Barnes and Noble has shocked the ebook reader world with releasing it’s new Nook Color, a color touch screen version of ebook reader. How does the Nook Color compare vs the Kindle 3?
Nook Color Vs Kindle Vs Nook Video Demonstration
You can click HERE to visit Barnes and Noble for the Nook Color and Nook
You can click HERE to visit Amazon for the Kindle 3
New Nook Color
The new Nook Color could not be more different than the original Nook, and it almost makes more sense to compare the IPad vs Nook Color rather than the Nook Color vs Kindle 3.
But if you are in the market for an ebook reader, then you must compare these two devices. They are by far the hottest ebook readers on the market, hands down.
The Nook color is made with an IPS color touch screen. This is the same technology that the IPad from Apple is made with. The viewing angle of the screen is 178 degrees, meaning there is very low glare.
The screen is back lit, a sharp contrast to the original Nook and Kindle 3 alike, both with “E-Ink” screens. It’s interesting, Barnes and Noble released the Nook with E-Ink screen and claimed it reduced eye-strain compared to back lit devices, and yet they went ahead and introduced the IPS screen device anyway. The pull to compete with the IPad was obviously too strong to resist for B and N.
Battery power for the Nook Color is abysmal at 8 hours, compared to the Nook which is at 10 days…which is weak compared to the Kindle 3 at 30 days! However, the memory capacity is massive at 8GB, and expandable with SD cards.
The All-In-One Device Allure- You can basically do the same things with Nook Color that you can with IPad, except for take advantage of thousands of apps.
Slow Device? The device has been reported as slightly sluggish compared to, say, an iPad.
Bottom Line- As an ebook reader, this device is not impressive at all compared to the Kindle 3 with it’s lack of battery power, no 3G access, and back lit eye-straining screen. As a e-magazine reader, this may make a little more sense to purchase. If one is looking to compare straight ebook readers, perhaps it makes more sense to compare the original Nook vs Kindle 3.
As a MAGAZINE reader, this product is a GREAT choice. If you are into daily, weekly, and monthly publications that are digitally delivered to you each day, then you’ll want the Nook Color, since it’s at the much cheaper price point than the iPad, and much easier navigation than the Nook or Kindle 3.
New Kindle 3
The new Kindle 3 was just released with a list of features that blew the Nook out of the water.
Memory capacity was increased to 3,500 books standard. The entire device was made lighter and sleeker. Contrast was improved, button noise improved, price decreased, page turn time was improved and it looked like the ultimate ebook reader.
Honestly, it still does look like the best ebook reader on the market, if you are into reading books and novels. However, you won’t find the Kindle 3 the best choice if you want to peruse digital magazines and subscriptions to newspapers with color photos.
The Battery Power for the Kindle 3 compared to the Nook Color is in a whole other dimension. Kindle 3 is at 30 days with wireless turned off, while the Nook Color is at 8 hours…with the wireless turned off! On a trip, how long is that not going to be annoying for to have a Nook Color? Not long.
Pricing- The Kindle 3 is just over $100 less than the Nook Color at this time.
Click for Kindle 3 Current Pricing at Amazon…
Click for Nook Color Current Pricing at Barnes and Noble…
TechWham’s Opinion
In our opinion, the Kindle 3 is by far the best ebook reader on the market today if you are the type of person who wants to read novels and books on your device, and be able to download them anywhere in the world.
The Nook Color is a great choice for someone who is willing to spend about $250 for a full-color almost all-in-one style device. This will be a great device for you to read your e-subscriptions on and check email, and surf the web, watch your movies on, and look at pictures with. Keep in mind the Nook Color is not quite as robust as the iPad or other Tablet PC’s. You may want to take a look at our iPad vs Nook Color video and page.
December 14, 2010 at 9:55 am
oh enough already with this “anywhere in the world” dumb argument, all of a sudden Americans have all become international travelers who spend half of their time offshore…
December 14, 2010 at 10:08 am
This is a great feature for those few people in the world who live outside of America.
December 25, 2010 at 6:27 pm
Not sure if you are aware of the fact the us Americans only account for 3% of thw WORLD Population. So from a business standpoint it realy was a pretty dumb choice
February 27, 2011 at 2:36 pm
@clearsam,Chicago, IL:
I know I’m a bit late into the discussion, but have you ever considered how few people live in the US compared to the rest of the world? I’m not American, and this attitude amongst people from the US always cracks me up. Are you aware that there are more people living in Europe than in North America? That the populations of India and China are several times that of the US? Get over yourself!
March 8, 2011 at 9:45 am
@clearsam,Chicago, IL:
Believe it or not, there are a few of us that travel alot.
December 17, 2010 at 1:30 pm
Both of those comments were classic. Awesome.
December 17, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Oh…. and the article was very useful!
December 18, 2010 at 1:43 pm
I think Barnes and Noble missed the mark completely with their Nook Color. A desperate move that I think they will regret as Sony moves in to be the “other reader” to try to topple Amazon. If B&N thinks they are going to compete successfully with the super awesome IPad, they are sadly mistaken. Apple has too much infrastructure and momentum in place. Did B&N think e-ink was dead? It isn’t – not by a long shot.
With their ongoing bloody fight with Amazon, I don’t understand why B&N threw all their R&D into making a device that tries to compete with the IPad. In the meantime, Amazon kept their eye on the prize and improved their ereader – making it smaller, thinner, faster, longer lived, and more capable than before (PDF’s, etc.).
So, instead of Barnes and Noble fighting to move up from second place in the e-reader market, they are fighting for second or third place in the slate computing/backlit display market (no way they will ever topple iPad and hit first – no way at all – ever). I was holding out for the Nook to do something amazing. Instead, they forfeited in their fight with Amazon and decided to try and get into another sport – fighting Apple.
There is no new device competition for the Kindle 3. It is the best e-reader by huge margin. It’s not the best general use electronic pad device (that’s the iPad). Amazon picked well.
Although Adobe may well have the last laugh in their control of DRM and e-books, the Nook is a bust. The other “open” players will have to step up and do something. Otherwise, Amazon will just rule the space.
I just bought two of the new Kindle 3′s for Christmas. I hope that by the time they age out and I need to replace them, there will be some real competition for my e-reader business.
February 2, 2011 at 3:54 pm
@Kman: Amazing! The Color Nook is a great product. Who JUST reads ebooks… now be honest!
Sure, Ipad, ITouch.. “I” anything is a branded concept that evokes the I gotta’ have it reaction. B and N have took a bold step to bring into the market a device that is good looking, expandable and well built… and the damn thing works! My wife just downloaded her stash of ebooks into the CN and she was up and reading in a few moments.
Pandora, now that is a WOW, in my opinion, being added to the extras. I looked and looked for a device that has a lot of bang for the buck and the CN was just the ticket. Before you start the trash talk, check out the demos and the future of the Color Nook.. sure it’s new and it is a BIG step in full functionality. Why have three devices to do three different things when one will do.
The battery life, okay..what’s your point? You cant Plug it it in and get a charge? Your Laptop has a life less than 4 – 5 hours … you have to carry it in a big case, lug it around; the CN is small, carry it in the brief case, bag or what have you. I am not impressed with a device that is not a multi-tasker. It’s like haveing ten remotes to control your home theatre.
I just love you blue-nose techno geeks that have your finger on the pulse of the electronic world. Wake up.. smell the coffee and get with the program; we are going for devices, processors, memory, image quality, communications and IT rolled into one package that does it all very well and this is a heck of a step in the right direction.
B an N have put a lot of money into this project and I am sure it is to get a market share of the ebook readership that will put them into a position where they can pull off and invent a device to do it all including keeping us from be amused to death by the 30 second sound clip.
Bravo to B and N.. and Bravo to Amazon for starting this healty marketing program to benefit us all.
February 27, 2011 at 7:57 am
@Dfire359:
You just said everything I wanted to say!!! The Nook Color ROCKS!!!! Glad to know I’m not the only one that sees it!
December 18, 2010 at 9:54 pm
I just got the NookColor and LOVE IT! I’m glad B&N decided to compete with Apple over Amazon. I can’t afford an iPad frankly, wanted an e-reader, and read lots of magazines. The NookColor was the best alternative for me. I do agree about the crappy battery life though, that is a huge bummer.
December 19, 2010 at 1:29 pm
I bought the color nook…..I love it!!! okay so you down load your books before you leave the house…or park close to the MILLIONS of free hotspots in the world to download. Kindle does not come close to this as far as a techi stand point. I pad too expensive, Kindle too boring…..color nook just right. And it’s android based…..apps to come…watch!
December 23, 2010 at 1:14 pm
From a previous Nook owner, – if we’re talking about an “E-Book Reader” and not an I-Pad clone, Kindle 3 is hands down the better reader (my subjective opinion) in consideration features in support of READING BOOKS. While Nook developers are apparently trying to compete with Apple, Kindle has remained faithful to the simple enjoyment of reading.
I returned my Nook to B&N as “defective” when I discovered the new firmware 1.5 eliminated previous firmware features that I personally liked and automatically downloaded version 1.5 when logged on with the Nook. The owner has NO choice as to whether or not he/she wants the updated firmware, – it’s going to download to your Nook whether you like it or not, and according to Nook technical support, – there’s no way (other than never logging on) to retain or returning to an earlier preferred firmware version. Kindle offers (is offering) a “beta” version of their upcoming latest firmware for download and has invited feedback from users which provides some hope Kindle developers might actually consider customer preferences.
And although there are many other Kindle features that appeal to me personally, the fact Kindle has two (2) comprehensive, easily accessable/user friendly dictionaries is singularly reason enough for selecting the Kindle over the Nook. The Nook dictionary seems to be an irritating, basically useless afterthought.
For those trying to decide which reader to buy, – strongly suggest making the best possible comparison beforehand which is difficult as most retail vendors don’t carry both Nook and Kindle. It’s also difficult to appreciate one reader over the other without having spent some “reading time” with each. I only discovered Kindle’s assets when I purchased one after having returned my Nook for the reasons mentioned and the fact Barnes & Noble didn’t have a particular book in E-Book format I was looking for and which Amazon stocked. It’s occurred to me maybe Amazon as a large retailer carries a broader E-Book selection than B&N which might also be a reason to consider the Kindle.
Disregarding all user interface feature comparisons between the Nook and Kindle, for me just the lighter weight and ergonomic appearance of the Kindle imediately suggests that for the same price, the Kindle is definitely the more intriguing, visibily appealing of the two readers. Like a paperback, you can actually hold the Kindle with one hand for comfortable reading.
December 26, 2010 at 11:40 am
OH , I feel like a recall may come soon .My device gets too warm. Locks up quite frequently. The battery life will have to be addressed too short.
December 26, 2010 at 7:24 pm
What device do you have???!
December 26, 2010 at 9:53 pm
The color nook is one of the best things that’s happen. Barnes & Noble is not competing against the ipad with the color nook, that’s the media saying that. If you only want an E reader then by all means buy a kindle. With that said I think people want more than that and that’s why the buy the color e nook.
December 27, 2010 at 9:47 am
We bought a Kindle 3 for my 15 year old son- and he loves it. The ONLY downside; the Kindle uses “locations” to determine where you are in the book instead of “pages.” So, when doing a book report, he has to find the actual book so he can reference it correctly. Does anyone really care if they have to read the same page on several screens if they make the print larger? This is the only reason why I am considering buying the Nook black & white for myself and trading with him. Although he does love it and says he doesn’t want to give it up. Teachers pass out books they need- he says he’ll go to the library if needed for independently read books. Still….
December 28, 2010 at 8:11 am
Check out the APA Style Blog post here at http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2009/09/how-do-i-cite-a-kindle.html The APA is the authority on rules for writing. It’s surprising, but it’s no problem citing for a Kindle in this day and age… I was looking through their rules, and you can cite a Tweet? Even Facebook!
December 27, 2010 at 3:05 pm
I was gifted a nook, returned for a kindle after all the reviews. Hope I made the right choice!
December 27, 2010 at 3:07 pm
My two Kindles arrived before Christmas and I couldn’t wait and leave them wrapped under the tree. I wrapped them the day they arrived (December 20th) and handed them out to the family for immediate consumption. They are used (and fought over) daily by my family. I’m probably going to spring for another one once Amazon restocks their cheaper model.
After several days of intense use (I’m reading a lot these days), here’s my updated take.
First and foremost – as a reader, the Kindle really does rock. Five out of five stars. When I have the font the way I want it, and I’m page flipping through a novel, I have found nothing better in existance (carbon or silicone based) for straight out and out reading ease and pleasure. Without reservation, I can say the Kindle 3 it is the best way to do it. I literally forget it is there.
Stepping back from the straight out page-flipping/reading experience, there is some room for improvement on the device. First of all, the keyboard is clunky. The HOME, BACK and MENU buttons could have been much better thought out both in position and in whether all three were truely needed. Also, the five-way directional button selector has forced me to grow my thumbnails out to make use of anything but the large center button (haven’t chewed my thumbnails since the devices arrived).
Going to Amazon on the device and browsing for and downloading a book isn’t exactly rocket science, but it is, well, clunky. I would have expected a more streamlined experience by this time. Perhaps Amazon needs to take some User Interface simplification notes from Apple (or from Microsoft for their elegant Windows Phone 7 UI). I’m not expecting color glitz or animated transition screens. That junk is a waste. I’m just looking for a clean, simple, fast, intuitive interface. Both the button layout and the online search/select process would benefit from some massive refinement.
My other beef is that I can set the font for the books I read (I need bigger ones these days), but you have no way to modify the font of the menu screens to select your book to read. Come on guys.
After having played with several devices and researching the heck out of it, I made my choice. I’m very, very happy with it. Could it be improved? Yeah, but there’s nothing on a shelf or online that is closer to my ideal device. Not yet. Perhaps the Kindle 4?
Merry Christmas. Happy New Year.
December 27, 2010 at 6:37 pm
I really want to buy a e reader! but i dont know wich one to buy, if the kindle 3 or the Nook or Nook Color
Here is the problem, i live in Canada, and i my first lenguage is spanish, and i read in english witch is not a big problem , but you know i have some problems with some words, and i could like to have a little help with a build-in diccionary, i was thinking about Kindle 3 3G+wifi because i can go to the internet to see the meaning of a word (wikipedia or something), but from here (Toronto ON) i get to pay like $230 canadian dollars (200 US) and i will get it on the end of Feb 2011, on the fastest way from Amazon.com, today i discovered the Nook and the Nook Color, and for 250 dollaer i can afford an “almost-ipad-ereader” and here is the question… Nook and Nook Color have a build-in diccionary with is amazing for me, and i dont meed internet conneccion, i spend a lots of time on the subway so i have no 3G covered. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Kindle 3 have a build-in diccionary?
How confortable is the Nook Colour for read? ( im not an outsider-reader so)
Sometimes i got some “free” books from internet in my computer, i think most of them ‘PDF files, so CAN I TRANSFER AND READ THEM IN KINDLE 3 OR NOOR?
hope you can guys can help mee!!.. i wanted my e reader for chrismas.. =)
December 28, 2010 at 8:20 am
Yes the Kindle 3 has a built in dictionary, you can check out the video we did that shows how to it works, and how the Nook dictionary works in comparison on the Nook vs Kindle page.
Both the Amazon and Barnes and Noble bookstores have a huge library of Free books, and you can also put your PDFs on both devices (can put them on the Kindle 3, Nook, and Nook Color)
The Nook Color is comfortable to read, but the Nook and Kindle 3 with E-Ink screens are more comfortable because they are not back lit devices. It’s like the difference between reading off of a computer screen for a couple hours versus reading a book for a couple hours. The E-Ink is supposedly much gentler on the eyes.
December 28, 2010 at 10:42 am
I bought the Nook color for me, my mom and my 12 year old daugher. We love them. I have a friend who has a Kindle and there is no comparison. It comes down to what you want to do with it. Yes the nook is great for reading on the beach … but, hello if I’m at the beach I certainly won’t be reading! The color nook is great for reading e-books, newspapers and magazines. I can check my e-mail and surf the web. My daughter loves her nook as she can go onine and look stuff up easily, check e-mail and use facebook or u-tube. We have wi-fi so it’s easy. Plus there is wi-fi all over the place, McDonalds, Tim Hortons, the book stores, all the coffee shops. When we travel we can use the hotels wi-fi. The only complain I have about my Nook is that battery life sucks! But, since I also have the car charge it’s not that bad I guess
December 28, 2010 at 7:11 pm
I have read more library books on my Nook than actual purchased books. This was teh deciding factor for me since the Kindle does not support ePub format.
December 28, 2010 at 7:15 pm
V, you have very good reasons for selecting a Nook Color. The Nook Color and the Kindle 3 are completely different classes of devices. The Nook Color and the iPad are a better comparison. Both those devices are superior for looking at newspapers, magazines, web sites and other active content. They have backlit displays that produce great color and the transitions are superior.
The Kindle 3, however, is superior for reading novels. Why? My family and I have been keeping the Kindle busy for about five hours out of each day since we received it a week ago. Even with turning on the wireless to download the occasional book here and there, the battery is still showing half full. The battery life rocks! Also, the e-ink display works better for me than a backlit display. Why? I work in IT. I stare at backlit computer screens for at least nine hours a day. The last thing I want to do is stare at another backlit display to read in my off hours.
However, V has shown that based on your needs, one can arrive at a Nook Color for the right reasons. The Nook Color does active content better than a Kindle and is cheaper than an iPad (which is a better device, but you have to pay for it).
The important thing to understand is that you shouldn’t just buy an e-reader without doing some real thinking about what you intend to do with it. I wanted something for book reading. The Kindle does that very well (in my opinion, the best of anyone).
January 2, 2011 at 9:49 am
I’m trying to decide which e-reader to buy. It sounds like the Kindle is best for ease of reading, but the Nook has access to a greater variety of downloadable sources. I do NOT want to be limited to Amazon for books, but it seems there are problems with the Kindle’s access to other sources. I’ve read that the PDF idea doesn’t always work, and that the ePUB idea doesn’t, either. I don’t even know what that is. None of the reviews seem to address this point.
January 2, 2011 at 10:19 am
I’ve never had a problem with the PDFs on the Kindle… The ePub files, however, don’t work on the Kindle! This is THE big reason that many people are choosing the Nook over Kindle. It will be interesting to see how Amazon reacts to the proliferation of the ePub file. Not all libraries have the ability to distribute ePubs yet, but more and more are getting there and more and more people are going to be demanding it.
I think they will open up the ePub file use sometime soon…I could be wrong…but there is going to be a point where its a losing proposition to alienate everyone who wants to use the ePub. Right now, Amazon is still making a killing with ebook sales compared to the rest of the marketplaces, so they aren’t at that point yet.
March 7, 2011 at 5:17 pm
@Judyveta: well, get calibre, it a file conversion software, u can go pdf to epub or watever u like lol.
January 3, 2011 at 11:14 pm
All comments are helpful. I think I will go with Kindle as I want it simply to read. Thank You!!
January 4, 2011 at 10:14 am
MAJOR HOLE in the article. The Nook Color (and Nook) allow for the electronic checking out of e-publications from the US Library system. The Kindle does not. Begin adding the price of always needing to “purchase” your material instead of being able to check out titles FREE and you have a major flaw that Amazon is going to have to address. Kudos to B&N for moving quickly to secure that strategic advangage. Epic fail on the article for missing that important information.
January 4, 2011 at 4:40 pm
Tim, you’re right. As stated before in the comments and other articles on this site, this is THE HUGE reason that people will choose the Nook over the Kindle. Amazon will have to address the ePub file issue, and I can just imagine the meetings that go on behind closed doors…They have such a large market share for selling digital books (over 60% of all digital ebooks sold) despite the ePub issue, that they obviously don’t feel the pressure to allow the ePub usage yet. For how long though??! There is obviously a tipping point that will force their hand.
January 5, 2011 at 11:39 am
Until I got to the very end and most updated comments, I was surprised to find that the author of this article and others failed to mention a very, very important difference between the two models – Kindle does not allow you to obtain books from your local library.
I’m still trying to determine which product to purchase. It’s a huge issue for me to not be able to obtain “free” books from the library. So, Kindle loses points for me there. It’s also an issue for me to have to charge my e-reader as often as I would have to with the nookcolor (and that is likely the one I will go with if I chose the nook). B&N loses points for me here.
I’m still trying to weigh which flaw I’m more willing to live with.
January 6, 2011 at 7:30 am
First things first…does YOUR local library have the ability to lend out digital books?
January 9, 2011 at 12:01 pm
I am 15 and I have saved up my money to buy an Ereader. I like the kindle casue it is cheaper and I can read in bright light. But with the nook color you can read in the dark (which I like to do as well) THe nook color has the cool thing of being able to surk the web, but can’t you get on the web with the kindle?If not correct me. But, I also have a laptop so I dont know why I would need the internet acsess. But also I can sit down and read for hours and i dont want to be limited by the short life of the nook color. I dont read magazines that often but I am a book worm. So whats my better choice?
January 9, 2011 at 6:54 pm
I think it’s a no-brainer to go with the Kindle or the original Nook in your situation. You CAN get on the web with the Kindle, but like you said, why? Who knows, maybe you’ll be desperate for internet access at some point. But it seems like you are more of a “purist” reader. The Kindle is the way to go for you, in my opinion.
January 11, 2011 at 12:05 pm
How does the whole ‘library lending’ work? do you have to be in the library to download the book & how long do you have to read the book before it gets “returned”?
January 11, 2011 at 5:21 pm
You have to be a member of the library, but you don’t have to be in it. You can log in at home and download the book to your device. The books I have checked out have all been 21 days.
January 13, 2011 at 9:44 pm
No comparison. Kindle doesn’t allow you to read the public domain stuff. Why should you have to pay for Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Mark Twain, etc. like you do with the Kindle ? This is all free stuff from Project Gutenberg and the other public domain sites. I can’t say about other states, but here in central Illinois all of the libraries use epubs. It’s as simple as installing adobe digital editions, going to your library website and downloading whatever you browse up. Tell me again about the advantage of Kindle ?
January 16, 2011 at 9:19 am
Actually Amazon has thousands of public domain ebooks available on their store for free. Another thing to do to access more (from Google Books, etc) is to download “Calibre”, which is a software that manages and converts your ebooks automatically.
January 15, 2011 at 2:04 pm
Thanks for the video. Just doing a little research to see which on will fit my needs.
January 18, 2011 at 11:57 pm
It really matters to me wen viewing my material on the eReader. i cannot get into the blk& wht,plain,dull screen tht u have to use a book-light to read. The kids books have no color. The NOOK COLOR jus makes sence. The back light can adjust dependin on your preference.
I think the people should get wht they like & wht suits them and EVERY1.else need to stop being critical of any one of the companies tryna step up their game, they r suppossed to. I like TOUCH SCREENS & COLOR & ITS EXCITNG TO LOOK AT.
January 22, 2011 at 12:55 am
i am 13 years old and I’m thinking about getting the nook color for my upcoming birthday but im not sure if it’s right for me.i do love the color option and the touch screen of it but im also a person who gets very deep into my books and im wondering if the e-ink is better for me.the battery life is very questionable on the nook color and i do love how long the kindle stays on for.but still i don’t know if i can deal with the dull shades of gray.and another thing, the nook color back light is adjustable so would that help with being easier on the eyes or is the kindle still better?
January 22, 2011 at 9:01 am
I personally get deep into books too, so I like the Kindle E-Ink. I spend a lot of time on the computer as well, so I’m not in the mood for a back light when I crawl in bed to read.
But I never read magazines or have a use for the color, I just stick to the novels. If I was more into magazines, etc, I’d get the Nook Color in a heartbeat.
January 22, 2011 at 8:37 am
I have been reading sites for days now trying to decide between a color nook and a kindle.
First, the access to public library books is huge for me.. but I am a serious reader of novels and I understand the kindle has the best screen for heavy reading. Also, I have a four year old granddaughter so, the color nook would allow me to share children’s books with her. ..
January 26, 2011 at 1:41 pm
The battery life is shorter because it has a backlit color touchscreen. Of course it won’t last as long as the kindle. But I enjoy reading on the nook color because of the screen. It has more features than the kindle and it has more apps. Can the Kindle surf the web in color? No. Can you view pictures, play music, watch videos, or play games on the Kindle? No. Can the nook color compete with the I-Pad? No. It is only marketed as an e-reader. With all the extra features that the nook color has over the Kindle 3, I can live with a shorter battery life. Just charge it up while you are sleeping. I don’t think anyone can read 30 days straight.
March 7, 2011 at 7:38 am
@lola:
For the record, you CAN play music and games on the Kindle. You CAN’T listen to Audible audio books on the Nook. The NC is better for serious periodical readers, while the Kindle is better for die hard book readers. Whatever works.
February 1, 2011 at 5:54 pm
I wanted a Kindle three years ago when they were nearly $500. Couldn’t justify it. It miffed me that Amazon held out at such a high price for so long. Made me think they were greedy. Got the first Nook 3G when it came out. Loved it then, love it now. New, it was OS version 1.0. Less than a month later, version 1.2, then over the year, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, with every upgrade, the device got better and better. Faster page turns, games appeared, other cool stuff. That’s the power of Android. Some took the early Nook E-Ink reader, hacked it an had it doing things the iPad still cannot do. Kindles don’t do that. I also didn’t care for the fact that Amazon.com went into people’s already purchased libraries, confiscated e-books they regretted selling, refunded their customers, all without asking or obtaining permission. Of course, they apologized later, but they didn’t put the books back. You want to talk about epic errors, the irony was, the book they confiscated was “1984″. Today I bought a Nook Color. Partly for what it is today, in a big part for what it will be in a few weeks. Partly to make sure my cash goes to developers that encourage freedom of speech, freedom of access to information and freedom offered by open source. Flash content, app store, small form, backlight, email, faster, etc. I read books as well, have read a bunch on my first Nook, the flexibility and capabilities of the Android OS are just catching on. Amazon and Apple can keep selling their communist business practices to others, the Chinese Government would certainly approve of the control Amazon and Apple have exercised over their products, content and customer’s options.
February 1, 2011 at 6:55 pm
All the talk of 8 hour battery life, i have a solution. buy a back pack with solar panels. voltaic systems sells them, when you are outside the traditional sources of electricity use the back packs they are designed to charge a variety of devices like cell phones, laptops and portable video games.
the only downside i see for the nook is the lack of 3g for U.S and worldwide downloads.
February 1, 2011 at 8:11 pm
Wriring this on a NC wanted an Ipod for c-mas but got surprised w/ a nook, love the backlit screen so I can readin the dark, has music on it so ,+,alsoi am 13 and LOVING it!!!!!!!!
February 3, 2011 at 10:28 am
At the end of the day, get the device that suits YOUR needs best. I chose a Nook WiFi over Kindle primarily due to the Nook ability to read epub files. As great as a device the Nook was, I felt that things could be improved hardware wise (touchscreen page advance, eliminating the second screen). My needs were met by the Nook Color, the only drawback being the battery life.
After some research and only a week after purchasing the NC, I solved the battery issue by rooting the unit and turning it into a fully functional android tablet, overclocking the processor speed and manually setting how the device uses power. Ive had battery life (during heavy mixed use) of 12-16 hours.
Now, only after rooting the NC can it be fairly compared against the ipad.
Hacking the NC is its hidden strength. With some tinkering can become a potent do all tablet (on which I have installed the Kindle Reader APP from the android market) for only $250.
March 1, 2011 at 5:12 pm
@tiato:
would love to know how you did what you did. considering buying a nook coloer
February 11, 2011 at 8:22 am
Your review doesn’t even mention library support. No reviews do. I download a LOT of audio books onto my MP3 player FREE from my library, and want to be able to download ebooks to a ebook reader. I don’t want to buy books that I’ll read only once!! But, as of right now, Kindle is a ‘non-compatible device’ for most libraries because of formatting issues. This makes the Nook much more desirable!! Why are reviewers not including this VERY important issue in their reviews!!?!?!?
February 11, 2011 at 11:06 am
Hi Gail, I discuss this in detail in the Kindle Vs Nook review page… But you are totally right. Amazon has a MAJOR elephant in the room with this ePub file issue!
They are going to have to address it before it becomes too big of a problem for them to recover from. They could make so many people angry that if they actually do change and allow the ePub, potential customers may think “too late, you had your chance”. And there are a lot of people, like you say, choosing the Nook and Nook Color because of this ePub issue only.
I personally think that Amazon is up to something, perhaps bigger than just allowing use of the ePub on their devices. Perhaps something competing with Adobe DRM? Meanwhile, yes, the Nook or Nook Color is the better choice to take advantage of checking out library books.
February 25, 2011 at 7:10 am
Ok, I must be the only person on the planet that prefers the kindle because of the text to speech feature. I chose the kindle over the nook because of this feature and until the nook offers it, I won’t be sufficiently tempted to switch products. I like being able to read the print, continue listening to the story when I can’t hold the book in my hand (driving, cleaning, etc) but then being able to pick up the story in print with just a touch. No, the computer generated voice isn’t going to put audio books out of business, but for me, who gets itchy if I’m listening to an audio book and can’t the switch to print when I want, the computer voice, flaws and all, is just not a big enough negative over the cost of buying both an ebook and audio book that would never be synched up. If nook added text-to-speech I’d have a much harder time sticking with the kindle.
February 25, 2011 at 9:44 am
I just ordered a kindle….. haven’t got it yet but i’m excited!
March 2, 2011 at 9:47 pm
Great post! Thanks for sharing.
March 7, 2011 at 7:30 am
I’m thinking this is pretty much a subjective conversation. I have a Kindle 3 and love it but I can definitely see the appeal in the NC. I had tried the original Nook and brought it back. Neither it nor B&N’s web site could compete. Since that day, they have come out with the NC and B&N has redesigned their Nook web site. Much more friendly and intuitive now. Enough to make me consider it. First and foremost I want an eReader which is why I probably won’t get an iPad (to expensive anyway) and the fact that in reality, the NC is also evolving into an Android Tablet has me thinking hard about it. One thing that hasn’t been brought up here (that I have noticed) is that the Kindle is Audible compatible and the Nook is not. Not necessarily a deal breaker for me but just another point to ponder. As for the ePub compatability, I don’t really care about that as I typically only download from B&N or Amazon.com as the case may be. I’d be much more inclined to worry about how well I can bring over PDFs and other documents. It’s a tough decision as both of these devices have their pros and cons. In the end, it simply comes down to which one better suits your needs – exactly what I tell people trying to choose a smart phone.