[jlmwrite]

Really -- I didn't mean to, but those darn shopping accidents that happen to me from time to time happened again.

I was in Target last week, and saw a shiny new Kindle 3 with 3G. I'd been lurking here for a few weeks trying to decide on what to buy and it just... ummm.... followed me home.

After living with it for a few days, I had some gripes which I shared in the Kindle forum: lack of folders, lack of a bookshelf view (ie, thumbnail cover art), and no app for Windows Mobile. Other than that, it's amazing. I've been using MobiPocket on my Windows smartphone for over a year so I was able to transfer my not-inconsiderable collection to the Kindle in just a few minutes. The pearl e-ink screen is AMAZING, the new software update took care of a few usability issues that I never experienced, and my battery seems to still be almost full after a week of moderate use. I also jailbroke it just so install custom screensavers.

Now came an even worse shopping accident today. I had to run into B&N to pick up a coffee table book as a gift (which was marked down to $7.99 from the $19.99 it was marked down to last week!) and the Nook display was calling to me. Why do they have to put such temptation in your immediate line of vision? Anyway, the very knowledgeable clerk (Seamus, I think) answered every single question I had about the Nook, and stood by patiently while I played with all the features. He also knew quite a bit about the competition and even encouraged by to pull out my Kindle and do a side by side comparison. (By the way, B&N in Denver West -- you've got an outstanding employee. You and he both should know it.)

So.. Thinking I just might return my Kindle, I came home with a Nook and the matching lighted cover! The missus doesn't know what I've done yet and I've had to bribe a teenager with a big mouth to keep mum about the Nook.

Mind you, I've wasted the best part of a day off playing with them both so here are my Kindle 3 vs Nook impressions:

Both are almost identical in size, although the Nook is somewhat heavier. The 6" e-ink screens are almost identical but the Kindle's is closer to a printed page. My Nook has the latest software upgrade(s), and page turn time seems identical to me regardless of what I've read in the forums. If anything, the Nook page turn is less obtrusive as the screen doesn't seem to go as black when refreshing. Both were equally easy to read in the direct Colorado sunshine today, and I didn't see any slowdowns in page turning from the heat that I see has been problematic in the past. Winner: The Kindle, by a very small margin.

The shiny white "i-plastic" bezel of the Nook is less refined than the textured graphite bezel of the Kindle. I also prefer the easier-to-press page buttons on sides of the Kindle vs those of the Nook. Both have tactile feedback but out of the box the Nook's buttons are much stiffer and I had to repeat some key presses with the Nook. Winner: The Kindle, but this is more personal preference. I know lots of folks like the shiny white plastic.

Ooh, I love that sexy LCD screen at the bottom of the Nook, especially with the cover flow! Like a lot of users, I spent a lot of time with calibre updating my book collection's cover art. This showcases it beautifully, and in color! Winner: The Nook. The Kindle doesn't have any option to show cover art thumbnails. Once more, did I mention how cool the LCD screen is?

Since I've only been using my Nook for a couple of hours, I can't comment on the battery life, but from all reports the Kindle is the clear winner on battery life. Even from my limited tests I see the Nook's battery is already draining. I know it's the LCD screen gulping down the battery's juice but I sure love that screen! Winner: The Kindle clearly outdistances the Nook here, no matter your justification on how easy it is to plug either of them in.

How about the optional covers? I almost choked at the cost of Amazon's lighted cover but it is very classy. Black pebbled leather in a book-style format with small hinges that fit into the side of the Kindle. They also provide power for a clever pull-out LCD light. Looks like a very expensive journal of days past. I bought B&Ns lighted cover but it looks and feels flimsy. The idea of having the Nook snap in and not having a back cover to cut down on bulk is laudable but it just doesn't have any style or panache of the Amazon cover. I do like B&Ns elastic spine that allows you to fold the front cover; the Kindle's cover must be held like an open book. Winner: For me it's the Amazon, but again this is mostly personal preference.

And finally, the reason we bought an e-reader in the first place: the experience of reading a book. The Kindle loads books somewhat faster as evidenced by loading the same book on each and pushing the appropriate button. To be fair, it's only a few seconds difference but it is what it is. As I noted earlier, page turns are equally as smooth and fast. Winner: It's a tie! The reading experience is essentially identical. Both Amazon and B&N have done a beautiful job at the core function of the e-readers.

SO... What is going back to the store and what is going to continue to live at my house? The speculation of a Nook 2 has me VERY intrigued, and the thought of better collection management excites me terribly (yeh, I know I should get out with the family a little more often). Jeff Bezos seems to have almost as many control issues as Steve Jobs and I don't like the way the Kindle is so locked down. (For instance, having to hack it just to install custom screensavers vs the Nook's app to install your own screensavers.) B&N seems to listen and come out with updates that better reflect its customer's concerns and wants.

I love the fact that I can pop into a B&N and read for free up to an hour each day, but Amazon is the clear winner on titles not available anywhere else. I believe Amazon is the current 800-pound gorilla in the e-book jungle but that doesn't always affect the outcome (anyone remember that IBM was once the leader in PCs?). I have a little voice in the back of my head telling me that epub will eventually emerge as the winning format. Not that much of a problem for me to have calibre convert all my MOBI books, but I hate having to strip the DRM off everything I've purchased thru Amazon if/when the time comes. After all, Amazon essentially abandoned MobiPocket when they bought them.

So again, which is the winner and which is the loser? I still don't know yet. I've got about 3 weeks left before I'd have to return the Kindle to Target, and I have a full 2 weeks before I'd have to decide to return the Nook to B&N. We'll see, but I think that in view of an newer Nook coming within a few months I may end up keeping the Kindle.

Or not. I just don't know...