While information on Barnes & Noble’s new e-book reader, the Nook, has been trickling out for several days, the company unveiled the new $259 device on its Web site Tuesday a few hours before the official launch event in New York.
As previously reported, the Nook, billed as the first Android-powered e-book reader, features not only a 6-inch E-ink screen but a color touch screen that allows you to navigate content and also can turn into a virtual keyboard for searches.
Like the Kindle, the Nook has a built-in 3G wireless connection (AT&T is the carrier). However, the Nook also packs in Wi-Fi connectivity and a memory expansion slot–you get 2GB of internal memory, but can add up to a 16GB micro SD card.
The Nook does weigh an ounce more than the Kindle (11.2 ounces vs. 10.2 ounces) and can’t match the Kindle’s battery life (10 days vs. 14 days). And while it does play back MP3 audio and has a built-in speaker, it doesn’t have the Kindle’s text-to-speech feature.
That said, Barnes & Noble is touting one very important new feature: the ability to lend out e-books you’ve purchased to friends for free for 14 days. The company says that you’ll be able to send e-books to a friend’s Nook, iPhone, or iPod Touch, select BlackBerry and Motorola smartphones, as well as Windows or Mac PCs that have the Barnes & Noble eReader software installed on them.
We’ll have more info as soon as we get some hands-on time with the Nook at the launch event. But for now, feel free to post your own comments based on the specs and images (check out the slideshow below).
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