Posted on 10/20/2009 2:03:38 PM PDT by mgstarr
While information on Barnes & Noble's new e-book reader, the Nook, has been trickling out for several days, the company unveiled the new $259 device on its Web site Tuesday a few hours before the official launch event in New York.
As previously reported, the Nook, billed as the first Android-powered e-book reader, features not only a 6-inch E-ink screen but a color touch screen that allows you to navigate content and also can turn into a virtual keyboard for searches.
Like the Kindle, the Nook has a built-in 3G wireless connection (AT&T is the carrier). However, the Nook also packs in Wi-Fi connectivity and a memory expansion slot--you get 2GB of internal memory, but can add up to a 16GB micro SD card.
The Nook does weigh an ounce more than the Kindle (11.2 ounces vs. 10.2 ounces) and can't match the Kindle's battery life (10 days vs. 14 days). And while it does play back MP3 audio and has a built-in speaker, it doesn't have the Kindle's text-to-speech feature.
That said, Barnes & Noble is touting one very important new feature: the ability to lend out e-books you've purchased to friends for free for 14 days. The company says that you'll be able to send e-books to a friend's Nook, iPhone, or iPod Touch, select BlackBerry and Motorola smartphones, as well as Windows or Mac PCs that have the Barnes & Noble eReader software installed on them.
Ping
I hope so. I hate Amazon.
I like my kindle 2 and I welcome a little competition in the marketplace. I think we will see some innovative marketing in the days to come since there are now two.
I have a Kindle, but this design looks pretty good. I find all that space taken up by the keyboard to be a waste.
Nook? If it was nooky they’d have something....
I think the Sony e-readers that were just released will be DOA compared to the Nook.
Agreed that more competition and innovation will only improve things.
Not at $259. Gilette made his fortune by giving away the razor and selling blades.
Sounds like B&N don’t think they’ll sell many “blades” with pricing like that.
Perhaps a “book-of-the-month” subscription service with a two year minimum would kickstart the e-book business.
I love my Kindle2, but I am excited to see competition in this market.
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No. It’ll make Kindle more affordable.
If they make it so the device can “read” the book to you via an earpiece, with a reasonably decent “voice,” my volume of “reading” would increase exponentially. And even with a computer reading voice, this would be superior to MP3 books if I can also follow along with the printed word, or stop the reading and scroll back a page or two to see something I didn’t quite understand.
I want......not sure I have time to read....
COLOR...WOW.
I might even get through this copy of “Risk Management” if the device can convert text to speech in any voice other than my own. :-)
These things are going to have to standardize on inter-operable content _fast_. Consumers are going to balk at the notion of having to buy multiple readers based on retailer.
The “razor model” only applies when you’re the only one who can make/license compatible consumables, and when customers aren’t interested in buying a variety of such consumables. I’m happy to buy Gillette Mach III Turbo blades exclusively year after year, but don’t sell me an e-book reader that I can’t read all my e-books on regardless of where I got them.
I like that you can lend books you bought to your friend who also has one. While it’s lent they can read the book but you can’t, until they return it and the rights revert to you.
Amazon supplies their 3G Whispernet for free. Do you get that with At&T?
It looks like the Kindle. Screen looks the same....
That’s cool. With Audiblebooks.com, you have to register the device and can only load your books onto one of a few registered devices or computers.
Funny, I’m reading this on my Kindle DX right now. Free 3G internet. The browser doesn’t play nice with complicated HTML but it’s perfect for FR.
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