Nook Outsells Kindle in March, E-Reader Sales Expected to Hit 11 Million

By Ryan Fleming Published April 26, 2010

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Although all the recent hype for e-readers seems to be directed at the iPad, the Kindle and Nook are quietly waging a war for the burgeoning e-reader market that could determine the fate of the fledgling market.

Digitimes is reporting that 53 percent of the 1.43 million e-readers shipped in the first quarter were Nooks, although it should be noted that the Kindle has been out longer and holds more marketshare. Best Buy has recently began to sell the Nook at its retail locations for $259.99 on April 18. The Kindle debuted at select Target stores on the 25th for $259 as well.

Recommended Videos

Despite the sales boost to the Nook, it is good news for both the Nook and the Kindle. Global e-reader sales are expected to reach 11.40 million units by the end of the year, a significant increase from the 3.82 million units worldwide in 2009. Those numbers could increase if supplies of the iPad can match the demand.

Reagardless of who consumers choose for their e-readers, it is good news for the e-book market that has seen several shakeups – especially price related– over the past months.

Former Gaming/Movies Editor

Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…

Topics

Tablets

Stop losing your notes and start the school year with one of these e-readers that double as notebooks

Three e-readers with pen support worth adding to your back to school shopping list.

A person using the Amazon Kindle Scribe and its stylus.

Your backpack is heavier than it needs to be. Multiple notebooks for all your classes, a stack of printed PDFs, and nothing that talks to anything else. The notes from week two are in a different notebook than the notes from week six, and you'd be lucky to find either one in December.

One device that you can use to read books and PDFs, take notes, and keep everything organized would fix this, and that's exactly what e-readers with pen input support are built to do. And you don't need to spend what you'd drop on textbooks for a semester to get one either. I've rounded up six worth buying this back-to-school season, and I'll tell you exactly who each one is for.

Cars

WhatsApp’s new in-car experience is built around hands-free control

CarPlay and Android Auto users can now hear and reply to messages, view call history, and reach favorite contacts without touching their phone.

WhatsApp new CarPlay experience featured

Meta is overhauling how WhatsApp works in the car, giving CarPlay and Android Auto users a lot more to do than just sending texts and making calls. The company announced the change in a newsroom post today, alongside several other updates rolling out to the messaging app.

WhatsApp finally works hands-free in the car

Tablets

Xteink’s tiny e-reader finally gets the upgrades it was missing

Xteink’s X4 Pro fixes the biggest complaints we had about the original

Adapter, Electronics, Phone

Xteink has launched the X4 Pro, a new version of its pocket-sized e-reader that addresses several limitations of the original X4. The updated model keeps the same 4.3-inch display and magnetic design, but adds a front light, touchscreen, larger battery, and unlocked firmware.

The original X4 stood out for its unusually compact form factor and stripped-down reading experience, though it lacked some basic conveniences available on larger e-readers. The X4 Pro appears designed to close those gaps while preserving the tiny footprint that made the first model distinctive.