place and found none. This didn’t surprize me because, well, the slot just didn’t seem big enough to swallow the card whole. But then I remembered how my Nook’s original packaging was just a bit squished, resulting in me having trouble removing the box containing the USB cable and AC adaptor from its little cubby hole during my NOOKcolor unboxing. It also made me wonder about that tiny fleck of gold material I could see under the screen, but only when off. I called B&N and was told to bring the gadget in.

After examining the slot, the NOOK expert and manager at my local Barnes & Noble store agreed that theere was something odd about the slot. He was also understandably curious as to how it happened and whether or not the microSD card was actually inside the NOOKcolor, which does not feature an easily removeable back like the original Nook does. The card wasn’t rattling around inside and it’s pretty much impossible to see more than a few millimeters in through the microSD slot. Nevertheless, my NOOKcolor was promptly and politely exchanged even though I wasn’t able to find a receipt. I logged back into the NOOKcolor (I had reset it before arriving at the store) and they looked up my purchase and swapped me out–easy as pie. I couldn’t have asked for better service. I had to sacrifice a 1GB microSD card, but there was nothing of value on it.

Root will have to wait until the initial charge is finished on my new NOOKcolor, or perhaps longer. I have to admit I’m a bit nervous about inserting another SD card, even though this new device’s slot looks to be the right shape and size. I have no reason to believe my experience was anything but an anomalous bit of bad luck. I’ve had no other problems with the NOOKcolor, and Barnes & Noble has offered great service and support.