Barnes & Nobles’ Nook: A Game Changer in the eBook Reader Market?

By woozy | October 21st, 2009 at 10:41am

This is more of a follow up to my last post on eReaders.  I just saw BarnesandNoble.com President William Lynch talk on CNBC following the announcement of their new eBook reader, Nook.  The name “Nook” was chosen after consumer testing which Lynch explained rhymes with “book” and leverages a word that people are familiar with through reading Dr. Seuss.  They were also able to secure Nook.com which for now, just points to BarnesandNoble.com’s Nook page.

A previously reported, the Nook comes with color touch screen navigation.  This is just for the navigation and not the reading display itself.  I suspect cost was a factor in making it full touch screen in addition to reducing potential problems with durability and repairs but also perhaps to avoid worsening the user experience with finger prints all over your reading surface.

It too has wireless 3G (through AT&T vs. Kindle’s Sprint) but also has WiFi which can be very handy for the traveler going outside the local or US coverage.  With it you can walk into a Barnes & Nobles store, connect for free and receive special deals.

The battery life not only is reported to last 40% longer then the Kindle (14 days vs. 10 days) but the battery itself is replaceable – Great for those concerned about running out of battery while traveling or having your device become mobiley useless after a certain amount of charges (like my iPod mini)!

But the biggest differentiator, however, is Nook’s LendMe technology which allows users to lend their ebooks to friends for up to 14 days. During this time you’ve lent your ebook you won’t be able to access it (just like a paper book).  This I believe makes the Nook a game changer.  If you are like me and lag behind in reading New Releases and Best Sellers and just borrow them from your many friends who have read them and have it laying around their house, this is huge.  And same for if you’re like my friend Michelle who reads over a 100 books a year and often visits the public library to check out books.  I can see her ditching her Kindle as the Nook potentially becomes a much more useful eReader to her.  It will be interesting to see how libraries and book clubs play into the new eBook eco-system.

As for me, I may become a eReader owner sooner than I thought.  Stay tuned…

For a full comparison visit BarnesandNobles.com: Nook vs. Kindle

Nook is available for pre-order and priced at $259 (same as the Kindle US only version)