Barnes & Noble's Nook Color may be trying too hard to be a tablet, but there is another Nook which is happy just being an e-book
reader. However, it does not mean that the device does not need a makeover. B&N has launched the new Wi-Fi only e-reading device, which comes complete with a touchscreen. But B&N has resisted the urge to add 'Touch' to its name and has introduced the reader as merely an "All New" one.
Amazon's Kindle may be leading the e-book reader race but the new Nook's sleek and almost buttonless design is going to appeal to the more discerning e-book readers. This 6 inch device measures only 212 grams and runs Android 2.1. It also provides on board storage of 2 GB which you can expand further using its microSD card. It uses e-Ink display which is arguably the best screen option for e-reading.
And its battery life, hold your breath, is amazing 2 months, provided you turn your Wi-Fi radio off. Currently, Barnes & Noble and Amazon are spatting over the battery life claims, but we will take it that it has 'good' battery life, even if it does not last 2 months.
Barnes & Noble had recently received a takeover bid from Liberty Media Corp. which had valued the company at $1.02 billion. The valuation was considered too low and with the new Nook, it looks like that the company was right in rejecting the bid. Barnes & Noble claim to have 25 percent share of digital book market. While Nook Color is already almost an Android tablet, Amazon is planning to come up with a portfolio of 'real' tablets by the end of this year. The tablets are likely to be priced competitively. With plummeting tablet prices, do you feel need of spending extra money on buying a dedicated e-reader?