Barnes & Noble may have slated June 10th for Nook Touch availability, yet shipments have arrived decidedly early — hitting both pre-orderers and retail outlets starting about the 3rd. I’m not sure why the $139 e-Reader has me so fired up, but it does. Perhaps it’s the vacuum of gadget news ahead of the E3 gaming convention and Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC). Regardless of reason, I’ve made several trips to the B&N with the sole purpose of checking out the 6″ Nook Touch.
First off, the (infrared) touch screen technology performs much better than expected and is surprisingly usable. Combined with B&N’s superior interface, the Nook Touch outperforms the similarly equipped Sony Readers. It should also come as no surprise that the touchscreen UI surpasses Amazon’s Kindle physical 5-way rocker, Menu, and Back buttons. In fact, the virtual keyboard is even an improvement. Without a cover, the new Nook feels great in the hand. The contoured soft touch rear and super light weight make it very comfortable to hold with one hand, and page turning can be accomplished via screen taps, swipes, or the narrow, elongated bezel buttons. Although the lightweight plastic also gives the Nook something of a cheapie feel compared to say Sony’s metal enclosure.
As far as rendering goes, something slightly bothers me about the margins and justification in a way I couldn’t pinpoint without having my Kindle with me. Additionally, the improved e-Ink transitions have been oversold by Barnes & Noble. When the text fades in/out for page turns, it is indeed an improvement. But it only does that for a few pages at a time before you’re hit once again with the traditional, somewhat jarring screen flash. In my short period of testing, it’s not clear if frequency is determined via reading speed or content. Otherwise, it’s the current and solid e-Ink Pearl screen variant… that B&N’s competitors also utilize, featuring 16 shades of grey and improved contrast over previous editions.
If I were in the market for a new e-reader, I’d give serious consideration to the Nook Touch over the Kindle 3. Yet, how far away is the Kindle 4? Also, as I previously mentioned, dropping the web browser found on the prior edition is a disappointment. It wasn’t great, but seems like it’d be handy to have around in a pinch. And it surely interests me more than firing off reading highlights to my non-existent “Nook Friends.” Perhaps I’m not the target audience. But my mom is. And if her Kindle 3 were to die today, I’d get her a replacement Nook Touch solely for that more natural touch interface.
So those are my initial impressions after not actually having lived with the device or reading any books. For other short term experiences, also sans case or cover, check out these more extensive official Nook touch reviews:
Engadget
The new Nook is a bit of an enigma, in a sense, simultaneously adding more features while attempting to return to the simple reading experience missing from tablets like the iPad and Nook Color. It succeeds on both accounts.
Marco Arment
It’s easier for Amazon to achieve Nook-like hardware design than for B&N to achieve a Kindle-like ecosystem, so it’s much more likely that the next Kindle will be a better fit than the current (or next) Nook.
This Is My Next
The new Nook enters a highly competitive market, but it’s still a world ripe for new and better ideas — we’re still waiting on the perfect reader. I don’t think the Nook is The One, but it offers up some nice improvements over the standard formula.
PCMag
Hands down, the Barnes & Noble Nook Touch Reader is the best dedicated ebook reader available right now. It’s inexpensive, provides a fantastic reading experience, lasts an insanely long time, and accesses the giant Barnes & Noble library.
Gizmodo
If you’re looking for a no-nonsense e-reader that’s easy to use, connects to an online book store, handles your side-loaded content (like PDFs), lets you interact with other friends who use the Nook store, and rarely has to be charged up, you will love the Simple Touch Nook.
Laptop Mag
Barnes & Noble’s second-generation Nook is a big improvement over the original, which we liked quite a bit. It matches Amazon’s Kindle in style and design, but is even easier to use because of its touchscreen.
CNET
Is the new Nook better than the Kindle? That’s what a lot of people are asking and the short answer–at least at this moment–is arguably yes.