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The Kindle Killer Arrives

GeekZilla sends coverage from Wired's Gadget Lab on the Nook, Barnes & Noble's first e-book reader. "Sleek, stylish and runs the Android OS. What's not to like about Barnes and Noble's new e-book reader? Despite the odd name, the Nook looks like an eBook reader that would actually be a worthwhile investment. Best feature? The ability to loan e-books you have downloaded to other Nook owners. The reader, named the 'Nook,' looks a lot like Amazon's white plastic e-book, only instead of the chiclet-keyboard there is a color multi-touch screen, to be used as both a keyboard or to browse books, cover-flow style. The machine runs Google's Android OS, will have wireless capability from an unspecified carrier, and comes in at the same $260 as the now rather old-fashioned-looking Kindle." Here is the B&N Nook site, which is still not visible on their front page and has a few non-working links. (Nook.com isn't set up yet.) Their comparison page takes dead aim at the Kindle. Among the advantages in the Nook's column: Wi-Fi, expandable memory via microSD, MP3 player, and PDF compatibility. (But remember the cautionary note B&N struck six years back when they got out of the e-book business.)

6 of 542 comments (clear)

  1. hmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Some wireless. Less space than a kindle. Lame.

  2. Obvious by Herkum01 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Everyone should get a little Nookie!

  3. Re:A little early by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    [Shrug] It's no more stupid than those people who think there was more than one Matrix movie.

  4. Re:The OS would only matter if the device is open by Again · · Score: 5, Funny

    [...] that I can't read outside is a better alternative.

    Outside? What is this place? Tell me more.

  5. Re:i'm not paying $250 to buy books by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Disaster - If I were about to freeze to death, I could at least burn my books to keep warm. Can't do that with an ebook. :)

    This concern is unfounded. Lithium-based batteries have been proven - in real world situations - to burn most excellently.

    --
    #DeleteChrome
  6. Re:i'm not paying $250 to buy books by The+Archon+V2.0 · · Score: 5, Funny

    - Durability - Both are ruined by water,

    Sometimes. I've dried out a water-damaged book that was personally valuable to me, and it came out halfway decent. Perfect, no, but still quite readable.

    I'd have to unlearn so many habits with eBooks. I suppose it wouldn't be hard to stop gripping my books in my teeth when I'm running out of hands, but I'd have to break myself of my habit of using a bad book to kill flies with. If I'm reading a book I dislike and a fly lands nearby, I'll whack it with the book. Oddly I reflexively won't do this if I'm enjoying the book. So all it'll take is one bad book and one fly and there goes the eBook reader. And if anyone sees me do it, there goes any attempt to live without having something insanely stupid to try live down.