Hot on the heels of Kobo’s launch of a $130 e-ink touchscreen device, Barnes & Noble unveiled the Nook Simple Touch Reader, a $139 black & white e-ink touchscreen device with an upgraded 6” screen, faster page-turns and a battery B&N says will hold a charge for two months. The device will go on sale June 10.
B&N.com president William Lynch and B&N president of digital products Jamie Iannone were on hand to show off the new device at a packed press conference at B&N’s flagship store at Union Square in Manhattan. Lynch said the “all-new” Nook Simple Touch Reader is a device that combines the technology of the two most popular devices in the digital reading marketplace—tablets and dedicated e-ink e-readers. One thing to come out of yesterday’s IDPF forum was that dedicated e-ink devices, b&w devices designed solely for reading, are holding their own in the market despite rising consumer interest in tablet devices like the iPad 2. Tablet devices generally offer touchscreen navigation, full color and multimedia support, while e-ink devices consume less power, have long battery life and can be easily read outside in bright sunlight, unlike the backlit LCD screens of color tablets.
Story at Wired.com
Barnes & Noble Slims, Simplifies Nook E-Book Reader
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/05/nook-simple-touch/
Barnes & Noble on Tuesday unveiled a simplified touchscreen e-reader: the Simple Touch Reader. Designed for a “pure and simple” reading experience without buttons, keyboards or complexity, the new compact Nook will be available around June 10th in stores or online.
It’s got a 6-inch Pearl E Ink display and weighs in at just under 7.5 ounces, 35% lighter than the original Nook. It’s selling for $140, the same price as the Kindle 3, but not as cheap at the $114 Kindle with ads.
The first-generation Nook is available for a discount price of $120 (for WiFi only) and $170 (for WiFi/3G) until supplies run out.
CEO William Lynch announced at a New York press event that the Simple Touch would be the “easiest to use, most portable e-book reader ever.” He outlined several advantages to the new Nook over its Amazon rival.
The most impressive feature for avid readers is the device’s super long battery life: a whole two months at half an hour a day, or twice as long as the Kindle.