Barnes & Noble e-reader due next week?

Jake Widman
Thursday, 15 October 2009 01:43

Your IT - Mobility

Bookstore giant Barnes & Noble is reportedly about to release an e-book reader to compete with Amazon's Kindle. The device is expected to make its debut on October 20, but possible photos have leaked out in the meantime.

Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Barnes & Noble was preparing a new e-book reader to enter the marketplace to compete against Amazon's Kindle and Sony's e-Reader.

This follows on the launch last July of the Barnes & Noble eBookstore with more than a million e-books on offer. They require the B&N eReader, but that software is available for iPhones and iPod Touches, BlackBerrys, Macs, and PCs.

Speculation about the new device was further fueled when Barnes & Noble sent out invitations to "a major event in the company's history," to be held in New York next Tuesday, October 20.

Now gadget blog Gizmodo has published photographs supposedly of the e-book reader. The photos match some of the early reports and rumors that had been swirling around.

For example, the WSJ report said the device would feature a 6-inch screen but also a virtual keyboard. Other rumors said the device would display color.

The photos on Gizmodo show a slab with two screens: a black-and-white e-ink screen like the Kindle's, with a color LCD touchscreen underneath it. The color screen would presumably be for browsing book covers before download and would also be where the virtual keyboard would be displayed.

The Gizmodo report also says the device carries a "freaking terrible" name so far and expresses the hope it changes before next Tuesday.