The introduction of the improved versions of the Barnes & Noble Nook, the Nook Color and the Nook Touch eBook Reader, clearly indicates their efforts in providing innovative gadgets for all types of users. Although these gadgets might seem to be the same, their functions and features might be a little different from each other to cater to various types of users. With this, deciding on which one to get might need you to evaluate the gadgets individually to assess which would suit you the most.
The following are some of the main specifications of the Nook Touch eBook Reader
• Can last up to 2 months when Wi-Fi is turned off
• Weighs about 7.48 ounces
• Has a 6-inch, e-Ink touchscreen
• Has a 2-Gb, expandable storage memory (up to 32Gb)
• Wi-Fi ready
• Compatible with ePub eBook format
Nook Touch Pros
Appearance: The outer design of the Nook Touch appears to be "rubbery" and sleek, as it has been coated with the special soft-touch paint. This makes the gadget easy to hold and avoiding the gadget from slipping off your grip. It might not be lighter than the Kindle Touch, but it is wider and shorter - making it more comfortable to handle and appear smaller. The overall appearance of the Nook Touch eBook Reader is something that many prefer, as it looks sophisticated yet still maintains the right features that would keep it durable.
Navigation: The Nook Touch eBook Reader has a touchscreen with the infrared sensors (just like those found in the Sony Reader Wi-Fi and the Kobo Touch), which makes it highly responsive and easy to navigate through. As opposed to navigation buttons and directional pads, this gadget's touchscreen is a far better option if you were going for the device's accessibility.
Page Turn: The Nook Touch has remarkably reduced the presence of the black portion of the screen that appears when turning pages, as found in other similar devices. Although this gadget has an e-Ink screen (and not an LCD screen that works faster), you might be pleased to notice that the delay in turning pages on the Nook Touch is barely noticeable. As a result, using the Nook Touch eBook Reader would give you the reading experience that is almost the same as that which you would get from holding and reading an actual (non-digital) book.
Battery Life: If you do not use its wireless connection at all, then you can expect the Nook Touch eBook Reader to last for up to eight weeks on a single charge. This means that you can easily carry it around for long business trips or vacations without having to worry about charging it along the way.
Additional Features: Sharing your thoughts about the eBooks you have read through social networks like Twitter and Facebook has been made easy through the Nook Touch. Much like the Amazon Kindle, you can also suggest books to friends; note, however, that some eBooks might not be available for rent through other sources. The Nook Touch also has some built-in features that you might find useful, such as its font size and type variations, along with dictionary functions.
Interface And Layout: The Nook Touch might have a different layout than the Nook Color, but it still has a very convenient interface - thanks to its touchscreen. In addition, using the gadget would not even require you to use an instruction manual just to get used to navigation controls.
Book Format: The Nook Touch eBook Reader can rent books from sources with its compatibility to ePub formats, and it can read PDF files as well. The Nook Touch might not be able to read Word files, but it is better than the Amazon Kindle in the sense that the latter only reads files of the Mobi and/or AZW format (a file format specific for the device). Barnes & Noble's standardization of the format to ePub makes Nook Touch an equally competitive product in the market for this type of gadgets.
Nook Touch Cons
Price: The Nook Touch eBook Reader is a little more expensive than its immediate rival, which is the Amazon Kindle Touch. The price of the Kindle Touch could even go lower than the Nook Touch if the user decides to allow advertisements on the product while it is in use. Barnes & Noble has actually expressed before that there is a very little chance that they would be allowing advertisements through their products. The standard Kindle that does not have the touchscreen, on the other hand, is also way cheaper than the Nook Touch.
The Kindle Touch (without advertisements) and Nook Touch have almost the same price, and their features are not that different from each other. Both have the touchscreen that most users prefer, and they also allow access to stores and sources. However, the Kindle Touch might have a little edge over the Nook Touch, as it has an option for a 3G version and it has a web browser installed.
Some Missing Features:
As mentioned above, the Nook Touch lacks a web browser, unlike its counterpart from Kindle. In addition, the Nook Touch does not play music or MP3 files like the Kindle Touch. In terms of connectivity, the Nook Touch eBook Reader is Wi-Fi ready, whereas the Kindle Touch has both Wi-Fi and 3G options, depending on the type that the user prefers. Even so, most users would find this difference very significant, as users nowadays are already contented with having even just the Wi-Fi connectivity function.
Should I Get A Nook Touch?
If you are very concerned about not having 3G or a browser on your eBook reader, then you might prefer to have the Kindle Touch over the Nook touch. However, if you are not very particular with these features, then a Nook Touch eBook Reader would be enough to fulfill all your needs as an avid eBook reader. Your choice, then, would have to depend on the type of file formats that you intend to read and the eBooks store that you would want to have access to.
The following are some of the main specifications of the Nook Touch eBook Reader
• Can last up to 2 months when Wi-Fi is turned off
• Weighs about 7.48 ounces
• Has a 6-inch, e-Ink touchscreen
• Has a 2-Gb, expandable storage memory (up to 32Gb)
• Wi-Fi ready
• Compatible with ePub eBook format
Nook Touch Pros
Appearance: The outer design of the Nook Touch appears to be "rubbery" and sleek, as it has been coated with the special soft-touch paint. This makes the gadget easy to hold and avoiding the gadget from slipping off your grip. It might not be lighter than the Kindle Touch, but it is wider and shorter - making it more comfortable to handle and appear smaller. The overall appearance of the Nook Touch eBook Reader is something that many prefer, as it looks sophisticated yet still maintains the right features that would keep it durable.
Navigation: The Nook Touch eBook Reader has a touchscreen with the infrared sensors (just like those found in the Sony Reader Wi-Fi and the Kobo Touch), which makes it highly responsive and easy to navigate through. As opposed to navigation buttons and directional pads, this gadget's touchscreen is a far better option if you were going for the device's accessibility.
Page Turn: The Nook Touch has remarkably reduced the presence of the black portion of the screen that appears when turning pages, as found in other similar devices. Although this gadget has an e-Ink screen (and not an LCD screen that works faster), you might be pleased to notice that the delay in turning pages on the Nook Touch is barely noticeable. As a result, using the Nook Touch eBook Reader would give you the reading experience that is almost the same as that which you would get from holding and reading an actual (non-digital) book.
Battery Life: If you do not use its wireless connection at all, then you can expect the Nook Touch eBook Reader to last for up to eight weeks on a single charge. This means that you can easily carry it around for long business trips or vacations without having to worry about charging it along the way.
Additional Features: Sharing your thoughts about the eBooks you have read through social networks like Twitter and Facebook has been made easy through the Nook Touch. Much like the Amazon Kindle, you can also suggest books to friends; note, however, that some eBooks might not be available for rent through other sources. The Nook Touch also has some built-in features that you might find useful, such as its font size and type variations, along with dictionary functions.
Interface And Layout: The Nook Touch might have a different layout than the Nook Color, but it still has a very convenient interface - thanks to its touchscreen. In addition, using the gadget would not even require you to use an instruction manual just to get used to navigation controls.
Book Format: The Nook Touch eBook Reader can rent books from sources with its compatibility to ePub formats, and it can read PDF files as well. The Nook Touch might not be able to read Word files, but it is better than the Amazon Kindle in the sense that the latter only reads files of the Mobi and/or AZW format (a file format specific for the device). Barnes & Noble's standardization of the format to ePub makes Nook Touch an equally competitive product in the market for this type of gadgets.
Nook Touch Cons
Price: The Nook Touch eBook Reader is a little more expensive than its immediate rival, which is the Amazon Kindle Touch. The price of the Kindle Touch could even go lower than the Nook Touch if the user decides to allow advertisements on the product while it is in use. Barnes & Noble has actually expressed before that there is a very little chance that they would be allowing advertisements through their products. The standard Kindle that does not have the touchscreen, on the other hand, is also way cheaper than the Nook Touch.
The Kindle Touch (without advertisements) and Nook Touch have almost the same price, and their features are not that different from each other. Both have the touchscreen that most users prefer, and they also allow access to stores and sources. However, the Kindle Touch might have a little edge over the Nook Touch, as it has an option for a 3G version and it has a web browser installed.
Some Missing Features:
As mentioned above, the Nook Touch lacks a web browser, unlike its counterpart from Kindle. In addition, the Nook Touch does not play music or MP3 files like the Kindle Touch. In terms of connectivity, the Nook Touch eBook Reader is Wi-Fi ready, whereas the Kindle Touch has both Wi-Fi and 3G options, depending on the type that the user prefers. Even so, most users would find this difference very significant, as users nowadays are already contented with having even just the Wi-Fi connectivity function.
Should I Get A Nook Touch?
If you are very concerned about not having 3G or a browser on your eBook reader, then you might prefer to have the Kindle Touch over the Nook touch. However, if you are not very particular with these features, then a Nook Touch eBook Reader would be enough to fulfill all your needs as an avid eBook reader. Your choice, then, would have to depend on the type of file formats that you intend to read and the eBooks store that you would want to have access to.