Barnes & Noble sent out a press invite for a special event this week that’s started a lot of buzz, and most speculators are hedging their bets on a new touchscreen color iteration of their Nook ereader.
What gave them away? Well, for one thing, they mistakenly posted a page where customers could purchase film covers, complete with a picture of the device itself… whoops. The page has since been pulled, but I’d imagine that we’ll see it again after this week’s press event. In addition, WHOIS records show that the domain nookcolor.com was registered in March with hosting servers on barnesandnoble.com.
Ok, so assuming that we’ll be seeing a full color Nook, it’ll be interesting to see how Barnes & Noble pulls it off. On Crunchgear, blogger Devin Coldeway lists full LCD, Mirasol, and Pixel Qi as likely candidates. An LCD touchscreen may hook some would-be iPad buyers, but it would mean losing E Ink devotees that can’t stand the glare (the same people who laughed at this Kindle ad). Mirasol might be too young a technology to be a safe investment, though still noteworthy (and who doesn’t appreciate tech imitating life). The hybrid E Ink and LCD Pixel Qi would be neat, and it looks pretty comparable to the Kindle.
The new Nook is supposedly going to be sold at $250 and will have Android as its operating system (not surprising, as they already have an Android app). Would a color touchscreen be enough to tip the scales in Barnes & Noble’s favor, or will the higher price tag ensure that Kindle keeps its top ereader title?
The Pixel Qi screen is the only thing that would make me want it. But still, would need to see it in action on how it really works. If it’s an LCD screen, it’s DOA as a dedicated reader.
But depending on the hardware inside, and how much Android they let through, it might actually made a good tablet.