Barnes & Noble announced the release of the new Nook WiFi-only configured ebook reader priced at $149. Meanwhile, the price of the established Nook WiFi+3G (free) has been drastically dropped from $259 to $199. Connectivity is free at all AT&T WiFi hotspots and Barnes and Noble Stores.

If you compare both devices, some other key differences between the 2 Nook devices are: The Nook WiFi weighs 11.6 oz and has a white back panel, whereas the Nook WiFi+3G weighs 12.1 oz and has a gray back panel.

This sets the Nook WiFi up for direct competition with the recently released $150 Kobo eReader at Borders in the US. The one downside of the Kobo is that it has just Bluetooth for wireless connectivity. Lets wait and see if  the Nook WiFi steals Kobo’s thunder…and potential ebook buyers.

Prior to the price cut, the Nook WiFi+3G was directly competing with the Amazon Kindle 2 (latest generation) and it would be interesting to see if Barnes and Noble’s action today will begin an ebook reader price war.

If you decide to invest in a Nook, take a look at our Top 10 Designer Leather Nook Covers and Cases or at our Top 10 Designer Fabric Nook Covers and Cases.

Amazon will have a good reason to celebrate as the Amazon Kindle 2 and Kindle DX ebook readers were rated as the best choice for consumers when 9 dedicated devices were tested for their performance in comprehensive lab tests as reported in the July issue of Consumer Reports and www.ConsumerReports.org.

Also the ebook reading capabilities of the Apple iPad were assessed but not rated alongside the dedicated devices.

Amazon’s Kindle devices had crisper and more readable type compared to all other ebook readers tested, including the iPad, and were also also the fastest at refreshing and page turns. The Kindle 2 latest generation was considered preferable to consumers due to its greater portability and lighter weight compared to its larger sibling, the Kindle DX, which is more suited to reading e-textbooks.

The Barnes and Noble Nook was rated well for fast page turns, but when compared with the Kindle 2, the type was not as crisp and it was heavier. The Nook had more complicated navigation of content and touch controls were non-intuitive.

For the 2 Sony ebook readers, the Daily Edition PRS900 and the Touch Edition PRS600, the versatility of their performance rated well in terms of their ability to behave as digital notepads for text or drawings. The Daily Edition is comparatively heavy and expensive, whereas the Touch Edition does not have unlimited, free 3G wireless connectivity so ebooks cannot be downloaded at an impulse wherever you are.

Consumer Reports found that 3 other ebook readers were undistinuished at best, namely the Aluratek Libre eBook Reader Pro, the BeBook Neo, and the iRex DR 800SG.

To compare the Amazon Kindle 2 latest generation, Kindle DX, Nook, Sony Touch Edition PRS600 and Apple iPad check out the eBookReaderGuide.com Comparison Table.

Remember that the Amazon Kindle does not come complete with a protective cover; you are welcome to browse our Top 10 Kindle Covers and Cases to help you decide the best cover for your needs.

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In an act that’s sure to trigger the ebook reader price wars, Barnes & Noble is offering a $50 gift card when you purchase its $259 Nook eBook Reader.

Although this technically is not a price cut, it puts pressure on Amazon to reduce the price of the $259 Kindle or throw in a sweetner such as a free Kindle cover or free Kindle gift card (neither the Kindle or Nook are supplied with a protective carrying cover). This is excellent news for consumers as we head into the important Father’s Day and school graduation buying season.

“The company will provide a free $50 Barnes & Noble gift card with any Nook eBook Reader purchase through Barnes & Noble and Best Buy,” the press release notes. “Recipients can instantly stock up on their great summer reads, choosing from the expansive Barnes & Noble eBookstore, or show their style with a Nook accessory.” The Barnes and Noble website site claims the gift card is a “limited-time offer”.

Check out out eBook Reader Comparison Chart to see how the Nook compares. If you decide to buy the Nook, you could get a free Nook cover with this deal. See our  acclaimed Nook Cover Buyer’s Guides.

With all the buzz lately about the release of the Apple iPad, there has been a lot of speculation about what other eBook reader manufacturers can do to keep a hold on the market.

Despite the fact that the Apple iPad is very different to traditional eBook readers such as the Kindle and Nook, they are undoubtedly being hit by the comparisons. Whilst the iPad is designed as a portable computer, and the Kindle/Nook look more to read like real books, there is still a question over what consumers would prefer to spend their money on.

For the ultimate book lovers who aren’t too interested in other features, there isn’t much question. After all, Nook and Kindle have far bigger eBook libraries and a much more comfortable reading screen. But for the majority of consumers, Amazon and Barnes & Noble have their work cut out to keep up.

What Can the Traditional eReaders Do to Keep Up?

Changes do appear to be coming to the eBook reader world. However, before we see any price cuts from big manufacturers such as Amazon, they seem to be trying a new tactic first – getting their products on sale in retail stores.

Barnes & Noble are set to release their Nook in Best Buy, to go on sale from April 18. On top of this, the rumours are that Kindle will be sold in Target from April 25.

It’s hoped by the manufacturers that the benefits of giving customers a model they can see, test and feel in stores will make them more keen to buy. It makes sense. After all, eBook readers are a huge investment. And, it’s important to remember, many consumers still prefer the non-glare screen that E-Ink can provide. Something that the Apple iPad is lacking for the true book lovers.

The Apple iPad will be in the hands of some anxious consumers on April 3rd (this Saturday!).  If you have not pre-ordered the iPad through Apple’s website, you still can and get it by April 12th or stand in a long line at the Apple or Bestbuy physical stores which will be allocated a few of the devices.  Another viable option is eBay where a few people already trying to sell their tablet before receiving it.

Interesting Results from iPad Developer Survey

There was a recent announcement in Business Week about the lucky developers who got hold of early iPads to get their applications done. While a large percentage (42 to be precise) of them is for game development. That statistic is understandable since the popular gaming sector provides more challenge and will allow Apple to show off their magical device on the most complex applications first.

Another interesting statistic from the survey shows only 3% of these early devices is geared toward ereading applications.  That small percentage is to be expected since Apple placed reading at the bottom of the priorities when the iPad was announced at the 2010 CES.  How are existing ereader competitors reacting?  To ensure they get a piece of the Apple iPad pie, competitors are scrambling to provide apps for the iPad (e.g. recently announced Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook applications for iPad).

The iPad and other tablet devices in general bring a lot more capabilities than just dedicated reading or buy books from one ebook store.  Apple has created a revolutionary device to exploit these ereader shortcomings and appeal to the masses with a multi-media device.  Who wouldn’t want a single portable device that can play music, watch movies, play games, do a little work, and reading a good book, magazine, or newspaper?

Ereaders Enjoy A Few Advantages

One advantage traditional ereaders (e.g. Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and Sony Reader) still clinging to is the ability to read long term without eye strain.  The battle of the LCD screens of tablet devices versus the passive, light reflecting e-ink type displays of the ereaders is yet to be determined.  Serious readers find the e-ink readers more comfortable to curl up with a “Gone with the Wind” kind of reading experience.  The future holds bright for the iPad and similar devices that will change reading to a new level.  Imagine books coming to life with colour, sound, and embedded interactive videos.

Another advantage likely to be held by ereaders over other devices is longer battery life (e.g. 2 weeks for the Kindle and only 10 hours for the iPad).  Expect the gap to be less distant as ereaders try to offer colour and other apps besides reading which will consume more battery.

What Device Should You Buy?

Given the obvious differences between the ereaders and Apple’s iPad, get the ereader for serious reading, but the iPad tablet is a better choice for light reading and other peripheral activities (e.g. games, movies, etc).

The jury is still out on whether the iPad is magical or revolutionary.  One thing for sure, the latest Apple creation will shake up the netbook and ereader markets and set a new standard for years to come.

As soon as the Apple iPad was announced, news spread that it was an eco friendly gadget, avoiding the use of toxic chemicals and designed to be highly recyclable. However, eBook readers in general have also been touted as a great way to be a little more green, thanks to the fact that they help to cut down on paper waste. But what is the reality behind this bold claim?

The Eco Credentials of the Publishing Industry

When it comes to publishing, there is far more to worry about than the paper use alone. True, vast amounts of paper are used for all of the books sold in stores and through online retailers. But what about the books that don’t get sold?

The way that current bookstores work is that they order more copies than are actually needed, sending books back to the publisher that don’t get sold after a certain period of time. This greatly increases the carbon emissions that are generated from this back-and-forth transport of the books. Newspapers are arguably even worse, becoming out of date just as quickly as they are picked up on any given day.

All in all, the paper production, printing electricity consumption and transportation needs to be considered when looking at how eco friendly printed books, magazines and newspapers really are.

How Does the eBook Reader Compare?

All that you really need to consider when it comes to reading digital eBooks is the electricity consumed in the process. A number of studies have been done to compare the two types of reading, and the results have been overwhelmingly in favour of the eBook’s green credentials. eBooks aren’t perfect, but they certainly help.

Readers like the Kindle take little power to operate the screen, which works differently to a traditional computer screen. Combine this with solar chargers and eco friendly accessories, and you can rest safe in the knowledge that you’re doing your part to cut down on the waste generated within the traditional publishing industry!

With over 50 plus potential new e-readers, tablet pc, and slate type devices flooding the market in 2010, the landscape is rich with consumer choices which will redefine the e-reader market.  Apple has set the bar high for incumbents (e.g. Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and Sony PRS) and new comers.  This post explores the impact of Apple’s entrance into the space.

Amazon with the Kindle is the current leader in the e-reader niche and is responding aggressively with Kindle development kits for developers, apps for platforms (iPhone, Blackberry, PC, and Android likely next), purchase of touch technology company (Touchco), patent deal with Microsoft, increased revenue sharing with publishers and authors, trying to lower ebooks to $9.99, and hiring developers like crazy for their Kindle development farm.  These defensive initiative wouldn’t have happened as quickly without some healthy competition.

How has Apple’s iPad entrance affected the other competitors?  A couple of potential players are already retreating as Plastic Logic Que and Acer e-Readers have delayed their launch until later this year or distant future and this is likely due to timing as they don’t want to be overshadowed by the iPad.  Waiting for the market to mature is a wise decision at this point.

The increased press in this growing niche has also attracted big players with the likes of Dell (Mini 5 tablet), Samsung and Google (E6 e-book reader), and Microsoft (Courier tablet).  For these tech titans, products in various stages of development are being dust off the shelf and bringing to life ideas that were not so successful in the past.

The iPad has re-energized the market by bringing timely competition and interest.  When we look back a few years from now, this year will be viewed as the year that redefined the e-reader and tablet pc market.  Companies that can bring a device that’s intuitively easy to use, seamless access to rich unique content, and provide unparalleled user experience by combining reading and note taking, gaming, entertainment, and conduct business apps will take the prize for years to come.

Check out our comparison table to see how the iPad, Kindle and other ebook readers compare with each other.

With the flood of eReaders on the market and coming to market, it’s interesting to see which format is being supported. To the average eReader owner, the eBook format is a forgone conclusion, but the author/publisher has the challenge of selecting a format for distribution. With so many formats, it seems like there are almost as many formats as eReaders! Here’s a quick look at some popular eReaders and the eBook formats supported.

Amazon Kindle 2 and DX: plain text, PDF, Mobi-Pocket, Kindle
Apple iPad tablet: plain text, PDF, ePub, HTML
Barnes Noble Nook: PDF, ePUB, eReader
Sony Reader: plain text, PDF, ePub, Broadband eBook

Plain text (.txt): ASCII standard text file format which allows interchanging and readability on Unix, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows, DOS, and other systems
Portable Display Format (.PDF): Created by Adobe Systems to represent two-dimensional documents in a manner independent of the application software, hardware, and operating system
ePub (.epub): Format is an open standard for e-books created by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF)
Mobi-Pocket (.prc, .mobi): E-book format based on the Open eBook standard using XHTML can include JavaScript and frames
Kindle (.azw): Developed by Amazon and based on the Mobipocket standard, with a slightly different serial number scheme (it uses an asterisk instead of a Dollar sign) and its own DRM formatting
HTML (.htm,.html): Hyper Text Markup Language which It provides a means to create structured documents by denoting structural semantics for text such as headings, paragraphs, lists etc as well as for links, quotes, and other items
eReader (.pdb): Created by Palm Digital Media; The reader shows text one page at a time, as paper books do. eReader supports embedded hyperlinks and images
Broadbank Book (.lrf,.lrx): Proprietary format by Sony, with no known reader software for non-Sony devices

Other eBook formats used by other eReaders include the following:  Fiction-Book, DjVu, WOLF, Tome Raider, and Open eBook.

There are distinct advantages and disadvantages to each format, but as a potential eReader owner, does the supported format influence which device you buy?

Check out our comparison table to see how the iPad, Kindle and other ebook readers compare with each other.

We got an excellent glimpse of potential features for upcoming eReaders at the recently ended 2010 Consumer Electronics Show.  Each eReader vendor tries to pull from the crowd with distinguishing features such as color, dual-screens, and screen size, etc.  Are these unique features enough to sway potential buyers and capture market share?  Features are important, but accounts for only a part of the market puzzle. You may have the best eReader on the market with all the following cool features and still not be the market leader:

1. Support WiFi, 3G, EVDO/CDMA and GSM connectivity
   
2. Dual color screens (11.5 inches each) and dual-mode (LCD and e-Ink)
3. Solar or battery powered
4. Supports all eBook formats and a few Microsoft applications
5. Android OS

This maybe a pipe dream, but the technology is out there!

Other ingredients to be market leader include first mover advantage, market timing, and product promotion.  This side of the success equation is not related to the physical eReader product (i.e. software and hardware), but how fast the product gets to the market and the distribution channel to support the product.  Amazon provides a great example of success at launching the Kindle.  We know the Sony eReader is rated higher than the Kindle, but Amazon’s product out sells everyone else.  We also have seen Barnes & Noble struggle with the Nook and their mistakes have proven costly (handing out $100 gift cards for  pre-orders that failed to meet  Christmas delivery commitment).

In summary, Amazon has proven that you don’t have to have the best eReader in the market to be successful.  To be on top of the market, you just have to have a good product (not necessarily the best), get it out there before everyone else, and provide a good marketing campaign!

p.s. We’ll have to throw the above theory out the door when Apple jumps in with an eReader/tablet (mythical iSlate) since they have the Midas touch on eGadgets!

Are you wanting to know what ebook reader audio options exist for your device? Good! We have some for you.

If you own the Kindle, you can download audiobooks from Audible.com (get a FREE Audiobook Download with a 14 Day Trial!), and since this is an Amazon company they make it nice and easy to buy and add audio books to your Kindle. Their is also the famous (or should I say infamous) text-to-speech feature available through the Kindle, which allows for automated reading. And is great for blind and disabled individuals.

If you own the Sony Reader, you can download books from the Sony eBook Store and listen to the books via the audio feature.

If you own the Nook, you can listen to your book collection via the audio speakers or headphone jacks.

Out of the top three ebook readers mentioned above, Kindle takes the prize as it currently is the only that has the text-to-speech feature. But all three do at least offer an audio option.

p.s. The reader pictured above is the groovy new Sony Daily Edition, in sleek black. Nice!