Barnes & Noble Nook's first close-up (now with video!)
By Paul Miller 
posted Oct 20th 2009 5:30PM
posted Oct 20th 2009 5:30PM
Update: We got a closer look at the device, though they still haven't let us touch it. The LCD seems very "passive," and has a shallow viewing angle -- obviously to gather more ambient light and save on battery. The interface appears relatively intuitive, but we're a little confused and doubtful about the highlighting features -- it brings up a software d-pad on screen, and seemed a little unwieldy, though we'll only find out for ourselves when they actually let us get our grubby paws on the thing.
Update 2: We've got some video! It's so very exciting, and can be found after the break.
Android AND e-ink. I wonder if it's a reasonable textbook replacement. But then you can't sell your ebooks...looks like I'm sticking to good ole paper.
You can't steal real textbooks as easy as digital ones either :)
I imagine it more as a mustache.
>> "But then you can't sell your ebooks...looks like I'm sticking to good ole paper."
Surely to god they can make an e-book CHEAPER than a 20lb textbook.
Then, you won't have to sell them.
@ Mike: look at the Kindle versions of books on Amazon. At most they're only a few bucks cheaper! Unbelievable. The publishers will never learn.
On the nice side, "textbook torrents" has a nice alliterative ring to it.
It's too bad bn doesn't let you use the free internet for anything else besides buying books from them. Otherwise this device would be perfect. It has the pdf and epub support that the kindle lacks.
@paul34
Rats. Good thing I'm well out of college!
"look at the Kindle versions of books on Amazon. At most they're only a few bucks cheaper! Unbelievable. The publishers will never learn."
Depends on the book. Hardbacks are $10.00 cheaper in a lot of cases. Dan Brown's newest being one shining example. Paperbacks are closer in price. You also forget to note that Penguin Classics are about $5.00 to $8.00, but can often be had for free (legally!) on the Internet.
I do, however, agree that paperbacks should be cheaper than they are.
-Pie
if they had e-color ink to display all those nice diagrams, and pictures in text books, then sure,
really, the day they have faster refresh, without the annoying black and white flashing, and also have color, will be the day i buy a e-reader, until then, this technology is just a prototype to me. like those old first adepts at the portable computer that were the size of 3 foot balls.
@paul34: "look at the Kindle versions of books on Amazon. At most they're only a few bucks cheaper! Unbelievable. The publishers will never learn. "
Do you really think that the cost of a textbook has very much to do with the cost of paper? It takes years of research and a zillion edits to put together those things. I'm not saying that they're not overpriced, but to assume the price should come tumbling down just because you eliminate paper, printing and most of the distribution costs misses that the real value is in the content. (And people getting all righteous and claiming they're going to torrent the books in retalitation are just stupid criminals.)
@EatingPie
When did Dan Brown start writing Textbooks? I KNEW HE HAD AN AGENDA!!! /sarcasm
I want to see the first school to provide these to all students (for a small fee) with free text books.
The cost of most books, text books in particular is not in the dead tree but rather in the editing. Also consider that most text books are not exactly best sellers making it harder to justify the time and expense (use of assets) unless the selling price is high. I don't have a source for it, but I do recall reading that e-versions on average knock off only around 20% of the cost. Its a nice discount but hardly the near-free that most of you seem to expect.
@Motoken
"will be the day i buy a e-reader, until then, this technology is just a prototype to me"
Which is why us early adopters have a responsibility to throw down coin to make sure that "promising" tech has a chance to become "mainstream" tech and lives long enough to improve. I'm half joking, of course, but only half.
yeah and with the cost of textbooks being $100+ in college
this thing pays for itself pretty fast
hopefully the ebooks aren't expencive
And with spelling like that, neither was your education.
BTW whoever talked about textbooktorrents earlier, that got shut down almost a year ago.
Everyone uses another website starting with bib and ending in otic.
Is is just me, or does the "N" symbol they've chosen for the nook look like a frown? It just looks like an unhappy device.
It does have a slight resemblance to the Android symbol as well.
Maybe it's to emphasize the sharing aspect, since if you hold 2 next to each other it looks like happy eyes from an anime character.
It look like an arch, because it's the GATEWAY TO IMAAAAGINATION
Turn your nook upside down. Fixed.
nook evolves into koou!!!!!
wheres the e-ink pokedex?????
apparently this is such exciting news we needed to hear about it in back to back posts.
It is.
Serious, I'm so worn out because I had to use my scroll wheel to pass by two more posts... With the Apple news I'm not sure how much more abuse my scroll wheel finger can take...
Get over it.
IMHO, this is way better news than those mac updates, at least.
@Mark you need a Magic Mouse with momentum scrolling
Got mine on pre-order! I am looking forward to some Nookie in November.
me too though I doubt that your nookie is similar to mine. Wait that didn't come out right...
I'm just waiting to see if someone figures out how to hack the browser to display any website.
I'm married, what's nookie???
that is one sexy piece of tech.
agreed. I saw this here the other day and these new pics really make me want one.
k getting one.
My only worry is that it looks a little fat. I like that the kindle is a freaking blade.
Then again, I hate the stupid keyboard on the kindle and having to use the eInk display to navigate.
If this thing turns out to be a solid device, if B&N's nook store has a lot of titles, and the reviews are good, I will own one.
It's less than 3mm thicker than the Kindle
B&N say they have over 1 million books to download.
Last time I checked, Amazon has about a third of that.
Not sure about hard numbers though.
You're like the guys that say Scarlett Johansson is a little fat. Seriously.
@DarthVegas: I wouldn't say she's fat, but she's kinda manly looking(never really got the hype about her). That's not because of her weight or size or anything though, just something about her features...
It does look a little thick in the pictures. Keep in mind though that the iPhone 3GS feels very thin, even at its size, and its .48" thick. The Nook is only .5", so its not exactly thick. The Kindle 2 is 0.36", so as others have said, its only .12" thicker, or about 3mm thicker. Likely not a big deal. Probably required by the slight increase in power consumption, in order to keep the battery life the same. Seems like they could have just let the battery life go a little and made it just as thin, given that these things last roughly forever anyway, but I guess they didn't want to.
The B&N eBook store has a lot more titles than the Kindle store - and a ton of free titles that are in the public domain.
Of course it has memoirs of a geisha as its 1st book!
*sighs* With .epub and .pdf support, it makes purchasing my Sony Pocket Edition a bit...dumb...a few weeks ago. For only 50 more, I could've gotten this. :( Well, I still love my Sony. It reads books, and...and that's all I need..... >_>
Keep telling yourself that.
If you are in the USA and you paid by credit card, you have 30 days...its ze law!
Your Sony doesn't do PDF? My Sony PRS-505 does them well. I find that hard to believe!
The thing about this - if it runs on android, how long before people hack it to pieces so it runs all sorts of formats B&N would prefer you didn't have?
What would you need other than EPub anyway?
design-wise, this thing absolutely destroys the ugly-ass Kindle.
When Kindle 2 was released internationally I was sold... but now B&N has screwed up my contentment.
If only the wireless would work when traveling overseas, then everything would be perfect. The addition of WiFi makes compelling for me, even in Australia. There are ways around the US Shipping address restrictions.
Meezzio, I saw reports that the WiFi would initially only work in B&N stores. (And can only be used for the books i.e. no web browsing). But that's not to say we shouldn't be able to get books onto it via USB in Australia while we wait forsome to 'fix' necessary features using Android. :)
Can't wait until its rooted and running google maps!
Knowing Android is on there tempts me to hack it even more than normal. We already print Google Maps step-by-step directions to PDF and then load the PDF on my wife's Sony PRS-700, so we don't have to print it out or waste paper, so we don't worry as much about including all the turn-by-turn maps and it looks great even in gray-scale. Being able to go more directly from Google Maps to the ePaper interface using this would be incredible. I wonder how Wikipedia or Google's eBooks will work with this as well.
Not bad, we'll see what Amazon and Sony do in response. Competition is good, but I really do think we're headed for a big shakeout in the e-ink reader business. There have been lots of devices coming to market in just the last couple months, and more to come. There just isn't enough business out there for everyone to get a big enough slice.
I haven't been able to put my kindle on craigslist fast enough.....
I really like the idea of e-book readers, paper holds no real romance for me…but until e-ink screens get somewhere even approaching as "white" as even grungy old newspapers, I just can't imagine them being comfortable for extended, normal reading. Am I wrong?
Yes, you are wrong. The only time the lower contrast (compared to real paper) is an issue would be in dim light, when you shouldn't be reading PERIOD.
I have a Sony PRS-505 and it is absolutely much brighter then any newspaper. If you've seen one that's that gray there was something wrong with it.
some guy on the train today asked me if i missed having a real book with paper, my answer was "Nope, not at all." I'll be trading my kindle 2 up for either this or a sony reader touch in a few months though. I'm sick of converting standard formats into azw.
I am taking my sony pocket reader back to best buy for $60 buck more I would gain so much more, Does it have a onscreen keyboard for notes?
Yes
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2009/10/500x_bnnook70.jpg
Kindle just got punched in the balls. I wonder what the boys at amazon are going to retaliate with?
My guess would be a lowered price to start with, but their cheapest one would have to be $199 because at $250, I wouldn't even think twice about getting the b&n over the kindle.
Design looks great, and if they got it right it could be much better than the kindle (of which I have the first generation). My main questions are:
- Can I re-download content i purchased like I can with Amazon. No mention of that which worries me.
- Does the color screen shut off while reading? Doesn't appear to in the pictures.
- How do I shop for a book (navigate)? The video only showed a scrolling list of books, is there a virtual keyboard?
- Since it uses EPUB does that mean DRM books purchased on Sony and other readers will work on it? That would be a big difference from the Kindle.
Assuming they got the answers to the above right then it looks really nice. Though having said that I like the amazon kindle store and while navigating on the e-ink is dreadful I rarely have to do it (usually buy books online and send them to my kindle). Will have to wait for the reviews I guess (unless I missed something and someone can answer any of the above?)
Peter
The answer is probably yes since the purchased ebooks stay in your online bookshelf at their site. Which can also be accessed from the pc/mac software, and iphone/motorolla/crackberry phones.
From Barnes & Noble's FAQ
Q: Can I delete eBooks from my nook?
A: Yes. You can delete eBooks from your nook. Of course, eBooks purchased from BN.com will still be your BN.com eBook library, and you can download them again if you change your mind.
Keyboard mode? And how do you select stuff for note taking?
Audible?
OMG it's Doug Gottlieb!!
Looks pretty much the same as yesterday's Alex.
I'm still far more interested in the Entourage eDGe as my Android e-reader/tablet/netbook.
No backlight?...so you cant read it in the dark, hmm
You can't read a book in the dark, either.
Luckily, B&N sells these:
http://gifts.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.asp?r=1&EAN=729578417125&cm_mmc=Google%20Product%20Search-_-Q000000630-_-Home%20gift-_-729578417125&ourl=Home-gift%2FFolding-LED-Book-Light-in-Silver
Actually I can...Its called Braille.
Ok... so why are you worried about a backlight? :)
Why would you need a backlight to read braille?
Braille reading trolls.
That's a new one.
I know people that can read braille, but not by touch.
Chuck Norris can speak braille...
It looks a lot better than the Kindle, well done B&N. We just need one out in the UK now and I'll be happy. Maybe I could use it on the ATT roaming like the Kindle?
I'd think the display is on the "dim" side in order for it not becoming too much of a nuisance next to the ePaper.
I just have one question: do you have to pay for it by doing favors for the townsfolk?
Heh. If I get a nook and get the opportunity to name it, I'm calling it Tom.
Android, dual-screen, e-ink, wi-fi, touch control...
They put together all of the buzzwords from the most successful devices of the past few years into one device...and still managed to make it affordable. Hone run, methinks.
The thing that breaks my heart is I'll need to repurchase my favorite books in a digital format
check if they are free on the google books site. If it is on there in its entirety, then you will be able to access them on the nook for free.
Android, dual-screen, e-ink, wi-fi, touch controls...
They put together buzzwords from the most successful gadgets of the past few years into making this reader...and still managed to make it very affordable. A home run, methinks?
Sigh, Engadget
Hone Run!
>> "They put together buzzwords from the most successful gadgets of the past few years into making this reader..."
Yeah... and lets hope people get excited about e-books.
The MP3 player was easy... people were already used to having a Walkman or portable CD player... so MP3 players just followed in line.
But e-books... whoa... that's a huge paradigm shift.
Wow, another proprietary device from Corporate America. Amazon w/ Kindle and now Barnes & Noble are the RIAA of the literary world. F**k your e-stores and let me purchase my ebooks where I want to. Then let me move MY ebooks onto and off of MY ebook reader as many times as I want.
Sheeple and their high-gloss, low-brain electronics make me sick.
It reads ePub, which is an standard that is read by handle held devices (phones, pdas, etc) and the Sony Reader. That's not very proprietary.
I think you just want a reason to hate it.
What formats are your books in that you can't read on here?
Admit it. You didn't even look up the format support on this device did you.
I like both this and the kindle... but one thing that I would like to see is a light. The sony reader has a light around the edges, but why not even make a light that pulls out of the top (like an antenna) and folds up, similar to how book lights work anyhow... but have it built in... is that too much to ask? I don't want to carry around (or have to buy) a light for a $260 reader!
I'll respond to my own post by saying that I see they have a cover (The Lyra light cover) in the works that has essentially what I was talking about. I wish feature could be built-in, but I suppose 99% of people will want some sort of cover anyhow so that is a good option.
They called it Nook. Awww, that's so sweet :) Thanks.
Nice to see an e-book reader that shows off some nice colour art. I think this is a pretty good selling point. I really like the covers of books and until now it's been a missing factor. Would love to see an e-ink color display... would be amazing for graphic novels! this is a god start tho IMO.
FULL REVIEW! FULL REVIEW!
I want to see all the modes the LCD goes thru--on screen keyboard, navigation, not taking, etc.
Does the LCD power off when not in use?
How is the LCD in various lighting conditions?
In the video the buttons seem kind of non-responsive. Please check that. How fast does it change pages in comparison to the Kindle 2?
Does it do anything other than read books? For example, an experimental web browser, or blog subscriptions, or some of the other stuff Amazon is messing around with?
Can you do anything with the LCD other than use it to navigate--look at pictures, or videos, or whatever?
Looks like there is an SD card slot on the top. Details? SDHC compliant? I assume you can move PDFs for example over from you laptop via SD rather than plugging it in?
Whats the battery life like?
What can you do with the Wifi other than buy books?
Whats the catalog look like? How is navigation?
Do they have whispersync like functionality? How about an iPhone app coming?
Can you buy content from the Sony bookstore and use it? How about Google?
Do they have plans for newspapers and magazines? NY Times? PC Magazine? Black and white comics?
What about textbook pricing? And note taking? The things that are making the Kindle DX a failure in the education market?
Are there page numbers? E.g. if you want to reference the printed book, can you do that somehow even though the text "pages" on the device are different?
Anything built it? Dictionary, spelling check, thesaurus, calculator, games...
Is there an application development environment?
What are all the ports? Is that a mini USB jack on the bottom?
How long does it take to charge? How long does the battery last?
There's a FAQ and feature comparison with K2 at nook.com .
LCD powers off when reading
Battery 10 days (about right for readers)
It has "whispersync" like functionality and there's already B&N Touch/iPhone, Blackberry and desktop apps.
built in dictionary
3.5 hours to charge
The FAQ from B&N doesn't mention the Kindle 2's text-to-speech ability. That's an important feature for me.
I'm still happy with my Kindle 2, so I can wait to see what wonders are yet to come (Apple tablet, Kindle 3, even nook 2).
Personally, i'm not so keen on the dual displays. I think it's sort of distracting for such a small device, and the black bezel doesn't help much either. I think i'm going to wait until an ebook comes out that is responsive, built well, and open. I'm looking forward to what plastic logic comes out with over it's lifetime, but until i see something i like, i'm going to stick with the local bookstore.