The Barnes and Noble Nook Glowlight Plus 7.8 is the first large screen e-reader the bookseller has ever released. The retail packaging is full color on the front and back. It lists the main selling points on the back, but does not have hardware specs. The main hyping factors are the front-lit display and color temperature system, waterproof, audio and 8GB of storage.
The Nook fits very snuggly inside the case and inside the box is a Nook branded Micro USB cable and a 1 page user manual. I like minimist user guides, they basically explain what all of the buttons do and provides a website link where you can find out more information.
One thing we noticed about the Nook is that the bezel is very big at the top and bottom. This is because the battery on this model is on the top, instead of the bottom. On the sides are two manual page turn buttons, which will ensure that right and left handed people will have no problem pressing the forward and back buttons for ebook reading. The back of the device is made of rubber, which means it is easier to grip and will not leave a ton of fingerprints. On the bottom is the USB port and on the top is the power button and 3.5mm headphone jack.
The display is 300 PPI and it uses Neonode IR touch, instead of a capacitive touchscreen display. This actually makes interacting with the screen easier for readers who like to flip pages of an ebook with swipes and gestures. If you want to learn everything there is to know about the new Nook, check out our comprehensive post.
Barnes and Noble only sells the Nook in the US for $199. Many stores have none in stock, we had to visit 4 different locations just to get a single e-reader. It sold out online within 24 hours of the launch. If you live outside the USA and want to get your hands on the new Nook Glowlight Plus 7.8, you can purchase it from the Good e-Reader Store.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
