Barnes & Noble Nook gets color makeover

Barnes & Noble has debuted a color, 7-inch e-reader powered by Google’s Android OS. Dubbed NOOKcolor, the latest iteration of the popular device is priced at a very reasonable $250.

The full-color, touch e-reader is expected to open up a “whole new world” of digital content, including bestsellers, magazines, enhanced cookbooks and interactive children’s picture books.

“With NOOKcolor, we’ve combined the functionality and convenience of a 7-inch portable wireless tablet with the reader-centricity of a dedicated eReader, and employed a breakthrough color screen technology,” explained B&N CEO William Lynch.

“NOOKcolor enables Web browsing over Wi-Fi, music, games and much more, but reading anything and everything in brilliant color is the killer app and squarely the product’s focus.”

Indeed, the NookColor features a full Internet browser, audio streaming, MP3/AAC playback, an integrated 3.5mm headphone jack and speakers.

Additional specs include:

  • 8GB of storage – 6,000 NOOKbooks, 1,000 books, 25 full-color magazines, 10 newspapers, 50 kids’ books, 500 songs and 150 photos.
  • Expandable memory using a microSD card.
  • Syncs last page read, highlights, notes and bookmarks.
  • Portrait or landscape modes. 
  • Customization – Choose what titles will appear on your home page and Daily Shelf, organize and view your library, find the right text type, size and color theme.
  • Continuous reading experience – Read NOOKbooks seamlessly across NOOKcolor, NOOK 3G and Wi-Fi devices, including the iPhone and iPad.
  • Transfer and view personal PDF and ePub files, as well as JPG, PNG, GIF and BMP files.

  • View Microsoft Office files, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
  • Measurements and weight – 8.1 inches (height) by 5 inches (width) by 0.48 inches (depth) and 15.8 ounces.