After Barnes & Noble sent out invitations to a "very special event" on October 26, rumors started swirling about what exactly the company would announce. Barnes & Noble already revealed that its Nook e-book reader will be sold at Walmart starting October 24, but the event's keystone is likely to be a new device.
That new device, according to CNET, could be a color version of the Nook. CNET's tipster informed them that the new Nook will have a 7-inch, full-color touch screen, run (likely a more complete version of) the Android operating system, and be called the Nook Color. According to the anonymous source, it will retail for $249.
A color screen on a dedicated e-book reader, especially one that has a proven audience and a respected brand, could be a game-changer. Most good e-book readers, like the Amazon Kindle and the Sony Reader, have E Ink screens. E Ink screens are readable in direct sunlight and have extremely long battery life, but they are not currently available in color—it's all various shades of gray. The current Nook has a small, color LCD at the bottom of the screen, but it too is primarily an E Ink device. If Barnes & Noble can successfully incorporate a color screen into the Nook, it might set the device apart from the competition.
Successfully adding the color screen is a tall order, however—just ask Pandigital, whose color, Android-based Novel e-book reader with Barnes & Noble's bookstore was effectively unusable. Using an LCD, like on the Apple iPad, also typically makes the device hard to read outdoors as well as heavier and shorter on battery life.
One possibility for Barnes & Noble is a company called Mirasol, a screen manufacturer that has shown color displays that are readable in direct sunlight, able to display video, and can switch seamlessly from color to black-and-white. Mirasol displays are reflective, using natural light instead of a backlight (a low-power solution like the Kindle), but since the screens' refresh rate is higher than E Ink, it can support complicated tasks like video and browsing. The company has showed off its 5.7-inch screens, which it said will be shipping in 2011.
Barnes & Noble's challenge, as with any e-book reader on the market, is competition: e-book readers are increasingly being commoditized and features are becoming standard, and the Kindle has built a substantial lead thanks to Amazon's clout and the device's strengths. If Barnes & Noble can incorporate color, video, and a better browsing experience all without losing the benefits of a dedicated e-book reader—long life, little eye strain, simplicity—next week's event could represent a giant leap forward for Barnes & Noble.