Manage updates with the Download AppBarnes & Noble Nook (3G/Wi-Fi)
Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble Part number: Nook
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Nook Wi-Fi/3G doesn't quite measure up to the Kindle in terms of design and overall performance, but it's a worthy alternative if you're looking for a more open e-reader that supports the EPUB format.
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CNET editors' review
Barnes & Noble Nook (3G/Wi-Fi) price range: $224.45
- Reviewed by: David Carnoy
- Edited by: John Falcone
- Reviewed on: 12/06/2009
The good: Large library with tens of thousands of e-books, as well as newspapers and magazines; built-in free wireless data network, plus Wi-Fi connectivity (no PC needed); separate capacitive color touch-screen pad for navigation, and a virtual keyboard for notes and annotations; 2GB of internal memory (capable of storing 1,500 electronic books) as well as a microSD expansion slot for additional memory; font style and size are adjustable; displays image files and plays MP3 music files; compatible with Windows and Mac machines; battery is removable and user-replaceable; allows free browsing of full-text books while within Barnes & Noble stores; you can lend certain e-books for up to 14 days free of charge; EPUB format compatibility lets you read free Google Books and loaner e-books from your local library; page turn speeds are faster with firmware upgrade.
The bad: No protective carrying case included; color LCD has an impact on battery life; in-store reading and loaning capabilities come with notable limits and caveats; no support for Word or text files; no ability to download books when outside the U.S., even when on Wi-Fi.
The bottom line: The Nook Wi-Fi/3G doesn't quite measure up to the Kindle in terms of design and overall performance, but it's a worthy alternative if you're looking for a more open e-reader that supports the EPUB format.
User reviews
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Exelent product (after firmware upgrade 12-21-09)
by puppypower2000 on December 22, 2009
Pros: 1.Android based 2.Memory expansion,removable battery 3.wifi 4.Touch screen 5.Freindlier interface 6.Epub capabale 7.mp3 player, pdf support (+zoom), wallpapers 8.In store promotions 9.Ebook lending 10.Automatically shuts wireless on & off for battery
Cons: Slightly shorter battery life, in actuality the kindle gets roughly 7 days of battery vs. 5 days of the nook.
Summary: As of December 21st, nook has been upgraded to firmware 1.1.1 (wirelessly delivered to your nook), this firmware has dealt with most of the glitches and minor bugs ...
Summary: As of December 21st, nook has been upgraded to firmware 1.1.1 (wirelessly delivered to your nook), this firmware has dealt with most of the glitches and minor bugs that were present in the original version of the firmware (1.0.0). My major concerns prior to the update were loading time, page turning time, and general speed while cruising through all your nooks features, B&N did a great job with correcting all of these issues (way ahead of schedule too). While torn between a kindle and a nook (most people don?t go to Sony with good reason...) here are some facts that might make your decision easier: 1. The nook is the first and so far only ereader running on android operating system (look up the benefits of android including future apps to the nook and great variety of firmware updates). 2. Offers an expansion micro sd slot. 3. Removable battery. 4. Wifi capability (much faster than 3G and works on any wifi, not just B&N).
5. As the touch screen is really a nice visual add on in terms of seeing the covers, the greatest benefit of that would be the greater variety of menu options vs. the kindle, and an easier and smoother navigation interface. 6. Since the launch of nook, B&N's pricing for ebooks went way down and now is pretty much identical to amazons kindle. 7. One of the most important things to consider is the launch of the epub universal file format. As the entire industry is moving towards a universal file format allowing consumers to be able to take their ebooks to which ever device they want, and purchase ebooks from whom ever they want for the device, Kindle is refusing to do so (in my opinion one of the greatest setbacks to the Amazon kindle). 8. Some additional nice features are a built in: mp3 player, built in pdf (with zoom options!), personalizes wallpapers, a friendlier user interface than the kindle, and the back of the nook is made of softer material than the kindle (high quality silicone based) which feels much better than the kindle as you hold your nook in your hands for a while. 9. Another Great feature is although it doesn?t support international wireless like the amazons kindle, you can download anything by connecting to wifi (and also avoiding any kind of international fees that Amazon collects from it's costumers, also i'd like to note that Amazon charges fee's for sending your pdf files to your kindle, -although not much still kind of irritating, this is not the case with the nook).
10. The nook offers a in store unlimited reading option of ebooks through their wifi, many promotional free download of ebooks and subscriptions (in store), and a cute ebook lending option to friends, however you are limited in reading each ebook in store for one hour per ebook for each 24 hours (unless you purchase it), and the lending option is only for participating titles and is limited for 14 days and only one time capable.
11. And finally the only set back to the nook vs. the kindle is the battery life (14 days of kindle vs. 10 days of nook, please note that both estimates are given by the manufactures and are not all that true, in actuality the kindle gets roughly 7 days of battery vs. 5 days of the nook). Another bonus to the nook is that it automatically shuts wireless on and off for battery life purposes, so it uses wireless only when needed and saves you the hassle of turning it on and off all the time.
I've heard a lot of silly compressions on the nook judging it on non- important factors (such as the nook is more grayish white as the kindle is more white white, nook is almost an ounce heavier, kindle is 0.1 inch thinner, I find those facts useless). I was worried prior to getting the nook and prior to the update of firmware, but I do think kindles current ereader (kindle 2) is no match for the nook and it's growing ability (as I said the fact that it's android based renders it's potential immense), Amazon is going to have to improve their kindle 3 by much to stay in the competition, with a dominant key factor of adopting epub (and dropping the kindle version file, and dropping their fees, free 3G just doesn?t cut it anymore). Hope this review was helpful for you.42 out of 45 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Wow... Way to go B&N...
by Teddie101 on December 22, 2009
Pros: Touch screen, wifi & 3g, now that the updated firmware is here very fast, super amazing interface, love the size, the feel, it is fast on wifi, so much more enjoyable than kindle in so many ways, love to listen to music as reading.
Cons: Battery life a little bit shorter than kindle but hardly buy much (so worth it).
Summary: Iused to own a kindle 2 before my nook, and although I loved my kindle 2 (and still do), my new nook is so much better!
The kindle is great ...Summary: Iused to own a kindle 2 before my nook, and although I loved my kindle 2 (and still do), my new nook is so much better!
The kindle is great and let's not forget that it was the kindle that started it all (on this grand scale that is), however the nook takes the reading experience to a whole new level! I was worried before I preordered the nook (since I couldn?t handle it before, or test it for myself), I was also a little enjoyed with the initial bugs and glitches (that were all solved in the last version update, it's running fast and efficient now, I can't see a true book lover not being happy with a nook purchase, way to go B&N...17 out of 19 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A pleasure to read with from someone who loves books!
by Januss331 on December 9, 2009
Pros: Easy to read
Easy to read
Easy to readCons: Page turn delay? Not really...just look below, sorry.
Summary: I'm not going to talk about ordering, preordering, waiting, lack of information or any of that as it's been beaten to death elsewhere already. I've had my ...
Summary: I'm not going to talk about ordering, preordering, waiting, lack of information or any of that as it's been beaten to death elsewhere already. I've had my nook now for 2 days and this is what I have to say about it as an eReader.
I have updated my review of the nook. I still love the machine! The full text of it is on the BN forum. Please don't jump to conclusions, I am not a fanboy. I am registered there because it makes sense-I bought a nook, not a Kindle!
I really do enjoy it! I was worried at first when I opened it up, I thought it was a tad small, but now I realize it's not that bad at all. In other words, I just got engrossed in the book I was reading. Let me repeat myself. I got lost in what I read.
I emphasize that because it was the biggest concern I had. I am an avid reader. I started reading a lot in the 7th grade and haven't stopped since then. I was worried that my eyes would start to hurt, or that I couldn't get into an eBook the same way I can into an actual book. Well, to my pleasant surprise, I found myself completely into what I was reading. Again, in my eyes at least, the whole point of an eReader is to replace a book. As someone who loves the feel of a book and bookstores themselves, this was key for me.
At first, the page turn delay (while the screen refreshes itself) was irritating, but I soon forgot about it. It usually takes me a second to turn a page and start again anyways, what's another .5 seconds? (gross numbers, I'm just generalizing here) Like I said, I eventually got into the story and forgot about it. I'm sure future editions, or even a firmware upgrade, will take care of it. And as far as I know, all other eReaders have the same "problem".
As far as the screen goes, I like it. While my fiancé feels it's a little dark, I think it's just right. I DO NOT want a color screen-when was the last time you read a book that was in color? I also am pleased that BN didn't bother with a web browser, I just want to read my books, that's it. Is it a niche device that way? You bet your dollar it is. I want something to replace the 6-7 books I take with me on a vacation. I don't want to take a laptop-that's why I have a smartphone!
I haven't noticed any problems yet with it-getting a book from my library was easily done, and very fast on my home wireless network. I loaded up some PDFs from Harrison's (medical book, the online version-thank god) and ran into a hitch. If you're going to be doing something similar, try to just stick with a text only version. Obviously graphics are no good, but I found the tables really screwed up the formatting. After I tried a text only version of the same chapter, it worked like a charm.
I do find it a bit odd that the nook constantly has to reformat a book/pdf that you have already read. The first time I can understand, but repeatedly? What I mean by this is that when you load a book up, it says "Formatting" for roughly 5-7 seconds, maybe less. I haven't really timed it. Like I said, makes sense the first time, but repeatedly? I can only imagine there isn't any flash memory on the processor to store it...or something like that. Oh, and when loading the PDFs, I just plugged it into my Mac and looked in the drive, there were already folders there all nice and neat waiting for me.
I haven't tried buying a book via the nook yet, but will sometime soon. I haven't had a problem with the battery, but I've only used it for 2 days now obviously. If anyone has any questions, reply and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
On a side note, the "user guide/welcome to the nook" parody on the nook is absolutely hysterical!! Nice touch BN!
The color screen is cool, I could do without it. I went with the nook for BN and PDF support, and I love physical stores. So the color is an added bonus I suppose. I have it set to turn off after the shortest time of sitting there idle (10 sec I believe it is) so it doesn't work the battery. And also, I really don't have a problem with charging my nook every few days-it's not catastrophic for me that it doesn't last the gazillion days that the Kindle does.
Oh, and the screen is pretty responsive to me. Again, I'm not expecting it to be lightening fast on an eReader like I would on a phone or laptop, but I'm sure that firmware/version2 will improve on it.
I got the Alice cover for it, and it fits and looks great in it. I'm almost thinking of just using it without the cover, but I'd rather not destroy it. Anyways, that's my review for now. For those of you who are waiting, I hope you get yours soon! Happy Holidays!
Updated on Dec 15, 2009
http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/eBooks-Help-Board/I-m-sure-there-will-be-more-but-here-are-my-impressions/m-p/424681#U42468113 out of 19 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Love it, Love it, Love it!!!
by jess2000wh on December 22, 2009
Pros: Great interface, color touch screen, expandable memory, mp3, pdf, wi fi, 3g, after update fast!!! So fun to use, more options, new generation of e-readers! Epub (yay!).
Cons: Battery last slighter less than kindle (but almost the same...)
Summary: I can't put my nook down, I love it, it looks great, feels great, love the wifi, and touch screen, listen to mp3's when I read- so much ...
Summary: I can't put my nook down, I love it, it looks great, feels great, love the wifi, and touch screen, listen to mp3's when I read- so much fun, no pdf charges or international like with my previous kindle 2 (can use wifi), expandable memory to up to 16gb more, replicable battery, feels better than kindle cause of it's soft backing. The last update was amazing, so fast!
I still love my kindle 2, But I won't miss it, Nook, hello my new best friend!7 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Frozen Lemons
by MEShields on April 11, 2010
Pros: Convenience, ease of use
Cons: Freezes freezes freezes freezes
Couldn't figure out how to remove content
Freezes freezes freezes freezesSummary: I waited for 5 months for the Nook and was excited with the updates - too bad they stink... Been through 2 in the last month - were they both ...
Summary: I waited for 5 months for the Nook and was excited with the updates - too bad they stink... Been through 2 in the last month - were they both lemons? Don't think so. The first Nook froze completely (nothing, not even the power button on top, would work) when the battery was low, but I wouldn't have considered it "dead" - the store popped off the back, took out the battery to reset it. This same Nook froze again when I was switching from or to "airplane mode" - still had at least 15% left on the battery - is this a "dead battery"? Don't think so! B&N gave me a new Nook. This second Nook froze again, this time with PLENTY of battery life! Again, it was when I was switching TO "Airplane" mode in order to conserve the battery. I began peeling off the back panel and it reset itself. A week went by and I wanted new content so I needed to turn off "Airplane" Mode and you don't have to guess what happened. Froze solid with 39% battery life. At least the folks at the B&N store were helpful - they replaced the first one with no hassle, and with this second one, refunded my cost and, since they had no way to refund what I paid for on-line content, they gave me a hard copy of the one book I had not yet read.
I do NOT recommend a Nook - you just may be left frozen out of it.7 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A MAJOR WEAKNESS .. will not work with B&N e-textbooks.
by drbrees on October 9, 2010
Pros: I love the nook for all the reasons listed by the reviewer.
Cons: Students and instructors should be made aware that the nook WILL NOT work with B & N books that are categorized as e-textbooks. You will not find out until you actually download an e-textbook, and then you cannot return the e-textbook.
Summary: If you are a reader of novels or classical literature, this is an excellent choice. BUT DO NOT BUY IT IF YOU PLAN ON USING IT AS A STUDENT OR ...
Summary: If you are a reader of novels or classical literature, this is an excellent choice. BUT DO NOT BUY IT IF YOU PLAN ON USING IT AS A STUDENT OR TEACHER. B&N does have an app for this for computers, called nook study, but it has nothing to do with the nook and cannot be used on the nook. For E-TEXTBOOKS .. if you are loyal to B&N, just get their free app .. if not, shop around.
5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Broke within 3 weeks
by Christina413 on May 26, 2010
Pros: Like other ebook readers, nice to have the convenience of books with the touch of a button, easy to read screen, touchscreen is convenient.
Cons: Needed to be reset within two weeks of ownership and light use. Within three weeks of light use, the screen suddenly had double images and was unreadable.
Summary: While Barnes and Noble is replacing this due to the 1 year warranty, I am dismayed that this product broke so quickly. Having known several Kindle users who have never ...
Summary: While Barnes and Noble is replacing this due to the 1 year warranty, I am dismayed that this product broke so quickly. Having known several Kindle users who have never had a problem, I wish I had bought a Kindle. Even if it didn't break, the touchscreen is slow compared to other touchscreen devices and the feature to access the web is nearly useless. While Nooks features unique options, such as free reading for 1 hour a day at Barnes and Noble and book lending, who spends their time at BN, and I don't know another Nook owner to lend/borrow books. I suspect that I'll be receiving more than one replacement in the next year and then will have a broken device. With other comparably priced options available, I would not purchase nor recommend a Nook. Also BN does not offer an easy to find customer review section for potential purchasers on their website, so it isn't easy to learn customer opinions of the device. Also, the Kindle has a 30 day return policy, BN is only 14 days. Otherwise I would have returned mine. Bottom line: Do not buy this product.
6 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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BUYER BEWARE
by granny3750 on October 4, 2010
Pros: Rec'd this product 1/10. Have read 70+ books. Works wonderfully for the most part. Some books not as compatible as others. Love it as a reader, no more packing bulky, heavy books for trips.
Cons: 8/10--white face edge cracked @ right forward arrow. BN said manufacturer defect. Refused to replace it w/anything but USED nook/Say they don't HAVE TO replace w/new & won't. This tells me they have far too many returned & haven't solved the probl
Summary: I love my nook, but have stopped recommending it because of the defect and the fact that BN refused to replace my Nook with a new one. I don't ...
Summary: I love my nook, but have stopped recommending it because of the defect and the fact that BN refused to replace my Nook with a new one. I don't consider that to be of "equal" value. I was considering buying them for Christmas gifts this year and have nixed that idea. I don't use all the features the nook has, because my main purpose was to avoid finding more room for books and not to have to carry lots of books with me everywhere I go. I do still purchase an occasional book, but have saved almost $400 since I purchased my nook. I like the choices for font sizes. When I use my treadmill, I can place my nook on the book rest and make the print large enough to easily read while walking. I really like it, but am extremely dissatisfies with BN. BUYER BEWARE---BN is aware of the defect, is not making it public unless it happens to customers unless they call about it nor are they replacing them with NEW ones.
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Two months now...I like it but it needs some work
by rmailloux on April 26, 2010
Pros: Nice size. Easy to hold and turn the pages with one hand. Good selection of books to choose from. Easy to search for author name, title of book or series. Easily connected with my home Wifi, B&N Wifi and AT&T 3G network.
Cons: Sometimes difficult to navigate. It's hard to get in the habit of using the color screen to move around the "ink" portion of the Nook. Battery life is TERRIBLE! I don't care what anyone tells you, you need to have the charger ready after 3 days.
Summary: Browsed and purchased books while in my condo in Willingsburg, VA over 3G network and it worked flawlessly. The new 1.3 release is a huge improvement, Web browing is ...
Summary: Browsed and purchased books while in my condo in Willingsburg, VA over 3G network and it worked flawlessly. The new 1.3 release is a huge improvement, Web browing is now doable although not ideal. It would be my last option to browse the web with the Nook but it does work. I also access Wikipedia often and it is nice to have this available on my nook. The dictionary lookup is greatly improved and is much faster to use. I love that I can go to a B&N and read books while sitting in the store without having to purchase them. They do limit this to one hour per book and I think this is a little short sighted. Bottom line is that I would just go pick up the hard copy and keep reading.
Also, I have been a B&N Member for years and I have enjoyed 10% off on my books. This membership is rendered "useless" with the Nook. No advantage whatsoever! I will keep this and hope for future enhancements or wait for the next version of the iPad and buy that. I do like this and I find it convenient but I am not a huge fan.4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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DON'T BUY a NOOK
by ghouston73 on March 9, 2010
Pros: You can load PDFs directly to this product without the middleman of going through the provider. Home screen is good concept
Cons: This product freezes and there is no reset button to fix. Plugging it in and taking off the back then unscrewing the battery is the recommended reset. Battery does not last more than a couple of days.
Summary: I consider myself a early adopter and as such am very patient with technology and some kinks that need to get worked out. The key is really having a customer ...
Summary: I consider myself a early adopter and as such am very patient with technology and some kinks that need to get worked out. The key is really having a customer support with answers to fix problems.
I have used my Nook for a month. It was working great. I had a Kindle for two years before that and never experienced issues. I only purchased the Nook because I wanted to load PDFs on and review them without sending and being charged through Amazon. BIG MISTAKE.
So the last couple of weeks it has hung when opening my Chicago Tribune. The only way to fix is to plug in but I don't carry my charger. So when it freezes on my during my morning commute I plug it in when I get home. It appears to be fine the next morining and then I open my Chicago Tribune and it freezes again.
THE BEST PART IS SUPPORT CALL
So I call and complain and tell the woman what I'm doing and she says that when I leave it plugged in overnight I'm over charging it. I can't believe that she would try and say I'm overcharging it. Is that even possible.
I can't return it without a restocking fee. I'm at the point where I think it would be worth it.4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble
- Part number: Nook
- Description: nook's easy-to read Ink display is more like a traditional book than a computer screen. With no glare or backlight, and adjustable text size, you can read comfortably hours. nook makes it easy to bookmark, highlight passages, or make notes - plus, look up words mid-sentence using the built-in dictionary. Use reading now, your virtual bookmark, to bring you back to the last book you've read, right where you left off.
General
- Packaged Quantity 1
- Product Type eBook reader
- Built-in devices Display,
Touchscreen - Dimensions (W x D x H) 4.9 in x 0.5 in x 7.7 in
- Weight 11.2 oz
- Color Black
- Features LCD display,
One touch control - Packaged contents USB 2.0 cable,
AC adapter,
Battery - Slot provided type [Dec 3, 2010 from CDS: Slot Provided] microSD
Display
- Type 6 in Monochrome E Ink
- Touchscreen Yes
- Display type 6 in E Ink
- Color Depth 4-bit (16 gray levels)
Display (2nd)
- Type 3.5 in Color TFT active matrix
Memory
- Flash Memory 2 GB
- Installed RAM 2 GB
- RAM 2 GB
- Supported Flash Memory Cards microSD
- Flash memory installed 2 GB
Communications
- Cellular Technology 3G
- Cellular Protocols HSPA,
UMTS - Wireless Connectivity 802.11b/g
EBook Reader
- Supported Text Formats EPUB ,
PDF - Supported Still Image Formats PNG,
JPEG,
BMP,
GIF - Features Wi-Fi ,
3G wireless ,
Touch screen ,
Expandable memory Location
- GPS Navigation None
Multimedia
- Audio Speaker
- Supported Digital Audio Formats MP3
Input Device
- Type Touch-screen,
Navigation button Power
- Battery installed (max) Lithium polymer
- Recharge Time 3.5 hour(s)
- Power supply device Power adapter
Expansion and Connectivity
- Expansion Slot(s) 1 x microSD
- Interfaces 1 x USB,
1 x Headphones Battery
- Technology / Form Factor Lithium polymer
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories USB 2.0 cable,
Power adapter , AC adapter,
Battery - Cables Included 1 x USB cable
Dimensions & Weight
- Width 4.9 in
- Depth 0.5 in
- Height 7.7 in
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Barnes & Noble products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Barnes & Noble
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