Ever since Amazon released their Kindle eReader device in 2007, many other companies have released similar devices. The two most notable of these are Barnes and Noble and Sony, although Apple's iPad will also be an interesting competitor. Given Barnes and Noble's respectability in the book market, their device is definitely one which many people have been hotly anticipating. But how does it compare to the others? If you are thinking about purchasing a Nook or any other eReader in the near future, here is some information about the Nook that you will want to keep in mind.
1. Dual Screen
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The first thing you will probably notice about the Nook is that it actually has two separate screens. This makes it quite unique compared to every other device on the market. The bottom portion of the screen is a full color screen with multi-touch display, while the upper screen is a monochrome e-ink display, just like the Kindle's. You can browse through your books on the color screen with a flip of your finger in a display which is highly reminiscent of Apple's Cover Flow display. Turning pages is optimized for both left and right handed folks, and the upper screen is highly responsive to page turns. The color screen uses quite a bit more battery juice than the upper screen. Luckily, they aren't both required to remain turned on at all times. The lower screen will generally turn off automatically after 30 seconds, while the upper screen will go to sleep after about 20 minutes.
2. Connectivity
The Nook can connect and download books either via an AT&T powered 3G wireless connection or through WiFi. Books download just as quickly as on the Kindle. Every day, Barnes and Noble also sends you two free pieces of content written by professional journalists. One is a humor piece and the other is a "this day in history" type piece. If you bring your Nook into a Barnes and Noble store, you can connect via WiFi to gain access to a slew of extras. You can read selected short stories and essays for free, and you can also find coupons for free coffee or cookies from the in-store coffee shop. This is definitely something Amazon and Sony can't offer. Unfortunately, the Nook doesn't come equipped with a web browser like the Kindle does.
3. Book Store
The book store that you can access with your Nook is very intuitive and easy to use. Because it isn't a touch screen device, the store is mostly text-based. You can browse through bestsellers, newspapers, magazines, and by genre. You can also perform a search for your favorite author or title. Once you make a purchase, the book is downloaded to your device within seconds.
4. Technical Specs
Overall, the device looks very similar to the Kindle. However, it is a bit thicker, at half an inch, compared to the Kindle's 3 inches. There is a power button which you can tap once to put the device to sleep. You can also hold it down for about 5 seconds to turn the device off completely. Oddly, the Nook won't charge when it is completely turned off. There is a standard micro USB port on the bottom of the unit, and a slot to insert an SD card. The internal hard drive holds 2GB, so the SD card isn't strictly needed. However, it can be useful for loading PDFs and ePub files into the Nook.
Can the Barnes and Noble Nook Compete With the IPad? BARNES AND NOBLE
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