[allovertheglobe]

Back after quite a long absence, and what better way to jump in right here.

I have followed the Nook for a while since I thought the hardware had potential (but the software wasn't up to snuff). With the 1.2 update and the actual availability of the device online (though still not in my area, which apparently includes one of the biggest BN stores in the US), I bit the bullet a few days ago.

As you can see in the sidebar, I have used quite a few readers over the past decade or so. I'll compare it to the Sony 505 since they are similar 6" devices and it is also my most-used reader.

But first I want to agree whole-heartedly with mgmueller that the whole eReader business has stagnated badly over the past couple of years. The vast majority are 5-6" devices differentiated by a few button or UI changes. The only notable improvement was the switch to Vizplex (the difference between my 500 and 505) (...I still dream of a true -black- and -white- reader though, maybe even with, gasp, some form of backlight). Which is why I never considered a new one until my 505 breaks even though I follow the market.

The other difference is available screen size, which where my DR1000 comes in, still the biggest & highest resolution reader for the foreseeable future, even with all the new unreleased readers... too bad iRex completely dropped the ball on the software/UI (but it is... usable)

And then? Barring any significant advances in screen tech, the only way is an extra screen. Side by side, like the Entourage Edge, which gets rather chunky and looks like a rather Frankenstein solution for the current screen dilemma. Or a large one integrated next to the eink screen, like the Alex reader, which ends up with a rather odd, very elongated design (the same issue I'd have with the Sony 900). BN may have stolen the idea from Alex, but they got the right form factor: not too big a device, but big enough for the the "interactive" part to be functional.

I got the Nook to complement my 505 because:

- it has the "Kindle advantage" of both kinds of wireless, so I have -the option- to get something new to read when bored anywhere (on US soil anyway) and -the option- (with trook) to get things from my (calibre) library wirelessly. (P.S.: MacMillan & Co, you can price your ebooks any way you like, I will still only pay $9.99 tops, so you'll get... 0$)

- it has the touch screen interface, which besides a basic keyboard (which the 505 lacks) allows for an adaptive interface that is much more flexible than the Kindle while taking up less space. And all that implies: Search functionality, faster browsing etc. Since I grab it towards the bottom, I never had much of a temptation to touch the eink screen (too much portable gaming? :)

- One very simple practical benefit: Between an easel-style cover and the touch-swipe which does not require any physical force (pushing the easel over), it is fantastic for reading during a meal or other activity with the hands full or dirty (food prep, repairs, painting) - you can just use your knuckle. Seems like a small thing, but compared to the small, hard-to-press buttons on the Sony (the only real complaint I'd have) it makes a big difference to me. You wrote you had trouble, and I had some too, but once I got a feel for the interface it is no longer much of an issue. (And I now bought a 3rd-party easel-style cover for my 505 too, since it tilts the screen towards you even when lying flat, rather than sideways)

- Since it runs an open-source OS (Android) it is eminently more hackable than either Sony or Kindle reader. Trook etc. offers already more functionality in a short time than what people have managed to add through prolonged, dedicated hacking to the Sony and Kindle.

- Other nice things: User-replaceable battery! OK, not the most friendly solution but doable. Custom wallpapers and screensaver (esp. the last one: I never understood Sony's "the user would be confused if the screen stayed on when in sleep mode"??)

- Generally: ePub support, great since my 505 supports it too, and thus support for plenty of DRM-free books available. And extra brownie points for even mentioning the use in conjunction with Linux in the -official- Guide ;)

The thing that the 505 can't be beat at: in the absence of backlight, my hacked Sony/Lightwedge cover is still the most pleasant reading in bed after dark solution by far (the 700 is a bit laughable in comparison, and I never much liked the Transformers-style unfoldable light-ona-stick)

In conclusion: I like it, and it will see quite some use (I 'm reading the newest Discworld novel right now, can't believe I missed its release)