I have to admit, I shop a lot from Amazon.com. So much to say that I consider myself an Amazolic. I think it is because I believe that they have the best collection of DVDs, clothes, gadgets, electronics, books, and just about everything else that one would want to shop online for. However, I got a little flimsy about Amazon after the homepage turned into a one item promotion page for their eBook eReader, The Kindle. It is almost as if they are playing some kind mind-trick on their visitors. Make them see the Kindle enough times that a percentage of people who visit Amazon.com end up psychologically convincing themselves to give in and buy the eBook Reader.
That is when I saw an article on Kindle getting a new competitor in the eBook Reader market, the Barnes and Noble Nook. As if on auto-pilot, I found myself on BarnesandNoble.com and was pleasantly surprised to see that the homepage was not plastered with a huge posting on an eBook Reader. In fact, there was a small 2x2 inch ad reading, "Nook, The World's Most Advanced eBook Reader: Learn More" on the right of the page. And that was it! No mind games, no tricks, just a simple, genuine ad that definitely caught my eye.
The early pre-orders are expected to be delivered by mid-December, which is a slight delay as Barnes and Noble admitted to be getting a high demand for their eReaders. If you still have not placed your order, no need to worry, you will get your new eBook Reader in early January.
Here are 10 reasons why the Nook triumphs over the Kindle:
Goes easy on the eyes.
There is no glare or backlight that some complained about the Kindle, and with the adjustable text size, you can read on for hours without the discomfort of your eyes being tired out.
Sample eBooks for free.
You can download a free sample of any eBook from the store and not only discover new authors but also check out the most talked about books for free on your Barnes and Noble eBook Reader. The Kindle does not offer this convenience.
Mark up your pages and Reading Now.
Nook makes it simple and easy to bookmark, highlight passages, or even make notes, with a built in tool, which also allows you to look up the meaning of any word mid-sentence, using the built-in dictionary.
Size, Display and Specifications.
Compact Size - The Nook is about the same size and weight as an average sized paperback book.
Expandable Storage - With 2GB built-in memory, the Nook can store about 1,500 eBooks. However with a microSD memory card slot, this number is pushed up to 17,500 eBooks.
Paper-like Display - The most advanced E-ink Vizplex electronic paper display that reads like the printed page and you can read an eBook in bright sunlight as clearly as inside your home
Color Touchscreen - 3.5 inch color touchscreen LCD that offers one-touch control and navigation. The Kindle has a gray-scale display.
Fast and Free Wireless - Fast and Free wireless from Barnes & Noble via AT&T, the nation's fastest 3G network.
Supported File Types - Very flexible options that include EPUB and eReader Formats, PDFs, MP3s and graphics that load to your Nook from your computer or micro SD card and JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP files are used to create personal screen savers.
Personalized Screen Saver - Customize your nook quickly and easily by loading your own photos or using the many default pictures.
Powerful Battery - You can read for up to ten days without recharging (with wireless off). Charging is done via USB to computer system or power adapter.Cost-efficient
At just 0, the Barnes and Noble Nook Ebook Reader is the same price as Amazon's Kindle 2, but you get so much more for your money. You get Wi-Fi, an SD slot, native PDF support and that extra double screen makes it seem eons out of the Kindle's league.
Easy to Lend and Share Your eBooks with Friends and Family.
One of the main objections that users of the Kindle and other older eReaders have is that people prefer to to get the majority of their eBooks from their friends or family, rather than buying them from bookstores, which all these previous eReaders do not really have much flexibility with. The Nook realizes that people do like to share their eBooks and allows for a 2-week lending period - plenty of time to read a book. Also, you can lend a book from your Nook to tons of different devices: Mac, PC, iPhone, iPod Touch, PC, Mac, BlackBerry, or Windows Mobile (soon).
Double Screen.
With the traditional single screen that is seen in all the eBook eReaders prior to the Barnes and Noble Nook eBook eReader, browsing for books was a workout on its own and often a frustration. But with its capacitive double touchscreen, the Nook offers a keyboard and Cover-Flow-esque browsing that takes away the awkwardness and lethargy of e-ink, and more importantly, it opens the door for multitasking. You will be able to read a book and control your music at the same time, and since the music browser will be on the LCD screen, it will not look like some e-inked crap. It will also support photo browsing and the ability to set your own wallpaper.
Battery Life.
The Barnes and Noble Nook eBook Reader comes with a 10-day battery life, which might not be just as long as the Kindle 2's 14 days, but with all the extra features it comes along with, you have to admit, 10 days is still more than enough time to read a book.
Android Integration - Leads to Endless Possibilities.
B&N seem to be open to apps being introduced to the Nook, which will take your user experience to a whole new level when compared to the Kindle and other existing eReaders. Picture this: Your iPod merged with an eBook reader - that is exactly what the Nook eReader will feel like.
Largest eBook Collection.
With over 1 million titles to choose from, the eBooks will be available through the Barnes and Noble eBookStore and will delivered through the 3G wireless network. Thousands of older titles are free, and many new releases are as low as .99.
I should also mention that the accessories for the Nook are looking hot as you have the option of personalising your Nook with rubberized plastic covers, leather cases with button straps, and artistic sleeve covers are just some of the looks you can use to brand your Nook as truly yours.
I am very interested in the Nook eReader as I do a lot of reading and to be honest, how cool would it be to be doing some bedtime reading with a light-weight Nook, not having to switch arms because you are getting tired of holding a traditional, heavy book.
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