If the battle for e-Reader supremacy hadn’t started in earnest already, ladies and gentleman, it is so ON! Barnes and Noble has today released specs for their new hotly-anticipated entry into the e-Reader market – the nook. (And yes, that’s right, this device is so new and edgy it doesn’t even use capital letters!)

We already reported on many of the colorful and interesting new features of the device after it was scooped last week, but let’s rehash a bit, shall we?

• It sports a 6” E ink Vizplex screen, making the reading surface more or less the same size and quality of the Kindle 2.
• Navigation is handled by a 3.5 inch color touchscreen LCD below the main screen, which seems like it will operate in much the same way as the album browser on the iPhone. (Though from the kitschy video that they’ve released, it doesn’t look quite as smooth.)
• There is 2GB of internal memory, the same that can be found in the Kindle 2, but B&N has wisely decided to include a microSD slot as well, so you can expand your memory up to 16GB with an additional card purchase.
• AT&T is the 3G wireless carrier of choice, and their network is supplemented with the ability to access Wi-Fi networks. In fact, you’ll be able to access Wi-Fi for free at all Barnes and Noble retail locations. A noble gesture, to be sure, but who is going to a brick and mortar book store after buying an e-Reader? I digress…
• If I’m reading this correctly, it appears as though the nook also sports native PDF support, which is a big plus for people like me, who find themselves constantly sending things to their @free.kindle.com address to get them converted to accepted file formats.
• Here’s a feature I didn’t know I needed until now: personalized screensavers. Instead of the folksy pictures of birds or scowling countenance of James Joyce, you can now upload jpegs of your kids or whomever else to adorn the screen. A nice touch.
• There’s a replaceable battery which is reputed to last up to 10 days. Given that Amazon claims the Kindle 2 can last up to 14, I would peg a more realistic number around 3 days of moderate to heavy use. The big change though is the replaceable battery –when your Kindle battery dies, you have no recourse except to get a new one. The nook will have no such problems.
• The LendMe technology will allow you to share most eBooks with friends and family on their nooks, supported phone, or computer for up to 14 days at a time. This is a real game changer.

I don’t think there’s any question that the nook is the superior device to the Kindle 2. In fact, one could say that it was engineered specifically to one-up the Kindle in nearly every respect. (I’m shocked that they didn’t go as far as positioning it $10 less than the Kindle at $249, instead of the now-standard $259.) All the little quibbles that Kindle owners have had over the last couple years have been addressed – seamless PDF support, replaceable batteries, faster navigation, the ability to lend books, expandable memory, and even easier access to public domain titles through an agreement with Google.

In fact, the only areas in which the Kindle still appears to have an edge are in its experimental features – specifically the web browser and text-to-speech – and access to newspapers and magazines. I was a little surprised at the lack of periodicals in the B&N eBook store, but hopefully that’s something they shore up before it officially launches.

While hardly the revolutionary device it could have been, the nook is poised to dominate if they can release it in time for the holiday rush. I’ve noticed that peoples’ reflexive dislike of e-Readers disappears instantly the moment they hold one in their hands. As soon as Barnes and Noble starts positioning these in their stores nationwide, they could well become the new juggernaut in this burgeoning market.

There’s no firm release date just yet, but that should be coming sooner rather than later. Hopefully we’ll be able to get a hands-on impression before long, so keep your eyes peeled.