Barnes & Noble releases the Nook digital reader
The Barnes and Noble Nook digital reader has officially been released. I know this news has been bubbling all over the interwebs for the last day or so, and I’m a little late. But I still wanted to jump in with my two cents (for whatever that’s worth). Overall, I think the Nook is great for the ebook industry. It is one more choice for consumers and gives much needed competition for all the other e-reading devices on the market.
As far as ebook readers go, the Nook is pretty revolutionary. Compared to the Kindle (sorry Amazon), for example, the Nook is much more consumer friendly with a sleek design that rivals that of Sony’s line of e-readers.
The Nook is also the first device that will be exclusive to a big-box book retailer. This means the device can be bought online, or in a Barnes & Noble store. Yes, Sony’s e-readers can be bought at Borders, but they are not exclusive to Borders in any way. The big advantage of selling the device in-store is that potential buyers can play around with it before shelling out $259. In other words, you know what you’re getting before you buy.
The Nook also sports a healthy list of features, including:
- 3G/WiFi Connection for buying ebooks without downloading to a computer first. The WiFi alone is a great feature, especially during those times when 3G is unavailable.
- 2GB of memory. Most digital reading devices have less than 1GB of memory (text doesn’t take up very much memory at all). According to the Barnes & Noble website, the Nook can hold “1500 books, magazines, and newspapers.” They tout this as endless shelf space – and for the most part, it probably is.
- Lend ebooks to friends. This really sets the Nook apart from the competition. You can share ebooks with friends on any Nook, iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry, PC or Mac using the B&N ereading software (which is free).
- Take notes, bookmarks and highlight text. These features are nothing new. But they add to the overall functionality of the Nook. You can also look up words in the built-in dictionary. B&N also says if you forget your Nook you can keep reading on any mobile device. Not too shabby!
- Full color navigation. On the bottom of the Nook is a touch screen that allows you to control your device and swipe your finger to see full color images of the books in your library. Some say this is only a gimmick but I think it represents a good step forward in e-readers. The color navigation also adds to the device’s aesthetic value.
- Features common with other ebook readers. This includes sampling books before buying, an e-ink display that is easy on the eyes and so forth.
My first impression is that the Nook looks like a promising device. Of course, the devil is in the details as they say and we’ll have to wait for the device to be unleashed to consumers (sometime in late November). Once the reviews start rolling in we will have a better idea of how the Nook stands up to the competition. All of the Nook’s great features can quickly be ruined if the device is full of bugs, crashes all the time and is frustrating to use. I doubt that will be the case, but you never know.
Since I just recently purchased my trusty Sony Pocket Edition Reader, I probably won’t be buying the Nook anytime soon. Although my ‘early adopter’ instincts are screaming “I need this device,” my bank account says otherwise. Although I will probably swing by my closest B&N store to give the device a test drive.
Related posts
- Why is the Barnes & Noble Nook already generating a lot of buzz?
- Barnes & Noble releases free iPhone app (review included)
- Nook vs. Kindle: Sharing ebooks with others
- Barnes & Noble considers bundling print books and ebooks
- Part 2: Ebook reader holiday roundup (7 items to consider when buying an e-reader)
Read More: Technology, eBooks
