P.S. I have continued my research and learned that people who want a fully-functioning tablet will probably not be happy with the Nook Tablet. Despite the name it IS an e-reader with a set of "light" tablet functions. If you want to "root" your Nook so you can "sideload" tons of android apps, you will be disappointed. If you want to read lots of books and sometimes check your email, let the little ones play a game, and watch a few movies, you should be pretty happy. 4-26 MMQ
For $200, which is a better device? Which
is easier to use? Which attracts readers more? Which is better for the
publishing industry? For writers? (I am not including the iPad because it, and lots of other Tablets, are in a different price range.)
Here’s my short answer: the Nook
Tablet.
Here’s the long answer: These are
the two newest and most popular e-readers, and in my research I found out lots
of interesting information about the similarities and differences between them that
could be valuable to you as a writer. Both provide a beautiful 7-inch LCD
screen with millions of colors and a light weight, cost about the same, are
about the same size, offer email and limited web browsing, play music, video,
and games in addition to print media, and read PDF, TXT, and DOC but not HTML. They are both backed by power-houses that allow all kinds of great publishing features for writers.
They are so close that even though my research leads me to the Nook, any writer who already owns a Kindle is in a great place. Until I started this research I was convinced I'd get a Kindle.
The two devices have some differences, though, that may affect who buys and uses them. My guess is these differences also
have the potential to affect your e-book sales.
Here, have a table…
|
Nook Tablet
|
Kindle Fire
|
eBooks
|
2.5 million
|
1.6 million
|
eMagazines
|
230
|
272
|
eNewspapers
|
36
|
9
|
blogs
|
No
|
Yes
|
Internal Memory
|
16 gb
|
8 gb
|
Expandable Memory
|
32 gb
|
6 gb
|
Battery life
|
11.5 hours
|
8 hours
|
Recharging time
|
3 hours
|
4 hours
|
EPUB (free and open)
|
Yes
|
No
|
PPT (Power Point)
|
Yes
|
No
|
Nook has more books! Which means
that many people who purchase a Nook expect a more book-focused experience.
Nook’s book formatting also supports this, with more fonts and sizes, plus optional highlighting.
The Nook also has a more memory. People
who want lots of books don’t have to store them in “the cloud,” like they do with Kindle, so they can
travel outside a wi-fi or internet zone and still have their books. Want to
take 300 books to the mountains or on cruise? Nook can do that. Kindle can't.
Nook has more children’s books, a
more traditional interface that allows each reader to customize it themselves,
a button that gets you to the home screen, a volume control button, and….extra’s
when you walk through the doors of a B & N store. The Kindle can't do that, either.
What’s that you say? You DO still
like to go to the bookstore sometimes? Me too.
In all fairness, there are some
things a Kindle can do better than a Nook. Kindle has better video access, a
better “membership” service, and easier web browsing. If you want to watch movies on an airplane, Kindle is a better choice. If you want to buy "stuff" on your tablet reader, Amazon has tons of it, and the Kindle gives you easy access. Kindle also has blogs. Does this mean I can't read my own blog post if I get a Nook? I'm not sure...do any of you know?
These features are great, but not as important to me as a reading experience that is easier on my
eyes and gives me more formatting options. And while a Kindle allows you access to
all the shopping available on Amazon, is that a good thing? I was talking to a
salesperson at Best Buy about this. He’s actually concerned that Amazon will
put Best Buy, and other big stores, out of business. As the ultimate “big box” store, Amazon can sell
you just about anything that any brick and mortar store can sell you, and more. But I
like being able to go try the thing out, whether it be a book, a Nook, or a
microwave, and not have to wait to try it after I’ve already paid shipping
charges on it.
I don’t want Amazon to put B
& N out of business any more than I want B & N to put my local Book Bin
out of business. I like running errands that let me put my hands and eyes on the thing myself, including checking out the latest in
eReaders to see what they’re all about. Amazon is also doing some shady things with Digital Rights Management, and in many ways acting like a monopoly. I'm not sure I want to support that.
If you’re a reader first, still
love paper books, magazines, newspapers and bookstores in addition to
electronic books, and you want to attract readers who feel the same
way, the Nook Tablet is your best option.
What do you think? Do you have one of these devices? Have you learned something I left out? Can you tell us what it's like to publish to both services?
To check my information out for
yourself, go here:
