Barnes & Noble Nook E-Reader Ready To Rival Kindle

Watch out, Kindle. You've got some competition--real competition. While the market gets saturated with e-book readers, Barnes & Noble has stepped in to shake things up in a big, big way. Until now, every other e-reader that hit the market was just another subpar offering. No other reader has really threatened the Kindle's dominance, but it's safe to say that the war is now on.

The Nook, which is B&N's first e-book reader, is the first reader to hit the market with two screens (one of which is color). The top portion of the device is a 6" E Ink display, while the bottom is a 3.5" color touch screen. It's a clear step forward for the industry, and when you consider that the price point matches that of the US Edition Kindle exactly at $259, you can clearly see that the battle is on.

This e-reader is quite different than the Kindle. It's an Android-based device, and users can scroll through potential books to open in the color display beneath the E Ink display. Another unique feature is the ability to actually share books you buy with others--you know, just like you can with real books! The LendMe program allows Nook owners to send books to iPhones, BlackBerry phones, Macs and PCs for 2 weeks at a time, and it supports EPUB, PDF and MP3 formats.

It packs AT&T 3G and Wi-Fi radios, so you can get connected and download new material pretty much anywhere. Shipping is expected to start at the end of next month, which gives Amazon a few weeks to either a) introduce a new Kindle or b) lower the existing Kindle's price even further.

nook: The Device

The centerpiece of Barnes & Noble’s strategy to deliver any book, any time, anywhere, nook was created expressly with the reader in mind, with features and functionality to create an immersive, seamless and fun experience:

• A Gripping Read, by Design
  nook’s sleek, minimalist design puts the focus on the content, not the technology, and the combination of color and touch make navigation intuitive and simple. nook feels great in hand and features a contoured, easy-to-hold back. About the size and weight of a paperback book, nook is thin, small and portable. Its best-in-class E Ink Vizplex^™ display is easy on the eyes with text as clear and crisp as a printed book. And with no glare or backlight and adjustable text size, you can read comfortably for hours without straining your eyes.

• Color Touch for Easy Navigation
  The beautiful lower color touch screen offers an immersive experience, inviting you to virtually browse through brilliant cover art, flip through an expansive library, or search using a virtual keyboard. nook presents the controls, navigation and keyboard you need, only when you need them.

• Download eBooks Wirelessly
  With fast 3G wireless and Wi-Fi access, nook is the most-connected eBook reader. Browse and instantly download eBooks, magazines and newspapers simply and seamlessly on AT&T’s 3G wireless network, the nation’s fastest, with no set-up required or additional wireless costs. Connect to the complimentary Wi-Fi, provided by the AT&T Wi-Fi network, in Barnes & Noble stores and download at broadband fast speeds.

• Lend eBooks to Friends
  With nook’s breakthrough LendMe^™ technology, lend a wide selection of eBooks to friends free of charge, for up to 14 days at a time. Just choose the book you want to share and send it to your friend’s nook or iPhone, iPod touch, select BlackBerry^® and Motorola smartphones, PC or Mac^® with Barnes & Noble eReader software.

• A Continuous Reading Experience
  With “Reading Now,” your virtual bookmark, nook brings you back to the last book you’ve read, right where you left off. And it works across a range of devices. If you forgot your nook at home, Barnes & Noble’s free eReader software on your iPhone, select BlackBerry and Motorola smartphones or laptop lets you pick up where you left off, including annotations. And when you’re reunited with your nook again, the Reading Now page will be updated and ready to go.

• A Wealth of Content, in the Palm of Your Hand
  nook can hold up to 1,500 eBooks and other printed content, and the sky’s the limit for your digital library when you use nook’s expandable memory slot. A 16GB MicroSD card holds up to 17,500 eBooks.

• Portability and Personalization
  You can also easily transfer PDF-format documents from your computer to access and read business documents, legal contracts and travel information on your nook. And transfer your photos to create custom screensavers.

• Protect Your nook in Style
  nook comes with a removable back cover you can personalize from a selection of four additional great colors. You can also choose from a range of accessories by renowned designers kate spade new york, Jack Spade, Jonathan Adler, Tahari and others. From classic and colorful portfolios to an innovative book light, Barnes & Noble will offer stylish and elegant accessories designed exclusively for nook both in stores and online.

Over One Million eBooks, Newspapers and Magazines

As part of nook’s introduction, Barnes & Noble has further expanded its wide selection of content to satisfy every reader.

• Expanded eBookstore
  From fiction to horror and romance to thrillers, with the launch of nook, Barnes & Noble’s eBookstore now offers the most eBook titles – over one million – with most bestsellers and new releases for just $9.99.

• Your Daily Newspapers on nook
  Read your “morning paper” any time, anywhere you go. Barnes & Noble now offers subscriptions to more than 20 newspapers, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times. Barnes & Noble expects to offer, in digital form, subscriptions to every major U.S. daily.

• Read Your Favorite Magazines
  As the nation’s second largest retailer of magazines, Barnes & Noble is now pleased to offer its customers digital subscriptions. Enjoy reading publications including Forbes, Newsweek and The Nation on your nook, at home or on the go.

Experience nook at Your Local Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble’s nationwide network of stores enables its customers to see nook and get hands-on demonstrations from its booksellers. Furthermore, nook owners get added benefits.

• Stunning Retail Displays
  Barnes & Noble has created stunning storefront displays for nook that begin rolling out tomorrow in its highest-volume stores including 17 College bookstores such as DePaul University, Harvard University, Southern Methodist University, University of Pennsylvania and Washington State University. nook will be on display at its fully staffed customer service centers in every store.

• Dedicated Booksellers
  Barnes & Noble’s 40,000 booksellers are ready to help customers get the most of their nook e-reading experience, demonstrate the eReader applications on other devices, and assist and support purchases, browsing and downloads in-store.

• Free Complete eBook Browsing
  Customers will also be able to browse complete eBooks for free on nook at any Barnes & Noble store, whether or not the actual book is in stock, beginning later this year. Plus settle into the café and get exclusive in-store-only content, free eBooks, special offers and much more using Barnes & Noble’s complimentary Wi-Fi, provided by the AT&T Wi-Fi network.

Availability

nook, the Barnes & Noble eBook reader, will begin shipping at the end of November with a price of $259.00. Barnes & Noble is taking pre-orders now at www.nook.com and in stores starting tomorrow. In celebration of nook’s launch, Barnes & Noble will also offer a free eBook of Malcolm Gladwell’s widely acclaimed best-seller, “The Tipping Point,” for the first 10,000 customers to pre-order nook.

To learn more and experience nook, visit www.nook.com. Follow our eBooks and other updates on www.bn.com/twitter. To learn more about the free Barnes & Noble eReader software and Barnes & Noble eBookstore apps, visit www.barnesandnoble.com/ebooks.