Nook Simple Touch with 'no annoying ads' to drop to $99

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Summary: Leaked documents suggest Barnes & Noble could be cutting the Nook Simple Touch’s price to match the ad-supported Amazon Kindle Touch next week.

It looks like Barnes and Noble will not only be unveiling the Nook Tablet on Monday, but also dropping the price of its Nook Simple Touch to $99, as well as releasing an update (version 1.1) for the e-reader. According to leaked Nook documents obtained by Engadget and The Digital Reader, the update will bring about “25% faster page turns,” a 2-month battery life, and “no annoying ads.”

Is a price cut for the Nook Simple Touch coming next week? Image from Engadget

At $99 and with no ads, the Nook e-reader is definitely not bowing down to the new, ad-supported $99 Kindle Touch ($139 for the ad-free variant). And it looks like the Nook Color will be discounted to $199 and be given a software update that brings the likes of Hulu Plus and Pandora to the last-gen device.

A comparison of all Nook devices. Image from Engadget

But keep in mind this information has not been confirmed by B&N yet so this is all just speculation at the moment. Regardless of the specs and price, deciding between the B&N and Amazon device will come down to the type of content you consume — do you usually read e-books in ePUB format from your public library, or do you tend to purchase new e-books from Amazon?

One way or another, we will find out just what B&N will really do with its Nook lineup next week. Tune into ZDNet’s coverage of the press event on November 7!

[Source: Engadget, The Digital Reader]

Updated: Mentioned the Nook Color’s price drop as detailed in the specs comparison chart.

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Gloria Sin is a freelance journalist based in New York City.

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Kindle Touch 3G hitting AT&T next week, $149

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Summary: Amazon’s Kindle Touch 3G wants you to think twice about picking up a Nook Simple Touch or a budget e-reader this Black Friday.

AT&T will be stocking its stores with the new Amazon Kindle Touch 3G next week so you may want to pass on that generic brand e-reader on Black Friday, no matter how tempting its doorbuster price may be.

For $149, the 6? Kindle Touch 3G with Special Offers includes free global 3G service in over 100 countries and territories, so you’ll be able to shop in the Kindle Store and Amazon Cloud no matter where you are. (The ad-free version costs $189.) As long as you’re just downloading Kindle content, AT&T won’t charge you monthly fees or ask you to sign a contract for the service. It also has built-in Wi-Fi so you can avoid surprise charges for say checking your emails by waiting until you’re in a Wi-Fi zone. (Check out Amazon’s Wireless Connectivity policy for details.)

Hardware-wise, the Kindle Touch 3G forgoes a Qwerty keyboard for a 6? touchscreen display that uses Pearl e-ink (600 x 800 pixel resolution at 167 ppi). With Wi-Fi turned off, the Kindle Touch 3G should last two months between charges according to Amazon, thanks to its energy efficient display. Although its on-board storage is on the skimpy side with just 4GB, you will also get free storage in the Amazon cloud for Amazon content, which is ideal for cross-platform consumption (from PC to phone to tablet etc.). The e-reader also has an audio jack and a micro-USB port but lacks a micro-SD slot that the Barnes and Noble Nook Simple Touch offers (though the Nook only has 2GB of internal storage).

With the Nook Simple Touch e-reader now retailing for just $99, is the Kindle Touch 3G worth the extra $50? I think it comes down to your priorities. Is having access to to the largest e-book store from anywhere (using 3G and Wi-Fi) most important? If so, then the Kindle Touch 3G makes the most sense. Perhaps it’s the security of being able to walk into a local B&N store to get one-on-one help with your device, or the flexibility to access your ePUB files that tip the scale in the Nook’s favor for you. In any case, the stage is set for an e-reader showdown this holiday season — which device do you think will be top dog?

[Source: AT&T]

Gloria Sin is a freelance journalist based in New York City.

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