The Kindle and Nook are locked in a heated battle, and the rivalry is about to get a little hotter this Friday. Barnes & Noble just announced that it is reducing the price of its Nook electronic reading device to $79 — matching the lowest-cost version of the Kindle.

But here’s the catch: The deal is just available on Black Friday and only in the company’s brick-and-mortar stores.

The Nook Simple Touch regularly sells for $99, and Barnes & Noble pointedly notes on its Web site that it doesn’t have any “annoying ads.”

That’s a slam on the $79 Kindle with Special Offers, which does include advertisements. As one of our readers points out in the comments below, an ad-free Kindle starts at $109. [Post updated].

[Hat tip to the L.A. Times]

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.