Kindle Vs Nook

The market of e-readers has grown exponentially over the last two years. Competition between e-reader products like the Kindle released by Amazon and Barnes & Noble's Nook is increasing day-by-day. Both these e-reader products have their pros and cons. Let us have a look at the different features offered by these e-readers.

Kindle Vs Nook Review

An attempt to compare the features of Kindle and Nook is made in the content being presented below. Both the Kindle and Nook have released their updated versions from time-to-time. The race to add newest and reader-friendly features in the e-reader products has led to a tough competition between these companies. The data regarding comparison can also be presented through the Kindle vs Nook chart.

Kindle
The latest version of the Kindle e-book is Kindle DX. It has a display screen of 9.7 inches (diagonal) with an E Ink technology (Kindle Wi-Fi and Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi are both 6 inches in size). The device is slim and it has a thickness of just 1/3 inches. One can download books free of cost and without any contracts through the 3G wireless service. The built-in PDF allows for viewing even the tables and small prints with utmost clarity. The 'E Ink Pearl' display technology offers a reading experience similar to printed books. Improved contrast and absence of glare makes reading really enjoyable. Auto-rotate feature of Kindle DX's screen allows for transition from portrait to landscape view. With this feature, one can easily view graphs, maps, web pages and tables. There is a text-to-speech feature that comes with Kindle DX. With this feature, the e-readers read out content from blogs, magazines and books which convert the process of reading to listening. There is a provision to post favorite passages from Kindle to Facebook and Twitter. This way, one can share them with friends. Weight of the Amazon Kindle DX e-reader is 18.9 oz. Its battery lasts for 7 days with the wireless system turned on. If the wireless system is kept off, the battery can survive for more than 2 weeks. The other models are much lighter with Kindle Wi-Fi and Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi weighing 8.5 oz and 8.7 oz respectively. The Kindle for Mac platform was released on 18th March, 2009. The Kindle Wi-Fi, Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi and Kindle DX are priced at $139, $189 and$379 respectively.

Nook
The version 1.4 of Nook, released on 21st June, is based on the Android platform developed by Google. The display used to view the digital content is that of 'E-Ink' (black/white). Internal storage capacity of this device is 2GB, while it can be increased up to 16 GB through the use of MicroSD expansion slot. Access to the digital store of Barnes & Noble is provided through 3G network of AT&T and it is free of cost. The 6 inch. E Ink display of the Nook has a resolution of 600 x 800 pixel. The 'Lendme' feature of Nook allows books to be shared with others. The users of this device have access to over 2 million books and magazines, most of which are free of cost. The Nook Color weighs 15.8 oz and has a bigger display of 7 inch (compared to earlier versions); the screen offers a clarity of 169 pixels per inch (PPI) delivered by the resolution of 1024 x 600. The on screen content is displayed in 16 million different shades. This device comes with a rechargeable battery, USB cable, power adapter and a user's guide. The Nook is available in two models, the basic one and 'Nook Color'. The basic model is priced at $139 while the 'Nook Color' is worth $249.

Kindle Vs Nook
The year 2010 saw a price war between Kindle and Nook. On 21st June, 2010, price of the Kindle e-reader dropped from $259 to $189. However, it still faces tough competition from Nook which offers a Wi-Fi enabled product for $149, while another variant with an additional 3G service for $199. One thing the customers should note is that, tax is charged for Nook 3G while Amazon doesn't charge any. Barnes and Noble are known to charge tax in those states having 'Barnes and Noble' stores.

The Kindle vs Nook comparison presented in the article should be useful in determining best ebook reader to buy. Both the products pose a stiff competition for each other with the array of features they offer.