Both Barnes & Noble and Amazon have updated their e-book reader ranges, the latter announcing its new Kindle 3G with Special Offers just hours after B&N revealed its Simple Touch Reader Nook. However, while the new Nook brings new hardware, as well as a lower price of $139 to the range, the new Kindle is the same hardware, but with a new business model.
The Kindle 3G with Special Offers offsets the reduction in price by displaying "sponsored screensavers and money-saving special offers" on the device - just like the 3G-less Kindle with Special Offers, launched a few weeks ago. Otherwise the e-book reader is identical to the Kindle 3G, offering the same free 3G connectivity of its ad-free alternative, giving access to Amazon's Whispernet service anywhere with mobile reception.
The Simple Touch Reader, meanwhile, offers a number of new features compared to its predecessors. The new Nook is 35 per cent lighter than the last, and offers a 6in touch-sensitive display, 2GB of built-in memory (expandable via microSD) and built-in Wi-Fi. Perhaps the most noteworthy feature of the Simple Touch Reader, however, is its claimed two-month battery life. The upshot is that Barnes & Noble is, says CEO William Lynch: "convinced this is the best value in the dedicated e-reader market."
As a US only retailer, it's unlikely that Barnes & Noble will make its new Nook available in the UK - despite the perversity of imposing physical barriers on digital products such as e-books. The Kindle 3G with Special Offers has a better chance of seeing a UK launch, but there's no word from Amazon yet as to if or when that will occur.