The Nook, Barnes & Noble’s new ereader, has upped the ante. With a small, 3.5-inch LCD screen in the lower quadrant, the Nook adds touch capabilities that the Kindle definitely does not have.
So who will win the ereader race? While no one in particular has to “win” the race, it’s abundantly clear that Amazon has a head start. B&N was late with their readers, starting with a Kindle-like IREX and ending up with an odd duck that uses e-ink for text display but also adds a bit of UI richness with the color LCD. The specs promise an interesting experience and it’s especially nice to hear that the device will last for 10 days with wireless off, a bit longer than any of the Kindle family in practice although, in theory, any member can hit the 14 day mark.
The real value in these bookstore-backed ereaders is discovery and shopping. Sony’s offerings, for example, lost quite a bit of ground even though they were first to market. A vibrant and wide-ranging bookstore is key to an ereaders success which is what makes the Nook quite interesting.
Another interesting tidbit – the Nook, because it’s built on Android, should run Android apps natively, turning the Nook into more of a computing device than a standalone reader.
No one has to lose in this race. However, when it comes to standards and potential sales Amazon may have to change its attiutude towards sharing in order to beat the Nook’s “lending” functionality which allows users to “give” their books to other Nook users outside of their immediate circle.
I’m just glad to see a little competition. Amazon will be the better for it and B&N seems to know what people like.
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Device |
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Price |
$259 |
$489 |
$259 |
$399 |
$399 |
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Screen Size |
6 inches |
9.7 inches |
3.5 inch LCD/6 inch epaper |
7 inches |
8.1 inches |
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Touch Screen |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
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Rotating Screen |
No |
Yes |
TK |
Yes |
Yes |
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Storage |
2GB not expandable |
4GB not expandable |
2GB Expandable up to 16GB |
2GB expandable via Memory Stick and SD |
No on-board memory, comes with 2GB |
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Wireless |
AT&T |
Sprint |
AT&T 3G and Wi-Fi |
AT&T |
Verizon chipset for worldwide use |
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Bookstore |
Amazon |
Amazon |
Barnes & Noble |
Sony eBookstore |
Barnes & Noble |
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Content Availability |
350,000+ books newspaper, magazine, blog |
350,000+ books newspaper, magazine, blog |
750,000+ books “Users can purchase books, *not available over 3G unless |
100,000+ books One million public domain books via Participating local library *not available over 3G |
750,000+ books “Users can purchase books, *not available over 3G unless |
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Natively Supported Formats |
Kindle (AZW), TXT, Audible, MP3, |
Kindle (AZW), PDF, TXT, Audible, |
ePub, “multiple DRM solutions,” PDF |
ePub, PDF, JPEG, BBeB, RTF, TXT |
ePub, “multiple DRM solutions” |
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Formats Supported via |
PDF, HTML, DOC, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP |
HTML, DOC, RTF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP |
Word, more to come |
DOC, HTML, “other text file |
Not sure yet, will update when more |
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Web Browser |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
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Other Features (lists |
Bookmarks, annotations, dictionary, |
Bookmarks, annotations, dictionary, |
Dictionary |
Highlighting, annotation, |
Bookmarks, search, included stylus, |
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Available |
Now |
Now |
Nov 30 ‘09 |
December ‘09 |
October ‘09 (Europe in mid-2010) |
I thought the B&N web site (or a live blog) said the nook supported PDF natively?
It does.
I spent some time in writing up a post explaining why I pre-ordered the Nook and also updated the chart a bit.
Let me know what you guys think.
http://bit.ly/aFqRz
Kindle DX wins IMO
I believe the Nook has native PDF support. No conversion needed.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/features/techspecs/
This is true.
Helpful for sure, but where do the upcoming ereaders Alex (Spring Design) & Que (Plastic Logic) fall in with the rest? Is B&N OEMing one of these devices?
Kindle = 14 Days with Wireless off and is $260.
Nook = 10 Days with Wireless off and is $260.
Looks like you got just about everything else right though.
Doesn’t the Nook have iphone and desktop syncing?
I read it here:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/20/barnes-and-noble-officially-launches-nook-e-reader-259-pre-orde/
Are you talking about the ability to read your ebook on multiple devices? I think thats the same thing as what you’re talking about. So if true, then yes. You can read your ebooks on iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry, PC and Mac. So if you buy a book from B&N, you aren’t restricted to only being able to read it on your Nook.
but then also synching via a centralized library so if you leave off in one reader it will know where you were when you open the same book in a another reader. I think that’s what he’s getting at
Need to fix the price of the Kindle and mention if you are talking about the US or international version.
It would be really nice if the writers recognised that a large chunk of the TC readers don’t actually live in the US. i.e. It would be great if you provided info on what plans these companies have to extend their products internationally.
Did you leave out the Hanlin/Bebook/Ecoreader etc because they don’t have an affiliation with any particular store or wireless capability?
Ecoreader:
Supported Formats
PDF, PRC, TXT, RTF, EPUB, LIT, PPT, WOL, DOC, CHM, FB2, HTML, DJVU, MP3, TIFF, JPG, GIF, BMP, PNG, RAR, ZIP, MOBI
Digital Rights Management (DRM) – Adobe™ Digital Editions PDF and ePub DRM, Wolf DRM
Very smart move of B&N! I am sure the international shopper would want this device as well, given the rush for the KIndle. B&N does not ship outside the US, luckily through sites like http://www.USunlocked.com you can still get your hands on it.
Why do makers of ebook readers think the public loves to read everything in Black and White? Online magazines with no color? $259 & up for an etch a sketch?
Obviously, it’s the whole backlit screen vs E ink thing. If you want colour, you’ll need a backlit screen with current technology and most people find reading from a backlit screen can get pretty tiring on the eyes after a while. E Ink is much closer to the experience of reading a normal printed page. When the Apple tablet materialises, it will be interesting to see how people find using it as an e-reader (assuming it has a backlit screen). $259 for a portable bookcase that can hold thousands of books and I can throw in a carry bag? Sounds like good value really.
Simple, because they know where the money is at.
You never read E-ink have you? Once you have you’ll answer your own question.
@John, you mentioned that it does not come with a web browser. However since its running Android, can’t we just install all that we need and use it as a touchscreen netbook?
Also, how does the network cost compare? With kindle, I can just pay once and forget paying for the network lifelong! Is it the same for Nook as well?
Srikanth Nagandla
http://www.arktan.com
If somebody hacks it, sure. Android is more like a platform than an OS. Think of like… you build whatever OS you want off of Android. So could they make it support a we browser? Sure. Does it support a web browser the way they have it setup now? Nope. So either they will have to update it or somebody will have to hack it.
John, what about the physical dimensions of the device? The nook looks a little bulky. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/index.asp
Why does the Nook have WiFi if you cannot surf the web. Being able to read email would also be useful.
I would like to see these devices evolve to be read anything and everything devices.
I am most interested in the Kindle DX. I wish that the price would drop more. I see this only happening when other devices with large screens hit the scene. Competition or the or holiday season… I am trying to resist being an early adopter. I have been waiting and do not feel like an early adopter but the price of the DX still seems to be in the early adopter phase.
The second color screen seems like a gimmick to me. Sure it seems more advance but all that it gives you above the Kindle is faster scrolling. How often are you wanting to do that versus make notes. I want to see the typing feature. The Sony and the iRex might be better overall devices but I think Amazon when I want books. And as a semi-researcher, I am probably more interested in reading PDF documents than anything else.
I imagine it’s just in case your area doesn’t have 3G.
One thing to bear in mind is that eink is no where near as fast as a monitor. You cannot really scroll a webpage on an eink display for instance, so web browsing, while “desirable”, is actually pretty lousy on an ebook.
And will continue to be so until they work out how to make eink respond to a charge change in under 100ms. The Nook does not use e-ink (it’s a company, not a product)’s “Vizplex” technology, so think refresh rates in the general vicinity of a second.
oops my bad, it does use vizplex, but (sadly) then it’s still a half-second refresh. great for page turning, horrid for web browsing.
Any information on ability to check books out from the public library with the nook? I haven’t read anything specific about that yet, although I haven’t been able to open library-sourced pdf or epub files on the BN ereader mac client. The files open just fine with adobe’s digital editions and sony’s ebook library software, though.
I overlooked the fact that the Nook has a memory slot. That is a plus. But I still prefer the larger screen size. I did read somewhere that some owners dislike the large size because it makes the device less friendly for toting around.
The fact that you say any of these actually supports PDF is laughable. I purchased the Kindle DX only to return after very bad experiences with trying to read text books delivered by publishers for review. I tried again with the Sony product only to find it was worse then the Kindle.
To solve my problem I ended up with a netbook and will most likely replace it by one of the Netbook/tablet combos.
All of these are still a ways off.
Big James
wow! great comparison. thanks for putting that together.
For da luv of……
Where the hell is the freaking CRUNCHPAD?????????????????????????????
The CrunchPad is not a Reader, although it could be technically used as such. Anyways, it isn’t relevant here at all.
Rumor is that it’ll be released along with most other upcoming Tablets, that’s 2010. Q1 I think?
ok… so what does TK mean? One of the features I like in the upcoming Sony Reader Daily Edition is the ability to rotate the screen. But then I saw the announcement of the nook – and if it had the ability to rotate the screen I just might have to go pick that one up instead. But I have no idea what TK means…
That’s a great question. I’m a huge nerd and I’m pretty good at researching things as well, but I have no clue what TK could possibly mean. Tool Kit? That might be it I guess. Maybe you have to go under options and manually rotate the screen that way? Hmm.
TK is journalist-speak for “to come,” serving as a placeholder for information to be filled in later. It’s not really meant to be published – he should probably have just put “TBA” or “Unknown” in that spot instead.
Yeah, but the Nook has no web browser, which is half the reason I bought the Kindle.
That IS quite depressing, I’m not going to lie. I’d love to be able to check my email and such.
How is the browser on the Kindle? Can you go to any website or is it just a strictly email kind of thing?
So how many of these eBook readers are available to the 95% of the human race who *don’t* live in the USA?
You know, there’s PROBABLY a reason why there are so many US-only readers, just a thought?
Where do you live? Kindle has an international version now. What else could you want? It’s still basically the best reader out there and now it’s available over-sea’s and continually expanding.
The IREX is coming to Europe in 2010.
Germany is getting their own reader as well, although the Kindle is already available there.
I imagine you can get the Sony readers just about anywhere as there really isn’t anything restricting them from not being available anywhere.
See, lots of options. It’s not like the US has this huge wide selection. There is the Kindle and now the Nook. The Kindle is officially internationally available, the Nook as of right now is not.
Sony is not available in Australia. All you can get here is:
iRex, Kindle International, Hanlin, BeBook and ecoReader.
If you want Sony or Nook, you need to get it from places like usunlocked.com or ebay.
The ePaper part probably has exactly the same contrast ratio as the Kindle. They all use the same spinning charged balls technology from the same companies.
I was going to say the thing as othe why black and white e ink why not color yes there such a thing as color e ink I would at that point lay down 300 dollars easy for e reader
So far, there are no color e-ink panels available. The few prototypes that have been shown are slow, low resolution, and have dimmer contrast and muddy colors. Fujitsu is selling a reader with a color screen that is not e-ink but similar. That device takes up to 20 seconds to refresh the screen and costs abut $1000.
Now do you see why the current devices all use B&W screens?
The Kindle 2 is actually $279. The comparison table above shows it as $299.
No cranny jokes yet? C’mon…..
I’ll stick with my OLPC thank you.
It runs Android but doesn’t have a Web browser?
Seriously?
Perhaps you didn’t note — this is an e-book reader. It’s not meant to replace your laptop.
Let the Nook-e book jokes begin…..
Have you seen the eDGe?
http://www.entourageedge.com
I have had two ebook readers (BeBook and Iliad) both failed well within the warranty perior. But after owning them, I realize a netbook or tablet PC is a far better solution. Then you can read all ebooks, listen to music, watch videos, get email, and much more.
Also, Amazon and the like charge obscene prices for ebooks. They also try to tie you into their service alone. I have over 700 ebooks, all obtained for free via free sites on the web. Buying anything from Amazon is stupid beyond belief. Buying any ebook at prices equal or exceeding a paperback is even more ignorant and lazy.
I am totally incompetent with all this stuff, but I live abroad, NEED an e-reader, and am not rich enough to pay 9.99 and more for all the books I want to read. SO TELL ME, how would I get 700 ebooks from free sites, and would they be the ones I am dying to read?
I don’t know about books specifically for the Nook, but this page has an extensive list of free books that work with the Kindle and will likely work with most ereaders.
http://ireaderreview.com/2008/01/19/free-books-for-the-amazon-kindle/
Any word on the ATT contract needed for 3G access? Can I piggy back on existing data accounts – doubt it.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/support/
From the nook support site: “There is no charge for your nook’s wireless features. You do not need a contract. “
Why does it list that the Nook does not support MP3 natively?
It says right on the site that “Use your nook as an MP3 player to listen to audio books or music. ”
Wanna update that?
They really call it a Nook-e reader?
B&N actually don’t sell almost any e-books outside the U.S., that is frankly ridiculous if you consider that one can buy any paper book from anywhere without restrictions. I tried to order several e-books from B&N with no results, and spent my time in vain.
Remember the good old days when E-ink was in color?
http://www.eink.com/press/releases/pr86.html
According to the Nook 360 tour, you can highlight, add notes and bookmark with the touchscreen.
Is it coloured book reader or just b& W
Are you able to have books read to you (i.e. Audio conversion) with the Nook like you can with the Kindle?
i think you mean text to speach !!!
Will I be able to check out books from the library with the Nook? The upcoming Sony Daily Edition will have that option.
Is anyone aware of any software available for lets say a macbook that will present some type of GUI or programme that shares a similar nature to that of these ereaders? I can’t afford the extra devices at this time and date and I’m into the aesthetics of interfaces. Especially one that would make intensive reading like that of a novel easier on a laptop screen.
You can download readers for Mac, Windows or iPhone for free. I read ebooks from both Kindle and B&N on my iPhone, but I like being able to also read B&N titles on my laptops.
how come reading the colored book in grey b&W helps you really enjoy reading..
I would love to have a Kindle or a Nook. The one down-side to a Nook is that the price for ebooks at B&N are in most cases more expensive than at Amazon. Usually at an average of 2 to 3 dollars more per book. That is the one thing that will keep me from buying the Nook.
Pardon me for being a n00b but i just want to clarify things here:
Can i do this to any of the devices mentioned:
1) load books (downloaded from t0rrents) into these devices
or do i really have to buy the books from the respective stores?
i just wanna be sure. i am from a third world country.
Check out the Supported Formats in in the chart above and compare it to the file formats you plan to download.
All of these devices will let you load ebooks that you did not purchase from their bookstore. (though I’m assuming this is true for the Nook).
hello, thanks for the reply Tagbert. i actually have a lot of ebooks in my pc already, most of them in .pdf format. What i was wondering is if its possible (w/o some hacks) to load t0rrent ebooks via usb to any of these reader, most especially the nook <3, coz maybe these got some "anti-pirate" checking or something. HELP. xD
The nook plays MP3s too. (I don’t see it on your chart)
Is it possible to zoom to pdf documents in nook, I wonder?
Of course, there’s still something called a public library.
They are free (when distributed through a platform called a public library).
Their screen size is variable absolute terms, but 1:1 to the actual physical book or newspaper.
You can touch their screens but that doesn’t do anything, but real paper feels nice. The screen rotates when you turn the book.
They have as much storage as needed, generally much larger than the other devices listed. In fact, some may have more absolute books available than any of the devices listed (e.g., Library of Congress).
They generally lack wireless capability. In fact, you must physically move yourself to proximity to the text storage device (e.g., book) to read it.
This device does not rely on a book store. Instead, it links directly to the book publishers.
This device is available now.