Barnes & Noble Unveils 'Simple Touch Reader': Next-Gen Nook With Touchable Display

Barnes & Noble on Tuesday introduced its latest Nook eReader device, the Simple Touch Reader.

The new Nook is built on Android 2.1 technology. Its black-and-white touchscreen measures 5 by 6.5 inches, weighs under 7.5 ounces and will retail for $139. The Simple Touch Reader will ship around June 10, though pre-orders are open now.

WiFi capabilities will be built into the device, and battery life is expected to last up to two months on a single charge, which Barnes and Noble claims is the longest of any eReader.

A digital keyboard replaces traditional buttons on the front panel of the Simple Touch Reader, and the back features a soft contour design.

Barnes and Noble claims there will be 80 percent less flashing when the user turns a page, meaning that the screen will appear black for a shorter amount of time as the next page loads. The touchscreen, which operates by infrared technology, will offer six different fonts in seven different sizes, as well as the ability to customize e-ink screensavers.

Like other Nooks, the Simple Touch Reader will feature Nook Friends, a social sharing platform powered by Facebook, Twitter and email. The company will also soon launch myNook.com, an online portal for shopping and sharing.

While Barnes and Noble still offers the Nook Color for $249, the basic Nook has been reduced to $119 for the WiFi model ($169 for 3G) and will be available only while supplies last.

On Monday, Kobo announced its eReader Touch Edition, another black and white e-ink touch-screen device, retailing for $129.99.

In February, Barnes and Noble reported that it held 25 percent share of the ebook market. Other reports say that Amazon's Kindle holds 47 percent share, followed by the iPad at 32 percent and trailed distantly by the Nook at 4 percent. At the press conference on Tuesday, Barnes and Noble said that it was the best-selling overall eReader.

Last month, Barnes and Noble added an App store and email program to its Nook Color, which also runs Google's Android operating system. The Simple Touch Reader offers a more stripped-down reading experience than the Nook Color.

Meanwhile, Amazon is strongly thought to be prepping its own tablet, a rumor bolstered by CEO Jeff Bezos's coy non-denials on the subject. Sources say the Amazon tablet would not be a part of the Kindle line but would be sold alongside it.

Check out the new Nook (below).

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Comments

[nothingtrivial]

12:18 PM on 05/26/2011

Everyone will be happy with something different

[anytimecowboy]

10:47 AM on 05/26/2011

I still love my Kindle. I have had it for two years. I do not need a touch screen for an e-reader.

[springsm]

10:48 PM on 05/25/2011

The frustration of finding an e reader that you like and buying one is that next week there will be a better one out..then the week after that and then.........and then.......  Bite the dust and buy one and then....

[springsm]

10:41 PM on 05/25/2011

I would like an e reader that can fit in my back pocket and not be hurt when I sit on it, fall on it, go fishing with it...just like a pocketbook!!!!!  Until then I will lug my books around.  But I am sorely tempted cause I too, like toys.

[ChelleAgain]

11:18 PM on 05/25/2011

I abuse mine with no lasting damage and I took it fishing the other day. (Ziploc is a Kindle's best friend.) That's not to say they never break, but they're not all that fragile either.

[springsm]

01:02 AM on 05/26/2011

Welll thanks...then I can camp with it too...nice to know that they are not all that fragile.

[1kant2]

04:03 PM on 05/25/2011

I still refuse e readers. I believe someday they will be good enough for me to give up my real books. But, please, make one the size of a hardback where I do not have to squint to read or have adequate room to annotate.

[Stirner]

04:40 PM on 05/25/2011

Well, I do squint to read a paper ("real") book... the main reason I bought a an e reader (happens to be a Kindle) is that the font can be easily made larger. I have a relatively large home library, but my eyesight is giving out before my desire to read -- the providential arrival of the ebook saved the day (or the light) for me. I also felt rather good to know that old books that I had thought might be lost in musty library stacks are no longer threatened with extinction Happily, for me, they will (and are} being digitalized. The arcane stuff that means something to me is now preserved -- my "rare" volumes are becoming available in digital format for anyone (a very few, I suspect) who would like to have them. I can annotate on a notepad -- fine old books are not comfortable to "annotate". Long live Bezos!

[deweydecimal]

09:09 PM on 05/25/2011

I don't know of any ebook readers that don't allow you to resize text.

[Justin Dickson]

12:48 PM on 05/25/2011

come on BN decide if you want an eReader or a tablet.
I love my original nook, but I think the new nooks are taking a step back.
If forced to replace it I would go with a kindle.

[NGC 224]

12:32 PM on 05/25/2011

Nook runs flash. Yes that's right; the entire Internet.

What's that apple? Flash is a battery hog or was it a processor strain or ...

[deweydecimal]

09:10 PM on 05/25/2011

HTML5 was supposed to render Flash obsolete. LOL the Jobs reality distortion field strikes again.

[boarderbia]

12:23 PM on 05/25/2011

Yuck! I absolutely hated the nook color! Especially after this latest software update. I'm reading these positive reviews wondering how the heck we possibly have the same device! Not to mention B&N have terrible customer service. I went out and got the wireless/3G kindle and I am never looking back...I'll use my husbands iPad if I want to play on a tablet! The nook color is junk!

[Kisam061968]

12:51 PM on 05/25/2011

Here's a little test to tell whether or not you got bad customer service. If you run into occasional bad customer service, the problem is them. If you're always getting bad customer service, the problem is you.

[springsm]

10:43 PM on 05/25/2011

instant gratification generation.  The people I know who have nooks and needed help, have gotten it patiently and tolerantly and gracefully, but sometimes one can have a bad day I suppose.  And it does matter sometimes how the customer approaches the issues.  Good philosopy Kisam06

[Ampoliros]

12:54 PM on 05/25/2011

what problems did you have with it?

[Strobe74]

11:37 AM on 05/25/2011

Bought a Nook Color a few months ago. The hardware for that device is outstanding. It's good enough that I was able to wipe their OS off and put on a full android system (cyanogenmod 7) and the thing works like a full blown tablet. I'm impressed that it performs as well as it does. Plus i can still use it to read books from BnN and Amazon as well. Best of both worlds for 250$. If you're thinking about getting one, they are well worth it.

[Gudrun]

12:13 PM on 05/25/2011

Cool! From what little I've read, the software for the Nook has gotten poor reviews.

[usamade]

11:27 AM on 05/25/2011

I'll never give up my Kindle. IMO a touch screen would make it too easy to lose your place while reading.

[Gudrun]

12:14 PM on 05/25/2011

If Amazon comes up with a touch screen, I would certainly give it a try, but I am happy with my Kindle for now.

[crayola 08b]

11:11 AM on 05/25/2011

i bought the classic nook a couple months ago and really like it. i have to say i'm not impressed with the shape of the new nook but i think it's great that having all touch functionality doesn't mean it has to be a back lit lcd display.

[Revee]

10:57 AM on 05/25/2011

I have a NOOK color and love it!
Way to go B&N.
I chose this over Kindle a while back because of color.
The Nook Books collection is still smaller than Amazon's. I have a Kindle PC reader and use the Kindle books when not available on Nook.

[springsm]

10:45 PM on 05/25/2011

You can download from your library can't you?  I have heard that the color bleeds...does it?

[Revee]

10:49 AM on 05/31/2011

I have not experienced this so far. I have used it mainly for technical books featuring web design etc where color is important but not absolutely essential.
I know there is the feature of download from the library but I have not used that feature yet.
In any case, I love the reader.

[nothingtrivial]

11:56 AM on 05/26/2011

"The Nook Books collection is still smaller than Amazon's."

This is very untrue. Amazon = 963,386 Results, Barnes

[Revee]

10:52 AM on 05/31/2011

You could be right about the total number of books; however, so far I have had to go to Amazon on more than one occasion for some technical books.
Another thing I have observed is that the "shopping" tab from the reader that allows you to search for books is poor. On occasion I have had to go to Amazon, get the books correct title (using partial search) and then go back to B

[mcmutter]

10:48 AM on 05/25/2011

competition improves the breed ....

interesting ereaders will just hasten the demise of the US Postal Service ....

we're going electronic into the 21st century ....

[JerseyGirl4Obama]

11:57 AM on 05/25/2011

Once the US Postal Service is gone there will be much regret.

[mcmutter]

12:05 PM on 05/25/2011

touche .... you're right .....

mail delivery every other day would be plenty ..... businesses could request every day delivery ....

and please stop jamming junk circulars in my mailbox ..... every piece of mail should be at the first-class rate ......

[Montcalms Revenge]

10:09 AM on 05/25/2011

Only my wife gets to be "touchy" with my nook... oh wait... wrong article... ;-)

[sdwalm]

09:55 AM on 05/25/2011

I bought the Nook Color about 4 months ago and I LOVE it! The color jumps off the page and since the app store has opened and B & N has upgraded things, its even better. I can read my emails now and surf the web whenever I want and it's small enough to fit into my purse. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

[rikilii]

10:26 AM on 05/25/2011

Do you find that it's too bright if you're reading in the dark?  I have a Kindle, but sometimes read on my blackberry.  The problem I have is that the backlight brightness only goes so low, and I end up getting eyestrain very quickly if I'm reading in bed with the lights off.

[JerseyGirl4Obama]

11:58 AM on 05/25/2011

You can adjust the brightness.

[M A Ross]

12:22 PM on 05/25/2011

Ditto... Cept' mine goes in my backpack and not a purse. ;)