Nook Color Vs. iPad

Apple iPad is no doubt one of the best gadgets of this century, but does it stand a chance against the much talked about Nook Color? Frankly speaking, both belong to different leagues. While Apple iPad is a full-fledged tablet PC, Barnes and Noble Nook Color is a dedicated e-book reader. Many people are of the opinion that comparing the two is like comparing apples and oranges. However, you cannot ignore the fact that the iPad has been showered with praise for its ability to double up as an ebook reader. Nor can you ignore the fact that Barnes and Noble has been marketing Nook Color as a hybrid of a tablet PC and an electronic book reader. It's the prevalence of these facts which calls for a comparison for deciding which is the best among the two.

Technical Specifications - Comparison Chart

While the iPad made its debut in April 2010, Nook Color only appeared in November 2010. In order to find out which is better, you need to opt for a head-to-head comparison of the two devices. Given below is a comparison chart wherein Apple iPad specs are compared against Nook Color specs.

Features	Barnes and Noble Nook Color	Apple iPad
Dimensions	8.1 5.0 0.48 in.	9.56 7.47 0.5 in.
Weight	0.987 lb	1.5 lb (Wi-Fi) 1.6 lb (Wi-Fi +3G)
Screen Size	7 in.	9.7 in.
Screen Specs	1024 600 at 169 ppi	1024 768 at 132 ppi
OS	Android 2.1	iOS
CPU	ARM Cortex-A8	1 GHz Apple A4
Memory	512 MB	256 MB DRAM
Storage	8GB Internal; 32 GB microSD	16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB
Connectivity	Wi-Fi USB	Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G
Battery Life	8 hours (wireless off)	10 hours (wireless off)
Price	US$249	US$449 (Base model)

Which is Better - Nook Color or iPad?

The hype surrounding the launch of Apple iPad did play a crucial role in helping it put up the magical sales figures that it boasts of. While the first half of 2010 was marked by iPad supremacy, the second half - or the last quarter to be precise, marked the entry of Nook Color as a successor to Barnes and Noble Nook. Other than the color screen as opposed to that of its predecessor, Nook Color also boasted of numerous applications and Wi-Fi connectivity which allowed the users surf the Internet. These features, along with the fact that it was marketed as a hybrid of tablet PC and ebook reader, pitched it directly against Apple iPad. While both these devices have a touch screen, the layer of glass cover that they sport makes them prone to reflection issues when used outdoors. However, the presence of backlight makes it possible for the users to use them in dark room - something which is not possible with ebook readers that use eink display.

Coming to the comparison between the two, as you can see in the table above, Nook Color is relatively small and lighter than the iPad which makes it easy to handle. The iPad comes in 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB versions, as opposed to Color which has 8 GB inbuilt memory (and 32 GB expandable memory). Similarly, iPad has 10 hours of battery life which is 2 hours more than that of the Nook tablet at 8 hours. While both the factors may seem to give Apple iPad a definite edge in this comparison, the fact that you will end up using the iPad for numerous activities and not just ebook reading does change the equation. In terms of price, however, Nook Color has a definite edge with its lone model costing half of what the iPad base model would cost at US$249. The Wi+3G model of Apple iPad does edge out Nook Color in terms of connectivity, but again that comes at extra cost.

Considering that the iPad is too costly as an ebook reader, you should only go for it if you seek a tablet PC experience. Even though Nook Color is considered a hybrid between tablet PC and e-book reader, it cannot match up to the iPad in this department. So it is safe to go for Nook Color if you seek a dedicated ebook reader, and not an overall tablet PC.