Grabbing a second-hand e-book reader is an effective way to save lots of slightly cash on a tool that, being utterly trustworthy, does not age all that a lot. Whereas smartphones are inclined to decelerate or simply grow to be out of date, e-readers will plod on for years and years. However though that is the case, e-book readers nonetheless come to the tip of their lives, and ought to be averted because of this.
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That is now true of a grand complete of seven Barnes & Noble Nook units, which reached the finish of their lives in June 2025. That does not imply they’re going to spontaneously combust, nevertheless it does imply they’re going to not get updates or, most significantly, connect with the bookstore in any respect. Which means they are much more durable to make use of as e-readers, and may largely be averted.
The discontinued Nook units to keep away from
Fortunately, they’re all actually outdated
It has been a very long time since Barnes & Noble discontinued any of its Nook e-readers, as the one time it had performed so was for the Nook First Version, launched all the best way again in 2009. Nevertheless, fairly a quantity have now reached end-of-life standing, that means they’ll not get updates, connect with the Nook bookstore, or check in to new accounts. The next Nook e-readers are actually end-of-life, as of June 2025:
- Nook Coloration (2010)
- Nook Easy Contact (Launched in 2011)
- Nook Easy Contact w/ GlowLight (2012)
- Nook Pill (2012)
- Nook HD (2012)
- Nook HD+ (2012)
- Nook GlowLight (2013)
On the plus facet, in case you have any of the units above, you may nonetheless be capable to learn something you have already acquired on there, and any account you are signed into will keep energetic. However you continue to will not be capable to purchase something new, obtain the rest, or signal into completely different accounts. It is possible for you to to sideload new e-books, so your units aren’t solely lifeless. Nevertheless, they could as nicely be the place the second-hand market is anxious. If any of the above units are in your purchasing record, be sure that to strike them out now.
Nonetheless, these are some fairly outdated units, even for e-readers. My very first e-reader was a Nook Easy Contact, and it bit the mud a very long time in the past, the touchscreen having died lengthy earlier than it was discontinued. When you’re extra lucky than me, then you should still be rocking certainly one of these Nook units. But when that is true, and you are not simply going to make use of it to learn some outdated favorites, I’d suggest upgrading to one thing newer. The Kobo Clara BW is our present favourite e-reader, and it is completely price the associated fee to improve.
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Kobo
- Display
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Carta 1300
The Kobo Clara BW is a Carta 1300 gadget, a 6-inch e-reader that provides Kobo’s storefront for straightforward purchases, making certain this E Ink gadget is among the finest locations to learn e-books in the marketplace proper now.