Barnes and Noble released its touch screen e-ink Nook touting it as the Simple eReader. Simplicity could be good but does the Nook really live up to its promise?

The Nook features a touch screen with Neonode touch technology. 2Gb of onboard storage and Wi-Fi wireless connectivity. It supports several e-book formats and reads JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP graphics.

The Nook's design certainly fits in with its simple concept. It has nice and compact body and coated with soft touch paint, giving it a smooth rubberized feel.

The device isn't as fast as the iPad 2 but it was pretty responsive for an e-ink device. The new Nook uses an 800 MHz OMAP processor. The ghosting effect that has plagued other e-ink readers has been reduced. Flashing when you turn a page has been reduced.

The Neonode's zForce infrared touch technology can sense where your finger is touching. You don't have to touch the screen at all the sensors will allow your fingers to hover to get a response.

The touch screen interface is a perfect match for e-reading. You can even tap on words in a book to get a definition from the dictionary. The battery life is longer and can last up to two months, double the Kindle 3's battery life.

The Nook friends feature allows users to share your e-book with your friends, or you can borrow titles from them. There is no web browser and no apps for this version of the Nook. MP3s are out of the question. This is purely a simple e-book reader.

The new simple Nook is indeed simplicity personified. It doesn't have extra bells and whistles. This is an e-book reader no more, no less. It's cheaper than the Kind le. If you're looking for a solid e-book reader the Nook is the device for you.