Project Encore Nook 2 In the Works & Wi-Fi Only Nook Coming Later This Year

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When Barnes & Noble’s first eBook reader was launched everyone was pleasantly surprised to see it. The nook sold like hot cakes before the holidays last year but then it received a huge blow from Apple as the iPad arrived. But Barnes & Noble will not roll over and die and the company is already figuring out ways to fight against the iPad and come up with more nook successors in the near future.

One of the first counterattacks Barnes & Noble is ready to make is to offer web browsing functionalities to its current reader thanks to a new firmware update. Firmware version 1.4 should let you browse the Internet while on the nook although I’m not exactly sure how such a thing would be possible on that tiny color screen of the nook.

Later on Barnes & Noble will launch a Wi-Fi-only nook that will basically resemble the current version but lack 3G support. This entry-level nook is expected to cost $199 and should be available in a few months to those of you that are not impressed with the iPad but don’t want a Kindle either. The price is also a lot better than the original $259 the company is still asking for the nook and could convince less people to get the Wi-Fi-only device.

What’s even more interesting so far is Nook 2 dubbed as Project Encore which is coming by the end of the year. We don’t have any details about such a machine but I think we can assume it’s an iPad-like eBook reader that can also do lots of iPad-like things. I also imagine that it’s going to offer a full color touchscreen display in order to actually be ready to fight against the iPad and the rest of the tablets that are about to be unleashed in the following 12 months.

What do you guys think? Do you own a nook yet?