I think I want one. I love reading books on my iPad, but it really does suck for outside reading. I’m finding I’d really like a device I could take to the beach or pool, rather than having to cart around physical books.

The new Nook isn’t too expensive at $139 (though I would prefer something in the $99 range). I’m thinking I’ll ask for some B&N gift cards for Father’s Day and put them toward a purchase.

I’m not interested in the Nook color because I already have a tablet. I only want a dedicated ereader device that I can use outdoors.

And yes, I’m quite aware that I’ve said in the past that dedicated e-readers were going to go the way of the Dodo, and that I really dislike e-ink. Well, I still do dislike e-ink, and don’t see this taking over as my primary ereader, but I do see it having its uses (as I said, mostly for the beach or pool reading).

As far as them disappearing into the realm of extinct consumer devices like the 8-Track or HD-DVD, I still think it’s going to happen eventually. I did predict that dedicated, single-purpose ereaders were going to have to drastically drop their prices to remain viable, and that’s certainly happened. I also still think they’re going to either have to become completely commoditized, with pricing in the $20-$50 range at some point, or they’ll have to add features that make them more like full-fledged tablets (see the aforementioned Nook Color).

I’ve watched a few videos of the new Nook in action and they’ve made the page turning tolerable, though it’s still not nearly as elegant — or cool, or gimicky, whatever, pick your term — as the iPad’s page turning. But at least it’s at a level that I think I can live with.

Why this instead of the similarly priced Kindle? Mostly because I want a touchscreen, and prefer the uniform bezel size and not the clunky, 1980′s style keyboard jammed across the bottom of the thing that’s part of the Kindle experience. I’d bet some pretty large dollars that the next version of the Kindle does away with the physical keyboard altogether and goes purely touchscreen.

If/when I get one, I’ll report back on how I like it.