Recently in Barnes & Noble Nook Category

Tablet PC Review have published a review of the Barnes & Noble NOOK Simple Touch Reader. 'The new NOOK STR is very small, slightly narrower and much shorter than the original NOOK device. That's expected, since this model doesn't have a secondary LCD underneath the eInk display. It's also incredibly thin, with a comfortably molded back that fits nicely in your hand. The device is very light, and won't add any weight at all to your bag or purse. The exterior case is made of black plastic, and feels quite solid--there's no bending or creaking here, just a well-made device. I wouldn't toss it down on a concrete sidewalk, but it does seem sturdily built and, with reasonable care, should stand up to long use.'

PC Magazine have published a review of the Barnes & Noble Nook Touch Reader. 'The Nook is significantly smaller than its predecessor, and the Kindle, thanks to the removal of everything but the screen and the bezel. There's no keyboard, no LCD screen on the bottom--just the 6-inch E Ink screen, a small "n" button below the screen, and buttons on either side for flipping pages. Even the page-turners are just strips of raised plastic. The device weighs 7.5 ounces, and measures 6.5 by 5.0 by 0.5 inches (HWD), which is smaller in every measure than any Kindle or Nook before it, and is, like the Sony Reader Pocket Edition ($179.95, 3 stars), easy to slip into a bag or jacket pocket. When you first pick it up, you'll think the Nook's screen is smaller than other ebook readers because it feels so small in your hand, but it's actually the same size; it just feels smaller because everything else is gone.'

Tablet PC Review have published their "First look" review of the new Barnes & Noble NOOKcolor eBook reader. 'The NOOKcolor is very similar in size to the original Nook reading device that was released last year. The newer device is the same width, though slightly longer and thinner, but that's where the comparison ends. The new NOOKcolor is much sleeker, even though it's a bit heavier than the Nook, thanks to an all black design that looks very sharp. The exterior casing is dark gray/black plastic, with a smooth touch coating on the back of the device for extra grip. The entire device feels extremely solid; it's obviously well made and designed to stand up to a lot of daily use.'

A review of the Barnes & Noble's Nook e-Reader has been posted over at The Sandor Files. 'The nook, to its credit, allows the user to get on the open web with a browser (of sorts). However, it always wants to do it. I would turn it on and soon see the screen above. "You're not a computer, I just want to read," I'd think, but the nook really wanted to connect and would anxiously bring my attention to its connectivity (or lack thereof). The web browsing experience really isn't anything to shout about either: the user simultaneously surfs on both the LCD touch screen and the not-epileptic-friendly e-ink display. (Actual navigation is by the touchscreen, the e-ink display is not touch-sensitive.) Simply put, browsing the web on the nook wasn't quite right. In fact, like a number of nook's "features," it was frustrating and I barely completed a basic Google search before saying "forget it."

A review of the Barnes & Noble Nook (Wi-Fi) eReader has been posted over at CNET. 'On the surface, there aren't huge differences between this Nook and the Amazon Kindle, which retails for just $40 more and has built-in "free" 3G service but no Wi-Fi connectivity. Both devices feature large e-book selections, including many free public-domain titles, in their integrated stores, along with periodicals such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and other newspapers and magazines. And both feature 6-inch e-ink screens that are easy to read in a well-lit environment and don't get washed out in direct sunlight like the iPad's screen does. The Nook and Kindle screens aren't backlit, so you can't read in the dark like you can with an LCD-based e-reader that arguably puts more strain on your eyes.'

CNET have published an updated review of the Barnes & Noble Nook eReader. 'Let's start with the basic design. Put the Nook on top of the Kindle and you'll notice that the Nook is about 10 percent smaller in terms of surface dimensions. Then again, the Nook's a bit thicker. The Nook is 7.7 inches long by 4.9 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick, whereas the Kindle is 8 inches long by 5.3 inches wide by 0.36 inch thick. The Nook also weighs slightly more at 11.2 ounces than the Kindle does at 10.2 ounces. Unlike the Kindle, the device's plastic back plate is removable and the lithium ion battery is replaceable (the microSD slot is also accessible by removing the cover).'

A review of the Archos 5 internet tablet has been posted over at Liliputing.com. 'The Archos 5 Internet Tablet is the first Google Android powered tablet from Archos, a company best known for making MP3 players and portable media players. And at it's core, the Archos 5 Internet tablet is a pretty good media player. It offers all the features you would expect including excellent audio and video playback capabilities and access to online media and files stored on your home network. It even has a built in FM radio tuner.'

Laptop Magazine have published a review of the Barnes & Noble Nook eReader. 'Measuring just 7.7 x 4.9 x 0.5 inches, the Nook is noticeably smaller than the Kindle 2. However, it's a bit heavier, weighing 12.1 ounces to the Kindle's 10.2 ounces. The Nook's design is economical and streamlined, owing mainly to the 0.6-inch bezel around the 6.0-inch electronic paper display (EPD) and the 3.5-inch color touchscreen below it. Aside from the Next/Previous Page buttons on either side of the display, the only physical button on the Nook is the power/sleep control on top. Two small speakers flank the headphone jack and mini-USB port on the bottom. The back of the device feels slightly rubbery and keeps the Nook from sliding too much on smooth surfaces.'

A review of the Barnes and Noble NOOK ebook reader has been posted over at Wired.co.uk. 'The Nook is slightly shorter and narrower than the Amazon Kindle 2, although it's thicker. Both e-book readers use the same E Ink technology for their main screen: a pale gray, matte surface that looks a bit like an Etch A Sketch but displays text (and monochrome images, with 16 levels of gray) in far more readable fashion than an LCD, thanks to its paperlike opacity. Instead of staring into the glowing eye of a LCD screen, you're reading light reflected off the surface of the screen, just as you do with paper, and that's much more comfortable. E Ink also uses less power, so battery life is long (about a week of ordinary use, B&N claims).'

A review of the Barnes and Noble NOOK ebook reader has been posted over at MobileTechReview. 'The nook has a removable back cover where you'll access the replaceable Lithium Ion battery and microSD card slot. It's compatible with ePUB and PDF books and documents, including those protected by Adobe ADEPT DRM. That means you can use books purchased from the Sony eBookstore, Kobo Books and other sites that sell ePUB books with Adobe DRM. You can also read your old Peanut Press eReader books since B&N bought them and the nook supports that format. Lastly, you can check out and read digital library eBooks and Google's public domain classics in ePUB format. Take that, Amazon. No, you can't read Amazon Kindle books because Amazon uses a proprietary format and that means only Kindles can read Kindle books.'