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Barnes & Noble recently introduced its Nook electronic book reader, with the national US book store setting its sights squarely on the popular Amazon Kindle e-reader.
The device has a 7.7×4.9 in. screen with color navigation panel, Wi-Fi, 2GB onboard memory and the ability to increase storage up to 16GB. Furthermore, B&N’s Nook can play MP3s and read PDF files, with the ability to share books with other Nook owners, Apple iPhone and iPod Touch owners, and some mobile phone owners. 2GB of storage space is good for 1,500 books, magazines and newspapers, according to B&N.
The Nook will have several major marketing advantages over the Kindle, despite the overall popularity of Amazon’s device. First, the ability to market and sell the device in retail B&N locations across the country will give the Nook a major advantage over all other e-readers available that are online-only. In addition, there are consumers who are hesitant in purchasing a device they’ve never seen physically in front of them, which gives the Nook another competitive edge.
However, the Nook does lack at least one crucial feature that the Kindle has, along with several physical downsides. The Nook doesn’t have a text-to-speech feature similar to the Kindle — and is heavier, with a shorter battery life.
Barnes & Noble will launch its Nook e-reader in November with a $259 MSRP, which puts it at the same price point as the Kindle.
I look forward to a very interesting next few months, as consumers begin to show increased interest in e-readers. Despite B&N’s physical presence across the country, Amazon is an extremely popular online portal. Will B&N be able to steal enough attention from the Kindle to sell its Nook to consumers?
3 Comments
. Only books authorized by Barnes and Noble can be loaned (only some books can be loaned out).
. Only one loan per authorized book allowed.
. The allowed book for that one loan can be loaned for 14 days only.
. The only e-reader that the book can be loaned to is another Nook (or little devices like the iphone).
This book loaning feature seems to be a key feature that B&N has been touting. If what I've read so far on the subject is correct though, the loan feature is more of an advertising gimmick than an honest to goodness useful feature.
A 7.7" screen is touted but the reading part is 6" (same as the Kindle) leaving the bottom part for touch screen navigation (as opposed to Kindle's mechanical button and joy stick navigation).
The one big advantage I see to the Nook is the ability to seamlessly transfer PDF documents into it (it's a bit more tedious with the Kindle).
I only bring these things up because I've been looking to replace my Kindle 1 with something new and better. So far though, as a book reader (what it's being used for most of the time), there's no difference whatsoever between any of these e-readers (although the Kindle DX is larger). Although both the Nook and the Kindle can do downloads from virtually anywhere, the Sony needs computer connection (thus ruled out for me).
I got real excited about this reader after reading the hype on the Nook. But now that I've calmed down, I'm hoping the the Kindle will yet again drop its price in order to counter the more eye catching and maybe easier to use aspects of the Nook. I may get a Nook but if the Kindle does a decent price drop I'll probably go with it.
P.S. I didn't pay tax on my Kindle and don't pay tax on downloaded books. Will it be the same for the Nook in that B&M has brick and mortar stores in every state I know of.
One other thing to add the "downside" list for the Nook.
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