Barnes and Noble (B&N) eBooks have been available in Canada since December 1, 2009. Anyone living in or visiting Canada who shops B&N’s eBook store can download eBooks to their B&N eReader-supported devices, including the iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry, Mac, and PC. Nook can read them too, but you can’t buy the nook in Canada (or anywhere outside of the United States) at this time. If you’re using a nook in Canada, you will be able to sync to your B&N eBooks library and access B&N’s eBook store via Wi-Fi. International travelers can access their online eBooks library and download already-purchased content while they’re outside the United States and nook owners can access their online Library over Wi-Fi while outside the country.
Happy eReading.
The Standard had an interesting article about the Infibeam Pi, an ebook reader released by Infibeam.com, a company located in India. The Infibeam Pi is an ebook reader that lets you view images and listen to audio files. The Infibeam Pi is 7.5-inch long, 4.5-inch wide, and 0.4-inch thick. 
Tech News World has an article entitled Amazon Ponies Up to Microsoft for Linux Rights, which highlights Microsoft’s gall and clout in charging Amazon a fee for using free and open source software, Linux. Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) have entered into a patent cross-licensing deal to share patent rights.
For comparison, Barnes and Noble’s nook uses the open source operating system, Android, and Apple’s iPad uses iPhone software for its OS.
A lot of people predicted that Apple’s iPad would be revolutionary because they assumed it would be more of a tablet PC, not just a bigger iPhone, but because it is more of a mobile media PC than a traditional laptop or tablet PC. With it’s e-reader capability, the iPad is now in direct competition with Barnes & Noble’s nook.
The following table compares Barnes & Noble’s nook with Apple’s iPad on several different metrics and measurements, such as screen size, weight, dimensions, and other features, but it is important to note that while the iPad can be an e-book reader, the nook cannot (yet) be a mobile media PC, but there are some users looking to change that by adding a browser to the nook.
e-Reader Comparison Table: Nook vs. iPad
| |
B&N nook |
Apple iPad |
| Screen Size (inches)/ Resolution |
6/ 600 x 800
(Second Screen – 3.5) |
9.7 / 1024 x 768 |
| Screen Type |
E Ink |
Capacitive LCD Touchscreen |
| Grayscale / Color |
16 shades of gray |
Color |
| Storage Capacity |
2GB (expandable) |
16GB-64GB |
| Connectivity |
WiFi, 3G |
WiFi, 3G on some models |
| Connectivity Cost(s) |
Free |
US$14.99 -
$30/month |
| Required Contract? |
No |
No |
| e-book format(s) |
ePub, eReader, PDF, PDB |
ePub (Kindle, via
Kindle app), PDF |
| Web Browser |
No |
Yes |
| Multimedia |
Audio |
Audio + Video |
| Games? |
No |
Yes |
| Third-Party Apps? |
No |
App Store |
| Size (inches) |
7.7 x 4.9 x 0.50 |
9.56 x 7.47 x 0.5 |
| Weight (pounds) |
0.75 |
1.5 |
| Price |
US $259 |
US $499-$829 |
http://blogs.zdnet.com/gadgetreviews/?p=12269
Bookeen introduces Orizon, a 6″ multi-touch eBook reader.
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/feb2010/gb2010028_124846.htm
Sony introduces The Daily Reader, a new eBook reader said to retail for $399.
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/02/16/ebook-checklist-from.html
Use this handy checklist to figure out which eBook reader will suit your personal needs.
http://www.econtentmag.com/Articles/Column/Guest-Column/Ebook-Survival-of-the-Fittest-61128.htm
With the announcement of iPad with eBook capabilities, Amazon and Apple will be in direct competition.
