Nook and Vook are poised to make eReading interesting

October 25, 1:17 AMDC Publishing Industry ExaminerWendy Coakley-Thompson

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Barnes & Noble's Nook eReader

This week, Barnes & Noble revealed Nook, their new eReader. Here’s what Barnes & Noble promises Nook, available November 30, can do:

Get bestsellers and new releases, your favorite newspapers, and magazines all delivered via fast and free 3G wireless. Great eBooks are just seconds away as you tap into the vast Barnes and Noble eBookstore. Sample any eBook for free.

Store as many as 1,500 eBooks, newspapers, and magazines on your nook, so you'll never be without your favorites. And with an added memory card you can keep up to 17,500. eBooks download in seconds. Many bestsellers and new releases are just $9.99, and thousands of titles are free, so you can enjoy more for less."
 

Previously, the eReader conversation was a two-way street, with Kindle, Amazon’s #1 bestselling item by both unit sales and dollars, on one side and its stiffest competition, the Sony eReader, on the other. Now, the appearance of Nook has made the two-way street into a three-lane highway.
 

A new player is also in the mix – Vook, which entrepreneur Brad Inman and Simon and Schuster’s Atria imprint launched earlier this month. If you don’t know what a vook is, its website offers the following answer:
 

A vook is a new innovation in reading that blends a well-written book, high-quality video and the power of the Internet into a single, complete story. You can read your book, watch videos that enhance the story and connect with authors and your friends through social media all on one screen, without switching between platforms.
 

Vooks are available in two formats: As a web-based application you can read on your computer and a mobile application for reading on the go. With the web-based application you don't have to download programs or install software. Just open your favorite browser and start reading and watching in an exciting new way. You can also download and install the mobile applications through the Apple iTunes store and sync them with your Apple mobile device."
 

Many in publishing have touted technology as one of the industry’s game changers. For now, it seems like it might be safe to believe the hype.