Dear Santa…

What a year it has been for tech toys and new media! Apple launched a new iPhone 3Gs, the Droid landed at Verizon, Flip video recorders are becoming increasingly popular and Facebook has officially hit 350 million users globally. With all of these advances in technology and digital communications that are intended to make life easier, what do I want this year? Forget the Amazon Kindle, I want to cuddle up on the couch with a Barnes & Noble Nook.

As an avid book reader I have to admit that I am intrigued by the growing popularity of e-readers thanks to the Amazon Kindle. One thing that has kept me from purchasing the Kindle is the fact that I am a loyal Barnes & Noble customer and simply hate the idea of being forced to purchase e-books from Amazon. Enter Barnes & Noble’s answer, the Nook. It began shipping in November and as of today is completely sold out, forcing many interested customers to dish out gift certificates for the product until the company can begin shipping them again. Here is a clip of Barnes & Noble president, William J. Lynch Jr. unveiling the Nook:

Why am I in love with the Nook? Well for starters, it is supported by one of my favorite stores and is compatible with over 100 other devices ranging from PCs to the Apple iPhone. Secondly, the Nook comes standard with access to the AT&T 3G wireless network and Wi-Fi, and gives its owner the ability to browse e-books via their Nook, in any Barnes & Noble store the same way one would with a physical book in the same store. One thing I love about bookstores is being able to walk into them and browse the aisles. If I find a book I’m interested in I will oftentimes camp out in one of the store’s over-stuffed chairs and read a chapter or two while I decide if it’s worth purchasing. Having said that, being able to do the same thing with a Nook is definitely appealing. I can even lend an e-book out to a friend for 2 weeks, without charge. Sorry Amazon, but I can’t have that same experience with your Kindle.

When you couple the Nook’s compatibility features and experiential factors along with the physical space it is going to save me in my house from having hundreds of books on one tiny device, I’m sold! This could be the tech toy that changes the way I look at books forever. Yes, I hope that Santa brings me a Nook this year, and if he didn’t tell the elves to make one early enough, I hope he springs for the gift certificate. I guess I only have to wait a few more days to find out. Happy holidays and happy reading!