Kindle vs Nook – The Price War is ON!

Let’s talk eReaders.. Do you own one?

Kindle vs Nook – Forrester projected that the $150 price point would jump start e-reader sales. That price is just about here.

Yankee Group estimates that 6 million e-readers will be sold in 2010. By 2013, 19.2 million e-reader units will be sold a year. Wondering if that includes iPad sales. As of June 2010, it is projected that 2 MILLION iPads have been sold. crazy.

Anywhoo… in talking price, let’s talk fairy tale…

There once was an eReader called the Kindle. It was released by a company named Amazon, who controls the online ecommerce-land . It provided you a black and white way to read digitally.

Seeing the direction of publishing, a brick and mortar retailer named Barnes and Noble developed an eReader called the Nook. The Nook was pretty. People liked the Nook because it wasn’t the Kindle and it looked shinier.

Then one day, the all mighty brand above all brands named Apple decided that it wasn’t going to miss out on opportunity in the new digital publishing frontier. Apple waived their magic wand and produced a more than an eReader product called the iPad. With a silly name, a fancy setup and a high price – Apple was sure to beat up its competition (mainly Kindle and Nook).

OH NO! What to do! Amazon and Barnes and Noble had no choice. They must fight to win and since they can’t produce a shiny product like Apple – they can win by lowering the price on their products.

So just in time, before Apple launches a new product into the market place, Kindle and Nook went down in price.

Kindle vs Nook

Let’s get into the nitty gritty in this Kindle vs Nook competition. Here are the specs for the Amazon Kindle

Amazon Kindle

Original Price: $259

Kindle Specs:

• Display: 6? diagonal E Ink® electronic paper display, 600 x 800 pixel resolution at 167 ppi, 16-level gray scale.
• Size (in inches): 8? x 5.3? x 0.36?.
• Weight: 10.2 ounces.
• System requirements: None, because it doesn’t require a computer.
• Storage: 2GB internal (approximately 1.4GB available for user content).
• Battery Life: Read on a single charge for up to 4 days with wireless on. Turn wireless off and read for up to two weeks. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as shopping the Kindle Store and downloading content. In low coverage areas or in 1xRTT only coverage, wireless usage will consume battery power more quickly.
• Charge Time: Fully charges in approximately 4 hours and supports charging from your computer via the included USB 2.0 cable.
• Connectivity: EVDO modem with fallback to 1xRTT; utilizes Amazon Whispernet to provide U.S wireless coverage via Sprint’s 3G high-speed data network. Check our wireless coverage map for availability. This expanded coverage is only available for Kindle. See Wireless Terms and Conditions.
• USB Port: USB 2.0 (micro-B connector) for connection to the Kindle power adapter or optionally to connect to a PC or Macintosh computer.
• Audio: 3.5mm stereo audio jack, rear-mounted stereo speakers.
• Content Formats Supported: Kindle (AZW), TXT, Audible (formats 4, Audible Enhanced (AAX)), MP3, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; PDF, HTML, DOC, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion.
• Included Accessories: Power adapter, USB 2.0 cable, rechargeable battery. Book cover sold separately.
• Documentation: Quick Start Guide (included in box) [PDF]; Kindle User’s Guide (pre-installed on device) [PDF].
• Warranty and Service: 1 year limited warranty and service included. Optional 2 year Extended Warranty sold separately.

Specs provided by Amazon.com

So in our Kindle vs Nook talk, we looked at the Amazon Kindle, now Nook – it’s your turn.

Nook

Original Price: $259

NEW Price: $199 for the Nook 3G and just released – WiFi for $149 (thanks AGAIN Apple!)

Nook Specs:

Height: 7.7 inches

• Width: 4.9 inches
• Weight: 12.1 ounces (343 grams)
• Display: 3.5 inch color touchscreen LCD with one touch control and navigation and E ink Vizplex electronic paper display reads like the printed page
• Connectivity: Free wireless from Barnes & Noble via AT&T, the nation’s fastest 3G network; Wi-Fi ( 802.11 b/g); Free Wi-Fi in all Barnes & Noble stores.
• Storage: 2GB (approximately 1500 eBooks), and expandable microSD slot
• Audio: MP3 player , holds 26 hours of audio; Built-in mono speaker; Universal 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack
• Battery Life: Read up to 10 days
• Battery: Installed Rechargable battery.
• Charging time: 3.5 hours from wall outlet, Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter.
• Supports: EPUB, PDB, PDF, EPUB (Non or Adobe DRM), PDB (Non DRM), PDF
• Graphics: JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP

Specs provided by Barnes & Noble

Which eReader do you – Kindle vs Nook or the iPad like and why?

(I still choose the iPad. It’s an eReader, plus more. I must have something to play Words with Friends on!)

Digital Mom

Mom to 4 kids, Molly aka Digital Mom is the blogger-in-chief here at digitalmomblog.com. Talking technology and mom life, Molly shares the realities of parents digital kids.