Hands-on with the Barnes & Noble Nook Color
Barnes & Noble rolled out their color ebook reader with a focus on experiences for children, those looking at Office documents, those who want to occasionally browse the web, and those who want to view magazines in full color on the go. The NOOKcolor is priced at $249 and offers a lot in a compact package.
Make sure to check out my full Mobile Gadgeteer hands-on post that includes a long video walk through the device.
You will find a nice Quick Start Guide, USB cable, and USB A/C adapter in the box along with the NOOKcolor.
The NOOKcolor is a bit longer and heavier than the Nook 3G.
You can see the difference a color display makes when reading in low light conditions. The NOOKcolor is turned on with full brightness.
Even at half brightness, the NOOKcolor is still more readable in low light conditions.
The Nook is a bit thicker than the NOOKcolor, primarily due to the curved back of the device.
The NOOKcolor fits well in your hand, even with the larger 7 inch display.
There is an open corner in the bottom left that makes it easy to hold the Nook in your left hand.
There is a slot for the microSD card hidden under the bottom left corner. The NOOKcolor supports up to 32GB.
The 7 inch display NOOKcolor fits well in your hand and is extremely high quality.
The upper right of the NOOKcolor is where you will find the volume button and 3.5mm headset jack.
There is a microUSB port on the bottom of the NOOKcolor for charging and connection with a PC or Mac.
There is one button on the NOOKcolor that is used to go back to the home screen.
There is an assortment of books available for kids that support the ability to have the books read to your kids. My youngest daughter enjoyed following along on the NOOKcolor.
You can view book covers in your library.
The back of the NOOKcolor is covered in soft material.
It is a pleasure to browse through the NOOKcolor in full color.
The NOOKcolor offers a nice upgrade to the power user from the Nook 3G.
The NOOKcolor is an attractive device.
NOOKcolor retail box
NOOKcolor library view