27 October,2010 06:19 PM IST | | AFP
Book retailer Barnes and Noble (B&N) has made the decision to turn the page on e-ink e-readers, instead opting for a full-color LCD touchscreen in its latest electronic reading device.
"With NOOKcolor, we've combined the functionality and convenience of a 7-inch portable wireless tablet with the reader-centricity of a dedicated eReader, and employed a breakthrough color screen technology that will wow customers," said William Lynch, CEO of Barnes & Noble in an October 26 press release.
Responses to B&N's e-reader technology and new e-reader have been mixed. Some analysts and technology reporters believe it is the right direction for the company to be moving in, commenting that consumers have already warmed to touchscreen technology and want a low-cost device that can do more than just read books.
Others, such as Devin Coldewey of tech site CrunchGear, say, "It was the wrong move for Barnes & Noble to change horses mid-race. The only thing e-readers (and this is supposed to be an e-reader, make no mistake) have as a defense against the tablet onslaught is their superior (and rapidly improving) e-ink displays."
Coldewey adds, "E-readers survive because they don't compete directly with the iPad, which is the only credible tablet competition now (though that will change in the coming months)."
While critics argue over which technology is better for dedicated e-readers, Amazon is happy to reiterate that its rival e-reading device, the new $139 e-ink Kindle, is the bestselling product on both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
"It's clear that this is going to be the biggest holiday for Kindle yet -- by far," said Steve Kessel, senior vice president, Amazon Kindle on October 25.
Without the easy-to-read e-ink technology found in dedicated e-readers such as Amazon's Kindle, Sony's Pocket Edition, Touch Edition and Daily Edition e-readers or Kobo's low-cost ($149) Kobo e-reader, the real question is will consumers choose the Nook over some of the other feature-rich tablets on (and coming to) the market?
The Archos 7 home tablet lets consumers surf the web, manage email, watch HD movies and access thousands of apps all for $199.99 while Apple's iPod touch is also an interesting competitor at $229: it has full access to e-reading apps like Kindle and B&N plus its own book store.
The NOOKcolor is set to arrive in stores on November 19 for a price of $249.
