Barnes & Noble Nook Color: The Unboxing

The Nook Color's box is sleek and thin, and snaps open at the bottom to reveal the device.

In the box are the Nook Color, a Getting Started guide, and the included micro-SD and AC adapter cables.

The 7-inch touch screen dominates the face of the device, with the cut-out corner its one unique feature.

The only visible button is the N at the bottom of the screen, which acts as a Home button much like on the iPad.

The Nook Color is thicker than most ebook readers, but thinner and lighter than most tablets.

Holding the Nook Color in one hand is easy, and at less than a pound it doesn't require the arm strength of some other devices.

The built-in speaker on the Nook Color rests on the back, along with the Nook logo and little else.

The Nook Color charges via a proprietary port, which is frustrating.

For as powerful as it is, there are surprisingly few bells and whistles on the Nook Color. The experience, above all, is still devoted to reading.

The battery lasts about 8 hours, and power will drain even when the device is off, as long as Wi-Fi is running.

There's a built-in speaker on the Nook Color, for audiobooks, music and videos.

The standard headphone jack means the Nook Color can double as your media player.

In the box are a USB cable, and a wall adapter for charging the Nook Color. This pair is the only way to charge the device.

The packaging is pretty, and minimal—you won't need much to get started.

The Nook Color is a bit slow to turn on the first time, but once it's on it sleeps and wakes quickly.

The lock screen will look familiar to anyone who's used an Android device before—or an iOS device, for that matter.

The home screen shows the books you're currently reading, for easy access to what you're in the middle of.

Magazines and books can be read in portrait or landscape orientations, and automatically re-flow when the Nook Color is rotated.

From any screen on the Nook Color, a tap on the software menu takes you to some of the most important spots on the Nook Color

The Library screen is where you'll find and organize all your reading material on the Nook Color.

Reading is still the hallmark function of the Nook Color, and the touch screen handles it well.

From within a book, you can quickly share a passage or your progress, look up a word or change settings.

Picture-rich things like magazines and newspapers look excellent on the Nook Color—especially PCMag's Digital Edition.