Nook ebook reader from Barnes & Noble is a unique combination of color, touch and e-ink technologies / 21.10.2009 06:11
The top management of the Barnes&Noble bookstore chain must have been hit by a terrible headache when Amazon launched the Kindle ebook reader device. Matters turned even worse when the device became an instant success. Finally, the Barnes&Noble management decided to re-enter the ebook business which the company left in early 2000s. Fortunately, the company had the foresight to design a different kind of ebook reader device than the Amazon Kindle or Sony Reader. Let's find out if the Barnes&Noble Nook can beat its competition.
The unique feature on the Barnes&Noble Nook ebook reader device is its color display. In fact, the Nook has another unique feature; it has two displays. It is not as crazy as it sounds. The large 6-inch display is built on e-ink technology which means it is intended for displaying text only. The black-and-white screen has high contrast and sharp fonts. Text is readable even in sunlight. The small screen, on the other hand, can display colors and it is touch-sensitive. The purpose of the color screen is to be the control center of the device. You tap the color screen to select a book, to bookmark a page, or to download a new book. Pretty clever.
Having two screens on the Nook is a clever solution because it gives you the best of both worlds. Touch screen will very likely be the way we access our ebooks in the future. If you build a touch screen and an e-ink screen into one display component, you lose the sharpness and contrast of the e-ink display. Additionally, e-ink technology can't display colors. So, when Barnes&Noble decided to stick with the standard e-ink display for text and have another screen with colors and touch control for menus and downloads, it came up with a cleverly designed, unique device.
Ebooks can be downloaded to the Nook via a mobile network (currently only AT&T in the US), via Wi-Fi, or via USB from a PC. The dimensions of the unit are 7.7 x 4.9 x 0.50 inches / 196.2 x 126 x 12.8 mm. The Barnes&Noble Nook can hold about 1500 ebooks but more space is available on removable memory cards. Rechargeable battery delivers 10 days worth of power for the device if wireless connectivity is turned off.
The Nook can open Epub, ereader, and PDF files, and it can play MP3 music. It is possible to purchase an ebook and read it on a PC, Mac, iPhone, or Nook. It is also possible to lend an ebook to a friend. What an excellent idea. This is one of the first signs that someone has a clue what readers want; to handle ebooks the way we handle paperback books.
Nook ebook reader from Barnes & Noble is a unique combination of color, touch and e-ink technologies / 21.10.2009 06:11
The top management of the Barnes&Noble bookstore chain must have been hit by a terrible headache when Amazon launched the Kindle ebook reader device. Matters turned even worse when the device became an instant success. Finally, the Barnes&Noble management decided to re-enter the ebook business which the company left in early 2000s. Fortunately, the company had the foresight to design a different kind of ebook reader device than the Amazon Kindle or Sony Reader. Let's find out if the Barnes&Noble Nook can beat its competition.
The unique feature on the Barnes&Noble Nook ebook reader device is its color display. In fact, the Nook has another unique feature; it has two displays. It is not as crazy as it sounds. The large 6-inch display is built on e-ink technology which means it is intended for displaying text only. The black-and-white screen has high contrast and sharp fonts. Text is readable even in sunlight. The small screen, on the other hand, can display colors and it is touch-sensitive. The purpose of the color screen is to be the control center of the device. You tap the color screen to select a book, to bookmark a page, or to download a new book. Pretty clever.
Having two screens on the Nook is a clever solution because it gives you the best of both worlds. Touch screen will very likely be the way we access our ebooks in the future. If you build a touch screen and an e-ink screen into one display component, you lose the sharpness and contrast of the e-ink display. Additionally, e-ink technology can't display colors. So, when Barnes&Noble decided to stick with the standard e-ink display for text and have another screen with colors and touch control for menus and downloads, it came up with a cleverly designed, unique device.
Ebooks can be downloaded to the Nook via a mobile network (currently only AT&T in the US), via Wi-Fi, or via USB from a PC. The dimensions of the unit are 7.7 x 4.9 x 0.50 inches / 196.2 x 126 x 12.8 mm. The Barnes&Noble Nook can hold about 1500 ebooks but more space is available on removable memory cards. Rechargeable battery delivers 10 days worth of power for the device if wireless connectivity is turned off.
The Nook can open Epub, ereader, and PDF files, and it can play MP3 music. It is possible to purchase an ebook and read it on a PC, Mac, iPhone, or Nook. It is also possible to lend an ebook to a friend. What an excellent idea. This is one of the first signs that someone has a clue what readers want; to handle ebooks the way we handle paperback books.