Here is a review of Barnes and Noble’s eBook reader, The Nook.
I received the Nook for my birthday in April. I’ve used it every day since I received it. Here’s what I’ve found.
Features:
The Nook features the same 6-inch e-ink screen (600×800 pixels; 16 shades of gray) as the Kindle, but also includes a separate color capacitive touch screen (144×480 pixels) that lets you navigate content and use a virtual keyboard for typing searches and annotations.
Pros:
- It has free AT&T 3G wireless connection
- Standard Wi-Fi connectivity
- Comes with 2GB of internal memory, (enough to hold about 1,500 eBooks)
- You can add up to an additional 16GB via the microSD card slot.
- The Nook’s font style and size are adjustable
- It can display image files
- It plays MP3 music files.
- It’s compatible with Windows and Mac machines.
- The battery is removable and user replaceable.
- A really cool feature is free, in-store browsing of full-text books while within Barnes & Noble stores.
- You can lend certain e-books for up to 14 days free of charge.
- The ePub format compatibility lets you read free Google Books and loaner e-books from your local library
- Built-in basic web browser, (works slightly better than Kindle’s).
- Can be put into Airplane Mode to save battery life, and so it can be used on airplanes
- Keeps track of current page in multiple books
Cons:
- Doesn’t come with a cover, or any protective element.
- Slightly smaller and thicker than the Kindle
- Not backlit, so reading in low light conditions is somewhat useless
- Takes awhile to turn on
- Bookmarking functionality is cumbersome
- Sometimes when browsing books using Wi-Fi, it takes a long time to load
Review:
I like using the Nook. I would definitely recommend getting an Cover for it. The cover not only protects it, but when the cover is open and folded back, it feels like you’re holding a book. I was paranoid before I bought a cover, thinking I would somehow crack the display, so get a cover just for the peace of mind.
I love the fact that it keeps track of your place in multiple books. I tend to read more than one book at a time, so that feature is really good so I don’t have to remember where I left off.
My wife Tianne likes that she can read a book using the Nook while in bed and since I like to have our bedroom a meat locker when I sleep, she can be bundled up in the covers reading with only 1 hand sticking out to push the button to turn the page. With a normal book, she needs both hands out of the covers and then yells at me to turn off the ceiling fan. (Yea for the Nook!)
Since I’m an Avid Reader, the nook is awesome because I can have 100′s of my favorite books on one little device, so when I go on a weekend getaway which we often do, I just have to bring the Nook with me, instead of a box of books. The downside to that is that I’ve had to buy electronic versions of most of my books, but I think it’s worth it.
The eBooks themselves are not bad in price. Avg $9.99 a book. Although for some reason, some eBooks are more expensive than the hardback, which I don’t understand, so I end up not buying those. I have to draw the line somewhere!
Another cool feature that I like is that you can load your favorite PDFs onto the Nook too. Although I wish that it would read Microsoft Word documents, but it doesn’t, maybe in an updated version.
Just recently they added a web browser and a couple games like Chess and Sudoku, but I haven’t played them yet. The browser is ok, but since the touch screen is very small and the screen is vertical, you have to view the page in sections and navigating is somewhat confusing. Since I always have my laptop with me anyway, I just use that for web browsing anyway, so it’s no big deal to me.
The Nook seems to hold a charge for a good amount of time. I can go about 5 days without recharging, depending on how much I’m reading and using the Wi-Fi feature. I’ve found that leaving the Nook in Airplane Mode unless I’m actually going to be getting new books or reading the daily updates they offer, is the best way to save on battery usage.
Conclusion:
After using the Nook for almost 4 months, I have to say that I’m quite pleased. I would recommend it to anyone who loves to read more than 1 book at a time. It’s light, and with the right cover, it can actually feel like you’re holding a regular book. I do wish the bookmarking feature was a bit better. It took a bit to get used to it. And I like to bookmark. Normally with regular books, I either dog ear the pages or use those small little post it tabs.
Tianne and I did a lot of research before we bought the Nook. I originally wanted a Kindle, but after going to a Barnes and Noble and playing with one, we decided to go with the Nook. That was a huge advantage over the Kindle, I couldn’t hold and use it before buying.
Overall I would buy the Nook again. I think I’m actually going to buy my wife her own for Christmas, because she’s using mine way too much!! Oh, and since we bought mine, the price has gone down $60 to $199 for the 3G + Wi-Fi. They also came out with another version that just has Wi-Fi (which is all I really use) for $149. So head on over to your nearest Barnes and Noble and pick yourself up one, and don’t forget to get a cover! And maybe an attachable light, if you like to read in low light.
If you don’t want to hop in the car to go get one, click on the link below for you 1-stop shopping from AboveAllSuccess.com! :O)
To Your Success, Because Your Success Matters!
David Haines
(215) 268-6696 Anytime!
Hey, Let’s connect on Skype! My ID is davidahaines
