Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader leaks a bit early: $259, pre-orders are live (video)
By Darren Murph 
posted October 20th 2009 1:51PM
posted October 20th 2009 1:51PM
B&N also tells us that you can pick up where you left off (with markings and highlights in tact) on your iPhone or BlackBerry using its free eReader software, which just so happens to be the same app that allows sharing to iPhone, iPod touch, BlackBerry, PC or Mac. As expected, the company will also let you sample ebooks before you buy, and you'll enjoy free WiFi each and every time you sashay into a Barnes & Noble retail location. It's available to pre-order as we speak for $259, with initial shipments expected to happen at the end of November. Introductory video is after the break, along with a few highlights about accessories and features.
Update: Aw snap, B&N just yanked everything related to nook from its website. Thankfully for you, everything you'd ever need to know is right here.
Update 2: Looks like it's back! Though, the landing page itself still seems down. Hurray for backdoors!
Update 3: Be sure to check out our live reveal coverage and our hands-on images / video!
- Barnes & Noble will sell extra rechargeable batteries, though pricing has yet to be posted
- A whole slew of covers are available, some of them by known designers
- Extra accessories include the Lyra Light, Matte Screen Film Kit and AC Adapter & USB Cable Kit, though none are showing prices just yet
- A 2-year protection plan is available for $69.95, and B&N claims that "if anything goes wrong, it'll fix or replace the nook for free." YMMV.
Barnes & Noble Introduces nook™, its Wireless eBook Reader with E Ink® Display &
First Color Touch Screen for Navigation; First Device to Allow Readers to Lend eBooks
Most-Connected eBook Reader Offers Free 3G Wireless and Wi-Fi Access to Over One Million eBooks, Newspapers and Magazines;
Wi-Fi Enables Free In-Store Browsing of Complete eBooks
"Reading Now" Technology Provides Seamless Access to Content:
Forget your nook? Pick up where you left off on your iPhone, PC or Mac
Taking Pre-Orders now for $259 at nook.com and in Barnes & Noble Stores;
Device will be Available end of November
New York, New York – October 20, 2009 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world's largest bookseller, announced today the launch of nook, the Barnes & Noble eBook reader, which marries innovative technology and sleek minimalist design with access to the company's digital store of over one million eBooks, newspapers and magazines.
nook features many industry firsts as it is the first Android™-based eBook reader and the first to offer a color touch screen for navigation along with a best-in-class E Ink display for an immersive, enjoyable e-reading experience. For fast connectivity, nook is the first eBook reader to provide, at no additional costs to customers, both 3G wireless access on AT&T's mobile broadband network and access to Wi-Fi for Barnes & Noble in-store browsing and enjoyment. And to help friends share their joy of reading, nook is the first eBook reader to offer digital lending for a wide selection of eBooks.
"We asked our customers what they wanted in an eBook reader, and specifically designed nook to be the most full-featured, fun, stylish and easy-to-use eBook reader on the market," said William J. Lynch, President of Barnes & Noble.com. "With our nationwide footprint, Barnes & Noble customers can see, touch and hold nook. Our 40,000 booksellers are ready to help customers discover how easy it is to download and read eBooks on nook, and what a pleasure it is to have access to their favorite eBooks, magazines and newspapers any time and anywhere."
nook: The Device
The centerpiece of Barnes & Noble's strategy to deliver any book, any time, anywhere, nook was created expressly with the reader in mind, with features and functionality to create an immersive, seamless and fun experience:
nook's sleek, minimalist design puts the focus on the content, not the technology, and the combination of color and touch make navigation intuitive and simple. nook feels great in hand and features a contoured, easy-to-hold back. About the size and weight of a paperback book, nook is thin, small and portable. Its best-in-class E Ink Vizplex™ display is easy on the eyes with text as clear and crisp as a printed book. And with no glare or backlight and adjustable text size, you can read comfortably for hours without straining your eyes.
Color Touch for Easy Navigation
The beautiful lower color touch screen offers an immersive experience, inviting you to virtually browse through brilliant cover art, flip through an expansive library, or search using a virtual keyboard. nook presents the controls, navigation and keyboard you need, only when you need them.
Download eBooks Wirelessly
With fast 3G wireless and Wi-Fi access, nook is the most-connected eBook reader. Browse and instantly download eBooks, magazines and newspapers simply and seamlessly on AT&T's 3G wireless network, the nation's fastest, with no set-up required or additional wireless costs. Connect to the complimentary Wi-Fi, provided by the AT&T Wi-Fi network, in Barnes & Noble stores and download at broadband fast speeds.
Lend eBooks to Friends
With nook's breakthrough LendMe™ technology, lend a wide selection of eBooks to friends free of charge, for up to 14 days at a time. Just choose the book you want to share and send it to your friend's nook or iPhone, iPod touch, select BlackBerry® and Motorola smartphones, PC or Mac® with Barnes & Noble eReader software.
A Continuous Reading Experience
With "Reading Now," your virtual bookmark, nook brings you back to the last book you've read, right where you left off. And it works across a range of devices. If you forgot your nook at home, Barnes & Noble's free eReader software on your iPhone, select BlackBerry and Motorola smartphones or laptop lets you pick up where you left off, including annotations. And when you're reunited with your nook again, the Reading Now page will be updated and ready to go.
A Wealth of Content, in the Palm of Your Hand
nook can hold up to 1,500 eBooks and other printed content, and the sky's the limit for your digital library when you use nook's expandable memory slot. A 16GB MicroSD card holds up to 17,500 eBooks.
Portability and Personalization
You can also easily transfer PDF-format documents from your computer to access and read business documents, legal contracts and travel information on your nook. And transfer your photos to create custom screensavers.
Protect Your nook in Style
nook comes with a removable back cover you can personalize from a selection of four additional great colors. You can also choose from a range of accessories by renowned designers kate spade new york, Jack Spade, Jonathan Adler, Tahari and others. From classic and colorful portfolios to an innovative book light, Barnes & Noble will offer stylish and elegant accessories designed exclusively for nook both in stores and online.
Over One Million eBooks, Newspapers and Magazines
As part of nook's introduction, Barnes & Noble has further expanded its wide selection of content to satisfy every reader.
Expanded eBookstore
From fiction to horror and romance to thrillers, with the launch of nook, Barnes & Noble's eBookstore now offers the most eBook titles – over one million – with most bestsellers and new releases for just $9.99.
Your Daily Newspapers on nook
Read your "morning paper" any time, anywhere you go. Barnes & Noble now offers subscriptions to more than 20 newspapers, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times. Barnes & Noble expects to offer, in digital form, subscriptions to every major U.S. daily.
Read Your Favorite Magazines
As the nation's second largest retailer of magazines, Barnes & Noble is now pleased to offer its customers digital subscriptions. Enjoy reading publications including Forbes, Newsweek and The Nation on your nook, at home or on the go.
Experience nook at Your Local Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble's nationwide network of stores enables its customers to see nook and get hands-on demonstrations from its booksellers. Furthermore, nook owners get added benefits.
Stunning Retail Displays
Barnes & Noble has created stunning storefront displays for nook that begin rolling out tomorrow in its highest-volume stores including 17 College bookstores such as DePaul University, Harvard University, Southern Methodist University, University of Pennsylvania and Washington State University. nook will be on display at its fully staffed customer service centers in every store.
Dedicated Booksellers
Barnes & Noble's 40,000 booksellers are ready to help customers get the most of their nook e-reading experience, demonstrate the eReader applications on other devices, and assist and support purchases, browsing and downloads in-store.
Free Complete eBook Browsing
Customers will also be able to browse complete eBooks for free on nook at any Barnes & Noble store, whether or not the actual book is in stock, beginning later this year. Plus settle into the café and get exclusive in-store-only content, free eBooks, special offers and much more using Barnes & Noble's complimentary Wi-Fi, provided by the AT&T Wi-Fi network.
Availability
nook, the Barnes & Noble eBook reader, will be available end of November for $259.00. Barnes & Noble is taking pre-orders now at www.nook.com and in stores starting tomorrow. In celebration of nook's launch, Barnes & Noble will also offer a free eBook of Malcolm Gladwell's widely acclaimed best-seller, "The Tipping Point," for the first 10,000 customers to pre-order nook.
To learn more and experience nook, visit www.nook.com. Follow our eBooks and other updates on www.bn.com/twitter. To learn more about the free Barnes & Noble eReader software and Barnes & Noble eBookstore apps, visit www.barnesandnoble.com/ebooks.
Product Highlights:
Designed for a Better Reading Experience
- Try, Then Buy - Once you sample for free, buying ebooks is easy. An entire book downloads wirelessly in seconds. Many bestsellers and new releases are just $9.99.
- No reading glasses required! Choose from 5 different font sizes so you can read with ease. The best-in-class E Ink ® display with a 16-bit gray scale offers great contrast with no glare or backlight making for hours of reading enjoyment.
- Just add an expandable Micro SD card , purchased separately, to add to your nook's 2 GB of internal storage space. Besides your ebooks, magazines and newspapers, add pictures, music, and personal documents. PDFs load directly and look great.
- Sample eBooks for free just about anywhere you are, on us. Browse eBooks, magazines and newspapers on AT&T's 3G Wireless Network or on Wi-Fi. And every Barnes & Noble has free Wi-Fi, so you can connect at lightning fast speeds.
- With 2GB of memory, nook stores up to 1,500 books, newspapers and magazines. Need even more space? Just add a memory card for storage of up to 17,500. An entire library light enough to take with you everywhere, so you'll never be without your favorites.
- Never lose your place. Use the virtual bookmark to bring you back to the last book you've read, right where you left off. If you forget your nook at home and are stuck on a bus, keep on reading with your iPhone™, or BlackBerry®, using our free eReader software.
- You can share nook to nook, but it doesn't stop there. Using the new Barnes & Noble LendMe™ technology... you will be able to lend to and from any iPhone™, iPod touch®, BlackBerry®, PC, or Mac®, with the free Barnes and Noble eReader software downloaded on it.
- Control your nook with an easy-to-use full-color touchscreen, created to work seamlessly with the crisp, clean E Ink ® display. Just use your finger to swipe through titles and tap open your next read.
- Visit the store, turn on your nook, and see what pops up on your screen. It's as simple as that. You will get exclusive content, special discounts and more. And soon, you will be able to read entire eBooks for free at your local Barnes & Noble.
Color Touch Screen for Easy Navigation
- nook feels great in hand and features a contoured, easy-to-hold back. About the size and weight of a paperback book, nook is thin, small and portable. Its best-in-class E Ink® Vizplex™ display is easy on the eyes with text as clear and crisp as a printed book. And with no glare or backlight and adjustable text size, you can read comfortably for hours. Our minimalist design puts the focus on the content, not the technology, welcoming the reader to dive right in.
Download eBooks Wirelessly
- The first-ever color touch screen for navigation on an eBook reader offers an immersive experience, inviting you to virtually browse through brilliant cover art, flip through an expansive library, or search using a virtual keyboard. The combination of color and touch on the beautiful lower screen make navigating nook intuitive and simple, even for the tech novice. nook presents the controls, navigation and keyboard you need, only when you need them.
Lend eBooks to Friends
- With fast 3G wireless and Wi-Fi access, nook is the most-connected eBook reader. Browse and instantly download eBooks, magazines and newspapers simply and seamlessly on AT&T's 3G wireless network, the nation's fastest, with no set-up required or additional wireless costs. Connect to the complimentary Wi-Fi, provided by the AT&T Wi-Fi network, in Barnes & Noble stores and download at broadband fast speeds.
A Continuous Reading Experience
- With nook's breakthrough LendMe™ technology, lend a wide selection of eBooks to friends free of charge, for up to 14 days at a time. Just choose the book you want to share and send it to your friend's nook or iPhone, iPod touch, select BlackBerry® and Motorola smartphones, PC or Mac® with Barnes & Noble eReader software.
- With ―Reading Now,‖ your virtual bookmark, nook brings you back to the last book you've read, right where you left off. And it works across a range of devices. If you forgot your nook at home, Barnes & Noble's free eReader software on your iPhone, select BlackBerry and Motorola smartphones or laptop lets you pick up where you left off, including annotations. And when you're reunited with your nook again, the Reading Now page will be updated and ready to go.
Over one million stories. Any time, anywhere.
Portability and Personalization
- Browse and buy from our extensive collection of over one million eBooks, including thousands of free titles, virtually anywhere you are. Get your favorite eBooks, newspapers and magazines, plus exclusive reads from Barnes & Noble, delivered via fast and free wireless, with no PC required.
Save Time, Money and Space
- You can also easily transfer PDF-format documents from your computer to access and read business documents, legal contracts and travel information on your nook. And transfer your photos to create custom screensavers.
Listen to nook
- Carry up to 1,500 eBooks using nook's 2GB of memory, and a virtually unlimited library using nook's expandable memory slot, which will hold up to 17,500 eBooks on each 16GB MicroSD card. Buying eBooks is simple and seamless. With just two touches, you'll be able to purchase and download eBooks in seconds. And many bestsellers and new releases are just $9.99, so you can enjoy more for less.
Protect Your nook in Style
- Using a standard pair of stereo headphones, plug into nook and listen to your favorite songs (MP3s), uploaded through your computer. Use the headphones or built-in speakers to enjoy listening to audiobooks, podcasts, lectures and more.
Experience nook at Your Local Barnes & Noble
- nook comes with a removable back cover which you can personalize from a selection of four additional great colors. You can also chose from a range of accessories by renowned designers and brands as kate spade new york, Jack Spade, Jonathan Adler, Tahari and others.
- Customers will be able to browse complete eBooks for free on nook at any Barnes & Noble store, whether or not the actual book is in stock, beginning later this year. Plus settle into the café and get exclusive in-store-only content, free eBooks, special offers and much more using Barnes & Noble's complimentary WiFi, provided by the AT&T Wi-Fi network.
there also was a battery extender so you can charge as you go. they didnt list the price though.
Agree about the bottom display being turned off. Major major distraction while reading. If that's not an option, deal-breaker.
Sold.
I do like the idea of that color screen, more use that a keyboard I think, but I think it could be distracting whilst reading. I wonder if it's easy to turn it off, would also save a bit of battery life.
Is there a browser built-in to use with WiFi? Reading text heavy websites and forums would be awesome. I know I can print those as PDF, but that's an extra step.
Printers will go out of business once these with A4 size become more affordable.
this product was well thought through from beginning to end. b&n really hit it out of the park, double the features of the kindle for the same price? absolutely genius. even the accessories are a nice touch. i think this is gonna be a real winner for them.
also why is everyone so concerned about the lcd screen, IT TURNS OFF WHEN YOU ARE NOT USING IT.
Hmm... Native PDF support... Great in theory, but I am interested to see this in execution on that screen....
Well I was concerned because if it didn't turn off, it would be a distraction. I explored the site while it was still up and didn't see where it said it could be turned off. Relax.
If I was a Barnes & Noble shareholder...I'd be a little nervous how much they are eating on each one of these sold. I know Amazon loses some as well, but the costs on this have to be a bit higher with the added technology and services. Yes, they will be supported with revenue from non-scarce goods like eBooks, but with so many people looking for the "free" route once they own the hardware, this will be an interesting long term revenue experiment.
Nice, but the full page one is coming soon from PL. I think I will wait. I like big ones.
Taken down while I was checking out... Got a receipt, hope I'll actually get one! Wish I would have read through the comments beforehand, some good points here. Either way, I had been waiting patiently for a Kindle-competitor and this looks like it fits my bill perfectly. If you're a developer/designer on the edge of a decision, keep in mind that industry books like those from O'Reilly and SitePoint change often, much easier to handle a few digital copies than a bunch of 200 page paperweights when new versions come out! I'm all for hard copies, if nothing else but for the physical experience of reading, but as far as reference and travel goes, can't beat the size and saved paper!
I cant stand the way it changes pages. With the large type it would drive me insane to see that hundreds of times an hour.
Call me old fashioned but ill stick to paper.
This is where all those other crappy ebook readers from SONY and everyone else misses out. This baby's gonna dent the Kindle market share.. and Kill off all those shitty "i dnt know what good design is" products!. Cant wait to get my hands on this.. wonder how Amazon would get back..
This looks infinitely better than all three Kindles. Nevertheless, I would still rather purchase books. It's just not worth the money, whether you travel regularly or not.
Going to order this for sure. I was holding out for the upcoming Sony ebook reader but this will suit me better. All I care about is the native PDF support, something that Kindle dropped the ball on.
I hated Kindle from the day it was announced because of all the silly restrictions and that stupid hipster attitude that came along with the device. The design was crap, the keyboard was unnecessary and it just didn't cost anywhere near what I was prepared to pay for it.
From the general tech specs and features it looks like a winner, but I'm going to hold off until reviews start trickling in. Good job, B&N.
Nice! Nice ebook reader too!
(much prettier than the Apple guy)
I'd like to buy one of these if......
-it loses the color thingy at the bottom
-it loses wifi
-it loses 3G
-the color thingy is substituted by longer e-ink screen
-$100-$150
The controls on either side instead of on the front is very nice and efficient..... pity about the rest
Yay. Another product not available in Canada because of a combination of crappy wireless carriers and that we won't bend over and take US style copyright reamings...
I feel your pain
They didn't take it off the site, they just hid it. Still accessible via:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/features
It's only the Overview tab that's broken now.
Whoa, can't wait to get my hands all over that Nooke book reader!
Whoa - can't wait to get my hands on the Nooke- book reader!
No web surfing? no wiki?
Looks nice. I'll wait and see what Apple has in store for January and then decide.
Looks good, much better than the Kindle, imo. Hopefully it has a function to look up words in the lcd area while reading a novel and an ability to somehow take notes. If they find an easy/convenient way to record notes into an ebook reader, I'm sold.
AT&T ???
Once I read that.......immediately my brain went to PASS.
I own a kindle and to be honest......though I can upload MP3s and do some other things with it....I have never done anything but read on it.
If Amazon lowers the price of the KINDLE it would be hard to match as its service is much more developed.
Then again I've found that I don't order that much from AMAZON but find my books online and upload them to my Kindle via CALIBRE....
This got me pretty excited at first, but on thinking about how I use my current Kindle 1 I don't see any real big advantage to the Nook. With it's colored sub screen it looks a little prettier and it may be a little easier to use when ordering a book, but the Kindle is still pretty darned easy to use, and most of the time you're not ordering a book, you're reading. You can, with the Nook, loan out a book (one time per book) for fourteen days (pretty restrictive), but it's better than none I guess. With the Nook you can connect with WiFi but I've never found a need for WiFi, the Kindle's 3G connection has worked everywhere I've gone. The Nook has a longer life battery than mine, but not that much longer (I get about a week), and the Nook's battery life is about on par with the Kindle 2.
I'm so tired of these 'oh let me tell you about MY wonderful device while we sit down and eat cookies and somebody noodles guitar in the background'
My last name is NOOK! I'm going to get a free one or they will feel the wet side of my pimp slap all down that BN FACE!
I like that B&N is enabling book lending. It is one more feature that will make e-books more like real books. The next step is to allow book reselling. For example, why would I buy a bunch of e-books that I couldn't sell if I could buy real books that I could sell. E-books will need to be much cheaper than real books to compensate for this.
I love listening to Kate say "my nook". "I can choose to change the look of my nook."
Honestly, while the Kindle 2, Sony PRS-600 and Nook (devices that have dedicated eBook stores) are all very capable in their own rights, they're really just making the playing field more confusing. What sort of format would someone spend hundreds and potentially thousands of dollars on if they aren't sure their collection would still readable in the future should a choice device fade into oblivion. Why can't all these companies just shake hands and agree on one format and compete based on the usability of their products then hoarding all those publishing rights? (Wishful thinking I know...)
I mean, DRM is fine really, lest a publisher is fine seeing pirated prints from China selling for a buck fifty, but having one format in the end could really push these devices out of their niche uber-geek status.
And yes, native PDF support should be a must in all devices...kudos to B&N on that.
If $259 is too expensive for you I suggest NOT working at Wallmart or McDonald's then saying it costs too much.
WAIT.... Who is the marketing genius behind naming a product the Nooky Reader?
yes dark....the price of $10.00 is way to high....get rid of the 'lend' on the ebook and sell the books for $5.00 each is what i say.
a bit expensive as well... 199 $ for Xmas. we are having a heavy recession now....
All of this is immaterial:
Q. I don't live in the U.S. Can I buy a nook?
X No. At this time, nook is not for sale outside the U.S.
Anyone else notice that most e-books at B&N are 50% more expensive than Amazon? Being able to lending once for 14 days, does not add 50% to the value of the e-book.
Do you get free 3G like that which comes with the Kindle?
I have had a pocket pc for years, that I LOVE and read ebooks. However, it died...and now looking to replace, I have considered the kindle, sony and now nook. I like the size of the page, but nothing else seems to hold a candle to my pocket pc. what am I missing here? 1. I like to read at night when hubby is sleeping, so no light required, fits in my purse easily, has all sorts of other features like contacts, can read and WRITE word documents with stylus... The price is $299 for the new Ipaq...
Is there a good reason not to buy a pocket pc again?
There seems to be some confusion about the color screen: Yes, it can be turned off while reading. It also acts as a books browser, a settings menu, a touch screen keyboard, and whatever else its programmed for.
I don't understand why people call the loan feature 'restrictive'. 2 weeks worth of loaning a book to someone is JUST LIKE them getting it from a library.
@joeterryjr
I'd love to know how getting rid of lending in your mind would make catalog books cheaper.