Barnes & Noble introduces Nook: Wireless, color eBook reader

October 21, 2009 — 9:08am ET | By Ron Miller

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Barnes & Noble became the latest eBook reader player today, introducing the Nook, a wireless eBook reader with a color screen. At $259 it's the exact same price as Amazon Kindle US wireless device, but it offers some compelling features that could be attractive to potential eBook buyers.

The Nook uses Google Android as its underlying operating system (for what that's worth). It has a touch color screen and you can download books using AT&T's wireless 3G network. The base unit comes with 2 GB of memory, which they claim can hold up to 1500 books. There is also a micro SD slot, which allows you to add up to 16 GB of additional storage.

Overall, it looks like an attractive device. It's small and has nice lines. It is designed to work with the Barnes & Noble online book store, of course with the idea being to provide another sales outlet for the Barnes and Noble book business. Perhaps the biggest differentiator of this device is the fact you can lend books to other Nook owners for up to 14 days. That means you can buy a book and lend it to a friend in the same fashion you would a physical book. It's a nice touch and one that should appeal to people who like to share books.

The question remains, however: No matter how nice this device is, are people willing to shell out $259 for an eBook reader? Considering the Nook offers some interesting and fun bells and whistles shows that Barnes & Noble put some thought into the design, but surveys have shown that most consumers (beyond early adopters) are looking to pay less than $100 for a device, it might not matter how nice it is. For now, it's still unclear how large this market might become or if avid readers really want to give up their paper books for an electronic reader.

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

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