Barnes and Noble released a new Nook today and this one aims for simplicity and portability over tablet-like functionality, like the more expensive Nook Color.

The newest version weighs a mere 7.48 ounces (212 grams) and is just 6.5 inches high by 5 inches wide by 0.47 inches deep, putting it in line with size of a paperback, so it can fit easily in a pocket or purse. What's more it's button-free, so it's aimed at a user who really just wants to read books on a simple, easy-to-use device.

What's really amazing is the two month battery life (they claim) on a single charge. I'm guessing in actual use, it really depends how much you use it.

Barnes and Noble CEO William Lynch thinks it's a device waiting for a market. "Touch makes it simple to use, and the beautifully compact design makes it the most portable eReader in its class," he said.

I'm not sure he's right. At $139, it's competing directly with the very popular basic Kindle. What's more it's a stand-alone eReader, a device that's not likely to get a lot of traction in the age of tablets when people aren't in fact looking for simplicity. They are looking for eBook reader functionality in a multi-function device.

As I've written a number of times if they really wanted to get serious traction on a stand-alone device, they are going to have do a lot better than $139 and bring it down below $100 even it if means doing it in exchange for an agreement to buy a certain number of eBooks over a two-year period.

As a side note, this announcement comes on the heels of news that Liberty Media has put in a bid to buy B&N for $1 billion, chiefly because it wants the Nook franchise.

For more information:
- see the Barnes and Noble press release

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