The Color Nook is better than an ipad. There I said it. But let me just quality that opening shot by saying that some people will be better served by having a Color Nook rather than an ipad, and it's not just because the Color Nook is half the price.

The Apple ipad is a revolution in mainstream computer usage. When it was released in early 2010 it caused a storm of publicity and became the goto gadget for many who were after a mobile solution for just about anything. Mobile web surfing, word processing, defeating Angry Birds, reading the daily newspaper and many more practical applications are all accessible through a device that can be slipped into a messenger bag.

Of course these processes can be performed on other mobile devices but it was the ipad's size that proved a winner. Performing a myriad of processes on a larger screen than a mobile phone was an appealing factor. Mobile phones are wonderful for their primary purpose as well as a number of other things if you are in a pinch but you can hardly write a novel on them. The ipad is great and future versions will be greater.

So what is this Color Nook and why is it better than the ipad (for some people)c The Nook is Barnes and Noble's dedicated ebook reader. The Color Nook is a color version of that ebook reader. It is a different model than the Black and White version in a few ways. Most notably, the regular Nook uses E-Ink technology, while the new Color Nook uses an LCD touch screen. This means that reading the screen in full sunlight will be an issue, whereas E-Ink ereaders can be read anywhere.

Invariably the people that will end up buying a Color Nook will enjoy its smaller size, lighter weight, the fact you can read magazines in color and the convenience of having a number of highly functional applications in their ebook reader. The extra price and weight of the ipad may mean more functionality but it is not the best solution for everyone.