[ Music ] ^M00:00:07 [ Background music ] >> Brian Tong: What's up Prize Fight fans I'm Brian Tong and we're bringing you the first eReader throw down show down. It's a prize fight between Amazon's Kindle Global wireless version and Barnes and Nobles first entry into the eReader space the Nook. Our judges for this fight are Executive Editor David Carnoy, Executive Editor Tom Merrit and the king of the ring that would be me. Now we'll take all 3 judges scores and average them out to the nearest 10th each round, the final Prize Fight score be an average of all rounds using the same decimal system. It's time to rumble and tumble, first round is design. Amazon's Kindle has made big improvements with a slimmer body but it's off white color still feels like it's from 1985, and all those buttons it needs to work on its sexy. Barnes and Nobles Nook is the first to make an eReader look pretty, the color LCD is a nice piece of eye candy and its clean design makes it a legit hottie. The Nook takes this round with a 4 and this Kindle gets a 3.3. Next round is navigation and interface. The Kindle's navigation is pretty intuitive, moving around is easy and responsive but that little joy stick nub for navigation set at the far right edge isn't ideal. We also prefer the Kindle's Store layout. Now the Nooks navigation primarily takes place on its touch screen LCD, but it can get a little jarring with a scroll bar of options on the LCD right next to navigation arrows related to the e-ink screen then you have your previous and next page buttons on the edges of the Nook, so it really feels like you're jumping between 2 different types of control. The Kindle takes this round 3.3 to 2.3 and after averaging 2 rounds Amazon leads by just 1/10 of a point. Round 3 is features and technology. The Kindle shines with its PC integration allowing you to buy books through a PC and then synch them wirelessly to your Kindle and to other devices like an iPhone. Its whisper synch feature lets you pick up where you left off on other devices and the process is seamless. You'll also be able to download books from your Kindle internationally with a global wireless edition. The web browser is forgettable and Texas Beach has been crippled by publishers. Now the Nooks unique combination of 3G and Wi-Fi allows users to access special content over Wi-Fi in Barnes and Nobles Stores and you'll also be able to stream eBooks to the device while you're in the store. A lending feature allows you to share books with others but its limited. There's an expansion slot for memory and a removable battery but it needs to work on having a more integrated experience. It still doesn't hurt it and the Nook takes this round with a 3.7 and the Kindle gets a 3.3. The next round is performance. The Kindle may not be the fastest device out there, but it really stands out and almost feels snappy compared to the Nook. E-Ink technology still has slow refresh rates, but the navigation is responsive and smooth. Its battery life is unheard of with our tests getting over a week and a half of juice with normal use. As with the nook even a recent firmware update can't help it. This is just one of the more frustrating experiences I've had with the device when it comes to performance. The touch screen is laggy and at times unresponsive and when you're dependent on it for most of the navigation it hurts the entire device and when the touch screen times out you can press it to wake up, but even that takes an extra second or two. Battery life is still alright with over 4 1/2 days of normal use, but it's not even in the same universe as the Kindle. The Kindle takes this round with a 3.7 and the Nook gets a 2. So after averaging 4 rounds the Kindle has increased its lead to 4/10 of a point. The final round that decides it all is value. Both of these devices are priced at $259 msrp and you're getting a solid device for that price. The Kindle's book pricing is cheaper now and the Nooks eBook pricing tends to be about the same, but what really makes a difference is the integration and snappier performance of the Kindle that doesn't frustrate. The Kindle takes the final round 4 to 3.3. So let's average out all 5 rounds and in a battle that stayed close in the beginning, the Kindle took control in the last 2 rounds and takes this by 3.5 to 3.1 and is your Prize Fight winner. The eReader market still has a long ways to go and we're excited to see how it evolves but for now it's the Kindle that reigns supreme. I'm Brian Tong, thanks for watching and we'll catch you guys next time on another Prize Fight. ^M00:04:28 [ Music ]
