NookColor

Barnes & Noble’s new version of the nook, Nookcolor, is available starting today for preorders.  At $249.00, with a host of new features, this one might take the shine off the Apple this Christmas!

Featuring a 7″ touchscreen, 8 gig of internal memory, and running on Google’s Android operating system, the new Nook features full web browsing, support for Pandora streaming radio, and you can even share parts of your favorite books over Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks. Even newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals are automatically delivered to your Nook as soon as they’re published. 

The Nook measures 8.1″ x 5″, is only .48″ wide, and weighs just 15.8 ounces, with a screen capable of displaying more tahn 16 million colors, and featuring an accelerometer for landscape mode. 
“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 a press release.

And, at first glance, the new Nook may just be a game-changer!

nook: Game Changer?

nookExpect Barnes & Noble to introduce the new FULL COLOR nook eReader just in time for the holidays!  This one, running on Android, just might be a game changer in the “war” against the iPad. Even more interesting, assuming the nook can deliver on overall functionality, keep the lightweight feel of eReaders, continue the longer battery life, and maintain the low price of current eReaders, Barnes & Noble might just overtake both the iPad and the Kindle in sales this year!

Another New eReader

Pandigital Novel ColorPandigital’s new Novel eReader, with color touchscreen, pre-loaded with Google’s Android OS, and integrated with Barnes & Noble’s eBookstore will begin selling next month for $199.99, and promises to push color eReaders more to the front for the coming holiday season! 

Here are the specs:
Dimensions: 5.2″ (W) x 7.2″ (H) x 0.5″ (D)
Weight:  11.8 ounces
7-inch device, 800 x 600 pixels
Support for touch input
2GB internal memory, with SD/SDHC slot for extra capacity
Mini-USB port
PDF and EPUB file format support
Built-in Wifi and web browser
Virtual Keyboard
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery with 6 hour battery life

Christmas eReader Price War?

Are the Christmas eReader price wars heating up?  This week, Copia, a subsidiary of DMC Worldwide, announced plans to introduce a five-inch color eReader for just $99 this fall.

“The iPad disrupted pricing strategy for everyone in the eReader market, and after the price wars with Barnes & Noble and Amazon, everyone’s trying to differentiate themselves from a price-point perspective,” Tony Antolino, senior vice president of DMC Worldwide, said in a statement. “We decided to do a revision of our hardware positioning.”

We’ll have more information on this eReader as soon as it is available!

Sony Price Drop Heats Up eReader Competition!

Sony Digital Reader Touch Edition - Red (PRS600RC)

Sony Digital Reader Touch Edition - Red (PRS600RC)

Sony has now dropped the price on it’s electronic readers to match recent price drops by Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Price drops are: 

The Daily Edition drops to $299.99 from $349.99. 

The Touch Edition drops to $169.99 from $249.99.

The Pocket Edition drops to $149.99 from $169.99.

Amazon Drops Price, Too!

Amazon KindleIn response to Barnes & Noble’s bold move, Amazon has dropped the price on the Kindle to just $189.00!  This represents a SIGNIFICANT savings for those of you who have been waiting for an affordable eReader.  Order your Kindle through this link and get free two day shipping!

IREX Now Shipping!

Here’s the latest from their press release:

IREX TECHNOLOGIES NOW SHIPPING DR800SG eREADER

Westlake Village, Calif., Feb. 17, 2010 – IREX Technologies’ DR800SG wireless eReader is officially available on BestBuy.com today.

The device combines an incomparable, paper-like reading experience and the perfect balance between readability and portability with an open approach to buying and transferring content. With 3G wireless capabilities, users can purchase and quickly download an eBook while on the go.

“Consumer awareness and adoption of eReaders is reaching a tipping point – devices were a hot seller this holiday season and the space is poised to explode in 2010,” said Kevin Hamilton, CEO, IREX North America, Inc. “This is a purpose-built device for people who love to read. IREX supports multiple file formats, provides access to hundreds of thousands of leading books and periodicals, and now offers a strong retail presence to help us stand out in this competitive market.”

Along with immediate availability on BestBuy.com, the device will appear on Best Buy shelves through a phased launch in coming months. Giving users access to the device through a retailer recognized for providing hands-on interaction with technology will drive increased awareness and understanding of eReaders, as potential buyers can see, touch and even test the product – a must do for consumers buying an eReader.

The IREX device includes the Barnes & Noble eBookstore from Barnes & Noble, the world’s largest bookseller, giving users access to more than 750,000 titles, including new releases and bestsellers at $9.99. Barnes & Noble expects its eBookstore (www.bn.com/ebooks) will increase to well over one million titles in 2010, inclusive of every available eBook and eBook originals from book publishers.

Agreements with NewspaperDirect and LibreDigital – two leading distributors of digital content – give IREX users access to the most comprehensive collection of newspapers and magazines available in the eReader market, up to 1,100 more titles than what is currently available on some competitive devices.

“A flurry of eReaders and tablets were announced at CES in January, but the reality is that many of these devices are not widely availability. Shoppers can head to BestBuy.com and purchase the DR800SG immediately, putting their favorite eBooks, newspapers and magazines just a few clicks away – not a few months away,” said Hamilton.

Key product specifications
· Purchase content on the go – wireless service for the IREX device is provided by Verizon Wireless, the nation’s largest and most reliable 3G network. Qualcomm’s Gobi™ multi-mode 3G embedded module drives connectivity to 3G networks around the world.

· Big screen, compact design – some competitive devices offer a similarly-sized device but with a much smaller display area. IREX’s 8.1-inch screen is ideal for books, magazines and newspapers with detailed graphics.

· Purpose-built device – the DR800SG features the latest electronic paper display technology, using E Ink’s Vizplex imaging film, to deliver an experience that is closer to reading ordinary paper than possible with a netbook or tablet device. It also has a longer battery life and is lightweight.

· Easy navigation – the device turns pages faster than competing products and navigation is easy with an interactive stylus-driven touch screen. Users can search their library or add a bookmark with the tap of a stylus or skim an eBook with the touch of a thumb.

· Customized reading – users can enlarge or reduce text size and margin widths, or select portrait or landscape mode to suit their preferences.

Pricing and availability
The IREX DR800SG has an MSRP of $399.99, which includes access to a variety of free content. Wireless access to downloaded content is included in the cost of the DR800SG and no contract is required

No nook for Christmas?

MSNBC is reporting that Barnes & Noble is giving $100 gift certificates to Nook e-reader buyers who placed orders for the devices to be delivered before the holidays and now won’t receive them until after the Christmas. The company had hoped that most preorders from November would be delivered by Dec. 24, but says that some won’t arrive on time.

Here’s the full story: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34512526/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/

Another nook Review!

Here’s a little more indepth review of Barnes & Noble’s nook:

Amazon Upgrades Kindle

Amazon’s Kindle is getting a longer battery life, and even better, PDF support! Today, Amazon released a firmware update to the Kindle that gives users the abiolity to read PDF documents, and it significantly extends the battery life!

This brings the Kindle features up to par, since both the Sony Readers and Barnes & Noble’s nook already offer PDF support for their readers. This upgrade will reduce the hassle of reading PDF documents, even though you will still need to download them throuh your USB connection.

This affects only the Kindle, as the larger Kindle DX already features the PDF reader. Besides adding a PDF reader, the Kindle firmware update also extends the battery life of the device to approximately one week from the previous four days (with wireless capability switched on). With the wireless switched off, your Kindle can go up to two weeks without a charge.