Manage updates with the Download AppBarnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch Reader (Wi-Fi)
Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble Part number: CNET-Nook-Touch
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The new touch-screen Nook is a major advancement over its predecessor and offers some real advantages over the 2010 Kindle.
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CNET editors' review
Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch Reader (Wi-Fi) price range: $74.99 - $124.99
- Reviewed by: David Carnoy
- Edited by: John Falcone
- Reviewed on: 05/31/2011
- Updated on:10/01/2012
The good: The 2011 Nook is a compact and lightweight e-book reader with a responsive high-contrast Pearl e-ink touch screen that offers quick page turns. It's got built-in Wi-Fi for direct access to the online Barnes & Noble store, an expansion slot for additional memory, and long battery life (up to two months). The Nook supports e-book lending and EPUB loans from libraries, and it offers some enhanced social networking features.
The bad: The 2011 Nook has no support for audio, no 3G option, and no Web browser. The rubberized finish on the back of device attracts fingerprints.
The bottom line: The new touch-screen Nook is a major advancement over its predecessor and offers some real advantages over the 2010 Kindle.
User reviews
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Excellent dedicated ereader, best in class
by jahpeople on June 11, 2011
Pros: Clean interface, very responsive touch ui, comfortable form factor, excellent page turn speeds, expandable memory, price, battery life (allegedly two months ... we'll see)
Cons: None that I can think of at this time
Summary: I've owned the nook since it's first incarnation and still love and use the first generation device on a daily basis. When I saw this announced and tested ...
Summary: I've owned the nook since it's first incarnation and still love and use the first generation device on a daily basis. When I saw this announced and tested I had to pick one up for myself and I have to say I couldn't be happier with its performance.
Some thoughts after using the nook touch for a few months.
The nook touch does away with the extraneous features of the previous two nook devices. There is no audio file support, no app support (although one could argue app support for any of the nooks is largely absent), no color touch screen, and no 3g radio included. For me these changes are all pros as this version of the nook finally does away with all of the bells and whistles that I rarely, if ever used.
B&N have paired down the ereading experience to its bare essentials. What do I really want in an ereader? I want to be able to store every book that I may ever want to read. I want to be able to read the nook in any lighting conditions. I want the interface to be intuitive and smooth. I want a small form factor, shaped more like a traditional paperback, something that fits comfortably in my hand(s). I want the book buying experience to be quick and easy, and I want the actual reading experience to be seamless. I think that the nook touch delivers on all fronts, and I can't really heap enough praise on this device.
At the end of the day I'm sold on the nook touch because reading with it is such a pleasure. Whether sitting, standing, reclining, or lying down, resting the nook on a surface, holding it in your left or right hand, or holding it in both hands, this device is very comfortable to use. It's actually my favorite, hands down, of the three nook devices on the market today ... and my favorite ereader bar none.
So the bottom line:
The nook touch is an amazing monotasking device. One would be hard pressed to find another dedicated ereader that comes close to its performance. If you're more interested in a multitasking device, considering buying a tablet, or feel that the lack of 3g connectivity is something you can't live without ... then by all means pass on this. If you want an ereader for reading books, and reading books only, then this is definitely the device for you.
Updated on Sep 20, 2011
1: I have a library of 404 books currently stored on my nook and at this time the nook's internal memory is already full. You should get a decent sized memory card if you don't already have a spare one sitting around. I'm using a 4gb card (3.67 usable) and it still has 3.37 gb available ... keep in mind that most of the 311 MB of used space is being taken up by my own personal sideloaded content.
2: Sifting through my library is a bit of hassle. The problem is that in text view mode, the nook only displays five titles at once. In cover view mode that number is upped to six, this seems backwards. I'd like to view ten or more items per page.
3. You cannot create bookshelves on this device, you have to use your pc or another nook device to set these up. Seems like an oversight.
Aside from the memory issue, these are just nitpicks. Reading on this device is as great as ever, and the battery life is amazing.9 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Beware of what books you order from B&N
by tony51cnet on September 9, 2011
Pros: Works well.
Good battery life,
Easy to use.Cons: Books you download from B&N may not be readable on the Nook Touch.
Summary: Beware of what you order and download for the Nook Touch. Some of the downloaded books simply are not readable on the device. And cannot be reformatted (type, margins, etc.). ...
Summary: Beware of what you order and download for the Nook Touch. Some of the downloaded books simply are not readable on the device. And cannot be reformatted (type, margins, etc.). My 8 year old granddaughter asked me to download a book with the title "Meet Me in Horrorwood" (no kidding). I did that and then found that she could not read it because the type was very tiny and could not be enlarged. Also, the text lines extended only about 60% across the screen and the excess margins could not be made smaller.
Nook Support was no help at all. They said I could not "return" the book for credit, though I had not asked to do that. I did ask that they flag books which were not suitable for viewing on the Nook Touch, and they did not respond to that.
So, in short, you can download from B&N books which you cannot view on the Nook Touch, and you're stuck with the cost even though you cannot use them. And that, I think, is inexcusable.7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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All reading, no fluff.
by jmspearman on June 6, 2011
Pros: Size, design, grippable surface, great contrast, excellent battery life, no crappy keyboard, no added junk.
Cons: 3g would be nice, but not a dealbreaker.
Summary: I love this reader because it's a reader. It doesn't want me to play Angry Birds, or get angry because the internet is dead and I can't ...
Summary: I love this reader because it's a reader. It doesn't want me to play Angry Birds, or get angry because the internet is dead and I can't check my email or update my facebook status. All it does is act like a book, a bookshelf, and a bookstore. This is our first dedicated reader and I really like the simplicity. Well done, BN.
6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I swore I would NEVER get an eReader - I've changed!
by want2cbetter on June 4, 2011
Pros: The size of a large paperback book. Light. Easy to hold for long periods of time. Easy on the eyes. Fun to use in the Store.
Cons: None if you are looking for a book replacement. (some would say - no 3G, no audio but I don't want those)
Summary: I never would get an eReader because they were too big and bulky. My impression of what an electronic book would be is..... and electronic book. Not an MP3 player, ...
Summary: I never would get an eReader because they were too big and bulky. My impression of what an electronic book would be is..... and electronic book. Not an MP3 player, not a web browser, not a large device.
I had no intention of buying an eReader until I saw this. It is the perfect size - the size of a large paperback book and is very light. So I ordered it.... two days later I got it in the mail.
Then I fell in love with it - it is soooo easy to use. The menus are very intuitive and easy to navigate. The screen is so clear and crisp. Direct sunlight? No problem!
The only issue I have is that it is not backlit - so you have to get a mini-light to see it. But you have to do the same with a book.
Get this if you want a small, easy to use device for a good price.5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The best eReader to date!
by missmolly83 on June 3, 2011
Pros: The touch screen is completely responsive, the pearl eInk has really nice clarity, the device is totally portable at under 7.5 ounces, and there are over 1.8 million free titles when I searched. This is especially great because it is compatible with my pu
Cons: I haven't found one yet.
Summary: Barnes & Noble really knocked this one out of the park. The Kindle has the same display but the NOOK made it a touch screen. With the NOOK, I can ...
Summary: Barnes & Noble really knocked this one out of the park. The Kindle has the same display but the NOOK made it a touch screen. With the NOOK, I can buy books from any open domain site and I'm not locked into a proprietary contract like with Amazon. I can also borrow books from my library! This is the same screen technology that Sony is charging double for and the user interface of the NOOK is way more intuitive. If you are in the market for an eReader dedicated to reading, this is the way to go 100%. Besides all of that, you can walk into a store and actually try one.
5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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My Nook touch was prone to freezing
by NTDC06 on June 26, 2011
Pros: Small
Light
Beautiful e-ink screenCons: Touch screen is not as intuitive as most smart phones.
My device froze every five minutes (or less)
Nook Books are more expensive than the paperbacks
Horrible customer service experienceSummary: I received my Nook one morning, placed it in a protective cover and plugged it in according to directions. Several hours later I pulled it off the charger and purchased ...
Summary: I received my Nook one morning, placed it in a protective cover and plugged it in according to directions. Several hours later I pulled it off the charger and purchased a new book using the B&N site. Within five minutes the touch screen was no longer responding. After a few more minutes, the physical buttons quit responding. I rebooted the Nook hoping for better results, but again within minutes my touch screen quit working.
I contacted customer support and was transferred to tech support. The tech rep was unfamiliar with the product, and I was put on hold 12 times. Eventually he received authorization to allow me to return the Nook. As it ends up I have to pay the return shipping cost, and a refund will take 3-4 weeks from the time they receive the device. Further, they will not allow the accessories to be returned if you have broken the shrink wrap (i.e. $50 in accessories down the drain).
In the future I will go with Kindle due to Amazon's customer friendly service policies.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I like this convenient device, but where's the MEMORY?
by PapaEJangles on July 6, 2011
Pros: Touch screen
Excellent battery life
Sized well for pockets or purses
The gestures are pretty intuitive
The functionality of ePub books is very good
The device is able to use books from other sources who use ePub or PDF format (library or other sourceCons: The on-board memory capacity is 236MB (!)
Menu / keyboard items are not scalable
No parental filters / controls
No on board method to manage files or memory usage
The small screen size decreases reading continuity at larger text sizes; no ability to vSummary: I own a Kindle and a NOOK Touch. As I inventory the features, the NOOK seems to be superior. The reason is fundamentally that the navigation is made supremely more ...
Summary: I own a Kindle and a NOOK Touch. As I inventory the features, the NOOK seems to be superior. The reason is fundamentally that the navigation is made supremely more intuitive with the touch screen. The on-screen keyboard / menu items are actually useful to the consumers who really could benefit from these devices more than anyone: the elderly. The keyboard, being onscreen, is highly readable, though there is no adjustment for typeface variation or size to resolve reading difficulty, which seems to render other accommodations for the visually impaired redundant. What use is it to adjust the text inside the book, if it is difficult to read the menu and to navigate to the book in the first place? Though it is worth saying again, all items are indeed highly readable even without the adjustment capacity on the menu / keyboard levels. It is an improvement over the Kindle, which has the same weakness compounded with the static keyboard with low-contrast printed letters thereupon, and a more complicated menu system.
When looking through the documentation that accompanies the device, and at BN.com, there is absolutely NO mention of the built-in memory whatsoever. 236MB is not a good selling point, but I find this evasive to completely hide this attribute from the consumer until having the device in hand and navigating the settings. It tarnishes my opinion of Barnes & Noble. Were it not for the overall superiority of this device over others, I would question whether or not to do business with them. That said, the "offense" is offset in part because I feel that most folks who would consider owning this device will already have a memory expansion on hand, probably left over after upgrading from early models of smartphones or cameras.
There is no way to set the "default" storage to your memory expansion. The only method I have discovered to direct how memory is utilized without hacking the device is by connecting / synchronizing with a computer and manually placing files in the preferred locations.
What really sold me on this device was the touch screen, intuitive / simple menu system, and its ability to use books borrowed from the library. The menus and on-screen keyboard functions, and the basic functions were learned within 2 weeks by my very elderly great-aunt. She had never before used a similar computerized device, though the learning curve is similar to that of a microwave oven. I believe this speaks well to the design team, though indicates room for improvement.
I would consider buying this device again given the offerings on the market now.4 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Decent reader overall.
by qwerty138 on October 22, 2011
Pros: Long battery life, light and thin, fast page turns.
Cons: Occasionally locks up. Touch screen becomes unresponsive and once reader goes to sleep, will not unlock. Reader must be rebooted. B&N support doesn't acknowledge the problem.
B&N support: "It is helpful from time to time to restart it to reset thSummary: Don't know if I'd be happier with one of Amazon's readers (still no ePub?), but their support has been much better from past experience.
Summary: Don't know if I'd be happier with one of Amazon's readers (still no ePub?), but their support has been much better from past experience.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Was skeptical about EReaders, but happy I have one now!
by winterkitty on October 18, 2011
Pros: -Light Weight
-Small (able to fit in purse)
-Easy on the Eyes
-Very very long battery life
-Great Customer Services at the Barnes & Noble Store. I originally bought the Nook Simple Touch (tablet), but returned it with no hassle whatsoever (including tCons: -Fix the hidden browser and make it work, because it would be nice to switch from reading about something to finding more information about it on the internet.
-If I were buying today, I may get a new Kindle touch because of the price.Summary: I am the the type of person who exhaustively researches online for which is the best product for me to buy. When I decided to try an ereader, I settled ...
Summary: I am the the type of person who exhaustively researches online for which is the best product for me to buy. When I decided to try an ereader, I settled on the Nook Simple Touch, but returned it and got a Nook Touch instead.
Some problems with the Simple Touch I saw in reviews:
-I read for at least an hour at a time, and I could NOT get used to the backlight on the screen. I would always see the slightest hint of the screen refreshing/flickering. It made my eyes really really tired to read on, and I couldn't get used to it. I didn't think this would be a problem, as others said it was in the reviews, but it was.
-It is heavy. Because I read for a long time, my hands really got fatigued holding the tablet up like a book. Seems like it's crazy, but it really is about as heavy as a dictionary. Which, if you are a casual reader, fine... but after hours? It gets annoying, and inflames the carpal tunnel! :)
-It is not a good tablet computer replacement. Just get an iPad, iPod Touch, or other Android tablet for that. You will have WAY more apps, and an operating system that is as fast as you would expect it to be.
Things about the Nook Touch I read in reviews, but don't find a problem; and other things I like about ereaders I didn't expect to:
-"Ghosting"? There is no problem with this at all. You can see slight "ghost" images before the paper refreshes itself, but it is so slight. If you are OK with reading paperbacks, even the ghosted text is clearer than paperback.
-I love that the tablet lays flat. I realized after I got the nook that I really hate it when a book doesn't lay/open flat. (I'm a spine breaker on my books.) This is always flat, so I can lay however I want, and it will stay on my page.
-You can get library books.
-I live in a rural area, and a good bookstore is a 50 minute drive from me. I save time and gas by using the nook store to get books.
-Flipping pages is not annoying or slow at all.
-If you are at all inclined to bring it places with you, get an ereader that is very light, and very small. You can always make the text bigger.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Dedicated EReader
by llcowgirl on September 13, 2011
Pros: Great reader for low price, Responsive touch screen, lightweight & comfortable to hold, long battery, e ink pearl,
Cons: No onboard method to manage files, No landscape mode, limited number of file formats, doesn't hande Adobe Acrobat files well.
Summary: I've had this reader for almost 2 weeks & I'm very pleased with it. I purchased it directly from a B&N Bookstore & bought the 2 ...
Summary: I've had this reader for almost 2 weeks & I'm very pleased with it. I purchased it directly from a B&N Bookstore & bought the 2 year protection plan. I have been reading eBooks on a Palm TX since 2007 using mobi/prc files. I liked the small size & ease of use provided by the touch screen on my Palm & was not finding anything that I would spend money on to replace it. I purchased an Aztak Pocket Pro last year but was very disappointed with the eink screen and the cumbersome navigation.
2 weeks ago my Palm broke & I was forced to find a new eReader. After reading a few reviews and trying out the demo in the store I decided on the Simple Touch. The touch screen is great! Very responsive! There are also imbedded buttons to turn pages as well. The pearl e-ink is very clear & easy on the eyes. I like that the screen refreshes every 6 pages or so with very little or no shadowing. My eyes had a hard time with the black screen flash on every page turn with my Pocket Pro. I did have one occasion where the shadowing was really bad. I fixed it by turning the screen saver on & off, I think it might have had something to do with the Adobe Acrobat file I was reading. Adobe Acrobat files are not as easy to read as epub files on the Simple Touch.
I considered the Nook Color, but changed my mind as soon as I picked it up, way to heavy. The Simple Touch is very light and easy to hold with one hand.(I have small hands) I would like to see a Landscape mode added. It would also be nice to have a night mode so I can read while waiting for my kids to fall asleep.
One drawback is that there is no onboard method to manage files/memory use. I would like the option to have books listed by Title only w/out the Author name so there are more books listed on a page. A few reviewers had to replace their nook several times & I hope that they just received a lemon. So far no freezing or any other issues.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble
- Part number: CNET-Nook-Touch
- Description: Breakthrough E Ink display - 25% faster than any other eReader Best-Text, ultra-crisp, reads just like paper - even in bright sun Longest battery life - read for up to 2 months based on 1 hour of daily reading Over 2.5 million books, get them in seconds with built-in Wi-Fi No annoying ads Always free NOOK support in-store Borrow books from your public library
General
- Packaged Quantity 1
- Product Type eBook reader
- Dimensions (W x D x H) 5 in x 0.47 in x 6.5 in
- Weight 7.48 oz
- Slot provided type [Dec 3, 2010 from CDS: Slot Provided] microSD
Display
- Type 6 in,
Monochrome E Ink - Display Resolution 800 x 600
- Touchscreen Yes
- Display type 6 in,
E Ink - Max resolution 800 x 600
Memory
- Flash Memory 2 GB
- Total User Available Memory 1.25 GB
- Supported Flash Memory Cards microSD,
microSDHC - Max Supported Capacity 32 GB
- Flash memory installed 2 GB
Communications
- Wireless Connectivity 802.11b/g/n
Operating System / Software
- Preloaded Software Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary Eleventh Edition
EBook Reader
- Supported Text Formats EPUB ,
PDF - Supported Still Image Formats JPEG,
BMP,
GIF,
PNG - Features Touch screen ,
Wi-Fi ,
Expandable memory
Input Device
- Type Touch-screen
Power
- Recharge Time 3.5 hour(s)
Expansion and Connectivity
- Expansion Slot(s) 1 x microSD
- Interfaces 1
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included 1 x USB cable
Dimensions & Weight
- Width 5 in
- Depth 0.47 in
- Height 6.5 in
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Barnes & Noble products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Barnes & Noble
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