Sorry for the cheesy title. But it was just begging to be said.
My nook arrived last Tuesday (while I was at work! The agony! Except it did arrive half a month early…the ecstasy!). Her name is Calliope, and we’re getting along swimmingly. Since many people have asked why I went with the nook and how I’m liking it, here is a summary of Calliope’s strengths and weaknesses:
The good:
- She’s easy. Not to give her a bad reputation, but she is. The nav bar (that color strip in the above picture) is pretty easy to figure out, so it’s possible to dive right in. The nav bar has buttons for The Daily, My Library, Shop, Reading Now and Settings.
- And, you can use the nook while it charges, which means you don’t have to wait for hours to use it. This is good for those of us who like instant gratification.
- Calliope is stylish. In fact, she reminds me a lot of the iPod/iPhone.
- You can input your nook’s name, and it appears in the upper corner. You can also add your own wallpaper and music (still haven’t tried this). So you can make your nook your own. As you can see, I have a picture of Calliope on my screen.
- The Daily feature is fun. Barnes and Noble downloads daily content for you, which are entertaining little tidbits of literature and literary facts.
- Downloads are quick, and when you search for a book, the free Google books will also appear. I’ve downloaded Daddy Long-Legs and Alice in Wonderland for free. And I bought The Unnamed, a recent release, for $9.99. And okay, I have a ways to go before I recoup the cost, but who doesn’t like free and cheap?
- Reading on the treadmill is so much better with a nook. If you’ve ever wrestled with one of those plastic book holder thingies, you’ll know how happy it makes me that Calliope is flat. Same goes for reading in bed.
- It’s also fun to grab and go. Although I did wait until my cover had arrived before I was brave enough to take Calliope out in public.
However, like any new technology, Calliope has her quirks. The not so good:
- She doesn’t turn off automatically. You actually have to press the power button for about 5 seconds to power down. No biggie, but it did take me awhile to figure this out. I would’ve liked an option where it shuts off automatically if you haven’t used it in a certain length of time. Call me spoiled (or lazy), but this is a pretty standard feature on technology these days.
- She also takes awhile to power up. Calliope is not a morning person.
- The page load is funky. I knew this going in, so it doesn’t bother me, but there is a weird blinking effect when you turn the page. I try to blink in unison, to give my eyes a rest.
- I’m having a heck of time getting it to remember my furthest read point in a book. And I forget to bookmark, so finding my spot can sometimes take awhile. I need to work on this more.
- The magazine selection is wimpy. Not that I was going to subscribe, but I’m just saying…wimpy.
- I keep wanting to touch the reading screen to navigate…this is my problem, not Calliope’s. As an iPhone user, it’s a bit hard to restrain yourself to a portion of the screen.
And believe it or not, I’ve actually reached up to physically turn the page a few times. So it’s easy to feel like you really are reading a book. I was excited about getting the nook, but I honestly didn’t expect to love it as much as I do.
Andi from Estella’s Revenge has also posted her review of the nook, so check out what she has to say, too. I was just re-reading it, and it seems like we’re liking a lot of the same features.
I’ve never used any other e-reader, and I went with the nook over the Kindle simply because I prefer B&N over Amazon (and poor Sony was never really on my radar). The Kindle (and other e-readers) never really interested me. But when I heard that the nook has a color nav bar, I was suddenly interested. I love to see the covers, so knowing that I could view them on the nav bar (although still not the big screen) in color was a huge draw. Also, I like the idea of nook’s share feature. Not that I know anyone other than Andi who has a nook. But still, being able to share books (even if it’s only for 2 weeks) is way cool.
Is there anyone else out there with a nook?
I love that you named it! I have an original Kindle, and still haven’t managed to finish reading a book on it (but it was a handed down kindle from my husband’s work, so it’s not like we invested anything in it). I think had we spent money on it I would spend more time using it. My husband likes it for his business trips though. I think if I traveled more I would use it more often. My family all pitched in and got my nephew a Kindle 2 for Christmas since he’s stationed on a Submarine, and out to sea for months at a time, and it’s much easier to stow the kindle than a duffel bag of books (which is what he had been doing).
Anyway, sorry I don’t have anything personal to share about the nook. I do think if I was spending my own money that’s the one I would pick though, since I like the color screen.
.-= Alyce´s last blog ..The Sunday Salon – January 24 =-.
I’m so glad you love your nook! I would love to have one just because I love gadgets, but since I have a Kindle and a Sony, won’t be getting one.
.-= Kathy´s last blog ..Our Life in France Guest Post – work =-.
Glad to hear that you’re liking your Nook. I’ve debated whether or not I want an ereader; I think if I traveled more than it would become much more something that I really wanted. Then the question is always which to get. So I love getting feedback on the various models.
.-= Lisa´s last blog ..Sunday Salon – January 24 =-.
Amen sister! The page flip issue doesn’t really bug me. Maybe because a friend of mine with a 1st generation Kindle has it worse. lol It seemed like they were really slow to flip for some reason.
I adore the name! I have yet to name mine because Estella is overused on me at this point, and I’ve yet to be creative enough to come up with another option. Maybe that’s what I’ll do while I’m bored during office hours this afternoon. Oh, and read Emma on my Nook, of course.
.-= Andi´s last blog ..Woolf in Winter: The Belated Celebration =-.
I tried a Nook over the weekend and didn’t care for it at all. The display model was slow, REALLY slow and it seemed really dim to me. My eyes are getting worse so that could be me and not the unit. The display model was really beat up so perhaps there was something wrong with it.
I wish I could by a Nook and a Kindle and keep them for awhile to test them out.
.-= Ti´s last blog ..Moby Dick Monday: January 25, 2010 (Week 11) =-.
Jason and I have a kindle and it has similar features as you mention. One nice thing is that it auto-saves your latest spot read in a book so you don’t have to worry about finding your place. The bad thing is that the library is completely unorganized so if you have a lot of books on there you just have to thumb through until you find the right one. That’s really annoying.
.-= Amanda´s last blog ..Sunday Salon – Unsung YA Books =-.
Well, I’m still trying to forgive you for the title of the post! But it was a nice product review, in any event. I am trying to get used to the idea of e books so we can downsize and save about 22 million square feet that is now necessary for book shelving, but it hasn’t happened yet…
.-= rhapsodyinbooks´s last blog ..Sunday Salon – Review of “City of Thieves” by David Benioff =-.
I love naming inanimate objects! Calliope is a great one
Not sure if I will make the plunge and get an e-reader yet, though I’d LOVE one for travel.
.-= Aarti´s last blog ..Review: The Help =-.
That is the cutest thing ever! I have a Kindle2 – which I love – but the Nook is so colorful and pretty. Hope you enjoy your new e-reader!
.-= Susan B. Evans´s last blog ..Musing Mondays =-.
Great review of the nook! I’m still considering investing in an e-reader, and will probably buy one before the next ‘big’ trip. I had a chance to test a kindle when my daughter brought her professor’s home for a weekend. It was OK, but I still prefer reading a physical book.
.-= JoAnn´s last blog .."Why I Live at the P.O." by Eudora Welty =-.
I’m not an e-reader, but I think it’s a great gadget for travelling. Have fun and happy reading!
.-= Melody´s last blog ..POC Reading Challenge =-.
That sounds great. I don’t know when I’m gonna cave to buy an e-reader. Maybe when there’s one that could rule them all.
.-= mee´s last blog ..Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge =-.
I have a Kindle myself and just love it. I think everyone who gets an e-reader is surprised how quickly they adjust to it and love it. I do have to say I don’t have an issue with the screen blinking in any way when I turn a page — not that I’ve noticed. And the Kindle does remember where you left off no matter if you bookmark it or not … so that is nice. Otherwise, they seem pretty similar. : )
.-= Jenners´s last blog ..Giveaway: Even the Dogs by Jon McGregor =-.
Congratulations on your Nook!! I have a Kindle and just LOVE it. Though I’ve been reading books on it for almost a year now, I STILL find myself reaching up to the corner of the Kindle to turn the page too. LOL!
Happy Reading!!
.-= Karen @ Planet Books´s last blog ..I Want To Be Blue Too! =-.
I’ll be curious to hear how you like it as you continue to use it. I’ve definitely been looking at E-readers and trying to decide if I want one and if so, which one. You are the first person I’ve read that has the Nook. I hope you are enjoying it!
.-= Julie´s last blog ..A Reliable Wife =-.
:O I wants it right now!!! It might drive me a little nuts not being able to swipe the screen too since I’m an iPhone user…but it’s a small sacrifice to make
I’m seriously considering getting me one of these!!
.-= Chris´s last blog ..Confessions of a Mask by Yukio Mishima =-.
Oooo…I have to see her! Make sure to bring her to lunch this week, because I want to take a look! And great review by the way! Anyone trying to decide which e-Reader to buy should definitely be directed to your review, great!
.-= The1stdaughter´s last blog ..Sweet As A Bug…No! Wait! The Turkeybird Takes Over! =-.
I can’t wait to meet Calliope in person!!! She sounds like a great addition to your reading team.
Looks cool! I got a Kindle in August 2008 and used it quite a bit for awhile. I am ashamed to say that it has been months since I have used it though. I got burnt out and began to miss the feeling of holding a real book.
.-= Stephanie´s last blog ..East of Eden–part 1 =-.
Glad you are enjoying your Nook. I have a Kindle2 and really like it a lot. My husband and I share it though so we are always negotiating over who gets to use it. The Kindle does the weird page turn thing too but you get used to it after awhile and don’t even notice it.
.-= Stefanie´s last blog ..Edith and Henry =-.
Oh, and before I forget…did you know you can swipe the touchscreen to turn pages?? Yes, oh yes, you can! I totally forgot…only found that feature when I was reading the user guide.
.-= Andi´s last blog ..Dragging Out Emma… =-.
Thanks so much for this review. I prefer B&N so if I ever get an e-reader I would prefer theirs. Thanks for tempting me with Calliope
.-= Stacy´s last blog ..Digital Fortress, by Dan Brown =-.
I like my older model Sony and am considering the Sony Touch. The automatic download of books from the air would be nice but is not a big feature for me. I like auto shut off and auto remembering my place (over multiple books) more. But the Nook is soooooo cool with that color bar that I can’t help but have envy.
.-= Beth F´s last blog ..Review: The Book of Fires by Jane Borodale =-.
COngrats!!!!! What a queer name for the Nook
But I like it, it sounds good.
I own no readers, so I just am envious of all of u, who hve one!
.-= Veens´s last blog ..Cover Attractions! =-.
lol! i just got a kindle and am having the same urge to touch that you are! i’m also an iphone user and i’m constantly wishing that everything had a touch screen.
i do love my kindle but it also has a quirky on/off thing. i did figure out the bookmark and love the dictionary feature! enjoy the ‘nookE’ book. ahem.
I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one out there who prefers B&N to Amazon .. and that’s why if I ever get an eReader, it will definitely be the Nook.
Thanks for posting this review . I’ve been thinking of getting one, managed to talk myself out it, and now am lusting after it again!
A belated congratulations on your Nook
I enjoyed reading this review. I tried out my friend’s Sony Reader the other day and was not so impressed (of course could not tell her that). I did not like the lighting. I have not seen a Nook in person but have seen the Kindle. I am sure you will have tons of fun with Calliope.
.-= girasoli´s last blog ..it’s Groundhog Day!!! =-.