Official word on Barnes & Noble’s “Nook” e-reader

Jacqueline DiOrio (Gnome_Queen) Barnes & Noble has released official details on their Kindle-killing e-reader.

October 21, 2009 1:24 PM ET in News, , , , , , ,

The Nook

The Nook

A Barnes & Noble press conference has offered official details about the company’s new e-reader, named “Nook.”

The Nook will have a 6” E-Ink display (same for Kindle), as well as a 3.5″ color touchscreen LCD used to access settings and titles. The unit will also have 2GB of storage, which can be expanded to 18GB via microSD. Rounding out the specs, the device gets 10 days of battery (Kindle gets 14), runs Google’s Android OS, and features a USB port for what will undoubtedly be a vast number of hacks.

B&N is pledging a library of at least one million titles at launch, all of which can be accessed via AT&T 3G or WiFi, but the WiFi is disappointingly limited to B&N for now. There is no word of the WiFi support will be expanded.

Barnes and Noble has additionally created a loaner program for the Nook, called “LendMe,” and it allows users to share e-books with any other device running the B&N e-reader software. Supported devices include BlackBerries, iPhones, Macs and PCs. Books may be lent for up to two weeks, just like a normal library. This will definitely give the Nook a one up on the Kindle, which offers no such program.

The Nook is priced identically to the Kindle at $259, and pre-orders are expected to ship in November. Users interested in trying before they buy may visit any Barnes & Noble store to give the Nook a go.

Update (10/21/2009 2:17 PM EST): We have received a few questions which we did not touch on in our original article.

Q: What formats does the Nook support?
A: PDF, ePub, eReader and B&N’s proprietary format.

Q: Will the page bookmarks sync between devices running the e-reader software?
A: Yes. If you bookmark a page in the Nook software (iPhone, Mac, PC, BlackBerry), the bookmark will automatically sync to any other device which loads that book.

17 Comments:

  1. Thrax
    21 Oct '09, 5:49 pm

    I want this. Very badly.

  2. pigflipper
    21 Oct '09, 5:54 pm

    While I can see where this (and the Kindle for that matter) is going to be the "future" of books and reading, I believe it will take some of the soul out of books. To me, reading is about immersing myself into the words of another and part of the experience is the feel of the paper as you turn the page. I like the printed word and I like it even more when it has a physical presence, removing that physical part removes what makes it a book and turns it into just another file.

    Then again, I keep all my text books from class, all the books I have ever bought to read, magazines, etc. I like having a physical record.

  3. Thrax
    21 Oct '09, 5:56 pm

    As I commented in another thread, the physical presentation of literature means absolutely nothing to me. I don't identify with the paper, or the cover, or the ink on the page. I identify with the characters and the narrative, neither of which lose their soul when moved from paper to plastic. I am not transported to another place by a dead tree... I am transported by what is written, no matter the format.

  4. pigflipper
    21 Oct '09, 6:02 pm

    Eh, I grew up reading instead of going outside (except for fishing) before I had a computer of my own. It was ingrained in me that books are precious and important. Hell, I take better care of my books than I do my computer. Also, electronic files (books in this case) could be censored or "questionable content" removed very easily. Granted, the 14-year old boy known as the Internet would probably keep the original alive in backrooms, but most people would be oblivious to the changes/"corrections"/removals of various parts.

    EDIT: just noticed that I didn't even come close to countering your arguement, Thrax. Well, arguement is not really the correct word. Difference of opinion is closer to it. Then again, to put something into what you said, e-books are a lot easier to carry around than my 30+ boxes of books.

  5. RWB
    21 Oct '09, 6:04 pm

    I don't think I could ever agree more with Thrax. I like to simplify things I own and the idea is to have less but own more so to speak. I've had to drop large numbers of books I've owned over the years because I simply didn't have the heart to move hundreds of pounds of books.

  6. Thrax
    21 Oct '09, 6:05 pm

    Books are precious to me as well. I dust my books, they're kept in mint condition, they're well-shelved and were well-packed when I moved. But they're also inconvenient, if you really stop to think about them. And that aside, as a literature lover, I am thrilled by the idea of putting 17,000 books on one device, not to mention all the PDFs which I don't often read as they're trapped on my PC.

  7. chrisWhite
    21 Oct '09, 6:16 pm

    Damn this looks amazing! If it does native PDF like the Kindle DX it looks perfect. If there's a desktop reader and an iPhone & Android app for it that would be unstoppable, especially if it will sync your location the way the Kindle and the Kindle iPhone app do.

  8. chrisWhite
    21 Oct '09, 6:20 pm

    Sweet, it does do PDF and syncing.

  9. chrisWhite
    21 Oct '09, 6:23 pm

    Color touch screen means it's actually useful for art books or text books that require color and a decent bit depth. Browser will be much better with a touch screen for navigation too.

  10. GHoosdum
    22 Oct '09, 3:21 am

    Color screen means it can be the replacement for printed textbooks that the Kindle can't.

  11. Snarkasm
    22 Oct '09, 7:25 am

    Note: annotations and notes will ALSO sync with shared copies of the book - meaning if I share a book with you and have highlighted some key parts, you can see those. Another point in the column for textbook replacements.

  12. mas0n
    22 Oct '09, 3:36 pm

    I'm torn. This thing is sexy and runs Android, but I'm not a fan of B&N. I'd rather give money to Amazon.

    errrrrrrrrr

    I think I need to go play with one.

  13. Snarkasm
    22 Oct '09, 3:53 pm

    Could you, for argument's sake, buy one from B&N, but buy books from Amazon?

    I've heard B&N's store is more expensive, but I have no idea which format Amazon uses and if it's compatible with Nook's format list.

  14. Gnome Queen
    22 Oct '09, 4:13 pm

    I would look more towards Google editions. You're supposed to be able to buy through Amazon or Barnes and Nobles and then host it through Google. It aims to be open to any platform, so I see no reason why it wouldn't work with the Nook.

  15. JE BN Employee
    19 Nov '09, 3:16 pm

    ERROR IN ARTICLE:

    It says the Nook gets 10 hours of battery which must be a typographical error be cause it says the Kindle gets 14. Where the article says hours it should say days. Nook gets 10 DAYS of battery life.

  16. primesuspect
    19 Nov '09, 8:17 pm

    Thanks for letting us know!

  17. GeneW
    23 Jan '10, 2:26 am

    Sorry to disappoint you guys but you should re-read the description again. The color touch screen is only used for navigation which means Nook won't be replacing any art or text books that need color illustrations any time soon. I view the color touch screen as a gimmick, otherwise Nook is pretty much just a Kindle in another wrapper.

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