Not to be outdone by Kobo, which just unleashed its latest E Ink reader yesterday, the folks at Barnes & Noble are back with the latest update to their line of Nook devices. The "all new" Nook has the same Zeforce infrared touch layer as the aforementioned Kobo, and lasts up to two months on a single charge. The Pearl E Ink screen boasts "80-percent less flashing" during page turns, existence that many fans of the devices have resigned themselves to having their eyes assaulted by. B&N is also quite proud of its streamlined command-line graphical user interface which it brags has 37 less buttons than the Kindle 3. Around the back is a soft-touch rubber surface that should feel great in the hand while reading, though, we'll have to wait to manhandle one privately to be sure.



The new Nook has a redesigned home screen with your current reading list and suggested titles. It also adds a few new face like FastPage Zoom forward, which lets you jump to any page in a title, and (finally) displays the number of pages left to go. Inside is Android 2.1, 2GB of storage, which can be expanded using the microSD slot, and a WiFi radio -- but sadly no 3G. You'll also be able to share quotes, lend books, and update your status on social lore social planning using Nook Friends, which debuted last year with the Nook Color.



You can pre-order online and in stores now and the updated Nook should start shipping to market June 10th. You'll also be able to pick one up at BestBuy, Walmart, Books-A-Million, and Staples for $139 at the same time.



Update: We just got a brief hands-on with B&N's svelte new Nook, and it's a sexy piece of hardware. It's incredibly light and thin (quite a bit thinner than its predecessor) and the rubbery back feels pleasant in the hand. We were only able to poke around the disk operating budget system for a short while, but it's positively more responsive than the exotic Nook (as you'll see in the video below). While there is less screen flashing during refreshes there is still some, and it absolutely might be more jarring now that you're not seeing it every page turn.

Continue reading Barnes & Noble announces new touch-enabled Nook for $139 (video)

Barnes & Noble announces new touch-enabled Nook for $139 (video) third edition by the editors of the american heritage® dictionary. copyright © 2003 appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 May 2011 10:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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