By Saachi Sharma:
It seems the largest book retailer in the United States, Barnes and Noble, is evolving in tandem with the changing times. In the age of technology, where pages are slowly being replaced by screens, cumbersome books by sleek mettalic gadgets that can store a mini library and simple reading by read- out stories accompanied with pictures and graphics, this indeed has not come as a surprise to many. Barnes and Noble’s entrance into the E – Book reader market with their latest launch, NOOKcolour, stands testimony to changing times.
NOOKcolour boasts of the first full-color touch Reader’s Tablet which delivers digital books, magazines, newspapers and children’s books in beautiful colours, cramming everything into a portable device best suited for travellers and readers alike. Touted to offer the ‘ultimate reading experience’, it will provide the reader access to the largest bookstore with an unprecedented option of more than two million digital titles with 8GB onboard storage . The NOOKcolor has a stunning 7-inch VividView Color Touchscreen display, thereby making shopping for virtual books easier – only a few seconds if downloaded via its built-in Wi-Fi connection.
In addition, the NOOKcolor gets more social with Barnes & Noble’s new NOOKfriends technology which allows the reader to share what’s going on with friends via Facebook, Twitter and email.
However, there’s no 3G option, which limits the ability to buy a book at an airport or hotel. It won’t have access to the Android Market or have the ability to run applications originally designed for other Android devices (unless you root or jailbreak your device).Also, the battery life predictably suffers from supporting an LCD color screen, allowing only 8 hours of reading time.
Priced at a reasonable 249$, the NOOKcolour is not bound for for non – US markets, atleast as of now. While Apple’s hardware offer vivid color and interactivity, and Amazon’s USP (Unique Selling Point) is the wide range of books and periodicals, Nook Color offers both. A good buy, on the whole, subject to availability though.
Image courtesy: http://www.gaj-it.com/26433/nook-colour-is-official-but-is-it-better-than-kindle/