There she blows, we’ll be getting hands-on and try to scrap together some impressions of the Nook if they let us touch it once this Q&A is done. The device is a bit thicker than some, and certainly looks minimal up front. The LCD is nice, but not overly bright, and that’s about all we spotted before it was snatched away. Check out the gallery for a few more fleeting shots and a look at a non-functioning prototype for a better idea of the unit’s shape. Gallery: Barnes & Noble nook’s first close-up Update: We got a closer look at the device, though they still haven’t let us touch it. The LCD seems very “passive,” and has a shallow viewing angle — obviously to gather more ambient light and save on battery. The interface appears relatively intuitive, but we’re a little confused and doubtful about the highlighting features — it brings up a software d-pad on screen, and seemed a little unwieldy, though we’ll only find out for ourselves when they actually let us get our grubby paws on the thing. Update 2: We’ve got some video! It’s so very exciting, and can be found after the break.

Original Source of Barnes & Noble Nook’s first close-up (now with video!)