My local Barnes & Noble store says “The Nook”—the new e-reader being unveiled in New York today—won’t hit stores until November. So far, no display either. For now, that leaves B&N pitching its retail-centric device the same way as rival Amazon: online at BN.com. The pitch includes a side-be-side chart comparing new Nook with the Kindle 2, more detail about that color screen (don’t think magazine, think thumbnail), and some bragging about how Nook relies on AT&T (NYSE: T) (not Sprint). We’ll have more but you can check it out in the slideshow. Update: The official word—the Nook hits the shelves Nov. 30; pre-sales started on BN.com today and in stores tomorrow, but no “test drives” before the sale date. That should give content partner IREX Techologies, due in Best Buy within weeks a head start in physical retail sales for the upcoming 8-inch touchscreen iRex but by jumping out of the gate now, B&N may have put a hold on some of those non-Kindle e-reader dollars Forrester predicts will be spent over the holidays. On the plus side for iRex—with Verizon (NYSE: VZ) as its 3G partner, it may have an in with the anti-AT&T crowd. It also has a larger screen and an open environment. On the down side, it’s not as stylish as the Nook. IRex North American CEO Kevin Hamilton told me he knew about B&N’s device plans but I’m not sure he realized just how much competition it might be.