Nook Color update brings Netflix streaming, Nook Comics

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds, Software

Barnes & Noble on Monday rolled out what it said was the biggest software update yet for its Nook Color e-reader, including the addition of Netflix streaming, Nook Comics, and more customized reading options.

The retailer has added 100 new features to the Nook Color, including access to movies and TV shows via Netflix and Flixster apps. Thanks to the Ultraviolet standard, which provides users with a digital copy of physical media, Flixster will allow movie access on-the-go.

On the comics front, Nook Color customers will now have access to high-resolution comics, graphic novels, and kids' comics. Barnes & Noble promised the "largest digital collection of Marvel's graphic novels available through a third party – including Halo Uprising and other Marvel greats like Ultimate Spider-Man, The Astonishing X-Men, and Hulk: Planet Hulk, among others."

A new feature known as PagePerfect looks to preserve the look and feel of image-heavy books like cookbooks, craft, and art books, and allows users to zoom in and fluidly scroll through a book's pages.

Barnes & Noble also redesigned its Nook Store with a cleaner interface and new social features. Users can now read selections in portrait or landscape mode and adjust the text with new font sizes. There is also a PDF thumbnail view, as well as image pinch, zoom, and pan for books and PDFs. There's also direct look-up of words in the built-in dictionary.

As part of the update, Barnes & Noble is offering a one-day promotion. Buy any Nook device with a MasterCard and receive a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card and free shipping.

The update will be available in the coming weeks as an automatic download for those connected to Wi-Fi, but it can also be installed via a manual download. Barnes & Noble said the install should take about five minutes; more details are available on barnesandnoble.com.

Barnes & Noble first teased today's update in early November when it unveiled its latest device, the $249 Nook Tablet. The company also dropped the price of the Nook Color to $199 and made the original, Nook Simple Touch $99.

This article, written by Chloe Albanesius, originally appeared on PCMag.com and is republished on Gear Live with the permission of Ziff Davis, Inc.