For those of you out there contemplating buying an e-reader, Release writers Tessa Millman and Emily Gandolfo got together to discuss the pros and cons of Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Nobles’ Nook.

Tessa Millman: OK, so while I love my Kindle, I’ve still yet to figure out how to change the percentage of the book on the bottom to pages so it’s impossible to flip back and forth for school. Is the Nook any better at that?

Emily Gandolfo: Well, yeah because we do have the page numbers so it makes it really convenient, but my Nook helps me to save a ton of money. Since the Binghamton University bookstore is affiliated with Barnes & Noble, I can find all of my textbooks quickly and easily and download them in e-book format. I’ve gotten books for as little as 99 cents before, and the bookstore works with you.

Tessa: But almost every Nook, Kindle, etc. product has easy-to-download books and programs for school. I’m just confused what Nook users are going to do when Barnes & Noble goes out of business and only Amazon is left.

Emily: Barnes & Noble isn’t going anywhere. And regardless, you can have your Nook serviced at any Barnes & Noble in the country as part of your warranty and protection plan. When your Kindle breaks or if you have questions about it, where’s the Amazon store that you can take it to, to have it fixed by a real human being? You can’t take a trip into the Internet and see the technicians face-to-face.

Tessa: While it can be annoying to have to send your Kindle to Amazon to get it fixed, they are prompt with returning and fixing anything wrong with your product and I’ve never had any problem dealing with them. Also, they’re available to help around the clock. Barnes & Noble closes at night.

Emily: Nooks have really cute protective cases that you can pick out and purchase in person, at the store.

Tessa: Funny. At least I can read my Kindle outside versus trying to overcome that horrible glare on the Nook.

Emily: The Nook doesn’t glare! On the original Nooks there are touchpads at the bottom that glare sometimes, but the screen you actually read off looks exactly like the Kindle screen. You can use that touchpad for highlighting and bookmarking passages in the text, searching for words and phrases, scanning through your bookshelves and documents, playing games and playing music. Can you do all that with a Kindle?

Tessa: Of course! The Kindle wasn’t born yesterday! They also have this amazing option where you can look up popular notes and highlights that other people have chosen from the book you’re reading. There are a few different levels of Kindle’s also, so you can pick the one that fits you best, what about the Nook?

Emily: The Nook comes in a ton of different varieties too, for every person at every use level. If you want a simple e-reader, you can go for the original Nooks, with or without Wi-Fi or 3G. The Wi-Fi capabilities connect you straight to the Barnes & Noble web page, so you can download books without hassle. On the newer Nook models and Nook Color, you can download almost anything that you would be able to on another e-reader or tablet device. There are tons of apps, like games and crossword puzzles and daily newspapers and other periodicals that are only a few clicks away.

Tessa: Yes, same with the Kindle, you can never get bored!

Emily: In addition to downloading things, you can also hook a Nook up to your computer and transfer any e-book or PDF file you’d like and store them in your library. These files don’t necessarily have to be books. This is convenient when I’m on campus, because my Nook can never connect to the crappy campus Wi-Fi, as I can’t validate it. Can Kindles connect?

Tessa: The Kindle can do the same thing, and I love that I can download something on the computer and as soon as I turn my Kindle on, my newly purchased book comes up on my device. My Kindle also allows me to preview books for free so I can decide if it’s really worth buying. What’s that old saying? Anything your Nook can do, my Kindle can do better.

Emily: You mean anything your Kindle can do, my Nook can do better!