Thursday, February 11, 2010

nook versus the kindle

Hi Everyone,

Well, I'm back to tell you my views on the new Barnes & Noble nook in comparison to Amazon's Kindle. I feel rather partial to my Kindle - it was afterall my first e-reader. They both have their good points and not-so-good points.

PROS for the nook:

1. Colorful touch screen
2. Lendable books
3. 3G and wireless connection


CONS for the nook:

1. Touch screen is only for the small screen at the bottom to use for settings, navigation and to see your book covers. The covers are so small it is hard to read the title.
2. Any of the books that I have purchased are not one of the "lendable" books. Only a small percentage of the B&N ebooks are actually lendable.
3. Before the last update if you powered the nook down it did not remember where you were and deleted your bookmarks. But in the last week they have fixed this with a downloadable update.

PROS for the Kindle (mine is the 1st generation) :

1. Page turns are easier than the nook. With the nook you really have to press down.
2. Faster than the nook to power up.
3. Amazon is so much easier to order books. Their one-click buy has me sold. The marketing people at Amazon are amazing. Everytime I go online to Amazon they are suggesting a book that they know I won't be able to resist. B&N has attempted, but the books that they suggest as "new" have been reprints of books that are really several years old. Also, Amazon is great about telling me if I have already purchased a book.

CONS for the Kindle:

1. Some people complain that the page turns are too easy. But I have found that you just get accustomed to how to hold it.
2. No wireless connection - this may have changed on the newer Kindles.

Apple has now come out with the iPad. It looks like a lot of fun and does more than the nook or the Kindle. We shall see if it steals part of the e-reader market share from Amazon and B&N.

Teri