In a Nook vs Kindle evaluation, only one ebook reader could come out on top. The big question mark is — which one? While Amazon’s Kindle is clearly the dominant ereader out there today, some are saying that the Barnes and Noble gadget has the goods to give the Kindle some serious competition. But does it really? It’s time to put the two ereaders side by side.

Size, Weight and Design

Measuring 7.7 inches in length and 4.9 inches in width, Barnes and Noble’s Nook is somewhat smaller than the Kindle which is 8 inches long and 5.3 inches wide. But then again, at 0.3-inch thick, the Kindle is slimmer than the Nook at half an inch thick. The Barnes & Noble device is also a bit heavier at 11.2 ounces matched against the Kindle’s 10.2-oz mass.

Unlike the Kindle, the back cover of the Nook is intended to be removable, allowing easy access to its replaceable lithium ion battery pack. But what actually places the Nook on a wholly different level is the 3.5-inch color touch screen which replaces a typical keyboard for navigation. The distinction between the color LCD and the grayscale e-ink screen offers an interesting dynamics to the device that only a small number of other ereaders can boast of.

Other Features

The two ebook readers are equipped with 2GB of internal memory, but while that’s about it for the Kindle, the Nook gives the user the option of adding more memory via its memory card expansion slot. The two devices are also connected through AT&T’s 3G wireless network but only the Nook offers WiFi connectivity. Get inside a Barnes & Noble store and you get direct free access to WiFi.

The Haves and Have-Nots

Now comes the more interesting Nook vs Kindle facts. What does the Nook have that Kindle can’t counter and vice versa? For one, the Barnes and Noble ereader has two novel services — book lending (being able to lend your ebook to a different Nook owner) and in-store browsing (being able to look over full ebooks for free within Barnes and Noble outlets).

On the other hand, Kindle does come with text-to-speech option which lets the reader become just a hearer and listen to the book being read. Also, the Kindle allows web browsing, while the Nook doesn’t. Finally, the Nook’s battery life of 7 to 10 days (actual users claim it’s 4-5 days) is a far cry from the Kindle’s up to 14 days battery power (more like 10 days in actual use). For both devices, the battery life estimated here is with the WiFi turned off.

The Decision

As expected, finding a clear winner between the Nook vs Kindle is just not that easy. But while both have great features, Amazon’s gadget gets the edge in overall use as it has practically perfected the technology, having o up with several Kindle versions. On the other hand, the Nook’s numerous issues, like slow page turns and sluggish startup will likely be addressed in succeeding versions, after which it can truly be a possible Kindle killer.

There are still more aspects to take into account in this Nook vs Kindle comparison which will surely have you wondering if it’s time to trade in your Kindle for a Nook. Check out the site for the indepth Barnes & Noble Nook review and other ebook readers available today.