The Kindle uses a technology known as E ink to provide users with an experience that is similar to reading an actual book. Pages appear in grayscale, replicating a book's pages. To turn pages, the user presses a button located at the bottom of the device. The NOOK Color does not use E ink and shows pages and other applications in full color. Unlike the Kindle, the NOOK Color is a touchscreen reader and no buttons are needed to navigate. The NOOK Color also includes a backlight feature to allow for reading in low light or with no light. While the Kindle does not include this feature, its lack of backlight also means the device is glare free.
Barnes & Noble offers one model for the NOOK Color. The device weighs about 1 pound and includes a a 7-inch screen. Amazon has three Kindle models available at differing prices. Amazon offers a Kindle with Wi-Fi alone, Wi-Fi and 3G and a more expensive DX model that includes a larger screen. The differences between the two lowest-priced models are minimal. Each weighs less than a pound and features a 6-inch screen. The DX model weighs slightly more than a pound with a nearly 10-inch screen.
The NOOK Color includes 8 GB of storage space and can hold up to 6,000 books. Users can add up to another 32 GB of storage. Barnes & Noble has more than two million titles available for users to download, featuring books and magazines. The bookstore's selection also includes children's books that can be read out loud using the device's "Read to Me" feature. All Kindle models include 4 GB of storage space without the option to add more. The 4 GB will hold up to 3,500 books. As of early 2011, Amazon has more than 850,000 titles available. Books, magazines and blogs can be downloaded.
All Kindle models feature Wi-Fi to download titles quickly. The Kindle also has a powerful battery life. The device can be run for four weeks before needed to be recharged. In addition to Wi-Fi, the NOOK Color offers a full color Web browser, Internet radio, games, a music player, image and video gallery and a place to store and retrieve contact information. The device uses the Droid operating system to provide users with the ability to download different applications. Both Kindle and NOOK Color users can highlight text in books or magazines and then share through Twitter or Facebook and lend books they have downloaded to fellow ereaders on the same platform.