Details of Barnes and Noble's electronic reader hit the internet today ahead of the device's expected launch.

Nook: The Barnes and Noble e-reader

Details of the electronic reader leaked onto the web today, and seemed to set tech writers drooling. The machine will be based on Android and features a touchscreen.

It's packing wireless updating from an unnamed carrier. The price tag will be $260 (£157/€173), in line with the Kindle, and with the promise of discounted e-titles and Google Books titles.

Other features gleaned by the WSJ from an ad set to run in the New York Times include the ability to "lend" e-books to friends.

The leaked photos were enough to prompt Wired to declare the Kindle "old-fashioned looking" by comparison.

However, it is the name which is certain to grab most attention - at least in certain English markets. It's a truism that it is porn that drives the adoption of all new technologies, so it is refreshingly honest of B&N to dub its new baby the Nook e-reader. With the accompaniment of an appropriate range of Nook e-books, how can it fail? ®

Related stories

• Wistron to release roll-out screen e-book reader in 2010 (12 November 2009)

  https://www.theregister.com/2009/11/12/wistron_readius/

• Amazon uncorks Kindle for PC (10 November 2009)

  https://www.theregister.com/2009/11/10/amazon_kindle_for_pc_released/

• Barnes & Noble nobbled for 'nicking' Nook-e Reader notion (3 November 2009)

  https://www.theregister.com/2009/11/03/nook_and_alex/

• Creative whips out e-reader at AGM (2 November 2009)

  https://www.theregister.com/2009/11/02/creative_reader/

• Amazon nuzzles Win 7 with PC Kindleware (22 October 2009)

  https://www.theregister.com/2009/10/22/amazon_kindle_for_pc/

• Barnes & Noble's ebook reader takes its bow (20 October 2009)

  https://www.theregister.com/2009/10/20/barnes_and_noble_nook_official_announcement/

• Interead Cool-er (19 October 2009)

  https://www.theregister.com/2009/10/19/review_electronic_book_interead_cool_er/

• LG shows solar-powered e-book reader (12 October 2009)

  https://www.theregister.com/2009/10/12/lg_e_book_solar/

• Barnes & Noble preps Kindle punching Google machine (9 October 2009)

  https://www.theregister.com/2009/10/09/barnes_and_noble_google_ebook_reader/

• Kindle to come to Blighty on 19 October (7 October 2009)

  https://www.theregister.com/2009/10/07/amazon_kindle_uk/

• Amazon Kindle fails test at Bezos alma mater (29 September 2009)

  https://www.theregister.com/2009/09/29/princeton_kindle_pilot_program/

• Asus reaffirms Eee Reader launch (17 September 2009)

  https://www.theregister.com/2009/09/17/asus_eee_reader_launch_update/

• Sony writes up UK e-book viewer plan (9 September 2009)

  https://www.theregister.com/2009/09/09/sony_ebook_update/