New Nook E-Reader Is Lighter, Cheaper

NEW YORK (AP) -- Barnes & Noble is launching a lighter, slimmer, cheaper version of its e-reader for $139 -- a sign that the book retailer is ready to compete on price with rivals Amazon and Borders.

Available on June 10, the All-New Nook device features a 6-inch touch screen and can hold up to 1,000 digital books.

Barnes & Noble Inc. said Tuesday that the latest Nook lets readers look up words, highlight passages, search and adjust font size by typing on an on-screen keyboard. It says the device weighs 7.5 ounces and is 35 percent lighter than the first Nook, which launched a year and a half ago. The iPad 2 is nearly three times heavier at more than 1.3 pounds.

The newest Kindle, meanwhile, is 8.5 ounces, though it holds more than three times as many books as the All-New Nook.

The All New Nook is Barnes & Noble's answer to cheaper e-readers from both Amazon.com Inc. and the beleaguered Borders Group Inc. Borders and its Kobo partner said Monday that they are taking preorders for a $130 e-book reader that launches in early June.

Amazon, meanwhile, dropped the price of its Kindle last month by $25 to $114, though with a catch: The new Kindle with Special Offers includes advertisements on the bottom of its home screen and on screen savers.

Shares of New York-based Barnes & Noble rose 40 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $18.99 in late morning trading Tuesday.