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US bookseller Barnes & Noble has launched its rival to Amazon.com's Kindle e-reader, the nook. The device has wi-fi, though it only works in Barnes & Noble's book stores, and also features a second colour touchscreen showing book covers, which sits below the familiar black & white reading frame.
The nook will retail at $259, the same price as the US version of the Kindle. The nook device will not ship until 30th November. Like Amazon.com, most bestsellers and new releases will sell for $9.99. In addition to wi-fi within B&N shops, it offers 3G wireless access on AT&T’s mobile broadband.
Barnes & Noble said it was the first Android-based ebook reader. Nook is also the first ebook reader to officially offer digital lending for ebooks, though some reports dispute how much book lending is allowed and which publishers have agreed to have their books lent (for free).
One innovation is that customers will be able to browse complete ebooks for free on their nooks at any Barnes & Noble store, whether or not the actual book is in stock.
"We asked our customers what they wanted in an eBook reader, and specifically designed nook to be the most full-featured, fun, stylish and easy-to-use eBook reader on the market,” said William J Lynch, president of Barnes & Noble.com. According to a report on Publishers Marketplace, chief executive, Steve Riggio said: "We're on the cusp of a lot of innovation.... This represents for us a multi-billion dollar opportunity. We make buying ebooks easy--that's our mantra." While Lynch added that "following the leader is not our in DNA".
Nook can hold up to 1,500 ebooks and other printed content, and comes with an expandable memory slot, for a further 17,500 ebooks. It has a battery life of 10 days, compared with the Kindle's 14.