Remember back in 2001 when eBooks were all the rage? That was when Barnes & Noble started selling eBooks that could be read on Tablets, PDA’s, and touch-screen mobile phones using Microsoft Reader. Somewhere along the way, eBooks turned out to be a stupid idea, devices stopped including eBook software, and no one promoted them anymore. Barnes & Noble’s eBook store disappeared into obscurity. Today, however, we see a new Barnes & Noble eBook reader application bundled with the HTC HD2 from T-Mobile! I was pretty surprised when I logged into the BN eReader on the HD2 and noticed 3 eBooks I had downloaded almost 10 years ago instantly became available to me!

The B&N eReader works quite nicely on the HD2. You’ve got a library section that lists the eBooks you’ve bought as well as the ones you’ve already downloaded to your phone. You also have a “Store” button which links you to the BN website which changes its formatting for you device. Settings are available to change the font size/margins and page turning animation. Any of the books that you buy from the phone or desktop website while signed into your BN account, will show up in the BN eReader where you can then download and read them very easily.

Unfortunately, the eReader misses a few nice features we had on eBook readers from the turn of the century. For example, there’s no way to create bookmarks anymore. Nor is there a dictionary lookup for words you don’t understand. I don’t see any audio book support or table of contents links either. At any rate, it’s good to see a resurgence in eBook popularity. I wonder how long it will last this time.