While people line up to get their hands on the next generation iPad for $500, an alternative is available. Brett Arends explains how to transform an e-reader into an Android OS tablet: “I bought a Barnes & Noble Nook Color tablet. And then I downloaded a very simple, perfectly legal software fix from the Internet that turned it into a fully functioning tablet running on Google’s Android platform. The fix, known as a ‘rooting,’ unlocks Barnes & Noble’s proprietary overlay. The instructions came via Ars Technica, a reputable site devoted to technology, and were pretty easy to follow. I wasn’t really expecting it to work. I tried it as an experiment. But the results were remarkable.”