Barnes & Noble, a formidable
power in the US e-book market, hopes to gain a foothold in the UK with its Nook
e-readers and tablets.
The GlowLight is the firm’s first device
that allows for reading in the dark, making it a rival for nocturnal e-readers
such as the Kobo Glo and Amazon Kindle Paperwhite.
Barnes
& Noble Nook Simple Touch GlowLight
This $164 e-reader offers a high-quality
touchscreen, and an equally good reading experience. Its 6in E Ink Pearl screen
displays 800x600 pixels, matching its rivals.
The Nook is a sturdy device, with a rubbery
finish to its rear that aids grip in the hand. At 200g, it’s comfortable to
hold up for extended periods.
In our tests the Nook Simple Touch
GlowLight worked well, and could be used outdoors with no reflected glare in
bright sunlight. LED side-lighting gives even coverage, albeit adding a
slightly blue hue that shouldn’t hinder the reading experience.
The
GlowLight is the firm’s first device that allows for reading in the dark.
Battery life is advertised at more than a
month’s use. In the two weeks we spent testing it, the Nook didn’t require a
single recharge.
Unusually for an e-reader, the Nook is based
on Google Android 2.1, not that this is obvious from its interface. It’s
straightforward to navigate, which is aided by easily understandable icons and
generously spaced menus.
The Home screen, which is accessible via
the ‘n’ button at the bottom, displays the books and publications you’re
currently reading, and recommendations for purchases from Barnes & Noble.
Limited customisation options include
changing the font size, line spacing and margins.
The Nook is powered by a 800MHz ARM
processor and has 2GB of storage, of which only 240MB Is available. A microSDHC
slot lets you add up to 32GB.
Barnes & Noble is really pushing its
social-reading experience with preinstalled apps such as Nook Friends and
Lendme, as well as Facebook and Twitter integration.
Barnes
& Noble is really pushing its social-reading experience with preinstalled
apps such as Nook Friends and Lendme, as well as Facebook and Twitter
integration.
And who said book clubs where dead? You can
lend e-books to other Nook users and those with the Barnes & Noble app on
their phone or tablet for up to 14 days.
The Nook shopfront claims more than 2.5
million e-books, including UK newspapers and magazines.
|
Details
·
Price: $164 inc VAT
·
Contact: www.nook.com
Specification
·
E-reader
·
800MHz Tl Omap 3621
·
Google Android 2.1
·
256MB memory
·
2GB flash storage
·
6in (600x800) E Ink Pearl display
·
Infrared touchscreen
·
802.11b/g/n
·
microSD
·
micro-USB
·
166x127x12.7mm
·
200g
Verdict
·
Slightly chunkier than the rival Kindle
Paperwhite, yet lighter, the Simple Touch GlowLight may just have found
itself a niche in the market.
·
Build: 4/5
·
Features: 3.5/5
·
Value: 4/5
·
Overall: 4/5
|
