The Amazon Kindle 3G Vs the Barnes & Noble Nook - Who Will Win the Holiday Shopping War?

If you have been considering an e-book reader for yourself or as a gift, the choice between the Amazon Kindle 3G with Wi-Fi and the Barnes & Noble Nook will be a tough one. The reviews show that both products are terrific e-Readers but it is the differences and your personal preferences that will make your decision. Priced at 9 for the Kindle 3G and 9 for the Nook your decision will be based on your choice of features.

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Both units have 6 inch diagonal E-Ink electronic displays, with 600 x 800 pixel resolution. The weights are comparable, the Kindle at 10.2 ounces and the Nook at 12.1 ounce. And the actual unit sizes are 8″ x 5.3 for the Kindle and 7.7″ x 4.9 for the Nook. Both have an internal memory of 2GB but the Nook has an expandable micro SD slot which would only be necessary if you think you need to store more than the 1,500 books that the 2GB will hold.

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Battery life is also similar, 10 days or 7,500 page turns, with the wireless off. And both completely recharge between 3.5 and 4 hours. Both units can be used as an MP3 player, the Kindle with built in stereo speakers and the Nook with built-in mono speakers. Both also have headphone jacks.

Here is where your preferences will make the difference. The Amazon Kindle has a keyboard at the bottom, it does not display in color but has a 16-level gray-scale that does a great job with images. The Barnes & Noble Nook has a color touch screen at the bottom. So do you prefer typing on a keyboard or touch screen?

And here is the big one - the Kindle 3G with Wi-Fi uses Amazon's Whispernet through Sprint's 3G high-speed data network for U.S. wireless coverage. No charge involved. And there is expanded coverage available if you are traveling internationally. The Nook has free wireless via AT&T, and free Wi-Fi in all Barnes & Noble stores. If you intend on down loading books while traveling service from these providers would have to be available.

The Kindle has an additional feature, Text-to-Speech. You can switch from reading a book to listening to it with the audio book reader. You can enlarge the print with both units. The Kindle's screen is less reflective than the other e-book readers which eliminates the problems that reading off a screen in the sunshine can create. The Nook's screen is ranked better than most of the competitors but not better than the Kindle. Where will you be reading?

So here we are. What are your preferences? What type of keyboard, and whose wireless carrier do you prefer. Both the Kindle 3G and the Nook e-Book readers have great reviews and thousands of books available. Good luck with your choices and happy shopping.

The Amazon Kindle 3G Vs the Barnes & Noble Nook - Who Will Win the Holiday Shopping War?

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Amazon Kindle Vs Barnes and Noble Nook

With so many new electronic gadgets coming out, many consumers are confused about the difference between similar devices. The explosive popularity of e-book readers particularly raises the question of which is best. For under 0, the two most prominent are Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook. Although other readers are available, these two being from large companies, have monopolized the market in their price range. The recent challenge of the iPad has opened the door to tough competition, but if you just want a small, light weight and affordable e-reader, Kindle and Nook still hold great appeal.

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E-readers are more than just a fad. More and more, people are turning to e-readers as a replacement for their printed counterparts. No more ink on your hands or having to bring in the paper when the weather is bad.

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Having come out first, Amazon Kindle has several advantages over Nook. Kindle has a real keyboard and is easier to navigate than Nook. Moreover, Kindle has crisper text for easier reading, weighs two ounces less and even outlasts the battery life of Nook by four days! The Kindle screen is also well suited for reading even in bright sunshine.

Despite these great features, Kindle is not without its limitations. If you're a big gamer for example, Nook would certainly be a better way to go. Moreover, Nook provides more free options and allows e-book sharing among friends for 14 days. Nook is also a good alternative to the significantly higher priced iPad. Although even Nook cannot compete with all of iPad's features, at well less than half the price, it provides a good value for those looking beyond basic e-reader functionality.

Both Kindle and Nook support a wide range of e-books. Although Amazon Kindle still supports more, both provide great entertainment and a means for exercising your brain more than television.

In the end, what it really comes down to is personal preference. While some may prefer the extra bells and whistles and slightly more slender feel of the Nook, others will go with the easier reading and superior navigation control of the Kindle. Although Nook may outdo Kindle in the gaming department, for true e-book reading, Kindle still out-shines its closest competitor.

Amazon Kindle Vs Barnes and Noble Nook

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