E-reader and tablet roundup: What we learned this week

In our wrap-up of this week in e-readers and tablets, we learned that:

- More than 20 million e-readers will fly off shelves and into the hands of U.S. consumers by the end of the year, giving the devices a penetration rate of 8.7 percent of adults in the United States. By next year, 12 percent of all U.S. adults will own an e-reader, according to eMarketer.

- Barnes & Noble announced on Wednesday the release of its new Nook, called the Simple Touch Reader. The Simple Touch Reader is WiFi-only, because 3G is not important to the consumers the e-reader is targeting, which are those “turned off by buttons, keyboards and complexity.” It is also lighter, weighing less than a paperback book (at 7.5 ounces), and has a six-inch display and a battery life of two months. It is priced at US$139 and will begin shipping June 10.

- Condé Nast released iPad subscriptions for GQ and Wired on Tuesday. A subscription for a month will be US$1.99, and for a year will cost $19.99. Print subscribers will have automatic access to iPad editions. Those wishing to buy a single issue can do so for $3.99.

- It was a big week for the Nook. On Monday, it was reported that female readers are embracing magazines on the Nook Color over the iPad. Sales of titles Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, O, The Oprah Magazine, Family Circle and More outperform sales on the iPad.