The HP Slate 500 has finally arrived. In fact, it’s done more than arrive. It has delivered. This tablet computer is among the most powerful we’ve seen yet. Despite its long delay and many prototypes we think the HP Slate 500 has been worth the wait. For those looking for the options available in  a Windows 7 tablet the HP Slate 500 is a sure winner.

Pros

• Windows 7 Operating system
  Play Flash content
  Prints to any printer
  Compatible with Windows applications, including Office
  HDMI port – stream videos to your TV

Cons

• Battery life could be better
• No 3G

Features and Specs

That power starts with an 1.86 GHz Intel Atom Z540 processor, helped along by 2 GB of RAM. Storage is a healthy 64 GB in the form of a solid state drive. That edges this tablet into the realm of a high-end netbook or modest laptop. Running Windows 7 plants it firmly in that arena.

There’s more here than technical wizardry under the covers to dazzle computer geeks, though. There’s real usability, suitable for a wide range of tasks including easy-on-the-eye eReading, quick document creation, and robust web surfing.

Thanks to the 8.9 inch, 1024 x 600 resolution capacitive touchscreen – and both a VGA front-facing webcam and 3MP camera – you have a complete multimedia unit at your fingertips. An HDMI port even lets you hook it up to an HDTV for large-platform viewing of masterpieces you and others create.

You won’t have to worry about damage while you’re out and about creating it. The Slate features a metal trim with rubberized backing to make it both hardy and easy to handle. At 1.5 lbs - the same weight as the iPad – it won’t be a burden to carry around, either. It’s a bit smaller than the iPad, though, at 9.2″ high x 5.9″ wide x 0.6″ thick. The iPad is 9.56″ high x 7.47″ wide x 0.5″ thick. There’s even a carrying case for transporting it with still more peace of mind.
Click here to read customer reviews of HP Slate 500

The case also houses one USB port, an SD slot, and a headphone/microphone jack along with five hardware buttons along the sides. Alt-CTRL-DEL is there as are a volume rocker, screen rotation lock, Home, and Input Panel. The integrated folding leg is a thoughtful feature, too, making for easy viewing on a desk or table.

Unfortunately, the HP Slate lacks the iPad’s 3G option, offering only Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n). There are plenty of hotspots around these days, though, so that will only affect those who simply must have Internet access at all times, everywhere in the world.

One lack in the out-of-the-box experience can actually be seen as an advantage. The Slate 500 does not come pre-loaded with a ton of software. Personal opinions will vary, of course, but many users complain of bloatware from apps they often never use.

Since the Slate is a Windows device it’s no effort to install MS Office or Open Office or any other productivity tools. And, unlike the iPad, the Slate supports IE9 and Flash so there’s no limitation on the websites you can visit.

The HP Slate 500 is being marketed by the company chiefly as a business machine. But with this hardware – and the Windows 7 operating system – there’s no reason anyone can’t get the full value out of this tablet. With its Bluetooth and USB support, one could even attach a keyboard and mouse and enjoy some modest-speed gaming.

We’d say it was worth the wait.

Choosing the best tablet PC among all the options out there can be tough. Don’t stress because we’ve done all the heavy lifting for you by sorting through scores of editors ratings, review sites, and customer feedback to come up with the top tablet PC of 2011 along with a few runner’s up.

1. Top Tablet PC – iPad 2

Rating One:

The iPad 2 is sleeker and more refined than the previous iPad, making Apple once again the top tablet PC. The Apple iPad virtually created the tablet PC market and it proves once again why it is the hands-down favorite among users and critics alike.

Apple iPad 2 Tablet (16GB, Wifi,) NEWEST MODEL

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2. Samsung Galaxy Tab – A Great Choice for an Android Tablet

Rating One:

The Samsung Galaxy is another great tablet that is lightweight (just 1 pound), has a vibrant 7-inch display, ans supports Flash. Read our full review here.

Samsung Galaxy Tab (7-inch, 16GB, Wi-Fi)

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Samsung Galaxy Tab (10.1-Inch, 16GB, Wi-Fi)

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3. Best Bargain Tablet – Amazon Kindle Fire

Rating One:

The Amazon Kindle Fire is the newest, and in our opinion best, addition to the popular Kindle line. While it lacks some of the pricier features of the full-featured tablets (camera, GPS, microphone), it is perfect for Web browsing, streaming videos and music, and of course, reading books and magazines. At $199, the price can’t be beat.

Kindle Fire, Full Color 7″ Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi

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The Galaxy Tab is Samsung’s answer to the Apple iPad. Samsung is known for offering high-quality consumer electronics at substantially lower prices than its competitors. For example, high-def televisions and  Blu-ray players. The Galaxy Tab is priced at $329 (click here to check current prices), significantly lower than the iPad, and you can bet the device will be a real threat to Apple’s dominance of the tablet market.

Samsung Galaxy Specs

The Galaxy is a bit smaller than the iPad – it has a 7-inch display versus the iPad’s 9.7 inch screen. But that screen is extremely high quality and the Galaxy has very good resolution at 1024 x 600. That display also offers Samsung’s touch capability -  AMOLED fingerprint-repelling, which is smooth and easy to use.

The Galaxy Tab’s smaller dimensions are intentional and were designed to fit easily in one hand so the user can type or touch with the other. The dimensions are 190.09 mm x 120.45 mm x 11.98 mm and it weighs in at 380 grams, making it very easy to hold and carry without hand or arm fatigue. That’s 7.48 x 4.74 x 0.47 inches and a lightweight 0.84 lbs in the non-metric world.

Users will find it easy to use the two-thumb technique or the more traditional 1-finger hunt and peck style. Everyone will soon get used to the SWYPE input method that lets you use finger strokes to turn pages, operate applications, and other common tasks. One of those tasks that will become increasingly common is video chat, something really easy to do with the Galaxy, thanks to both forward (1.3 mp) and rear facing (3 megapixel) cameras.

The interior components are equally impressive. Sporting a 1GHz Coretex A8 processor with a PowerVR SGX540 graphics chip, no one will have any reason to complain about speed for local app use. And, thanks to the 3G wireless capability, web browsing and data transfer will do just fine, too. The Galaxy also features 512MB of RAM – compared to the iPad’s current 256MB – and expandable storage up to 32GB.

That speed will be appreciated by gamers, as well. Tests using Glyder 2 showed that the unit performs well for this class of device. The built-in accelerometer lets users play games in either portrait or landscape mode, so no worries about orientation. Like the iPad, the orientation is lockable and the device will work at any angle.

Courtesy of the Android OS (currently at version 2.2) and the SDK available to developers, gamers can expect a lot of interest in creating ports for all their favorites. That’s true of a lot more than just games, too. With Android appearing on smartphones and tablets from a dozen manufacturers now, the apps are starting to pile up fast.

There are lots of the type of applications Samsung users (and others) expect. Calendar, Reader Hub, Music Hub, and more are already onboard. You’ll get newspapers from PressDisplay, magazines from Zinio, and books from Kobo (the Borders site). Music Hub is both a store and a player, so you have everything you need for entertainment.

Battery life depends on how the Galaxy Tab is used, of course, but with a 4,000 mAh lithium unit inside you can expect about 7 hours of movie viewing. That corresponds to a boatload of web browsing, email, text creation, book reading, and more.

No one can predict whether the Samsung Galaxy Tab will be the long-expected iPad killer. Apple makes a stellar product. But it’s got a pretty good shot based on its impressive features.

Choosing an eBook reader can be a tough decision. There are so many choices out there right now it can be difficult to decide which is the best eBook reader for you. We’ve made it easy by choosing the best of the current models for you in several categories – Best black and white e-ink model, best color eBook reader, best budget eBook reader, best full-featured eBook reader/tablet.

Best E-Ink eBook Reader – Amazon Kindle Touch

Rating One:

The Amazon Kindle Touch gets our top marks for an eBook reader in the e-ink black and white category. Read our full review here.

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Best Color eBook Reader – Nook Color

Rating One:

The Nook Color has a rich LCD screen that is perfect for reading magazines. It also features an intuitive interface and access to an enormous amount of content. Read our full review here.

Click here to buy the Nook Color from Barnes and Noble.

Best Budget eBook Reader – Amazon Kindle

Rating One:

The entry-level 2011 Kindle is a great choice for an ultraportable and super affordable no-frills e-ink reader.

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Best All-Around eReader/Tablet – Kindle Fire

Rating One:

The Kindle Fire is an elegant, simple design that provides many of the features of the more expensive tablets such as the iPad2, yet at less than half the price.

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So there are our top eBook readers of 2011. If you are in the market for a new eBook reader then you can’t go wrong with these.

Should you buy the Barnes and Noble NOOK Tablet? Let’s take a look at its features and see how it compares with the competition. This device has many features that make it a great buy and at a very competitive price ($249). Although the Kindle Fire is slightly cheaper at $199, the Nook Tablet has a few features that set it apart.

Screen

The Nook caused quite a stir when it was launched. This was because of the plethora of features that it had to offer and the advanced functionality of the device. One of the most astounding features of the Nook Tablet is the 7″ display screen that it offers. The design of the Nook is what makes it truly unique. The resolution of the Nook is fantastic, providing up to 16 million colors that are clear and bright, ideal for reading magazines.

On the negative, the screen used is LCD rather than electronic ink technology used in the original Nook. This may cause your eyes to tire sooner if you spend hours looking at the screen – usually not an issue. The wide viewing angle is also designed to make readers comfortable. This eliminates glare and allows you to read both indoors and outdoors without any trouble.

Display quality is very good overall. Colors are accurately reproduced, realistic, and natural-looking. Viewing angles are equally good in both landscape and portrait orientation. The display had a wide viewing angle, especially important if more than one person needs to see the screen at the same time. It is among the brightest displays.

Touch response is excellent. The Nook Tablet has a capacitive touchscreen, which usually leads to better responsiveness and more display functionality. Screen movements are very smooth. Icons are easy to move and place precisely. The touchscreen responds even to quick taps, and it supports pinch and zoom.

Reading Material and Video

The Nook Tablet offers a massive selection of reading material. It may be hard to believe but over 2 million books can be accessed with this device to say nothing of newspapers, magazines, websites,  and blogs. There will be something for everyone, from children’s books to older classics.

Reading magazines on the Nook are fantastic. Magazines are as vibrant and real as actual magazines so you can cancel your paper subscriptions and access all your favorite magazines instantly.

You can also access great video content from all your favorite apps including Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube.

Memory

The Nook Tablet has a in-built memory of 8 GB. This lets you store almost 6000 books. The internal rechargeable battery only adds to the allure of this device since you can read up to 8 hours with this device.

Feature Overview

• Movies, TV shows and music from the top names—Netflix, Hulu Plus™, Pandora® & more
• World’s most advanced VividView™ 7″ Touchscreen
• Over 2.5 million books, magazines, comics & kids’ books
• Lightning fast e-mail, Web & smooth streaming video
• Thousands of must-have apps like Angry Birds and Epicurious
• Battery life of about 6-8 hours
• Free in-store support
• While not as lightweight as others at .9 pounds, this tablet is light enough to carry around comfortably.

Overall, the Nook Tablet has some useful features that make it convenient and comfortable to use, including: a built-in microphone; a power cord that’s at least five feet long, so you can use the tablet while charging it. But there’s no Bluetooth connectivity option on this tablet.

 Click here to buy the Nook Tablet directly from Barnes and Noble.

Critics Ratings

Consumer Reports rates the Barnes & Noble Tablet a Best Buy,  and states it is “one of the best performers we’ve seen to date in a tablet costing $250 or under. It lacks music and video content in its integrated content store, unlike Amazon Prime or Apple’s iTunes. But you can stream movies from services like Netflix, for example. Touch response was excellent, and it’s got ample storage.” Here is what their in-house test results showed:

You can easily move from screen to screen using finger swipes, and to move app icons among screens. It was easy to search for and remove apps, and to find often-used apps. There’s an included book market. Turning from portrait to landscape while reading a book worked well. Pages turned smoothly. It was quick and easy to change text size. The speakers were loud enough. Photos automatically rotate from portrait to landscape mode. You can’t view full screen without interference from the navigation bar. There’s no voice-typing feature for composing e-mails. The browser included doesn’t support tabbed browsing, so you can’t view several websites at once. You can sync and transfer files to and from a PC using USB. There’s no file-manager app that allows you to copy and move files from one device to another is installed on this tablet by default.

Pros

• Screen display is excellent
• Touch screen is ultra responsive

Cons

• Really none

If you want an easy-to-use tablet with a wide variety of functions then the Barnes and Noble Nook Tablet is a great choice.

Click here to buy the Nook Tablet directly from Barnes and Noble.

Shopping for a new tablet or eReader can be pretty overwhelming. With so many choices, how can you choose? Well, the first decision you need to make is do you want a dedicated eReader, a la Kindle or should you buy a more full-featured tablet like the iPad 2 or the GalaxyTab? This depends on number of factors, including your budget. Here we outline some questions to answer before you make a purchase.

Top Reasons You Should Choose an eBook Reader

1. You just want to read books. Maybe you already have an iPhone or Android phone that has tons of apps and features and all you are really looking for is a device to read the latest novels on. Dedicated eBook readers are lightweight and more comfortable to hold and carry than tablets. Plus the E Ink screens can be easier on the eyes for reading and do much better outside in bright light, where the LCD screens can throw a lot of glare. So if you want to be able to read at the beach or in the park, choose an eReader.

2. Battery life. There’s really no comparison between the  battery life on a eBook reader and that of a tablet. For example, the Kindle can last a couple of months without having to be recharged while the iPad can only go about 10 hours. So, if you plan on going camping for days at a time, you should opt for an eReader.

3. You want to throw it in your bag or pocket. eBook Readers are a lot lighter and smaller than tablets. For example, the Nook Simple Touch is only a half pound and can easily slide into your pocketbook or backpack. Most tablets are a little to hefty for that.

4. Your Budget. Even the top eReaders are about half the price of a decent tablet. You can get a Kindle for under a hundred dollars. Compare that with the iPad 2 ($500 plus) — that’s a lot of book downloads you could be buying instead.

Top Reasons You Should Choose a Tablet

1. Apps, Apps, Apps. While its true that some eReaders have access to apps, they don’t really compare with the selection available on the iPad or Android tablets. There are tens of thousands of cool, fun, and useful apps available in the iTunes store, many of them free. The Android Market also offers thousands of apps to choose from.

2. Access to books from multiple sources. If you buy a Kindle you won’t be able to purchase books from Barnes and Noble (and vice versa). With a tablet you are not limited to where you can purchase your books. Apps are freely available for the Nook, Kindle, and most other eBook readers. Whatever format your book is in, you can read it on a tablet.

3. Functionality. If you want your tablet to double as a laptop there are many apps available for word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, videoconferencing, and the like. Web surfing is also more enjoyable on a color screen.

Still can’t decide? Check out or eBook Reader Reviews for more expert advice on finding the right eReader or tablet.

For people familiar with some of Sony’s earlier eReaders, the Sony Pocket Edition is going to be a very pleasant surprise. Many of the problems that made customers choose other  manufacturers’ eReaders are gone. The latest Sony Pocket Edition (PRS-350) truly standouts in the small eReader arena.

Screen

For starters, the complaints about glare will now be a thing of the past. Due to a reengineered display screen that incorporates the latest Pearl E Ink technology, the view is now high-contrast and super crisp, even on this smaller unit.

Size

Size is another of the major selling points of the PRS-350 model. For those looking for the smallest and lightest possible eReader – something you could throw in a purse or pocket similar to a smartphone – the Sony Pocket Edition is your eBook reader.

Measuring in at a mere 5.71 in tall x 4.11 in wide x 0.33 inch thick, this device is comfortable to hold for even the tiniest hands. And, at a miniscule 5.64 ounces, you could read an entire eBook and experience no more finger fatigue than you would with a traditional paperback.

Features

Despite its small size, you still get most of the electronic enhancements that have made eReaders a real threat to traditional bookstores. The touchscreen lets you choose titles, make notes, change font size, flip through pages, and more.

It even stores around 1,200 books, much more than the personal library size of all but the most avid book collectors.

Users used to seeing pictures on a cell phone will have no trouble with images, either. The screen is very small compared to, say, the Kindle DX’s (or the Apple iPad’s) 9.7 inches (diagonal). It’s even small compared to the ‘standard’ 6 inches offered by most, like the Nook or the smaller Kindle. But, the Sony Pocket supports JPEG, PNG, GIF, and BMP image formats for viewing photos and more that have fine resolution.

Drawbacks

The one big drawback, and some would say its fatal flaw,  is that the Sony Pocket Edition PRS-350 lacks Wi-Fi or 3G connectivity. Unlike its larger brother, the Sony Daily Edition PRS-950, which has both, purchasing a new book on this device requires the use of a computer and must be transferred manually to the Sony Pocket. Happily, the software you do that with is super-easy to use.

One other downside, a minor one (at least to most eReader customers), is the Pocket’s lack of audio playback capability. The larger PRS-950 supports MP3, but those who opt for the PRS-350 will have to forgo listening to music while reading. It also lacks the storage expansion capability (via microSD or Memory Stick) of Sony’s two larger models, the Touch (PRS-650) and the Daily Edition (PRS-950).

Compatibility

Still, you can download PDFs, Word docs, text files, and more. This is truly a universal reader. And because the Pocket supports the ePub format, you can get eBooks from any source, not just the Sony Store. That includes any participating library that has an eBook downloading feature on their website, something more and more libraries are adding. Readers can get free, public domain eBooks from sites like Project Gutenberg, too.

Overall

If you’re looking for a truly portable, yet full-function eReader, at an affordable price the Sony Pocket Edition (PRS-350) is the one to buy.

The Sony Reader is not as well known as some of its rivals and may not be the first option one thinks of when contemplating the purchase of an eReader, but you should definitely take it into consideration before making any purchasing decisions. With Sony’s latest model, the Daily Edition (also known as the PRS-950), this is even more true.

Overview

Size wise it is about the same as the more popular Amazon Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook. The Daily Edition is 5 inches wide x 8.1 inches tall x 0.7 inches thick and weighs in at  12.7 ounces.

This is on a slightly larger scale than some other ereaders, but still fits quite well into a coat pocket or purse. You won’t be suffering from any arm or hand fatigue due to this puppy! Also, a nice feature — a leather-like cover is included in the price, most other ereaders, including the Kindle, charge an additional fee for a cover.

Visual Display

The display screen, is a pretty sweet one, no surprise here since Sony has a  long history in the TV and personal computer industry. The E Ink Pear technology screen is just over seven inches, which is a little larger than the Nook or Kindle’s six inch screens.

This size difference is quite noticeable because the increased size is much closer to a traditional paperback text area. The screen size is achieved by the lack of a physical keyboard, as found on the Kindle. Instead, Sony substitutes a touchscreen.

The page display is reasonably quick, as most E Ink screens are, albeit a little slower than an LCD. You won’t have to squint or reach for your reading glasses, either, thanks to a size control that lets you to choose any of six font sizes ranging from Small to Extra-Extra Large.

While the Daily Edition doesn’t automatically flip the text when you change from portrait to landscape,you can do it manually without difficulty. Swiping the touchscreen to move between pages is another welcome feature for those still fond of physical books, as most avid readers are. Holding the pressure at the end of a swipe allows flipping through multiple pages at high speed, too.
Click here to purchase the Sony Daily Edition on Amazon.

Connectivity

The PRS-950 is especially welcome for adding wireless 3G, which allows for fast downloads fromvirtually anywhere. Wi-Fi hotspots are extensive but you still need to be near one to use that service. The 3G network is just about everywhere. Unlike in previous models, you can now download books, periodicals, and documents without being tethered to the PC or Mac.

Book Availability and Storage

Once you’re connected to that network you’ll be happy that the Sony Daily Edition eReader offers an optional memory card in the form of either a microSD or Memory Stick Pro. Download as many books (in ePub or other formats), PDFs, Word docs, and as you want and never worry about having to delete anything to make room for more. And, unlike the Amazon Kindle or B&N Nook, the Sony can get content from any eBook source around including the Sony store, which offers a million titles.

This storage capacity will come in even handier if you like to load up with a lot of MP3s to listen to while reading. And, given the support for AAC audio you’ll have an even greater range of listening content from which to choose. The Daily Edition also provides a place to put images, which are supported in the form of JPGs, GIFs, PNGs, and BMPs.

Technical Details and Features

Summary

For anyone considering the purchase of an eReader, the Sony Daily Edition (PRS-950) has definitely earned a place on every eReader buyer’s “must see” list.

Is the Entourage eDGe an eReader or is it a tablet? Many people will be asking themselves this question about a lot the new eReader/tablet offerings as the technology converges. Because of its unique combination of abilities, the eDGe might find favor with college students, professionals on the go, or anyone looking for a hybrid device like this one.

That hybrid includes an eReader, but one that isn’t as easy to use as the Amazon Kindle or the Nook by Barnes & Noble. The Entourage eBook store has about one-tenth the offerings and is not as easy to access. On the upside, it supports a number of formats like the open-format ePub as well as PDFs.

Reading them will be an interesting experience given the eDGe’s size and weight. At just over 3 lbs, it’s about double the heft of an iPad but certainly on the low end of a small laptop. It’s about the size of a netbook, measuring a diminutive 8.3″ long x 10.8″ wide x 1.0″ thick.

Yet, it offers a very unique feature, something no netbook or laptop does: dual screens.

One of those screens is a 9.7 inch E-Ink design offering the clarity and size of the larger Kindle DX. Contrast is not quite the equal, though, offering only 8 shades of gray to the DX’s 16, about the same as the B&N Nook. It does provide good resolution at 825 x 1,200 pixels.

You can take notes, here using a stylus instead of your finger or a virtual keypad. In edit mode there are two strips of icons for easy access to the common functions, plus a toolbar along the bottom. By contrast, the DX is not touch sensitive; it offers a physical keyboard instead. A really nice added feature is the automatic creation of links in a table of contents created from your book annotations.

The eDGe then doubles the screen real estate by providing another display. The second is a 10.1 inch, 600 x 1,024 pixel resistive LCD touchscreen with a four-way manual orientation switch. Unlike, say, the iPad, the screen has no accelerometer and so does not rotate automatically when you flip the screen 90 degrees.

The keyboard is virtual, like the iPad’s (if not quite as responsive) and driven under the covers by Android 1.6. That lets you take notes on one screen while reading from another, something you can do with a laptop but only by continual flipping back and forth or sacrificing reading area.

Read customer reviews of the Entourage eDGe eReader.

The pair of screens are housed in a clamshell-style case that houses speakers in the hinges. The clamshell can also be completely flipped around to expose only one screen, with the other lying face down. That case also sports a ton of ports, including an SD slot, a 3.5 mm, a microphone input, and a webcam that works with the built-in camcorder. Bluetooth support lets you use a pair of wireless stereo headphones.

Judged against the competitors’ eReaders or tablet computers alone, the Entourage eDGe won’t impress anyone. But with its combined ability, it does both functions reasonably well. That makes for a really interesting device for those who want both in a unit much smaller than the average laptop.

The Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch eReader may soon become the most popular eReader, beating out the perennial favorite Kindle by Amazon. Part of the conclusion will ultimately come down to personal taste. But objective features and price will play a role, too, as will the amount of content offered by their stores.

Certainly, the Nook has some seriously competitive features.

Screen: The Nook offers a 6 inch, black-and-white, E Ink display, with its new proprietary technology that refreshes pages quicker than the Kindle 3. Also features touchscreen navigation.

Navigation: That touchscreen can be used for turning pages (in addition to the Back and Forward buttons on the side) as well as for buying books and taking notes. In addition to other menu-navigation features, it lets you choose a book by its cover (a tiny color graphic). Users can also swap in and out a virtual keyboard, something the physical keyboard of the Kindle doesn’t allow.

Dimensions and Feel: The Nook Simple Touch is slightly squatter at an easy-to-hold 6.5 inches high x 5.0 inches wide x 0.5 inches thick, this device will fit comfortably in just about everyone’s hands. Weighing only 7.5 ounces, it is the lightest eReader currently on the market – about an ounce lighter than the Kindle 3. In addition, it has a rubberized, no-slip back which feels nice and substantial in your hands.

Storage: With its crisp, clear display, reading any of the up to 1,o00 books it will hold will cause no eye fatigue. And, fortunately, though the 2 GB storage is half the latest Kindle model, it can be expanded by a microSD card to hold up to 32GB, unlike its chief rival.

Connectivity: The Nook Simple Touch are wireless connectivty via Wi-Fi, and unlimited Wi-Fi access is available at all Barnes and Noble stores for free. Books download in mere seconds.

Battery life: With up to two months of (with Wi-Fi turned off) battery life, you won’t have to care about anyone else’s specs in this area. Except for the longest vacations, few will mind plugging it in once in a while. And, since the battery recharges in about 3 hours, it’s portable again pretty quickly. Of course, for the truly needy, one could purchase an additional battery. Unlike the Kindle, the one in the Nook is user-replaceable.

Books: Also unlike the Kindle, the Nook supports the “open source” format, ePub, along with its own PDB, Adobe’s PDF, and more. Supports library lending. There is support for a wide variety of graphic formats, including JPG, GIF, PNG, and BMP. With a screen this size, it won’t replace your laptop, but it’s useful for photo viewing and other purposes.

Also unlike the Kindle, you can read eBooks purchased from sites other than Barnes & Noble’s own. Viewing content originally stored on your PC, Mac, iPhone, and BlackBerry is possible, too. Added to that differentiating feature is the ability to (temporarily) loan your eBook to others with the B&N LendMe feature.

Click here to purchase the Nook Simple Touch eReader directly from Barnes & Noble.

The content possibilities are immense, too. Amazon offers over 700,000 books in its Kindle store, an impressive number to be sure. But the Barnes & Noble store adds to that number bringing it to 1 million by adding a large number of public domain books. That won’t be of any interest to most readers, but for those who love old, old books (out of copyright by virtue of age) it’s a nice feature. Naturally, that number also includes almost all the latest bestsellers.

Android: The Barnes and Noble Nook eReader doesn’t offer a ton of dazzling features that put it well beyond the Amazon Kindle. But the Nook uses Google’s Android operating system under the covers. So, it could add features later via Internet download/update. So, an already very good device could actually grow after your purchase into a great one. That sounds like a killer competitor to me.

Overall Recommendation

For those looking for a simple eReader, this has become our top recommendation. We like the feel of it in our hands, its light weight, its touchscreen navigation, and the virtually unlimited amount of book formats. At its current $140 price tag, it makes and excellent choice.

 Buy the Nook Simple Touch eReader.