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Hey everyone!
I had typed a reply yesterday, but then my browser hung up and I lost it all. :-/
I own a 1st Gen Nook and a Glowlight. I was intrigued by the newest Glowlight Plus, so I stopped in to take a look at it at my local B&N.
This Nook could easily be the most well constructed, premium Nook B&N has made to date. You really have to see it in person to fully appreciate it. It's a little heavier than the Glowlight, but it adds just the right amount of heft to it to make you feel like you're holding something that's well made. I couldn't actually play with the device because the one I was holding was one that a guy had bought and was kind enough to let me take a look at due to B&N not having a Glowlight Plus setup on display yet. I really want to get the Glowlight Plus at some point, as I really like the quality of it.
I know there's a lot of people lamenting the fact that the Glowlight Plus, and its predecessor, the Glowlight, doesn't have page turn buttons and a MicroSD card slot. Here's my thoughts on it when I look at what it seems the majority likes. I think the average reader who uses eReaders doesn't really care about page turn buttons and the MicroSD card slot. As long as it can be navigated by touch screen easily and there's enough onboard storage, they're good to go. As for my own personal opinion... I see both sides. I'm a big fan of page turn buttons and MicroSD card expansion. On my 1st Gen Nook, I'll admit, I rarely used the page turn buttons. But... that was primarily due to the bezel cracking problem the 1st Gen Nook's were notorious for. I got used to using the LCD touchscreen strip at the bottom, and it eventually felt natural to me. Although I had a MicroSD card slot on the 1st Gen Nook, again, I never actually put a card in it because all I use an eReader for is to sideload eBooks I checkout from my local library and from Openlibrary.org (AWESOME place to checkout books!). By the time I got the Glowlight, I actually never missed either option.
I honestly believe on the Nook side, and as an overall, we won't see MicroSD card expansion make a comeback. For those who wish it would, I just don't see it happening. Even Kobo has abandoned MicroSD card slot expansion, save for the Aura (not H2O). As for the page turn buttons, although one of the Kindle eReaders (can't remember which one), has brought them back, I don't really see that coming back full force either. Would I like to see them both return? Definitely! Do I think they will come back? Most likely not. I would really like to have both options, but I can see the reasons why B&N got away from incorporating both.
I still believe the Nook is a great eReader, even though they have fallen behind Amazon quite a bit. Bottom line? Go to your local B&N store if one is close by and check out the new Glowlight Plus with an open mind. Before you dismiss it because it doesn't have page turn buttons and no MicroSD card expansion, ask yourself these questions... do I care more about the reading experience or do I care that it doesn't have those features? Also ask yourself... do I really need page turn buttons and MicroSD card expansion or would I be content without them?
Tommy
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