Handling Kindle and Nook - My Impressions

[ChrisChillin]

After weeks and weeks of reading reviews, scrolling through this forum, and watching Youtube videos, I finally got the chance to experience firsthand the eReader market's dueling knights. Today I stopped at both a Staples and a Barnes & Noble and so I held both the Kindle and Nook within a short period of time. Here are my impressions.

On the Kindle:
Advertisements were prominent outside at the entrance: "Kindle is here!" But the display wasn't immediately noticeable. I had to wander over to the left to find it. Kindle was only in a "demo" mode - since this isn't Staples' product I guess that's just going to be a limitation. Holding the Kindle, I was impressed by how light it really was. The demo slideshow cycled through various screenshots and I was pleased with the speed of "page turns." I thought the e-Ink looked very nice with a contrast and sharpness that satisfied me greatly.

I know PDF display isn't supposed to be impressive on the small screen, but I'm young and I have good eyes. The demo displayed a two-column technical article in portrait mode and, yes, I could read that small print easily! I am not at all worried about reading the many single-columned journal articles I download, especially with the option of landscape mode.

On the Nook:
You can't miss the bigger, fancier-looking, front-and-center display in Barnes & Noble. Two Nooks were on display and fully operating. The first thing I noticed was how much heavier the Nook felt. Perhaps not heavier than a great many books that I own, but significantly more so than the Kindle. I could tell instantly that I preferred the Kindle’s display because of its greater contrast. The Kindle screen just looks so sharp and crisp versus the Nook.

The touchscreen menu offered an intuitive, easy interface at the outset. For those bothered by the idea of still dealing with LCD glare, as I am, you should know that the touchscreen shuts off automatically after a certain time duration which you can set (the default is 1 minute). There were some moments during which the touchscreen navigation was awkward and confusing, but it worked well overall.

The salesperson who came over was very helpful and made his best pitch for the Nook. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I’m expecting a gift Kindle in the near future.

Comparative Analysis:
I have to say that both devices were a delight to behold and I don’t feel the need to slam the Nook in order to justify my selection of the Kindle. These are two quality readers and most individuals would likely be satisfied with either one. Each has its respective strengths and limitations.

The Nook certainly looks sleeker and more “hip.” The touchscreen adds a certain flair and is less “gimmicky” than I had thought it might be. I’m not sure whether, in the long-term, I would find it easier to type on a keyboard or a touchscreen, but I imagine the difference is not terribly significant.

The Kindle is much lighter with a terrific e-Ink display. While I couldn’t operate the Kindle in person, it appears to me that its web browser is faster. The Nook I handled today was terribly sloooow, much slower than demonstrations of the Kindle browser I’ve seen on Youtube. The Article Mode feature on Kindle is also a big plus.

Based on what I’ve read in another thread, newer Nooks being made now are apparently somewhat lighter, have faster page turns, and the display contrast is increased. I doubt that the latest Nooks are as light as the Kindle, and I would want to hear comparisons between Nook 1.5 display and Kindle 3 display. That being said, it seems that Kindle and Nook are in quite a neck-and-neck race here.

For me, personally, the advantage still goes to the Kindle. I won’t be scrambling to reset my wish list. My reasons include:

• The aforementioned display and weight advantages – perhaps not as significant with latest Nook updates, but I have to work with what I know.
• Native PDF support with landscape mode
• More options for magazines and newspapers, if I so choose. I can get the local newspaper on Kindle.
• Better web-reading experience, based not only on my impression of a faster browser + article mode but also the options for delivery of formatted feeds through Calibre, Kindlefeeder, and other such services.

But I hope B&N will double down and keep improving the Nook. We reap the benefits of this intense competition.