Barnes and Noble eReader

There was a period in my life when I used to spend all my time at a Barnes and Noble bookstore. I used to read, study, browse the web, and even tutor students at the bookstore. Now, B&N is feeling the heat because the Amazon Kindle has taken off and the future is e-book or e-reader technology. B&N is planning on working with Plastic Logic to create an e-book, but in the meanwhile, they're working on getting a head start. They've announced free eReader software for the Apple iPhone/iPod touch, BlackBerry, the PC, and the Mac. Where's Windows Mobile in all this? What about webOS on the Palm Pre or Google Android?

Well, I suppose if they can get many subscribers to start using this eReader software, then it'll be much easier to switch to the e-book made by Plastic Logic.

PC Magazine has reviewed the Barnes and Noble eReader software.

Bottom line:

Barnes & Noble joins the e-book fray but, unlike Amazon, doesn't make you buy an expensive reader. The Windows software is serviceable and the iPhone version outstanding, but the Mac version could stand beefing up.

Pros:

• Huge library of titles.
  
• Cross-platform support.
  
• Excellent iPhone reader.

Cons:

• Books can't be purchased within app.
  
• Bare-bones Mac version.

Do you see yourself migrating to an eReader of some type? I already do all my reading on my Thinkpad X200 tablet. Since it's a convertible tablet, I can swivel the screen and hold the machine in my hand when I'm on the plane. It's a great way to read PDFs.