Full Overview

Easy to Use 6" Touchscreen Just tap to shop for the best books, magazines and newspapers right on your NOOK. Turn pages, look up words, highlight passages, adjust the font size and style-all with just a touch of your finger.

Clear, Crisp Reading The most advanced E Ink® Pearl technology on the high-contrast 6" touchscreen displays text as crisp and clear as a printed page, so you can read easily-even in bright sun. 50% more contrast than NOOK 1st Edition.

Ultra-Light, Ultra-Portable Under 8 ounces, NOOK is lighter than a paperback and super thin, yet holds up to 1,000 books, magazines and newspapers-so it's easy to take your entire library with you anywhere.

Longest Battery Life With the longest battery life of any eReader, you can read for up to two months on just one charge. That's enough time to start and finish a lot of great stories-or an entire series.

World's Largest Bookstore Over 2 million titles including books, magazines & newspapers -just a touch away! Thousands are FREE, most others $9.99 or less. Pre-order books and subscribe to magazines so you'll get them the instant they're released.

Read Your Way Make the text bigger or smaller. Choose the font style you like. You can even add bookmarks and highlight passages while you read.

Immersive Reading Experience NOOK has 80% smoother page turns and minimized flashing compared to other eReaders-so it's easy to lose yourself in your latest read. And with Fast PageTM, you can scan easily through any book, magazine or newspaper. Just touch and hold the page turn buttons to get to where you want to read quickly.

Borrow Public Library Books
On-Screen Keyboard

NOOK connects via thousands of Wi-Fi® networks, including fast and free access at all Barnes & Noble stores and more than 24,000 AT&T® hotspots

Technical Details

- Ultra-Light, Ultra-Portable - Under 8 ounces
- Easy to Use 6" Touchscreen
- Clear, Crisp Reading
- Longest Battery Life - read for up to two months on just one charge
- Over 2 million titles including books, magazines & newspapers -just a touch away! Thousands are FREE

I purchased the Kindle (Wi-Fi) and the original Nook (the B&W one) and tried them out during the return period. While there were things about the Kindle I really liked (features that other reviewers on the Kindle site had written), the one thing that made me choose the Nook was the ability to borrow and read ebooks from my local library. Haven't been back to the library since!

Now here comes the Nook Simple Touch Reader (Nook STR). I got one via pre-order when they came out in early June. It has the same e-ink Pearl screen as the Kindle, so the screen contrast is no longer an issue. And wow, has the user interface improved over the original Nook! (which I thought was clunky) The entire e-ink Pearl screen has full touchscreen capability. On both the Kindle and the original Nook, I felt myself wanting to touch the screen to select a book to read, instead of using the buttons (on the Kindle) or the LCD touchscreen (on the original Nook) to highlight and select the desired ebook. On the Nook STR, the Library screen shows icons for all the ebooks loaded in the device (both library and purchased). Touch the icon, and the ebook opens. Turning the page? Touch the screen on the right side of the page (to go forward) or the left side (to go back). Or swipe your finger across the screen as in flipping a physical book page. Or use the buttons built into the frame. Want to page quickly through a book? Hold down the page turning button. Need a word definition? Touch and hold on the word and a dictionary pops up. The user interface resembles that of an iPhone or iPad, with the icons, virtual keyboard and the physical home button. It even has the "slide to unlock" feature like the iPhone. The touchscreen on the Nook STR is infrared (it senses the heat of your finger, again like iPhone), so a light touch works just fine. I found that on the original Nook, sometimes it would take multiple touches on the LCD screen for the device to recognize a command.

In response to the reviews about the touchscreen ceasing to respond, the pre-order Nook STR I had suffered from that problem. The touchscreen would become slow to respond, and eventually quit working altogether. A power cycle generally brought it back. I started a thread on B&N's website about this and found many others having the problem. I did take my Nook STR back to B&N and they exchanged it. Have had the replacement Nook ST for six weeks now and the problem hasn't returned. So don't be spooked about buying one due to this problem - if it happens to you, exchange it.

Going back to library books, I had to install Adobe Digital Editions onto my PC (my library had the link to download - free). This software allows you to manage your ebooks on your Nook.

The Nook STR is a good choice for seniors that may not have extensive computer skills. Using the device is easy enough, but loading books from a library website (via Adobe Digital Editions) requires a few steps to complete. If help is needed, it can be a positive relationship-building experience.

One last plus - once you get your Nook STR, check the "Shop" tab to access B&Ns website. Every Friday B&N offers a free book for download, and has discounts on other days of the week.

Just a short review of my two weeks with the Nook Simple Touch. This looked the the reader to get when it came out. Specifically for me the touch screen was a must. I enjoyed reading on it everyday until I returned it. It was light and extremely easy to navigate with its touch screen. What happened though, was on about the 12th day while using it the touch screen stopped responding. I couldn't turn a page with the screen or pull up a menu with the screen or do anything else. And, when I shut it off and turned it back on I couldn't swipe the screen to get into the book - I was completely stuck...locked out. Finally after fiddling with it after about 15 minutes it started to work again. I went on the web and found out that others had this same thing happen to them so I decided to return it rather then hope for a fix (I was still within my 14 days return policy).

The device itself is amazing...

-great TOUCHSCREEN interface
-perfect reading screen
-clean looking design, small because there is no keyboard to make it bigger and it's smaller than the original Nook
-reads formats natively that the Kindle won't
-read all the ebooks you want in B&N stores for free
-library checkouts are easy
-press and hold on a word to get its definition
-highlight and take notes in a book easily


...but when you ROOT the thing it gets even better!

Install the Gmail app to get your mail, get the Opera browser (supports Flash!), install the Kindle app and you can read Kindle ebooks too, it has a Bluetooth chip so when hackers turn that on you will be able to attach a keyboard / microphone / headphone, and on and on. Make sure to get the Home Button Savior app so you can switch back and forth between the B&N reader and the rest of the device's functionality.

I used these instructions:

[Amazon removed my link. Google "Root Nook Touch Using TouchNooter & Install Go Launcher, NookColor Tools, Gmail, Market & YouTube", it's the top link. ]

I will be buying LOTS of these as gifts, and I'm going to root them all! This is a perfect device for hackers and regular ebook readers too!

What's a Kindle? Never heard of it.

Been in the market for an e-reader, I have tried to read on a tablet and it really just tires my eyes. Really when you are looking for an e-reader there are two brands you look at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I have tried both and you really can't go wrong with either reader.

However, the Nook Touch is currently the best e-reader available because of two major features:

1. Touch screen

2. Short body

Ok, so the Nook has no keyboard because of the touch screen, which makes this guy even more portable than the Kindle. Its the size of a small pamplet and weighs slightly more. You wouldn't think that this makes a difference, but it is almost pocket sized and with the same size screen as the Kindle.

Finally, but most importantly is the touch screen. The current trend in electronics is toward touch screens and there is a reason why. With out sounding too vague, it just "feels more natural". Want to turn the page? swipe, like you would if you were turning a real page. No button presses, or having to look away from the page, just gently flick the screen. Its so simple, but really makes a big difference and that really sums up the Nook.

They cost about the same and use similar eInk technology. They are basically quite similar devices.
My primary use is going to be reading product manuals and datasheets that are as a matter of unwritten
rule in the PDF format. My secondary use would be reading ePub books, I have a large collection.

The reason chose the Nook Touch over the Kindle were:

+ support for open ePub format.
+ expandable storage with SD card slot
+ touch works better than Kindle's keyboard
+ I can root the Nook and install a proper browser

Sure, there are minus points for Nook too:

- Amazon has many many more bestsellers and newspapers last time I checked.
This does not really matter to me.
- No option for 3G. I would have got a Nook Touch 3G were it available.
- No media player or audiobook support in the Nook Touch.

When I first saw the new Simple touch Nook being offered on the B&N website I knew I had to have it. I have the 1st generation Nook and I love it, but I was always envious of my friends NookColor's touchscreen. Now, I didn't want all the bells and whistles that the NookColor or the 1st Gen Nook has, I just wanted a simple eReader and I got that and more. I think what I love best about the Simple Touch Nook is how light it is, I can hold it in one hand and if I put it in my bag or purse it doesn't weigh it down. The touch screen is very responsive and makes turning pages a whole lot more simpler than my 1st gen Nook. The e-ink seems a little bit more crisper than on the 1st gen Nook and being able to adjust the font size is great! I do miss the replaceable battery of the 1st Gen Nook, but the battery life on the Simple Touch is amazing! I got mine on June 3rd and charged it up to 100% and I haven't charged it since. Now of course I don't read as much as some do...I maybe average about 1 hour a day, but to go almost an entire month and not have to charge the battery is amazing. I wish they would offer a silicone frame for it, because the cover I have for it adds more weight. I will say that a cover really isn't necessary, the Simple Touch front has a rubberized frame that invites you to use without a cover though you might just want to use a cover for protection when you're not reading. It's just a wonderful eReader.

Let me start off by saying that I am a fan of Amazon.com. In the past month alone, I have made at least 12 purchases. I was browsing around just now and decided to see what Amazon.com customers thought of my newest electronic device. I was thrilled to see the high rating, but disappointed to see the price; $40.00 more than the thing costs at B/N since its release last month. Amazon, you need to do better here!

Now to the product - This is my first e-reader and I am certain that I went with the best product for me. As someone who buys a lot of books from Amazon, I would have preferred to have bought the Kindle,especially since Amazon has more of the types of books I read and for much cheaper than B/N, but I just do not appreciate those tiny buttons on the device. I absolutely LOVE my Nook Simple Touch, and I use it for several hours every day. B/N has Free Fridays - when you can download a featured book for free -, book share -with contacts on your device and social networks, and free reading of selected books when you are in B/N. My understanding is that I can go to local libraries and even borrow my books using my Nook; This may or may not be any special news.

The touch screen is a bit sensitive on the device, so if you prefer not to use it, they are also tactile "buttons" that will allow you to change pages. The home screen shows the book you are currently reading and the page number you are on - a few other books in your library, and some suggested readings. You can create shelves that you name on which to house your books by categories. They do not look like physical shelves, rather they are just a grouping of books.

Without going into more technical stuff that you can read online, I will say that if you are new to e-reading and you enjoy touch screens - AND YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A PRODUCT THAT SIMPLY ALLOWS YOU TO READ - Do not hesitate to go into a B/N and try this out. Some people buy this expecting it to browse the web (although it does have a hidden browser that the techies are working to hack) - Play their audio files, when there is not headphone jack (Techies have discovered that it DOES have built-in bluetooth, however), and folks buy this and complain that they do not like how it does not display their magazines in color. It is not meant to do that - it is meant to be solely an enjoyable easy-to-use reading device that does not give you a whole lot of options to be distracted from the task at hand, READING!

This is why I bought it - Eventually, I will get a nook color - or a Kindle *color* if they come out with one, but for now, I thoroughly enjoy my Nook, which has encouraged me to slow down and spend so much more time in the peaceful, leisurely act of reading. In my excitement, I am reading like 8 different books at once. That is the great joy of having an e-reader - speaking to those who are, just as I used to be, resistant to the e-reading craze - there is no more lugging around a bag filled with books, and when I get tired of reading one, another book is just a couple of swipes away. I am learning about how to get all sorts of books for free or low cost, as well as learning how to take advantage of conversion and e-book management tools such as Calibre. I am having a blast with this thing!

Yesterday, I received a nice leather case for it that I purchased off Ebay for a great price. Once again, I looked to Amazon.com first, but there simply were not good options. I got a black leather Caseen case that also came with a screen protector for twenty bucks.

I know Amazon is going to hate me for this but here goes:

I used to have a Kindle 3. It was great. It made reading a pleasure however there were a couple of things I would have liked to change. I wished that it had a touch screen and that it was smaller.

When I saw the Nook Touch I thought that this is what my Kindle should be like. Well I decided to buy the Nook and I'm very, very pleased. I won't go into an in depth review of the device itself. You can find that just about anywhere. What I will say is the touch screen makes things so much easier. I love the on screen virtual keyboard (like the ipad) and the fact that it's a lot smaller than the Kindle 3 but with the same size and quality screen.

Since giving the Kindle to a relative I thought about the books that I already bought from Amazon and the fact that I now have to use my Android phone to read them since the Nook does not read Kindle books......or does it??

With a little research I was able to find out how to root my Nook Touch (voids your warranty). Now when I turn on the Nook, it gives me a dual boot screen (sort of). I can go to the Android desktop or the the Nook screen. Using the Android desktop which included the Android market I downloaded the Kindle reading app. I ran that app, logged into my Kindle account and now have all my Kindle book available on my Nook Touch. The only thing missing is text to speech but I didn't use that feature anyway. Yes it has a web browser, email and all the other Android apps available but most look pretty drab on a monochrome device. That isn't why I did this. I wanted a device to read my Nook Books and Kindle books.

I now have the best of both worlds.

I went on the market and started doing my research with one goal in mind. Find an e-book reader. I was tempted by the more tablet-ey devices, but what it came down to is anything that a tablet could do, my android based phone was more than capable of handling. I wanted a device that I could read outside in bright Texas sunshine between classes, or cuddle up before bed under a light with...

Like 99% of people out there, it came down to the Kindle vs the Nook...They both boast pretty much the exact same screen, with the exact same size...the Kindle just has the added physical keyboard while the Nook uses a touch interface so simple/intuitive my grandmother was handling it naturally within minutes.

The differences in the available markets did not concern me, as all my books are sourced through 3rd party providers, and my library is managed on my computer by a program called Calibre (pronounced Caliber for us Americans).

The screen is crisp, very little ghosting, and it only does the black/white screen flash every 6th page turn...something I hardly notice. The unit itself is incredibly light, lighter than a standard paperback, and has a rubberized finish that holds well in my average-to-smaller hands for a guy. The two buttons on either side of the screen are a little hard to push at first, but I've noticed that over the past week, the two I use most have "worn in" and, while still requiring a small amount of tension, are plenty comfortable to activate even in a late-night delirious stupor brought on by a case of the one-more-chapter's.

Also, due to the touch interface, I find that no matter how I hold the unit, or using whichever hand, I can easily navigate pages. You can page foreward by either hitting one of the two side buttons, tapping the right side of the screen, or making a swipe motion ANYWHERE on the screen.

Amazon may have the slightly larger market, but B&N is definitely winning in the hardware race for best simple tablet.

Been waiting to pick one of these up, but pay attention to the price on amazon. Last night it was listed at the regular retail price of $139.95, but this morning the price magically jumped to $166.43??? Can't go wrong w/ this ereader - much better, lighter, faster than the kindle, just watch the price if purchasing on amazon. Do not purchase if the price is more than $140.