Nook Vs Kindle: The Battle Between Two Ebook Readers

The question on top of the minds of the ebook reading public is of course, in a Nook vs Kindle matchup, which will likely emerge the winner? Is the Nook the Amazon Kindle killer that many have anticipated it to be? Here is what CNET had to see about this matchup back in March of 2010:

In the video, they mentioned the price of the Nook and the Kindle was $259. Since this review was done, the prices have dropped. The Nook now is available with Wi-Fi only for $149 or 3G+Wi-Fi for $199. The Amazon Kindle is now just $189.

The continued reign of Amazon’s ebook reader as the top ereading device is very much apparent, so people assume that the winner to that Nook vs Kindle bout would still be — the Kindle! (No surprises there). But it’s really not that clear cut as the Nook does offer some distinct features that not too few consumers would be more than interested to try out, giving the Kindle more competition than any other ebook reader. Let’s compare the two feature-for-feature:

• Size and Display

Size-wise, the two don’t differ much. Both come with a 6-inch e-ink display but on the surface, the Nook (7.7 x 4.9 inches) measures a tad smaller than the Kindle (8 x 5.3 inches). And then again, the Nook is almost 2 ounces heavier than the Kindle (12.1 oz vs. 10.2 oz), and is also a bit thicker at 0.5-inch compared to the Kindle’s 0.36-inch depth. What makes the Nook standout in this aspect is of course, its color touchscreen which, while some may see as unnecessary, does take the Nook’s fab factor a notch up.

• Memory and Connectivity

Here the Nook takes the clear upper hand. While both ebook reading devices are equipped with 2GB of internal memory which can store up to 1,500 ebooks, the Barnes & Noble ereader has an expandable memory slot for additional storage space and easier organization of books.

Both devices also use AT&T’s 3G wireless network, but the Nook is also WiFi-capable and has free access to WiFi in all Barnes & Noble stores.

• Battery Life

Nook’s 7 to 10 days of battery life (as claimed by B&N) with WiFi turned off is no match with the Kindle’s up to 14 days battery power without the need to recharge. In actuality though, users claim 4-5 days for the Nook and about 10 days for the Kindle. Regardless, there is still a huge difference between the two and this could prove to be a significant factor especially for those who travel a lot.

• Content

Barnes & Noble is said to have more than one million titles available and about 500,000 free ebooks. This may seem a lot more compared to the more than 420,000 books available for the Kindle, but I’ve also read some user reviews saying that Amazon’s choice of books, despite being more limited in number, is preferable over that of Barnes & Noble books. Amazon puts is as having the books “customers want to read.”

• Price

The Nook is available in two different versions – Wi-Fi only for $149 or 3G+WiFi for $199. The Amazon Kindle is just $189.

• Other Features

The Kindle has some features that the Nook doesn’t have, and vice versa. The Nook may have book lending and in-store browsing features, but the Kindle has a Text-to-Speech option and yes, web browsing is possible even on its greyscale e-ink display. The Nook is also highly regarded being the first Android-powered ebook reader but then again, the apps are slow in coming.

Final Thoughts

When all is said and done, which takes the cake in a Barnes and Noble Nook vs Amazon Kindle matchup? True, the Nook does come across as an exciting alternative to the Kindle, but consumers aren’t exactly coming in hordes, trading their Kindles for the Nook. Whereas reading from the Kindle is a seamless experience for many users, the Nook’s slow page turns and generally buggy operation are still issues that Nook users are still coming to terms with.

Perhaps these can be addressed with more firmware upgrades, or perhaps a Nook II will offer a better experience. But as far as this Nook vs Kindle review is concerned, this ebook reader from Barnes & Noble is worth watching out for.