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The Nook Tablet is a dead ringer for the attractive and unique-looking Nook Color. But while B&N didn’t change the looks of the Nook Tablet, the company managed to make the Tablet more compact and more powerful at the same time. The lighter and slimmer Nook Tablet, built to outrun the Kindle Fire in the low tablet category, possesses specs comparable to the more expensive iPad 2. Are these enhancements enough to justify the $50 difference between the $249 Nook Tablet and the $199 Kindle Fire?

Features –Hardware and Software

The Nook Tablet vastly improves on 4 major areas: speed, storage, screen display, and software.

First, the Nook Tablet’s speed: As far as mock models have demonstrated, the device is noticeably zippier than last year’s model, and this is because of a more robust 1.2GHz dual core processor and 1GB RAM.

Size of onboard storage has doubled up to 16GB (14GB is available to user). Coupled with SD card slot, which supports 32GB cards, the Nook Tablet lets you carry up to 6 times more files than the Kindle Fire. While many applaud Amazon’s Cloud storage for the seemingly infinite amount of files it can store, it can substitute the convenience of having your files accessible at all times, whether you’re in a WiFi hotspot or not. However, if you prefer cloud storage, you can get Dropbox or similar free cloud storage apps to the device.

The Nook Tablet is outfitted with the same 1024 x 600 IPS LCD screen with 16 million colors and 89 percent viewing angle found in the Nook Color. A laminated coating, however, gives the Tablet extra vividness and less glare that makes it great for watching hi-res videos.  It promises to support 1080p HD videos, but Netflix movies will be displayed in 720p only, which some may find disappointing.

While Apple and Amazon use their respective tablets as platform for their multiple products, Barnes & Noble takes a different approach. B&N will be providing eBooks, magazines, newspapers , and apps via its Nook Store, but other digital media services will be outsourced to companies like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora, and Rhapsody. A combination of old and new B&N apps will be made available, such as   Read and Record (for recording custom narration of children books), Nook Kids, and Page Perfect (a PDF reader).

The Nook Tablet promises a record-holding 11.5 hours of reading or 9 hours of video with wireless off.

Pros

The Nook Tablet comes with a compact design. 0.48 inch thin and weighing  14.1 ounces only, it is comfortably light and easy to hold. Combined onboard storage and SD expansion slot allows you to carry thousands of movie, audio, photo, and text files on the go. High resolution screen is great for HP movie viewing.

Cons

Despite the name, the Nook Tablet is not a full-fledged tablet like the iPad or the Galaxy Tab. B&N had to cut corners somewhere to lower the cost of the device, and three items you won’t find in the tablet are: camera, 3G wireless, and Bluetooth support.

The Bottom Line

The Nook Tablet weds affordability and power. If you are looking for an affordable tablet with the storage and speed of an iPad, the Nook Tablet seems to be the only tablet that fits this category. However, this review is based only on the demonstrations and mock models provided by B&N. We’ll update this review once the actual Nook Tablet arrives. Shipping begins November 17.

Kindle Fire vs Nook Tablet

This year’s holiday season is going to heat up as Barnes & Noble fights Amazon for some rapid sales. Word is, B&N’s Nook Tablet, a beefed up Nook Color, is shipping beginning November 16, a day after the Kindle Fire’s schedule. Which is the better device, and which will give more value for your money? Let’s take a comparative look at the key features and specs of both Android tablets based on the data we have so far. (The information we have on the Nook Tablet is derived from the leaked information published by Engadget.com.)

Kindle Fire vs Nook Tablet: Looks

The Nook Tablet is as compact, as thin (0.48 inches), and as light (14.1 ounces) as the Kindle Fire. Of the two, however, the Nook Tablet has the more aesthetic appeal, thanks to a sleek, unique look (it’s the only tablet with a hook). The Kindle Fire, on the other hand, looks closely similar to the plain, rather unimaginative Blackberry Playbook.

Both the Kindle Fire and the Nook Tablet lack microphone, audio input jack, camera, and cellular radio support.

Kindle Fire vs Nook Tablet: Memory and Speed

The Nook Tablet has a speedier 1.2GHz processor, whereas the Kindle Fire comes with 1GHz processor only. But how do these numbers translate to actual performance?

To prevent too much stored data from bogging down the Kindle Fire, Amazon is limiting hardware storage to 8GB. If users need more space, they store their files in the Amazon Cloud instead. Of course, the Nook Tablet comes with a bigger 16GB internal memory, but that you can store a nearly  infinite number of files in the infinitely expandable cloud-based storage of the Kindle Fire easily negates the Nook Tablet’s advantage. If convenience is an issue, however, then the Nook Tablet is the better choice as you don’t need an Internet connection to save a file. The Nook Color can also be configured to store files in the cloud by downloading third-party cloud storage services such as Dropbox or Evernote.

Kindle Fire vs Nook Tablet: Apps and Software

Specs-wise, the Nook Tablet edges out the Kindle Fire, but a tablet is more than just a sum of its hardware parts. What’s more important are the apps and services it offers, and this is where the Kindle Fire can easily beat the Nook Tablet. Barnes & Noble has beefed up its offerings in its Nook app store, but it doesn’t even come close to the 17,000 + apps of the Amazon Appstore. Even better, you get a free app everyday.

B&N is spicing up the Nook Tablet with video and music streaming services via Netflix, Hulu, and Pandora, but the Kindle Fire’s arsenal of cloud-based services sound more tempting. Amazon’s ecosystem now has over 18-million books, TV shows, magazines, movies, and songs altogether. B&N has dubbed the Tablet as “HD Entertainment”, but it remains to be seen how much fun it will offer to consumers.

Kindle Fire vs Nook Tablet: Price

No, Barnes & Noble is neither matching nor underpricing the $199-Kindle Fire as we predicted. Instead, the Nook Tablet will be sold at the same price as the Nook Color: $249. The difference is only $50, but B&N has to make sure the Nook Tablet has enough justifications.

So that’s that. Both look good on paper, and on paper, the Amazon Kindle Fire also wins over the Nook based on pricing and range of apps and services. Can the same be said about their actual performance? There’s only a week left for us to find out.

Barnes & Noble’s Reader/tablet hybrid, the Nook Color, became a surprise hit last year. The combination of solid performance, the ability to be rooted and run Android ROMs, and a low price of $199 catapulted the tablet to the #1 spot in the low price category. As a category leader, the Nook Color was unchallenged, but the yet-to-be-shipped Amazon Kindle Fire has since stolen its spotlight.

Now Digital Book Reader is reporting that Barnes & Noble is ready to give the Kindle Fire a tough competition: the Nook Color 2. On July 16th, DBR writes, B&N will present the Nook Color 2 and make it available in stores. In other words, it will beat the Kindle Fire to the market: The Amazon tablet is scheduled to a day later, on November 15^th.

November 16th Launch Date: Just Another Nook Color 2 Rumor?

Rumors about a new B&N Nook Color have been circulating around for a while. Some earlier reports wrote that the Nook Color 2 would be released around its first year anniversary (October 26, 2010). Another rumor claimed that B&N would be releasing two models: a $249 version called Encore and a $349 version called Acclaim. With the Kindle Fire priced at $199, B&N will likely push for a lower price point.

The rumors flying about a November 16th launch date came about following the invitations B&N sent to select media and publishing executives to a November 16th press event. The invitation featured the Nook eReader’s stylized “n” logo, prompting several to conclude the November 7 event will be about a new Nook Color. After all, it’s been a year since the Nook Color came out; the tablet is ripe for an upgrade.

However, the November 7 event could simply be the about their new “Nook Boutique,” a section in the B&N stores dedicated to the Nook. The new Nook section will be outfitted with LED TVs and marketing materials. Multiple working Nook models will be put on display to allow customers to try out the tablet and purchase on the spot.

Nook Color 2: Features and Specifications

There are no hardware details yet, but since it’s an upgrade, we’re expecting a faster processor (possibly a dual-core processor like the Kindle Fire’s), improved display, and more built-in features.  There could some design refinements, too. It won’t be a surprise if the new Nook Color is thinner and lighter.  The Wall Street Journal reported, rather vaguely, that the New Nook will be an Android tablet, not just an ebook reader. The said tablet will be markedly different than the earlier Nook Color. This could mean that Nook Color 2 will be a full-fledged Android tablet with unlimited access to the Android Market rather than a mere color reader/tablet combo that the current model is.

The more important question is: how much will it cost? Will B&N underprice the Kindle Fire or will it stick to the original NC’s $249 price? Can B&N afford to lose money on each device the way Amazon is on the Kindle Fire (analysts round production cost of the Kindle Fire at $220)? We’ll see soon: November 16th is just two days away.

The Amazon Tablet is expected to go head to head with the Nook Color, the eReader-tablet combo from Barnes & Noble, this holiday season. As MC Siegler reports, the Amazon Tablet, which goes by the simple name of Amazon Kindle, is going to be a deal breaker. So what chances does it have with the bestselling Nook Color?

Well, we don’t know yet, but a Nook Color vs Amazon Tablet review may clue us to the results of the impending battle. This Nook Color vs Amazon Tablet review is purely speculative, based entirely on what we know of the Amazon Tablet so far. This review will be update once the Amazon tablet arrives in November as reported.

Nook Color vs Amazon Tablet: Screen and Form Factor

Like the Nook Color, the Amazon Tablet will use a 7-inch full color touchscreen. The face of the Amazon Tablet, however, will be completely button-less. To bring back the Home icon or other buttons on the Amazon Tablet, just tap the screen once. This brings up the lower navigation menu. The Nook Color offers a more convenient one-step way of going back to the Home screen or the previous page via the Home button located at the bottom of the device.

Both devices are backlit, making them readable in low light conditions. Both lack camera as well so you can’t use them for video chatting or recording videos.

Nook Color vs Amazon Tablet: User Interface

The Nook Color is very responsive through and through (opening applications, turning pages, etc), but it looks just like any Android tablet. MC Siegler reports that the Amazon Tablet’s user interface is a deal breaker. Amazon completely overhauled the UI, which is built on Android, giving the Amazon Tablet a look that is well differentiated from other Android tablets. It features a zippy carousel-styled Home content menu similar to Apple iTunes’ Cover Flow. Users are granted quick access to all built-in applications and features from anywhere on the tablet. Flicking through carousel-styled content menu is zippy. The retail giant, however, is still working on the tablet’s page turn speed.

Nook Color vs Amazon Tablet: Storage Space

The Nook Color has 16 GB internal memory, while the Amazon Tablet has 6GB only. Amazon, however, will be integrating its cloud service into the device, turning the tablet into an infinite storage space. Both devices allow additional storage via external device.

Nook Color vs Amazon Tablet: Applications and Extra Features

The Nook Color’s app store offers dozens of free and paid apps. Everything is just a tap away. The Google Android App Market is nowhere to be found, though, just as it is on the Amazon Tablet. There’s only one app store – Amazon’s. But where the Amazon Tablet will probably beat the Nook Color is the number and quality of integrated services it has. Amazon is bringing its Kindle App, cloud service, and video streaming service into its 7-inch tablet.

Like the Nook Color, the Amazon Tablet can connect to the Internet via WiFi network only. However, Amazon has expressed it is hoping to integrate 3G into the device in the near future.

Closing Thought

By the looks of it, the Nook Color and the Amazon Kindle are going after the same market –casual readers and people looking for quality yet affordable Android tablets. The Nook Color is a reliable, value-packed tablet/eReader that is deemed the best device in this niche. With its unique user interface, cloud storage service, and video streaming service, the Amazon Tablet has the potential of uprooting the Nook Color.

The Nook App Store is currently offering 20 free apps for your Nook Color. Here’s the complete list:

1. Fliq Calendar by Mark/Space Inc. helps users keep track of their daily schedules. Features include:   customizable calendar colors, customizable week and month view, and read-only mode. Rating: 3.5 stars on 305 reviews.
2. Fliq Notes, also by Mark/Space, lets you create, edit, store, search, sync, and share notes with other Fliq users on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and iPod. Rating: 3.5 stars on 275 reviews.
3. Pulse News by Alphonso Labs lets you personalize your mobile news reading experience by re-formatting news articles into a more engaging, colorful mosaic. You can also organize your news and share it via social networks. Rating:  4.5 stars on 388 reviews.
4. Nook Word of the Day by Wordnik features word meanings, audio pronunciations, and examples culled from works of best and bestselling authors. Rating: 3.5 stars on 201 reviews.
5. Fliq Tasks by Mark/Space functions as task organizer. Features include password protection, task syncing (with Windows or Mac OS), and text resizing. Rating: 2.5 stars on 119 reviews.
6. Spring Pad by Spring Partners lets you store notes and everything you want to remember (task, movies, recipes) in one place. The application is a recipient of two awards: TIME Magazine 50 Best Websites 2010 Winner and PC Magazine the Best Free Software of 2010 Winner. Rating: 3.5 stars on 143 reviews.
7. Fandango Movies by Fandango, Inc is a movie ticketing app. Uses include: finding movies currently playing in your local theater, viewing schedule of movies that will be played near you, checking top box office movies, reading Metacritic reviews, etc. Rating: 3.5 stars on 156 reviews.
8. Tikatok StorySpark by Tikatok lets you create your own illustrated storybooks for kids as well as read Tikatok books written by kids. Rating: 3.5 stars on 124 reviews.
9. Goodreads by goodreads is a sort of social network for bibliophiles. It lets you post book reviews as well as read reviews posted by friends, keep a tab of the books you already read, and keep an easy-to-access list of books to read. Rating:  3.5 stars on 131 reviews.
10. Bible Reader by Olive Tree Bible Software is an organizational tool for Bible study and personal devotions. The app includes a digital copy of King James Version, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, and Daily Reading Plan. Rating: 3.5 stars on 44 reviews.
11. Seesmic (Twitter, Facebook, Chatter) by Seeismic puts different social network accounts in one place (Facebook, Twitter, Google Buzz, and SalesForce Chatter). Rating: 3.5 stars on 188 reviews.
12. UrbanDaddy by Andy Othman, Andy UrbanDaddy is a digital concierge app designed to help you locate the latest happenings, restaurants, bars, clubs etc near you. Rating: 1.5 stars on 163 reviews.
13. TapToTalk by Assistyx LLC turns your Nook Color into an augmentative and alternative communication device (AAC). This application is ideal for special needs children. Rating: 3.5 stars on 119 reviews.
14. Evernote by Evernote is an award-winning app designed to help you stay organized and remember important tasks and events. Features include: to-dos and task lists, voice and audio notes, social network integration, and photo capture. Rating: 3 stars on 102 reviews.
15. Napster by Napster lets you download and save up to 12 million full-length songs on your Nook to play even when you’re offline. Rating: 2.5 stars on 169 reviews.
16. KJV Bible by Tecarta, Inc is an app for Bible study and note taking. App includes a free copy of the King James Version. Rating: 4.5 stars on 90 reviews.
17. TouchDown by NitroDesk Inc provides you with productivity tools including email, contacts, calendar, tasks, rules, etc. Rating: 2.5 stars on 74 reviews.
18. Conqu by AsFusion is a task management app. Rating: 4.5 stars on 71 reviews.
19. The Missing Synq for Android by Mark/Space Inc lets you sync your Nook and your computer.  Rating: 1.5 stars on 94 reviews.
20. Authors by WorldLive helps you keep up-to-date with your favorite authors. Rating: 2 stars on 58 reviews.

(Source: Barnes & Noble)

The Nook Touch handles PDF documents better than the original Nook, but there are still plenty of rooms for improvement: the Nook Touch is still not capable of displaying PDF documents properly.

Issues with Nook Touch PDF Handling

1. Screen size. The size of most PDFs is either A4 or 8.5 x 11 inches (legal size). Naturally, they won’t fit right on the smaller 6-inch display of the Nook Touch. Sure you can reflow the files or increase/ decrease the text sizes, but the screen display is simply too small (relative to the size of the documents) to be able to display the pages properly.
2. Limited features. There are no zooming options, and landscape mode is not supported. These features are very useful in improving readability of a document. With neither zoom nor landscape display option, reading comics and graphic novels is a torture, if at all possible.
3. Dictionary lookup is not supported. To look up words in the dictionary, you have to close the book or document you are reading, then open the built-in Merriam Webster’s.
4. You can’t highlight passages or add notes.

Available Features of Nook Touch PDF Reader

Having enumerated the above, let’s look at what the Nook Touch can do as a PDF Reader.

1. PDF reflow. The Nook Touch can reflow single column and text-based PDFs really well. However, it is not able to provide the same quality for PDFs that use multiple columns and complex layouts or are image-laden.
2. Font resizing options. There are 6 text size options available via PDF reflow.
3. The Nook Touch PDF supports bookmarks, search, and table of contents.

3^rd Party PDF Options for the Nook Touch

Out of the box, the Nook Touch supports PDF documents, albeit poorly. Fortunately, there are alternative ways of turning your Nook Touch into a superb PDF reader. To do this, first you have to hack your Nook to enable it to accept Android apps. Then you install a reading app of your choice to the Nook Touch. Here are some reading apps with great PDF support for your Nook:

1. Mantano Reader. Pros: It supports a lot of functionalities and features including panning, zooming, margin resizing, notes, and highlights. Cons: Highlighting texts doesn’t work really well on the Nook Touch’s screen. Page turns are automated with no option to turn it off. Flashing between page turns also occur.
2. Beam Reader. Pros: Plenty of features including search, zoom, bookmark, and jump to a page: Cons: There’s no landscape mode option.
3. ezPDF Reader. Pros: The reader remembers your last page read, supports landscape mode, can annotate files, organize files into folders, and more. Cons: Text-to-speech feature is not supported by Nook Touch

Closing Thought

The Nook Touch does a poor job with PDFs. If most of your books or personal PDFs are in PDF format, you have two options: one, you can look for an eReader with better PDF support or two, you can root the Nook Touch then install an Android PDF app.

Like the Nook Color, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Touch eReader runs on Android 2.1 platform, making it a hacker’s dream job. In fact, the Nook Touch has been rooted already, and guys over NookDev have published the step-by-step instructions on how to root the Nook Touch. The instructions are for Windows, Max, and Linux users.

Once you have successfully carried out the rooting process, you can start enjoying the ability to customize your Nook Touch. You can load it with apk files. You can pack it with Android apps. You can even run Angry Birds on it! In other words, you can transform your Nook Touch from a dedicated eReader to a black-and-white Jack-of-all-trades device. Here are the apps that have been confirmed to run on the Nook Touch:

• Kindle App
• Amazon App Store
• ADW Launcher
• Kobo App
• Opera Mobile
• Documents to Go
• Screenshot It
• Evernote
• Advanced Task Killer
• Astro File Manager
• Aldiko
• Superuser

As with any other device, rooting the Nook Touch comes with the risk of breaking your warranty. If somehow you mess up the rooting process or things go awry, you can end up with nothing more than a piece of metal brick.

Well, if you can’t resist the idea of turning a dedicated eReader into a multipurpose device capable of running Android applications in grayscale, then get things ready. At first glance, the rooting procedure looks complicated. In reality, it is simple. Don’t get intimated by the lengthy procedure and you will do fine. The entire procedure can be summarized as this:

1. Download Nook Touch root kit. Extract it to your computer. You should see two new files: noogie.img.gz and uRamdisk_rooted.
2. Write the image file (noogie.img.gz) on the SD card.
3. Copy uRamdisk_rooted to Nook Touch.
4. Unmount of all partitions.
5. Restart your Nook Touch. Now you’re ready to get apk applications to it.

But first, the things you need to unlock its potential for greater things:

1. Your Nook Touch
2. A Windows, Linux, or Mac computer with working USB port
3. An SD card writer/ reader. If your computer doesn’t have a built-in SD card reader, you can purchase one from a PC shop for $10 or less.
4. An SD card with 128MB or more space with adapter. There should be no data in it. If there are files stored in it, they will be deleted. A Class 6 SD card or higher is recommended.
5. WiFi connection
6. A software or program to write disk images (e.g. ‘dd’ for Linux or Mac, Win32DiskImager for Windows)
7. Installed ADB. (If you haven’t installed ADB yet, you can get the instructions here.)

In addition, you will also need the willingness to risk voiding your Nook Touch. A dose of tech-savviness could certainly help.  Make sure to read the entire set of instructions before rooting the Nook Touch. Familiarize yourself with the technical terms. This will help lessen the chances of messing up the rooting process.

Ireaderreview speculates that Nook is now a billion per year business. This estimate is based on B&N’s fiscal Q4 report stating that “Nook business across devices, accessories, and additional content grew to over $250 million in comparable sales across retail at BN.com in Q4”. Of course, a $250-million Q4 revenue could well be two-thirds or one-eights of B&N’s income for the year, but Ireaderreview is clearly having fun with the figures. Still, $1 billion Nook-related sales a year is not improbable, given the Nook Color’s market performance and the increase in Nook book sales. .

Here are other highlights of the B&N fiscal Q4 report —

• · The $250 million Q4 sales represent a 300% growth versus last year.
• · 1 million new users opened a Nook account in Q4 alone.
• · B&N’s US eBook market share has grown from 25% to 26% – 27%.
• · The company now sells more digital books than physical books with a ratio of 3 physical books to 1 physical book.

If B&N is doing this well, then surely Amazon has more impressive numbers to tell. Are we looking at $2 billion a year? $3 billion?

Citigroup analyst Mark Mahaney believes we’re looking at $3.7 billion Kindle-related revenues in 2011.

Mahaney’s estimate is based on Amazon’s latest disclosures and Citi’s own analysis. So where does this $3.7 billion come from? Mahaney figures Amazon will be shipping about 17.5 million Kindle units this year and earn a total sales revenue of $2 billion. The remaining $1.7 billion will come from sales of 300 million Kindle books. This combined Kindle-related revenue represents about 8% of Amazon total revenue.

Mahaney is also optimistic that the company will see Kindle-related revenues spike to 10% of its total revenue in 2012. Amazon will be selling 26.2 million Kindle units and 751.5 million Kindle books, giving Amazon total sales of $6.1 billion.

Mahaney’s analysis came close in the heels of the latest report that Amazon is now selling more Kindle books than physical books with a ratio of 105 Kindle books to every 100 physical book format since April 1. This is an amazing accomplishment, though quite expected. The first Amazon let us know the Kindle books had better sales vis-à-vis traditional books was in July last year. According to the company,  Kindle books outsold hardcover books with a ratio of 3:1.

Mahaney also believes that once price of Kindle Readers is marked down to sub-$100, which will likely happen this year just in time for the holiday, there will be a more widespread adoption of Kindle readers. The lowest priced unit now is the Special Kindle, which sells for $114.

Closing Thought

No matter what angle you look at it, the big picture is pretty clear: digital content is on the rise, eBooks are becoming the dominant format.  While we are citing the success of two retailers only, it gives us a pretty good idea of the future of eBooks and eReaders. Digital books are on a roll, and we don’t see them halting any time soon.

Many rumors have spread across the internet recently claiming Sony will release a new line of touch e-Readers very soon. It makes a lot of sense following the latest buzz around the new Nook Touch and the Kobo Reader. Sony can’t afford to stay behind. B&N also have a great deal on the older Nook 3G

So it’s no wonder Sony are trying to get rid of stock. This time, they offer the Daily Edition Reader (PRS-950) for $189, down $50 from the original price. You can take the price down to $130 by using the code OUTLETREADER110 when you check out.

The other e-reader on sale today is a refurbished original Barnes & Noble Nook 3G. You can find it at IceMonkey for $99. This is the older Nook and it has a 6″ e-ink screen, a smaller LCD screen, Wifi, 3G, a microSD card slot, and 2GB Flash storage.

Depending on the terms of the warranty, this could be a good deal. Some of the recent Nook refurbs have been listed with a 90 day warranty instead of the usual year. That’s not long enough, IMO.

(Thanks the-digital-reader)

Both the Nook Touch and Nook WiFi are efficient eReaders, but which one will satisfy you more?

Nook Touch vs Nook WiFi: A Comparison of Features

1. Both devices are dedicated to reading. You can’t use them to Skype your friend, watch videos, or play Angry Birds.
2. Readability. The Nook Touch uses eInk’s latest generation display, which improves on the screen contrast of the older Vizplex display used by the Nook WiFi.  In effect, the Nook Touch offers better readability.
3. Touch interface. Touch function is more streamlined and faster in the Nook Touch. The Nook WiFi uses a 3.5-inch LCD color touchscreen for touch navigation, but since it doesn’t run on the same as the eInk display, response tends to be slow.
4. Portability. Nook Touch is more compact, thinner, and lighter – it’s easier to carry around or use to read for long hours.
5. Operational speed. The Nook WiFi is sluggish at times. The Nook Touch is impressively fast; use of a more powerful processor renders faster operational and page turn speed.
6. Power efficiency. The battery life of Nook Touch lasts 5 times longer than the Nook WiFi’s.
7. Looks. The Nook WiFi has a unique, memorable look, but the Nook Touch also has a sexy, elegant look.

Nook Touch vs Nook WiFi: More Features Where the Nook Touch Stands Out

1. The ability to scan an entire book or magazine in just a few seconds.
2. You can swap reading recommendations with friends.
3. Smoother page turns – occurrence of flashing between page turns has been greatly reduced.

Nook Touch vs Nook WiFi: Features Where the Nook WiFi Excels

1. Nook WiFi is preloaded with Sudoku and Chess – very handy when you need some break from reading.
2. It has a web browser. It does some basic web browsing, but it is fast.
3. It has a built-in MP3 player – good for listening to background music while reading or to audiobooks.
4. Built-in storage can accommodate more books than the Nook Touch, but this is not much of an edge since both come with SD expansion slot if you need to put more books in your library than the eReader internally allows.
5. Price – it’s now down to $119.

Nook Touch vs Nook WiFi: Features Common to Both

1. Wireless access to the B&N store.
2. You can download books wirelessly in seconds.
3. Free WiFi in AT&T hotspots can be used for accessing the B&N store and downloading eBooks only.
4. Both lack 3G support.
5. You can lend a Nook book to a friend for a period of 14 days.
6. Both let you buy books from ePub-supporting sources.
7. If you want to save on books, just borrow from your local library. Either device lets you do that.
8. If you have either Nook, you can enjoy many discounts and freebies offered by B&N as well as read physical books for free for up to an hour per day.
9. You can arrange your books into different “shelves”.

Closing Thought

The Nook Touch is a second generation eReader designed to improve on the many features of the eReader it precedes, so it’s not surprising if it beats the Nook WiFi in many aspects.