By Nicole Nowlin
Thanksgiving 2010 brought a new player to the e-reader market – the Barnes & Noble Nook Color. The market offering of e-reader technology has been growing steadily for the last decade, and was long dominated by the Kindle. Only a partial new player in the market, the Nook Color significantly upgraded its black-and-white e-ink predecessor into a multi-functional entertainment device. This put it above and beyond the Kindle as a useful e-reader. Imagine an iPad crossed with a Kindle – e-reader functionality, an app store, and media entertainment options. Now, eliminate the Kindle’s e-ink screen and replace it with a full-color iPad screen, crop the iPad to about Kindle size, and mix the prices for a semi-comfortable $249 price tag. That is the Barnes & Noble Nook Color.