Barnes & Noble Nook Color Launched, Reviewed

Barnes & Noble on Tuesday started shipping its new, Android-based e-reading device. PCMag reviewed the Nook Color, and gave it our Editor's Choice.

Customers who pre-ordered the device will start receiving their Nook Color today and throughout the week, Barnes & Noble said. The e-reader will also be on display starting this week at Barnes & Noble stores, Walmart, and Books-a-Million. It retails for $249.

The Nook Color, which was unveiled in October, includes a 7-inch touch screen and access to more than 2 million titles. It also boasts an extra-wide viewing angle intended for sharing. It weighs 15.8 ounces and comes in at 8.1 inches tall, 5 inches wide, and 0.48 inch deep. The screen boasts 1,024-by-600 resolution and 169 pixels per inch. It comes with 8GB of storage, expandable up to 32GB with a microSD card. Barnes & Noble promised up to eight hours of reading with the wireless functionality turned off. It also has built-in Wi-Fi.

"Nook Color is the device for people who love to read everything: books, newspapers, magazines, children's books and more," William Lynch, chief executive of Barnes & Noble, said in a statement. "Beyond being the most full featured reading product on the market, it also offers the versatility of a tablet, enabling wireless web browsing and streaming music."

Barnes & Noble also said it will offer a major firmware update this week for its Nook 3G and Nook Wi-Fi devices.

For more details about the Nook Color, see the slideshow below.

About Our Expert

Chloe Albanesius

Executive Editor, News

My Experience

I started out covering tech policy in DC for The National Journal, where my beat included state-level tech news and all the congressional hearings and FCC meetings I could handle. I later covered Wall Street trading tech before switching gears to consumer tech. I now lead PCMag's news coverage.

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Getting my start in DC means I still have a soft spot for tech policy; Congressional hearings can sometimes be as entertaining as a Bravo reality show, for better or worse. But PCMag is all about the technology we use every day, as well as keeping an eye out for the trends that will shape the industry in the years ahead (or flop on arrival). I've covered the rise of social media, the iOS vs. Android wars, the cord-cutting revolution that's now left us with hefty streaming bills, and the effort to stuff artificial intelligence into every product you could imagine. This job has taken me to CES in Vegas (one too many times), IFA in Berlin, and MWC in Barcelona. I also drove a Tesla 1,000 miles out west as part of our Best Mobile Networks project. Of late, my focus is on our hard-working team of reporters at PCMag, guiding and editing their robust coverage.

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