Thursday, April 1, 2010

To Nook or not to Nook

Thought I might share my thoughts on the Nook. I've read a few of the books I've reviewed on the eBook reader and, through those reads, have gotten enough time with it to get a good feel for it. It'll end up being a pretty decent review (like I've really been that harsh in any of my other reviews). The idea to pick up an eBook reader came up as an idea for Leah's Christmas present, but it ended up being something I wanted.... sorta sounds like a guy.

Leah purchased the Nook for me for our Anniversary, Christmas, Valentines Day present. We had presents planned for our Anniversary, but never followed through. On Christmas, we thought we'd try something new and pick up a present if we saw something we really liked on our Texas trip. That didn't really happen. I guess that when you pick your own gift you end up being a little too picky. We will not be trying that out again. =\ And Valentine's Day was thrown in there just for the heck of it.

Head on over to Barnes & Noble to check out the Nook - They have plenty of pictures and stats that they can throw out to you. I didn't really get a lot of face time with any of the readers, but decided on this one because I liked the looks of it, I could put other eBooks on it, and it did a couple more things than the Kindle did. It's a good size - it doesn't feel too large or too thick. The Nook comes with a rather large selection of eBooks on the Barnes & Noble site. I was surprised that the Amazon collection contains some books that B&N doesn't have and vice-versa. I figured that anything the Kindle had the Nook would have(they have a larger catalog). The prices are pretty good as well - usually it's a little less for the eBook format than the paperback and sometimes a whole lot less. The screen is also very easy to read.

Pros: Looks, Size, Library, Accessibility, Customization, Accessories

Cons: Battery Life(seems a little fast)

Con but not Nooks fault: Formatting - the last book I downloaded from B&N did not utilize the entire screen. About every three page turns equaled one page. That's not annoying, but when 50% of the screen is used it is. I would have expected that B&N would have had everything formatted the same - especially when it's from a book series.

Rating: 9 of 10 - If the battery life appeared the live up to what's specified on the website then I would give it a 10. It has exceeded expectations, and become a permanent fixture in my Library. When I was deciding in investing in the Nook, the worry was that I would not get used to having a book in my hands. That fear's been allayed. I still miss seeing the books on the shelves though.

Note: Ultimately, this was a personal preference. I have one friend with a Kindle, and another friend with a Sony eReader. They enjoy both. I would recommend reading a few reviews before going and buying one sight-unseen. B&N has the nook on display. Try to borrow a Kindle from a friend. Or go over to Borders to check out the Sony.

-D

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