Amazon Kindle v. Barnes & Noble Nook
Wednesday, April 7, 2010 
Kindle 2 (left) and Nook (right)
The Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s Nook are 2 popular eBook readers. Both companies make a huge number of eBooks and periodicals available for instant download over a free 3G wireless connection. The Kindle and the Nook include an MP3 player with built-in speakers and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. In addition, you can read Kindle or Nook titles on the Windows, Mac, iPhone, and BlackBerry platforms by downloading a free app.
These readers employ greyscale E-ink displays. E-ink uses reflected light instead of a backlight, so reading an eBook feels more like reading a traditional paper book than viewing a computer monitor. E-ink displays have no glare, and can be read in direct sunlight. eBook readers are substantially smaller than notebook computers, and since they only consume power when changing pages, they have a longer battery life as well.
The Kindle 2 and the Nook both have 6” displays. Amazon also offers the Kindle DX, with a larger 9.7” screen. Both Kindle models sport a QWERTY keyboard, but the Nook uses a color touchscreen for navigation. It’s possible to lend ebooks to other Nook owners for up to 2 weeks; no equivalent sharing feature is currently available on the Kindle. The Kindle, however, does have a web browser - a feature the Nook lacks.
| Feature | Kindle 2 | Kindle DX | Nook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developer | Amazon | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |
| MSRP | $259 | $489 | $259 |
| Display size | 6” | 9.7” | 6” |
| Dimensions | 203 × 135 × 9.14 mm | 264 × 183 × 9.7 mm | 196 x 125 x 13 mm |
| Weight | 290 g | 540 g | 343 g |
| Color touchscreen | No | No | Yes |
| QWERTY keyboard | Yes | Yes | No |
| Wireless connectivity | AT&T 3G | AT&T 3G | AT&T 3G, Wi-Fi (only works in Barnes & Noble stores) |
| Wirless coverage | Worldwide | Worldwide | U.S. |
| Web browser | Yes | Yes | No |
| Capacity | 2 GB | 4 GB | 2 GB |
| microSD expansion slot | No | No | Yes |
| Accelerometer | No | Yes | No |
| Battery life with wireless off | Up to 14 days | Up to 14 days | Up to 10 days |
| Replaceable battery | No | No | Yes |
| Text-to-speech | Yes | Yes | No |
| Operating system | Linux | Linux | Android |
| Performance | Fast | Fast | Slow |
| 2 week eBook lending | No | No | Yes |
| Number of books available | 450,000 | 450,000 | 1,000,000, but fewer new titles |
| Read entire eBooks for free in stores | No | No | Yes |
| Blog subscriptions | Yes | Yes | No |
| Supported eBook formats | .azw, .pdf, .mobi | .azw, .pdf, .mobi | .epub, .pdf, .pdb |
Barnes & Noble’s comparison of the Kindle and the Nook