Review: Barnes & Noble's new glowing Nook is a winner
Sometimes you just want to read. Digital's best answer for that
simple urge is the now venerable E Ink e-reader. These monochromatic
devices are not only holding on in the face of stiff LCD-based tablet
competition, they're innovating. The latest update comes from Barnes
& Noble, which added an LED-based "GlowLight" to its Nook Simple
Touch e-reader.
The 6.5 x 5-inch device is not remarkably different from the e-reader Barnes & Noble
introduced last year. Its dimensions are, in fact, virtually unchanged.
But despite the new lighting tech, this reader is actually 5% lighter
than the previous model. It's also somewhat lighter than Amazon's Kindle Touch (6.975 ounces versus 7.5 ounces).
Both Wi-Fi-only readers
cost $139. You can get the Amazon Kindle Touch for $99, but then you
have to accept special offers (essentially ads) in place of the screen
savers.
More importantly, the Simple Touch price includes the power adapter, while Kindle sells it separately for approximately $15.
Still, what truly sets
the latest Nook Simple Touch apart from all other E Ink-based e-readers
is the patent-pending GlowLight. It makes the lightweight reader ready
for night reading without the need for an overhead, clip-on or external
light. By contrast, Amazon sells a cover with a built-in LED light for
the Kindle Keyboard 3G.
Barnes & Noble is not
the first to offer an E Ink reader with built-in LED lighting. Sony did
it first a few years ago, but eventually discontinued the larger and
more expensive e-reader.
The Simple Touch uses a
single array of LED's nestled along the top edge of the device (above
the screen, but below the touch-sensitive, anti-glare layer). They light
the entire display.
I put the ereader to the ultimate test: bedtime reading. My wife, who was beside me, read by the super-bright light of her Apple iPad 2.
I held the much smaller ereader in my hand, and pressed the physical
Nook "n" button for two seconds to enable the light . Nook Simple
Touch's GlowLight is adjustable, via a touch-screen menu selection.
So I cranked it all the
way up (the default, which was set to about 1/3 power, was not bright
enough for me). The light across the screen isn't perfectly uniform, but
it is highly readable and very comfortable on the eyes. Even after my
wife powered down and went to sleep, she didn't complain about my
GlowLight.
I also found the
touchscreen, which works either with a tap or a sweep of the finger
(forward to turn the page and back to turn back the page), worked
perfectly and made me wish my Kindle 2 was also a touch-screen device.
Barnes & Noble
promises that the Nook Simple Touch's battery life will last for 30 days
with an hour of GlowLight-enabled reading a night. I've had the ereader
a few days and charged it once.
My original plan was to
leave the GlowLight running and test if it could run, as Barnes &
Noble told me, for 60 continuous hours. The device's own auto-sleep
settings scuttled that plan by putting the Simple Touch to sleep after
five minutes of inactivity.
Overall, Barnes &
Noble Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight is a winner. It's easy to setup
(entering a Wi-Fi password is easy thanks to the touch screen), feels
great in the hand, slips into my back pocket and holds thousands of
books.
The interface is smartly
designed. I like the store design and how easy it is to buy things
(pretty much a match for the Kindle store) and found the E Ink screen
crisp and responsive.
My only tiny criticism
is the power button on the back. You use it to fully turn off the device
(and turn it on) and it wiggles a bit too much for my taste. The good
news is that, considering the battery life, it's unlikely you'll use it
very often.
If I were buying a new E
Ink reader right now, I'd go for the Barnes & Noble Simple Touch
with GlowLight. It's slightly more affordable than the Kindle Touch
(when you include the charger), feature-sensible and now has the killer
enhancement: a built-in light.
Those who pre-ordered
the e-reader could receive it as early as this week. Barnes & Noble
reps tell us that limited quantities of the Nook Simple Touch with
GlowLight will be available in stores next month.
What do you think? Would
you buy this E Ink e-reader or have you permanently moved on to
tablets? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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