Looks like someone at Barnes and Noble jumped the gun and posted details about the Nook early. The specs look very nice. Things that particularly stand out to me:
- PDF support!!! (Have to wait and see how well it works.)
- Expandable memory via micro-SD cards.
- Dual displays -- great for navigation.
- Smaller footprint, but slightly thicker than the Kindle.
- Wi-Fi.
- Special content available over wi-fi when you bring it into a Barnes and Noble store. (Smart!)
- It runs on the Android operating system.
- Displays JPEG, GIF, PNG, and Bitmap image files that you can load from your micro-SD card.
- They will sell in Barnes & Noble's brick-and-mortar stores.
- Ability to loan books to others for up to 14 days. (Nice!)
- Includes a free copy of Malcom Gladwell's Tipping Point.
I'm on a 10-minute break from my income tax class, so I have to keep this short, but should have more on this later. In the meantime, Barnes and Noble is making their official announcement about the Nook at 4 PM.
Update: Here is coverage from the announcement event.
Update: Here is another nice feature Amazon can't compete with: "Read any eBook for free in a Barnes & Noble store." Yes, I know you can read physical copies there too. But sometimes they are out of stock, aren't carried, or can't be found. (I've lost track of how many times I've asked if they had a book with the response: "Would you like me to order that for you?") Plus this is just cool. It certainly adds enticement for me to: 1) buy a Nook, and 2) spend more time at Barnes and Noble. Hopefully, Plastic Logic's reader will have this feature as well once it is released. For that matter, it would be great to get it on the iPhone too.
I wonder if this feature will help "prime the pump" for an unlimited subscription-based feature? Think of it like a Rhapsody of books or a "Barnes and Noble at Home". Hopefully, it is coming.
(HT Gizmodo)
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