Nook Simple Touch Review: A Good Basic eReader

The Nook Simple Touch is a very basic eReader, and that is the whole idea. While other models have color, videos, web browsing, and other fun features, the Nook Simple Touch is for people who just want to read books without carrying around a huge, paper library. The Nook Simple Touch has the most paper-like look, it is not back-lit, and has all the features you want, from saving your page in all the books you are reading to giving you recommendations based on books you like. Barnes and Noble is one of the world’s largest booksellers, which means that you have a tremendous selection to choose from, over 2.5 million books, and can download anywhere you find a WiFi connection.

Most people who love their Nook Simple Touch appreciate it for it’s simplicity. The Simple Touch is not trying to be an iPad, or even a second string tablet, it is simply a very high quality eReader. The biggest complaints from owners are in the Customer Support department. If something goes wrong with your Nook, don’t expect kind and sympathetic help from Customer Support. Those lemons that have come out are often replaced with refurbished products, rather than a brand new item. Additionally, if your in home WiFi is not supported by Barnes and Noble, tough luck! Owners are finding that Verizon will not work with the Nook Simple Touch, so beware of the limitations. Barnes and Noble can tell you who they do and do not support, and all of their free WiFi sites are with AT&T, so expect trouble if you are with one of their competitors.

But most people are very happy with the features and abilities of the Nook Simple Touch. The battery life is said to be longer than any other eReader, probably because you will not use up battery power watching videos or surfing the web. Barnes and Noble claims a 2 month battery life, but that is based on 1 hour of reading per day under the most conservative conditions – keeping the wireless off. Real battery life is more like 1 month with that 1 hour of reading per day. Even then we’re talking about 30 hours of battery life. That should keep you busy and happy. The only downside is that you may forget to charge it, because it runs out of battery power so infrequently.

Click here to visit the Nook Simple Touch page

The Nook Touch is nice but we preferred the Kobo.

Additionally, the Nook Simple Touch is light and small, lighter than a single paperback at just under 7.5 ounces. The Nook Simple Touch screen is a 6 inch screen, which is about the size of a large paperback. The entire device is 6.5 inches by 5 inches and is just under half an inch thick. The font size and style can be adjusted so you can read well. Barnes and Noble likes to mention that they have the best technology both for clear text, 16 level grayscale and their eInk technology, and the fastest page turning of any eReader. You can read in bright sun, which is something that you cannot do with a tablet computer.

For people who want something that allows them to read anywhere, anytime, and get new books with the tap of the finger, the Nook Simple Touch is probably the right eReader. While there are other options that have more features, most fans of the Nook Simple Touch are not actually looking for those kinds of features. They want a way to read a lot of books using a small, handheld device that fits neatly in their purse or briefcase. Barnes and Noble has figured out a way to continue to sell a lot of books by providing a high quality eReader at a reasonable price. For $99 you are getting a lot of bang for your buck.

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Nook Simple Touch Technical Specs

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Price	$99
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Design
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Touch Screen	Yes
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Screen Size	6”
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Screen Type	E Ink
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Resolution	800 x 600
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Overall Size	6.5” x 5” x .47”
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Weight	7.48 ounces
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Content
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EBooks	2.5 million
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Magazines	345
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Newspapers	10
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Memory & Battery
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Memory	2GB for 1,000 books
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Battery Life	2 months