Three New Kindle Competitors Emerge

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Today, Barnes and Noble is expected to unveil its own electronic reader. The e-reader, called the Nook, will cost $259, the same price as Amazon's Kindle, according to a report in the New York Times. Barnes and Noble isn't commenting so far, but the Times got its information from a Nook ad sent to the publisher for placement in this Sunday's Book Review section.

Meanwhile, in a press release issued yesterday, Plastic Logic announced plans to introduce its e-reader, the Que, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this January. Plastic Logic is positioning the reader as a business tool, since it allows users to not only read books and newspapers, but also view PDFs and Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents. The reader also will feature a shatterproof display. The company isn't saying how much it will cost.

Spring Design hopped on the bandwagon as well yesterday when it announced that its own souped-up e-reader is slated to hit the market by the end of the year. The so-called Alex reader will be based on the Google Android platform and feature a traditional 6-inch black and white e-reader display as well as a 3.5-inch color LCD touchscreen for viewing photos and video. Spring Design hasn't said how much the Alex will cost, but one would imagine it will be pricier than the one-screen black and white e-readers currently on the market.

Nadine Heintz

The Goods is focused exclusively on products and services for business owners. We won't ignore the latest netbook or the hottest smartphone, but we'll also examine the services, software, and Web-based tools that can help make your business succeed. Nadine Heintz, a senior editor at Inc., edits The Goods, as well as Quick Hits. Send suggestions, comments, and deals to nheintz@inc.com.