Amazon.com is one of the most successful retailers on Earth. Old-school bookseller Barnes & Noble Inc. is bleeding cash.
In most respects, it's hardly a fair fight.
But when it comes to electronic books, B&N has begun to level theplaying field. The company's newest Nook reader is a delight -compact, responsive, and blessed with a really good touchscreen.
I didn't have much use for the original Nook, with its gimmickycombination of a black-and-white E Ink screen for reading and alittle color screen for displaying book titles. But since then, B&Nhas delivered the Nook Color, a sharp little $249 e-reader that'salso the best low-priced tablet computer you can buy. Now comes thenew entry-level Nook for $139, a worthy rival for the low-costAmazon Kindle, which can cost as little as $114.
After a head-to-head comparison, I could be happy with either,but it was the Nook that usually found its way into my hands.
It's the feel of it, for one thing. While slightly thicker thanthe Kindle, the Nook is about an inch shorter because there's nophysical keyboard. As with the Apple Inc. iPad, virtually everythingis controlled by touching the screen. Sony Corp. introduced atouchscreen E Ink reader in 2008, but it was mediocre. B&N got itright.
There is a set of rubber-coated buttons on either side of thedevice that can be used for turning pages. Press and hold them, andyou can fast- forward or rewind your book. But I found the buttonsstiff and uncomfortable; luckily, you don't need them. Swipe thescreen from side to side to turn pages. Press and hold any spot onthe screen for other features, such as a dictionary or the abilityto add notes by pecking them into the Nook's very responsive virtualkeyboard. Touch a book-shaped icon atop the screen to go directly tothe last page you were reading.
The Nook's screen is less flashy than that of the Kindle, butthat's a good thing. The E Ink technology, which creates an easy-to-read display that works in sunlight, has an annoying quirk thatmakes the screen blink to black when you turn pages. It's verydistracting. The newest Nook hasn't eliminated the problem, but it'sgotten pretty close. Flashing only happens every four or five pageturns.
The Nook's home screen is more welcoming and practical than theKindle's. Instead of bland and unattractive menus, you get well-designed visual cues that guide you to your current reading choice,as well as the rest of your library, and suggestions on what to buynext.
Still, the new Nook has its limitations. It doesn't offer a 3Goption to let you buy books anywhere via a cellular data connection.
The Nook connects to the Internet only through Wi-Fi, but ownersget free access to all Wi-Fi hots pots operated by AT&T Inc. That'sa lot of hot spots: AT&T service is available at most Starbuckscoffee shops, McDonald's restaurants, and of course, B&N's chain ofbrick-and-mortar bookstores.
Also missing: The clever text-to-speech feature of the Kindle,which can read books aloud, or the Kindle's ability to play back MP3music.
Not only does the Kindle offer more features, but you can alsoget the newest model at a sizeable discount if you don't mindlooking at a few ads.
A "special offers" version displays advertising on the bottom ofthe Kindle's menu page or as screensaver images, but not insidebooks.
In exchange, you save some money on the device. Amazon's Wi-Fi-only version, normally priced at $139, costs $114 with advertising.The 3G Kindle, usually $189, drops to $164.
For now, Amazon is number one in e-readers with about 40 percentof the market. And with the Kindle's extra features, its ad-supported discounts, and its excellent reputation, Amazon will stayon top.
But Barnes & Noble must be desperate to compensate for its fadingbookstore business with a high-tech hit. Thanks to the superb newNook, they just might pull it off.
Hiawatha Bray can be reached at bray@globe.com.
VIDEO
Watch Hiawatha Bray demonstrate the Nook's features atwww.boston.com/business.
23Techlab.ART
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