14 DAY TRIAL // While color has been something that owners of e-readers have been waiting for, the wish was slow in actually being fulfilled, but it seems Barnes and Noble has finally gotten around to doing something of the sort, even several days ahead of schedule.
E-readers really took off as a market once Amazon's Kindle, along with competitors from Sony and B&N, started selling heavily last year.
Barnes and Noble was especially faced with difficulty when it came to meeting orders because demand simply exceeded supply by too great a margin.
Now, the same bookstore chain has issued a press release in which it reveals that its color e-reader has now made it to market, or will do so this week.
Originally, availability was scheduled for November 19, but the press release seems to have come out a bit early.
Called NOOKcolor, it is a 7-inch device with a VividView touchscreen and which has 8 GB of internal flash storage space, expandable via a microSD card slot.
There is also mention of a micro USB port and a 3.5mm audio jack, plus 802.11b/g/n WiFi and a battery that can keep the whole thing running for up to eight hours.
"NOOKcolor is the device for people who love to read everything: books, newspapers, magazines, children's books and more,” said William Lynch, CEO of Barnes & Noble.
“Beyond being the most full featured reading product on the market, it also offers the versatility of a tablet, enabling wireless web browsing and streaming music,” he added.
The Barnes and Noble NOOKcolor will start shipping before the end of the week, with sales set to be accomplished in exchange for the sum of $249.
“At $249, it represents tremendous value. We're encouraged by the consumer response thus far, and the organization is committed to doing everything we can to meet demand," Lynch concluded.