Nook Review: A Close Look At The Barnes & Noble Nook

The Barnes & Noble Nook was introduced in late 2009 and at that time, it didn't get a lot of positive feedback, with most Nook reviews citing issues with the device's overall performance. Heeding these calls, B & N then hastened to make upgrades to its hardware to bring the Nook up to standard. Now that the ebook reader has gone through 2 firmware upgrades, how much has it improved? Let's find out in this 2011 Nook review.

Overall Design and Size. Nook looks pretty much the same now as when it was launched more than a year ago. The Nook's frame is a 7.7 by 4.9-inch white plastic bezel with a shiny finish on the front and a rubber-like material on the back. At the top of the gadget is found the Power/Sleep button, while the bottom part is where a small USB port, headphone jack, and a couple of speakers are situated.

This ereader is just half an inch thick and weighs 12.1 ounces. It may not be as light or as compact as the popular Kindle 3, but still the Nook color is still comfortable enough to use read with for long periods of time.

Display and Interface. What makes the Nook different from other ebook readers is that it has a dual screen. On the upper portion is the 6-inch e-ink screen that's designated as the reading display and right below it is the 3.5-inch color LCD that's to be used for navigation. The colored portion of the display adds a dash of brightness to the greyscale e-ink screen. But just how well suited are the two displays for their intended uses?

It has always been common knowledge that e-ink is the best type of technology for ebook reading, specifically long form reading. In this regard, the e-ink display with its 16 shades of gray and 3 font sizes to choose from is just perfect. On the other hand, navigating within the device using the LCD touch screen can be a bit difficult. You'd have to constantly remember that the flicks of the finger are to be confined on the lower screen and in this day and age of full touch smartphones and tablet PCs, this isn't easy.

Battery and Storage. The upgraded Nook already offers a battery life of 10 days with the wireless off. This is already pretty good and would prove to be quite useful when traveling for short periods. Still, this doesn't come close to the Amazon Kindle's battery that can last up to 30 days.

The Nook has 2G of internal memory which can store up to 1,500 books. Need more space? No problem. This device has a microSD expansion slot where extra memory can be added.

Nook Review: The Verdict. With access to more than 2 million titles and exclusive B & N features and technologies like LendMe, Stay in Sync, My Shelves, and Password Protection, the Nook now offers more value for money than before. You won't regret shelling out $199 for the Wi-Fi with 3G model or $149 for the Wi-Fi only edition.

It can't be denied that the Kindle still has the edge over it especially where battery and design are concerned, but from what we've seen up close in this Nook review, the Barnes & Noble Nook is now one of the top ebook readers in the market today.

Visit us at http://ebookreadersresource.com for the full Barnes and Noble Nook review. We also review other handheld ebook readers to help you find the device that is best for you!