Nook

Remember the Kobo? The Borders-backed ereader never reached the popularity heights of the Kindle or the Nook, but it's always been a reasonable (and cheaper) option for the eink screen lover. And now it's getting even cheaper — with 200 Borders stores closing because of the company's bankruptcy, many have spotted the ereader offered at a price of $60, half off the $120 tag advertised on its website.

While the low price is only available in some stores that are well on their way out, even the regularly priced units can be found for around $100. And although the Kobo lacks some features that its competitors have, if you're in the market for an ereader and haven't decided which one to get, now's the time to check out the Kobo's features. Thinking about getting a Nook or a Kindle? Check out three great reasons to give a fabulously priced Kobo a second look after the break.

In a move that's decidedly backward in the minds of many ereader adopters, one bookstore in Portland, OR, is offering to exchange your Kindle for its worth in free books. Its website reads:

"Do you love print? Do you still read books? Did you get a Kindle for Christmas? Do you want to trade in your soulless faux-literary technology for its worth in good old-fashioned books?"

Since I love my Kindle, there's no chance I'd let it go, but I suppose this is an appealing option for people who don't want to hang onto an unwanted ereader. Still, it's worth mentioning that even this devout ereader fan thinks that traditional ink-and-paper books are a wonderful thing!

Would you ever ditch your beloved ereader to go back to the originals?

The Black Friday train keeps on chugging, and this time it's Barnes & Noble that's announcing deals on books, accessories, and other treats your favorite geek will love. If you've got a Nook (or are springing for one this holiday), then you'll be happy to know that during Barnes & Noble's Black Friday sale, you can take 25 percent off any Nook accessory with purchase of a screen protector. Considering how many awesome cases Barnes & Noble is offering for the Nook, you've got some serious decisions to make.

Find out what else the retailer has in store for Black Friday and Cyber Monday when you read more.

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, Barnes & Noble announced its follow-up to the Nook ereader, the Nookcolor. Coming with a full color 7-inch touchscreen, the newest edition is more like a tablet than an ebook reader, and comes with the same features Nook users already enjoy, plus a few new ones for early adopters to explore.

One of my favorite repercussions of a new gadget? The accessories! Barnes & Noble did the new Nookcolor justice with their cases. From leather to nylon, to specialty Nookcolor-friendly tote bags, you're bound to find something that suits you. Check out my favorites below, then head to the Nookcolor accessory page for ordering!

Check out the rest after the break.

Barnes & Noble took a big step sideways with the launch of its new Nookcolor yesterday — instead of the usual eink screen and bottom touchscreen you're used to, the Nookcolor now sports a full 7-inch color touchscreen! The Android-running ereader is slightly larger than the previous Nook and brings you books, newspapers, and magazines as usual, plus allows you to surf the Internet, listen to music, and play games. Can we even call it an ereader anymore?

The Nookcolor comes stocked with 8GB of memory space (expandable up to 32GB with a MicroSD card) which holds 3,000 books. It is WiFi-enabled, allows you to borrow books from your friends with the LendMe app, and you can customize your home screen, listen to Pandora, and get free books and deals with the Barnes & Noble "More in Store" program. All of these features makes me wonder if it's not a bare-bones tablet that hopes to steal some thunder from the new best-selling Kindle.

Like what you see? Get your credit card ready for pricing and shipping details after the jump.

Barnes & Noble is set to make a "major announcement" tomorrow, so of course the competition is pulling out all the stops. Just days after it announced an upgrade to its Kindle software, Amazon has announced that the latest Kindle is the fastest-selling Kindle to date — though Amazon has never released sales figures for any version of its ereader.

The newest model, released in June, features a new, smaller size, faster software, and a better screen — plus an affordable $140 price to start. In addition to the ereader's success, Amazon also announced that the sales of ebooks over the past 30 days have surpassed the sales of paperbacks and hardcovers combined on its website.

Find out more, including what Barnes & Noble could have up its sleeve, when you read more.

I'm officially a Kindle addict. Although I've enjoyed my Kindle 2 for quite some time now, I couldn't help but get a taste of the latest Kindle, which just so happens to be smaller and lighter than the previous model. It's an amazing little gadget, and one that I keep in my bag at all times thanks to the simple and chic Amazon cases that turn my ereader into a Moleskin look-alike.

But you don't have to get behind a Kindle in order to spring for an ereader — I have pals who own Nooks and Sony Readers, too, who have fallen equally in love. Why do you need to get one right now? I've got five reasons to start you off right here.

• You'll read more — In just the first week of carrying around the new, smaller Kindle, I've blown through two whole books, most of which I read during my commute.
• Lots of freebies — There are tons of free titles in the Kindle book store, as well as the Barnes & Noble Nook store, for you to browse and download. Buying virtual books has never been cheaper!

See the rest of my reasons to grab an ereader after the break.

Less than a month after introducing an Android App, Barnes and Noble has released a completely revamped version of their apps for iPhone and iPad. The iPad app now includes a familiar one- to five-star rating system, and the ability to sort by ranking.

The improved iPhone app ads some of the best functionality from its iPad counterpart, allowing users to completely customize the look of their pages or choose from several professionally-designed themes. Additionally, you can change font styles, size, and spacing for the best reading experience possible. The iPhone app is optimized for viewing on the iPhone 4's retina display screen, but will run with the same functionality on older iPhones.

For more on the apps' new features, keep reading.

As interest in ereaders continues to heat up, Barnes & Noble has dedicated even more in-store real estate to its Nook. The company just announced it will be expanding in-store Nook displays into "full-service ereading Nook Boutiques." These boutiques will take up 1,000 square feet of floor space and feature demonstration tables, multiple Nook devices for customers to try, and tons of accessories.

Additionally, the boutique will be a perfect place for Nook users to test out the Nook's new Read In Store feature, which allows customers to browse ebooks for free. Look for Barnes & Noble Nook Boutiques to begin rolling out late Summer to early Fall. Sounds like a great way to introduce people to the ereader concept — maybe even mom will choose to join the ereader party.