The Kindle vs Nook battle in the ebook reader market may be about to take on a slightly different perspective. For a long time now, the Kindle has been the runaway leader with the Nook trailing a long way back in second place.

However, Barnes and Noble’s achievement shouldn’t be underplayed in any way. A lot of other readers are simply nowhere to be seen. Many readers have simply disappeared from the market. It seems that the buying public has a strong preference to get their readers from the same place that they’ve been used to getting their traditional printed books.

Neither should Barnes and Noble’s commitment be questioned. The Nook is a very important product for them and, second place or no, B&N’s digital sales have been rising at a time when sales from traditional retail outlets have been down. The recent release of the new Nook Touch clearly demonstrates that Barnes and Noble are in the ebook reader market for the long haul – and it should challenge the Kindle in the near future.