A Review of Barnes and Noble Nook
Launched last October 2009, Barnes and Noble’s Nook, one of the latest handheld ereaders in the market today, was seen as a possible candidate to unseat the Amazon Kindle from its dominance in the ebook reader industry. What has it got that makes it a significant challenger This Nook review attemps to discover the many features of this ebook reader.
Size and Display
First off, the basic specs. The Nook’s surface dimensions are fairly standard. It is 7.7 inches in length, 4.9 inches wide, 0.5-inch thick, and weighs 11.2 ounces. It’s about the same size as the 2nd generation Kindle – only thicker and a bit more heavy. The device also comes with a 6-inch display that uses e-ink technology with 16 shades of gray, and a number of choices for font style and size.
But what undoubtedly gives it a wow factor that’s not present on most ebook readers today is the 3.5-inch capacitive color touchscreen. Located just below the e-ink screen, the LCD monitor replaces the standard keyboard and buttons used for choosing ebooks and navigating within the ereader and the text itself.
Other Value-Added Features
The Nook is equipped with 2GB of internal memory and a micro-SD card slot so it’s easy to add more memory as may be needed. The ebook device also comes with a replaceable lithium ion battery, 3G connection using the AT&T network, WiFi connectivity, MP3 player, speakers, and built-in dictionary.
Other Nook features that are completely unique from other ebook readers are the book lending and store browsing capabilities. As the term implies, book lending refers to having the ability to lend out an ebook in your library to a different ereader user for a 14-day period. In-store browsing, on the other hand, means having the option to browse full ebooks free of charge in brick-and-mortar Barnes & Noble outlets.
Where the Nook Could Improve
This Nook assessment wouldn’t be complete if we don’t reveal a few of the concerns expressed by current Nook owners. One is the absence of web browsing capacity despite its WiFi connectivity. Another serious issue is the Nook’s seemingly insufficient battery life as compared to other ereaders. Barnes & Noble says it could last about 7 to 10 days with the WiFi deactivated, but for actual users, 4 to 5 days is more like it.
With the Nook’s superior features and Barnes & Noble’s innovative services, the Nook could have a huge effect on the ereader market. But as this Nook review points out, there still are quite a few modifications that have to be made, for the device to really take off in a big way.