When I wrote my grant there were several features of the Kindle that I highlighted. I called our local Barnes and Noble store to find out if the Nook had these same capabilities:(B = both, N = Nook, K = Kindle)
1. Does the Nook support highlighting and annotations?
Yes - on books you buy from BN. (B)
2. Can you convert other books into BN format?
Not through BN. (On the Kindle, I can email them a book in PDF or Word and they will convert it so that I can highlight and annotate it) (K)
3. Can you print the highlights and annotations?
No. (With the Kindle, I can go to kindle.amazon.com and print out my annotations for a book. This would be helpful in a discussion of the book. You can tell people which location to go to and then discuss your notes. It's not necessary, just helpful) (K)
4. Do the books come with Text-to-Speech?
No. (Most of the Kindle books have this capability, even though it sounds like a robot, it helps! I use it all the time when I am busy and want to keep reading. It means I dont have to have another device and another product to complete the book) (K)
5. Can I use my audiobooks on the Nook?
Yes but they must be in MP3 format and sideloaded (you put them on yourself). (If you use audible.com, they will load for you but I have loaded my own audiobooks. I don't believe they have to be in that format though.) (b)
6. Can you listen to music while you are reading?
Yes. (Same as Kindle) (B)
7. Can I change the text size?
Yes, there are three fonts you can use, mostly on BN books but on some of your own documents too, and there are 5 text sizes. (The Kindle keeps you the font the book was printed in but you have at least 8 font sizes plus you can decided if you want more or less words on a line. This spacing helps keep track of where you are for those who need that support) (B)
8. Can you load other documents/files on the Nook?
Yes, PDF or other ebooks in ePub format such as Adobe Digital Editions. No Kindle books though! :) You can also load JPG and PNG so you can change the wallpaper and the screensaver. (The Kindle supports PDF, DOC, JPG, PNG, HTML, DOCX, TXT, RTF, - this would allow me to load a syllabus, study guide, or other teacher material onto the Kindle for students to refer to) (K)
9. Can you subscribe to Blogs, Newspapers and Periodicals?
Yes to Newspapers (24)and Magazines (9). (The Kindle has a larger selection of Magazines (36), including Times and Newsweek, that can be used to study current events. There's also a larger number of Newspapers (134), including international ones. Kindle has some great blogs that would be worth it to follow also) (K)
10. Does the Nook have web access?
Yes, in Beta. I tested this and it's pretty cool. The full webpage shows up on the Eink screen and it has boxes around it. Then the color screen at the bottom shows that section in color. You can touch the links and move around that way. Drains the battery and you can't use the page forward buttons but very nifty! (Kindle has a great little web program. It has some great sites bookmarked, too. You navigate by using the page forward button) (N - that color thing is great!)
11. Does the Nook have a built in dictionary?
Yes, you go to the dictionary and either type the word or scroll to it. It will go to definition and hit ok when done. (Kindle has easier interface. You can scroll to a word and it defines it at the bottom so your reading is not disturbed.) (B)
So the bottom line on the grant features? Both ereaders have 5 of 11 features I wanted. The Kindle does better with 5 of the 11 features and the Nook does better with 1 of the 11 features. This could be because I wrote the grant with the Kindle in mind...
Personally, my daughter found the Nook more interesting and easier to hold. She loves that cover look and having your own screensavers. I've had the Kindle for four months and the Nook for 1 week and she's already read a book on the Nook. She tried using the Kindle but didn't like it. She hated the keyboard. She also thought the Nook felt more like a book. I like the Kindle's page turning better than the Nook because that little blink out distracts me from the reading.
I'm going to try and use only the Nook this summer to get a better idea of how it stacks up. I'll also post pictures of each feature.
Let me know if there are other things you like about the Kindle that you want to compare.
Click the QR code on your smartphone to grab Sonnet 65 by the Bard himself! An experiment with how to distribute learning resources to students' mobile devices.
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