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Barnes & Noble Won't Give Up On the Nook

Posted by timothy on from the there's-a-niche-for-the-nook dept.

jfruh writes "Barnes & Noble's Nook e-reader line has largerly been regarded as a botched attempt to compete with the Kindle, whose failure has contributed to the bookseller's financial woes. Well, despite earlier statements that the company was abandoning it as a hardware platform, now the B&N CEO insists that the company is committed to the product line and the new Nooks are in development."

99 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. The Nook is a good example by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    of a company proactively doing the right thing, embracing technology at the risk of cannibalizing its own products by redefining their business as something larger than selling books. They implemented the technology the right way, or at least have received awards and top scores from magazines such as Consumer Reports, set a reasonable price (easily within the budget of a large proportion of existing customers), and marketed it aggressively - the Nook is front and center in many of the B&N stores I go to.

    And it still hasn't worked out for them.

    So the next time you hear some MBA smarties belittling CEOs of flailing companies for not having the vision to go beyond what made them successful in the past, remember the Nook. It's not as easy as these pundits make it sound.

    1. Re:The Nook is a good example by amiga3D · · Score: 4, Informative

      History is filled with superior products that failed in the marketplace. I've looked at and tried both the Kindle and the Nook and if I had to choose one of the two it would be the Nook. I really have no need for a 7" tablet though so I passed. I think Amazon's marketing is simply much stronger than B&N's. Most people that buy either a Nook or Kindle tablet seem happy enough with it so I don't think there is that much to choose between the two, for me it was the SD slot that made me like the Nook better but a lot of people don't care about that.

    2. Re: The Nook is a good example by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I agree with both of your comments. It also doesn't help that people are like sheep and simply buy the kindle or iPad because all their friends have them or they've been brainwashed into believing that they're the best and there is no real alternatives.

      The original Nook had more features the kindle at the time. It supported ebook lending to other people before kindle added it and it supported the open e-pub ebook file format which allowed people to check out ebooks from the public library. The kindle now has these features. Also B&N introduced a color tablet to their Nook line before Amazon did to their kindle line. Even with these things the kindle still has a huge market share advantage over the Nook. I guess it pays to be the first mass market e-reader on the market.

    3. Re:The Nook is a good example by alen · · Score: 2

      yep, i never saw the difference between the two and yet for some reason amazon's seemed cooler if you believed the internet

      its like movietickets.com vs fandango a decade ago. both were the same but fandango won the cool war. the winner probably hired people to post crap on the internet about how much cooler they were to get the first adopter market

    4. Re:The Nook is a good example by TerminaMorte · · Score: 4, Informative

      Part of the problem is that if you want to buy the books through B&N, the digital copy is generally the same price as a physical copy. They were expecting to make their money by selling ebooks, but were not willing/able to price them competitively.

    5. Re:The Nook is a good example by hedwards · · Score: 1

      Indeed, what they really need to do, is to expand the regions where they sell their reader. The US and the UK are not the only parts of the world where B&N does business. And they also need to push the marketing. The first gen Nook was far superior to Kindles of that era, but the word of mouth didn't really travel well enough without a marketing campaign to back it up.

    6. Re:The Nook is a good example by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      Another example would be Kodak who leapt on digital photography very early on, and haven't really been able to reap the rewards, due in part to the fact technologies they pioneered ended up being sold as part of more universal widgets (like cameraphones.)

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    7. Re:The Nook is a good example by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Another example would be Kodak who leapt on digital photography very early on, and haven't really been able to reap the rewards, due in part to the fact technologies they pioneered ended up being sold as part of more universal widgets (like cameraphones.)

      But due mostly to the fact that Kodak's digital cameras were shit. They were often moderately acceptable cameras until you got to the interface which always made you want to break things, beginning with the camera.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    8. Re:The Nook is a good example by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      Another example would be Kodak who leapt on digital photography very early on, and haven't really been able to reap the rewards, due in part to the fact technologies they pioneered ended up being sold as part of more universal widgets (like cameraphones.)

      Kodak invented the digital camera. They didn't reap the rewards because they didn't want to cannibalize existing sales.

      One has to remember that Kodak sells chemicals (solid(as film), and liquid(for processing film and paper prints)). Digital photography doesn't need the chemicals Kodak sells. If they sold digital cameras, it would eat into their chemical business. So they shelved the project, fearing it would eat into their bread and butter.

      The problem with avoiding cannibalization is well, if you don't do it, someone else will. Everyone else started making decent digital cameras and film sales declined. Kodak, instead of being at the forefront for being the inventor and first mover, became a company that brought up the rear of the pack, playing catch up on a technology they invented. At the same time, film and chemical sales were falling because people were using digital cameras and archiving photos on hard drives and printing very few out.

      Heck, all Kodak had to do was work with hard drive companies to develop better storage media (chemicals!) and inkjet ink (more chemicals!), and they'd probably have some viability.

      History is full of such examples, too.

  2. Yaay! by Intrepid+imaginaut · · Score: 1

    I love my Nook. Pleeease keep the form factor and size the exact same in future models so I can keep using my nifty Oberon cover. A couple of other suggestions, really amp up the contrast so it looks like paper, and let me read more than one book at once. That would about do it, everything else is perfect.

    1. Re:Yaay! by notanalien_justgreen · · Score: 1

      How do you read more than one book at once?

    2. Re:Yaay! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Usually it's a Text book + Reference book. Or two cook books.

    3. Re:Yaay! by nurb432 · · Score: 2

      Well, most of us have 2 eyes...

      --
      ---- Booth was a patriot ----
    4. Re:Yaay! by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      What's the problem with reading more than one book at a time? I do it sometime, putting a book aside to read something else. It's still got my place when I get back.

      I don't get two "go back to reading your book" buttons, but that doesn't look critical.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  3. Great to hear! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Nooks are great. And I really want B&N to survive since they have shown they can think out of the box.

  4. Re:What is it about the Nook? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It doesn't have a physical button for page turning, but tapping the edge of the screen will flip the page; you don't have to gesture for it.

    The main selling point (for me) is that you can (for up to two hours a day while connected to Barnes and Noble's wifi) read any book you want for free.

  5. Nook owner for several versions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    My family and I have several Nooks over the years, and they have been great. I've never owned or tried a Kindle, so I can't speak to any performance comparisons, but it has everything we want in an eReader:

    • Screen and font layouts are simple and adjustable, so my wife (who has migraines) can have a migraine-friendly setting while she waits out the pain.
    • The account synchronization between devices "just works"* so we can buy books and read on various devices, fairly transparently.
    • Battery life has improved over the years, and it's not a major inconvenience to remember to plug it in every couple of days while we go work/play/sleep--a big plus for a family of heavy readers (3-5 books per week get consumed in this household.)

    The Color versions have also been pretty damn durable. Along with the usual "oops!" as it falls off the edge of the bed or the cat knocks it off the table, my wife accidentally ran over one with her car (dark night, carrying too many things out at once, etc). The screen was ruined, but it powered on/off in a normal way, so I plugged it into the computer, transferred whatever local files we wanted to recover, then pulled the SD card and put it into a new one--practically picking up where we left off.

    So I've never really understood the Nook hate out there: Good, solid devices that last for years under normal wear and tear, and seamlessly work between versions.

    * I am a software developer, so I know that the account synchronization is not "magic", but I also know that there are dozens of ways to shortcut the process and screw it up--none of which I've seen in the Nook ecosystem.

  6. Re:What is it about the Nook? by _xeno_ · · Score: 5, Informative

    It doesn't have a physical button for page turning, but tapping the edge of the screen will flip the page; you don't have to gesture for it.

    The Nook Simple Touch does have those buttons.

    If you ask me (which I guess the OP did), the Nook Simple Touch is a great little device, but the Nook Tablets are worthless. Since you can get the Nook App on just about any tablet (including Windows 8 tablets) you might as well get a tablet you actually want and then just install that, if you really want to use Nook ebooks on a tablet. There's no compelling reason to get a Nook Tablet.

    The Nook Simple Touch, on the other hand, is a nice, small device that's rugged enough for me to throw in my pocket and carry around all day, if I wanted to. The display is OK. It's an e-ink display, so it works well in bright lights, and if you get the one that has the glow feature, it works in low light too. I don't like any of the fonts that the Simple Touch offers, though.

    All that being said - I expect everything applies to the Kindle as well, so - no, there's really no compelling reason to choose the Nook. There's a very good reason to get a Kindle instead: Amazon has a much better selection. (Yeah, I kind of regret my Nook purchase, but not enough to replace it with a Kindle.)

    --
    You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
  7. Great deal on HD+! by kimanaw · · Score: 2

    I picked up the deep discounted HD+ last weekend. Pretty awesome deal - $179 for a 9" 32G ($149 for the 16G version if you can find them) tablet w/ 1920x1080 screen. No camera, no microUSB, no uHDMI out...but does have GPS, a uSD slot, and can sideload real Android, and purportedly Ubuntu. Wifi seems pretty solid, and the screen is very crisp. Biggest downside is the old/slow CPU - things can get a bit laggy - but for what I use it for (books, email, web surfing) its a helluva deal. A few apps I've tried to load from the playstore won't install, but nothing thats a deal breaker. I've had an iPad, an overpriced POS from Toshiba, and lately a 7" Tab 2 thats very flaky; the Nook HD+ beats them all either on readability, stability, or price.

    Alas I don't know if BN can turn the business side around without stripping the Nook down to a basic B&W reader, and locking folks down to the BN store.

    --
    007: "Who are you?"
    Pussy: "My name is Pussy Galore."
    007: "I must be dreaming..."
    1. Re:Great deal on HD+! by camazotz · · Score: 1

      I picked an HD+ 32GB up on sale as well and my experience has been much the same; I still prefer my Nexus 7 for most conventional tablet activities, but the Nook HD+ is an excellent reading device and honestly does almost everything just as well; I have gotten very used to the larger screen, and it's hard to go back to the smaller size tablets for reading after adjusting to the HD+. On the app side, I will say this though: the Kindle App is smoother and more efficient than the Nook app, with a few more features that I like. Nook's app could use a bit more refining. Also, BN could really stand to drop their prices down to be more consistently competitive with the Kindle.....it's discouraging when I can almost guarantee that any book I want will always be cheaper on the Kindle store.

  8. Re:What is it about the Nook? by Colonel+Korn · · Score: 2

    I have an older Kindle, and 2 Kobo's. I've never tried a Nook (can't recall ever seeing one in a store up here in Canada but the Kobo's can be found in lots of stores) so I can't tell if it's better or not. I don't tend to judge by features only, I like trying them out.

    A big selling point with me is there needs to be a button to turn the page and it has to be comfortable to hold with 1 hand while turning pages, something you can't really do with touch gestures to turn pages.

    Basically when I'm asking is, what does Nook bring to the table that the others do not?

    It's pretty similar to current Kindles, but the current 7" Nook HD (my wife has one) feels more comfortable than my equivalent7" Kindle Fire HD for long reading sessions for each of us thanks to a somewhat different curvature to the back. The other thing the Nook has is access to the Google app store, which I won't mention by name because then it sounds dumb.

    --
    "I zero-index my hamsters" - Willtor (147206)
  9. Their back-end website support could be stronger by Marrow · · Score: 1

    I have seen their website crash a page several times. And I should not have to login again to be in the nook section.
    And their content hierarchy could be better so that finding stuff is easier. They need more sub-genre support.
    Trying to display cover-art on e-ink displays makes little sense to me. We didnt buy e-ink for the pictures, so give
    us content that is text. And do it fast and rich.
    Make the e-ink books better at navigating your content and you will sell more content.

  10. batteries lost my trust by hort_wort · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Even if the "nook is back", I wouldn't purchase another.

    I debated between that and the Kindle years ago. I finally decided on the nook after reading that it had double the battery life. Ha! I turned off every wireless connection it had and the thing still wouldn't last more than a few days before begging to be recharged. This fell drastically short of their claims. There are many threads about this problem out there, I only wish I had searched for them before my purchase.

    1. Re:batteries lost my trust by luther349 · · Score: 1

      they both lost me when nexus 7 came around. granted no hdmi or sd slot but its a pure android device.

    2. Re:batteries lost my trust by Threni · · Score: 1

      I got the nook because it's the same price as the 7 but with a bigger screen and better build quality. I don't care about which version of android it's got as long as it's not ancient. V4 is good enough for me.

  11. Re:What is it about the Nook? by Curunir_wolf · · Score: 4, Informative

    All that being said - I expect everything applies to the Kindle as well, so - no, there's really no compelling reason to choose the Nook. There's a very good reason to get a Kindle instead: Amazon has a much better selection. (Yeah, I kind of regret my Nook purchase, but not enough to replace it with a Kindle.)

    That's not much of a selling point, since you can install and run Kindle on the Nook, but you can't install Nook reader on the Kindle. So that means the Nook actually has a bigger selection.

    --
    "Somebody has to do something. It's just incredibly pathetic it has to be us."
    --- Jerry Garcia
  12. I am reading this by Endloser · · Score: 1

    on my Nook. And I couldn't be happier. Unless of course the world moved away from its addiction to flash.

  13. Re:What is it about the Nook? by hedwards · · Score: 5, Informative

    The main problem with Nook is that they're only available for sale in the US and the UK. They're better than Kindle in most ways. I've had two Nooks, one was the original and the other is Nook Simple Touch Glow. The only reason I upgraded was that I smashed the older one. Anyways, they both feature a MicroSD slot, the ability to buy ebooks from pretty much any store not ending in azon.com. And Nook had a real light before anybody else did. I've used it and the glow light works well. Even lighting across the whole screen without it straining the eyes. Also, Nook was the first reader to get the page flipping right. It has 2 sets of physical buttons so you can turn the page which ever way you hold it. But, it also has the touch screen to turn pages as well. Which works pretty well, except if you accidentally click on a citation link. But, in general the thing about Nook is that it's just solid hardware with good design. The main problem I have with it is that the book shelves are a PITA to use. You have to shelve the books on the device itself, which doesn't work out well if you have a huge number of books.

  14. Re:What is it about the Nook? by hedwards · · Score: 5, Informative

    I disagree, if you buy an ebook from Amazon you're pretty much stuck with Amazon devices. But, Nook uses epub with DRM from Adobe, so, my Nook can read books from just about any store that sells them. Whereas Nook requires that you get the books converted, or stick with Amazon books.

    I've personally bought ebooks from Oreilly, Smashwords, B&N, Kobo and Ebooks.com, and they all work without converting them. And even the stores that sell DRM ebooks, I can load those without having to crack the DRM. Which I couldn't do with Kindle, unless I buy from Amazon.

    But, more importantly, if I decide I don't like the next generation of Nook and my current one breaks, I can switch to a competing ebook reader, without having to crack my library or buy it a second time. Something that's impossible with Kindle.

  15. Re:What is it about the Nook? by dk20 · · Score: 1

    I live in Canada now, but lived in the US for a while and own a kindle and a few nooks for me and my kids.
    Nook Pro's (just the white book reader, not the tablets)
    - Both the device and its accessories are more reasonably priced then the kindle.
    - Native EPUB support which greatly expands your options.
    - feels nice in your hand
    - user replaceable battery
    - microSD slot which is handy for putting books/music on.
    - Seem more "friendly" then others (not as locked down).
    - Somewhat stylish (I like the white, which has stayed clean for 3 years).

    Nook Con's
    - battery doesnt seem to last as long as my kindle
    - sorting / cataloging could be improved. Simple stuff like allowing me to sort by when i added the books would be nice.
    The nook has two large buttons on each side for forward/backward and can easily be used single-handed.
    I use my nook when i'm reading some opensource matrial (epub support is great) and I use my kindle for any amazon content.

    I've looked at the Kobo upon returning to Canada and think the kobo is probably pretty comparable to a nook.

  16. Re:What is it about the Nook? by ZeroEpoch · · Score: 1

    I just bought a Nook Simple Touch from OfficeMax for $59! Besides price my other big selling point was ePub support. I didn't want to buy a device that only works with Amazon and nothing else (unless you do decryption and conversion). I heard that B&N's bookstore is larger than Amazon's but that is just something I heard. I read mostly tech books from O'Reilly so it's not much of an issue for me. The Kindle eInk device does have a better display and some nice extra features but it's not worth over 2x the price. Plus the Nook Simple Touch can be rooted and run normal Android apps, not sure about the Kindle Paperwhite. I have a tablet already so rooting didn't appeal to me but it might to others. I think the Nook is a great lower costs alternative to the Kindle.

  17. good for them by Karmashock · · Score: 1

    There should be more out there then the kindle.

    I actually like the nook better for a couple reasons. Its just two bad that B&N is so small compared to the monster Amazon has become.

    --
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  18. Re:What is it about the Nook? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    I Have a Nook, and a Kindle.

    The Nook Simple Touch is the best eBook reader I have ever used, and I have used pretty much every major version of every major brand that has been released.

    I read a lot, several novels a week on average, and so small things make a huge impact for me.
    The Nook has a very nice tactile feel. Its coated with a rubberized like surface that is much easier to hold then the standard hi-gloss body plastic on most devices. The shape of the device, particularly the back panel, is very ergonomic, and easy to hold. It has the all important page turn buttons, a huge requirement for me. It has fairly good battery life, and the GUI is easy to user and understand.

    There are some flaws.
    You can't delete a file from the device, you have to plug it in to a computer to do so. The home page, which is different then your library seems useless to me, but that could perhaps be for people who read magazines, and other documents on the device. The device requires you to swipe across the screen to unlock, which can cause problems because the touch screen isn't capacitive touch, it uses infrared to detect touch, so if there is any dust around the edges of the screen, touch will fail.

    Overall though, I love the device.

  19. Citation Needed by meustrus · · Score: 1

    Barnes & Noble's Nook e-reader line has largerly [sic] been regarded as a botched attempt to compete with the Kindle

    Citation needed.

    --
    I sometimes ask revealing, often ignorant-seeming questions. Maybe they're harder to answer than you think.
  20. E-ink yes by Falkentyne · · Score: 1

    I owned the original Nook with the small lcd screen along the bottom and the newer simple touch nook. I'm a tall guy with larger hands and the original nook was a good fit for me but I like the simple touch for the weight of it. As far as compelling differences between the Kindle and Nook line up - I don't see a huge difference besides compatibility with different formats. It seems like the Nook has better open standard support. This can be alleviated by using a program like Calibre to convert the books http://calibre-ebook.com/ though. Also, I believe the touch screen Kindles do not have hardware buttons.

    As of right now there is no reason for me to upgrade to anything newer since I can read any book I want now on my simple touch. I don't like using an LCD screen to do any marathon reading as it is harsh on the eyes so an LCD for me is out of the question. I read a lot of books - one series alone was 40 books long - try that with an LCD screen and my eyes would hate me.

    Now, if they came out with a hybrid e-ink / LCD device I can get on board with that: Color E-ink for the E-ink screen so I can read books in b&w or other documents in color in the bright light or for long periods of time. Possibly have a glowlight as well?
    LCD for when indoors / regular tablet functions

    Give me that and I'll definitely buy that new device as long as it's implemented properly with sharpness and clarity for both functions. One of the complaints with the Nook w/glowlight was a slightly more washed out look to the screen in comparison to the regular simple touch. I bought one of the glowlights from Radioshack for $30 when it got clearanced out and gave it to my brother as it just didn't have the same sharpness. I think Amazon won with backlighting - looked like a superior technology with better viewing options.

  21. Re:What is it about the Nook? by robocord · · Score: 3, Informative

    I have both the Nook Simple Touch Glow and the Kindle Paperwhite. As far as I can tell they are exactly equivalent in terms of the competitive niche. I much prefer reading on the Kindle. It's smaller, litter, slimmer, and the lighting is more agreeable. The nook is oddly thick and the buttons are all much too hard to push, at least when it's new (as mine is).

    The nook's lighting is more uniform but the light sources are too close to the edge of the screen, which means the glare from the source bugs me while reading. The brightness controls on the kindle allow for finer adjustment and the minimum light level is lower.

    The kindle's almost complete lack of buttons appeals to me, since I'm already used to reading on tablet and phone touch screens. Nook's two different power/home buttons make no real sense to me, and the page turn buttons go ignored in favor of swiping or tapping on the touch screen.

    Both screens are very pleasant to look at when the light is enabled, but kind of oddly colored when it's off. The kindle's higher pixel count is noticeable, but not so much better that I'd ignore the nook. Neither screen is very quick to respond to touches or page turns. The kindle is a bit faster than the nook, most of the time.

    Shopping, buying, downloading, etc is a bit easier on the nook, in my opinion. Both interfaces are more than good enough though.

    The really big differences show up in the infrastructure surrounding the gadgets.

    B&N's web site is, in my opinion, horrifically bad. I hate everything about it. Buying items fails frequently, for no apparent reason. I never even look at their site anymore. If I want to buy a B&N ebook, I find it via http://www.goodreads.com/, http://inkmesh.com/, or by showrooming on Amazon's site, then buy it on the nook itself.

    Amazon's site is better. Searching is limited and imprecise, compared to real search engines like Google. The number of items on screen is fixed and too few, but I can live with that.

    The deciding factor, for me, is how many restriction Amazon puts on the kindle. Their format is a proprietary version of the old Mobipocket "standard" with their own layer of DRM. Nook uses ePub with Adobe DRM. Both DRM schemes are easily removed, but after removal, Nook books leave you with a wonderfully useful ePub, where kindle books are still in a (somewhat) proprietary format. If I want to load an ePub on my kindle, I have to convert it first. If I want to load a kindle book on almost any other reader, I have to convert it first. Conversion isn't hard, using Calibre, but I have noticed that layout and formatting is never quite right after conversion.

    I'd love to read more in the Kindle Paperwhite, but Amazon has crippled it too much to be of use to me. I don't like the physical experience of reading on the Nook Simple Touch Glow... it's just too chunky and clunky. Ultimately, I choose to keep reading mostly on my Android tablets. I buy my ebooks from places that sell them in ePub and read them on devices that support ePub.

  22. Re:What is it about the Nook? by tipo159 · · Score: 1

    Nothing much to add to this except that I love my Nook Simple Touch. I hope that new Nooks expand the capability of the Simple Touch (to make it even better at what it does) and not the Tablet.

  23. lrn2english by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    "Barnes & Noble's Nook e-reader line has largerly been regarded as a botched attempt to compete with the Kindle, whose failure has contributed to the bookseller's financial woes."

    The Kindle's failure has contributed to the bookseller's financial woes? I don't think so. Learn to English, kthx

  24. nook Tale of woe by Peet42 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I bought a nook Simple Touch for my Mother's birthday. It seemed like a good deal (reduced from £80 to £30 for "London Literacy Week") and there were numerous books listed in the "free content" from the 1800s that had been published right next to where she lived that would be of interest to her in her Genealogy hobby.

    From the start I was annoyed by it - you couldn't activate it to use in any way without first associating it both with a working Credit Card and an active email address. As it was going to be a surprise I had to go to the trouble of setting up a separate email address just so she wouldn't be tipped off by the (non-optional) "purchase notifications" it sent to that address every time you added a book.

    Then, there were the restrictions. 80% of the storage was reserved for DRM'd material - if you downloaded restriction-free files from Gutenberg or similar you could only fill 20% of the provided storage. Oh, and remember all those "free" books I researched before buying it? *Every one* on the US site refused to download saying that "For copyright reasons this content is restricted to US downloads only". Even though I was in Scotland, and the books were published in Scotland, *in the 1800s*...

    Oh, and the clunky DRM support requires you to run a piece of third-party (Adobe) software to "authenticate" the device that's not available in any form under Linux. I ended up having to download and install a pirate copy of Windows just to be able to initialise the machine! (I feel so *dirty*...)

    There turned out to be a much smaller selection available on the UK site. Of those, maybe one in six would fail to download and crash the machine. Barnes and Noble "fixed" this by deleting the files remotely, and proudly emailed to say the problem had been "resolved". Er, no. "Resolved" would have been for the books to be in a condition to be read on the device that was purchased to read them - anything else doesn't qualify as a "resolution".

    The device itself died three weeks into setting it up, and it took the best part of *two months* to get a replacement. (From their factory in Poland...) Which was dead on arrival. At least the next replacement took less than a week. And then I had to set about loading all the books from scratch.

    Oh, and the "local number" telephone support was a very faint woman with a Canadian-sounding accent over a bad VoIP link with a 2-3 second delay. But you don't need to worry about that any more, as since I had all these problems they've withdrawn the support number entirely and now you are forced to use "Live Chat" on the wensite during the hours of 9am-6pm. *Their* time zone. Which translates to 5pm-2am where I live.

    So, now it works. Except that as my Mother doesn't have a Credit Card I've had to leave it registered with mine. And something like 80% of the "Front Page" you get when you turn it on is something that will lead to you spending money if you click on it. I've had to simply scramble the wi-fi settings so it can't communicate to purchase *anything*. If they'd been a bit more subtle about it I might have left her with the option of buying new books, but as things stand their money-grabbing philosophy has backfired.

    Sorry this is such a long rant. The really annoying thing, above all else, is that when it works it works really well - the touch screen is extremely responsive, the battery life is good and if they didn't screw you with the hellishly intrusive DRM I would have been happy to pay two to three times as much for the hardware.

    1. Re:nook Tale of woe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I bought a nook simple touch during one of my visits in USA. I did create a user in the BN web store (and you don't need a credit card, you could use a gift card). And I routinely upload on the device epub books I download from internet without problems (I use Calibre both for managing my library, for converting and for uploading). I also buy books on the BN web store and download them on the device (and on the app I have on my smartphone). And every friday they give away an ebook (they call it "free friday") from a contemporary author and many titles from aspiring authors...
      And it is enough to put a SD card in it to have all the space you want for your books and documents (converted in epub, again by using Calibre).
      Yes, it is annoying that BN seems to regard only USA as their market, they refuse to sell newspapers and magazines subscriptions unless you live there and their customer service (that with me was very helpful) is available on their "daytime" only.
      But have traveled with more that 100 books with me (and some magazines... yes you can buy and download the single issues) and I'm very happy with it. As you say, with the Kindle I would have been locked in much more.

    2. Re:nook Tale of woe by Gogo0 · · Score: 1

      the regional lockout thing is terrible. i was not allowed to buy an Economist subscription in japan on my nook tablet, so what were my options? ended up rooting the thing and installing a custom ROM running vanilla android.
      i love it, only use it for watching NFL games, reading books (Moon+ Reader), and reading comics (Perfect Viewer). of course, i can now also download Economist epubs and read them that way, despite the fact that they wont accept my money.

    3. Re:nook Tale of woe by aheath · · Score: 1

      I've often wonder why Barnes & Noble decided to develop their own eReader hardware. Borders took a different path and sold the Kobo. Borders didn't survive for other reasons but I thought it was a smart move to avoid going head to head with Amazon for eReader sales.

    4. Re:nook Tale of woe by apcullen · · Score: 1
      There are three nooks in my house, and I find very little to agree with you.

      Then, there were the restrictions. 80% of the storage was reserved for DRM'd material - if you downloaded restriction-free files from Gutenberg or similar you could only fill 20% of the provided storage. Oh, and remember all those "free" books I researched before buying it? *Every one* on the US site refused to download saying that "For copyright reasons this content is restricted to US downloads only". Even though I was in Scotland, and the books were published in Scotland, *in the 1800s*...

      Ebooks take up so little space, that I've found that isn't a problem. It might be different if I wanted to store movies on our various nooks (a simple touch, a nook color, and a nook tablet) but having books hasn't been a problem yet.

      Oh, and the clunky DRM support requires you to run a piece of third-party (Adobe) software to "authenticate" the device that's not available in any form under Linux. I ended up having to download and install a pirate copy of Windows just to be able to initialise the machine! (I feel so *dirty*...)

      HUH?!? I don't have any windows machines in my house, and I have no problems with any of our nooks. This doesn't match up with my experience at all. I connect the nook to my linux computer with the cable provided, and load whichever epub files I want. It may be different for me because I run opensuse, which isn't the most popular linux distro, but I seriously doubt that. Really this seems to come out of left field. I have absolutely no problem at all using my nooks with a linux computer and I don't have any (pirated or genuine) copies of windows.

      The credit card complaint is legitimate. But other tablets are the same. I created a single-use charge number using my credit card's "online shopping" features, and never worried about it again.

      are they perfect? No. They make great e-readers, but unless you root them, they make poor tablets. That having been said, in my experience they are not nearly as poor as the OP's experience.

    5. Re:nook Tale of woe by Peet42 · · Score: 1

      Not my experience. I tried it under several WINE versions using PlayOnWine.

    6. Re:nook Tale of woe by Peet42 · · Score: 1

      HUH?!? I don't have any windows machines in my house, and I have no problems with any of our nooks. This doesn't match up with my experience at all. I connect the nook to my linux computer with the cable provided, and load whichever epub files I want.

      I was specifically trying to download DRM-laden files from the B&N store that I couldn't find from alternative sources such as Gutenberg. (e.g. a book of all the names on the gravestones in Banff graveyard published sometime around 1860...) It was the promise of these files that led to my buying the thing in the first place, as they would not have been available on a Kindle. Except, of course, once I'd jumped through the hoops to "Authorise" the machine and tried to download them I found that I was geo-blocked from doing so.

      And I'm not going to Root a device I'm giving to my Mother as a gift in case she ever has to return it under warranty.

    7. Re:nook Tale of woe by Peet42 · · Score: 1

      Root it

      Oh, if I was buying it for myself that would have been my fiorst option. But as it weas a gift for my Mother I had to allow for the fact she might return it directly under warranty.

      ( you can make B&N books that way with a PC...)

      I probably can. My 87-year old Mother, however, is a tad less technical. I had to uninstall "NoScript" from her web browser because every time it gave you the "Donate" tab on startup (about once a month) she would write a panicked letter to me telling me her computer was "broken again".

      Basically, if the device needs any configuration at all after it leaves my hands she won't even attempt to use it. From all the marketing twaddle the nook seemed to fit the bill, but reality fell short.

    8. Re:nook Tale of woe by Peet42 · · Score: 1

      it is enough to put a SD card in it to have all the space you want for your books and documents

      True. Of course it would mean spending the cost of the machine again to get the extra space that was originally advertised. (Assuming around £30 for a 32GB micro-SD)

    9. Re:nook Tale of woe by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      You can hack the NST. So, that's what you do. Suddenly you can change out the PDF reader, access the market, all that jazz.

      Next time, visit XDA-Developers before calling support.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    10. Re:nook Tale of woe by Peet42 · · Score: 1

      Next time, visit XDA-Developers before calling support.

      If you read some of the other responses upthread before posting, you'll see that while I would be happy to do that if I was using it myself, as a gift for my 87-yesr old Mother I had to leave it unhacked in case she ever sent it back directly for servicing under warranty.

    11. Re:nook Tale of woe by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Why can't you do that for her? You've already handled all the other aspects.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    12. Re:nook Tale of woe by Peet42 · · Score: 1

      Because I needed the device to be "stock", so if she took it into her head to return it to B&N under warranty without consulting me first they wouldn't distress her by refusing to service it. (She lives a long way away from me, and I'm housebound with no transport of my own, so once it's in the post that's the last I'll see of it...)

  25. B&N by WilyCoder · · Score: 3, Insightful

    B&N has been Ballmer'd

  26. Re:What is it about the Nook? by 0123456 · · Score: 1

    I disagree, if you buy an ebook from Amazon you're pretty much stuck with Amazon devices.

    Or Windows, or Linux (through Wine), or an Android tablet or phone, or an iPad or iPhone, or, I believe, a web interface. If it's DRM-free, of course, you can convert it to any other format.

  27. If only I could buy from them here in Brazil... by Alejux · · Score: 1

    Barnes and Noble has a policy where they only sell to Americans. It's unbelievably stupid. I've spent literally thousands of dollars on ebooks in the last few years on Amazon.com. During that time, I've tried on 2 separate occasions buying something from B&N, with no success. I even tried purchasing a gift certificate credit, but when I tried using it for an ebook, they didn't accept it. That's why Amazon.com has and always will beat the crap out of B&N IMO.

    1. Re:If only I could buy from them here in Brazil... by meustrus · · Score: 1

      Brazil is one of the toughest places to import products. Amazon certainly has an advantage as a larger company which has always been based on the internet, and so has probably been dealing with international trade for a while. Barnes & Noble, being a brick and mortar business expanding into internet trade, hasn't dealt with international crap as much and might not see enough advantage to playing by Brazil's trade rules since it would only be for its apparently not that successful e-book business.

      --
      I sometimes ask revealing, often ignorant-seeming questions. Maybe they're harder to answer than you think.
    2. Re:If only I could buy from them here in Brazil... by Alejux · · Score: 1

      It's not a Brazil issue. All other countries are also banned from buying ebooks on B&N. While in Amazon all you need is an international credit card, with B&N, you need one with a billing address within the US. There are no importation taxes or any trade inter-country trade bureaucracy when buying downloaded stuff from Amazon, just like there are none with most digital content you find on the web.

    3. Re:If only I could buy from them here in Brazil... by TheSkepticalOptimist · · Score: 1

      its not the company "banning" people from sales. I mean, it would be absolutely ridiculous for a company to limit their market share.

      I live in Canada and know all too well how frustrating it is that I can't buy something online from some store because the Canadian government will not allow the company into Canada until they can set up all their taxes and tariffs and ensure that Canadian culture is respected and, yada yada yada. Then, of course, the Canadian government has to kneel and pray to the big three national Telecom companies to let them entertain the notion of allowing any kind of potential competition into the country.

      Believe me, if B&N or any other company could just sell content freely to anybody in the world they would do so. A market of 7 billion is far more attractive than a market of only 400 million. But I think you will find at the route of all this is your government either making it difficult or impossible for B&N to enter the Brazilian market in a way that makes it profitable for them to do so.

      --
      I haven't thought of anything clever to put here, but then again most of you haven't either.
  28. Re:What is it about the Nook? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I accidentally a verb.

  29. Re:What is it about the Nook? by Cinder6 · · Score: 1

    I have a Kindle Paperwhite and a Kobo Aura HD. I previously owned a Nook Simple Touch w/ Glowlight and a Kindle Touch. As far as I'm concerned, there are three areas where these devices compete: hardware, software, and synchronization services (we'll call this "platform"). Libraries are largely the same, though Kobo is often a bit more expensive than Amazon and doesn't have as much of the self-published stuff.

    (All ratings are for dedicated eReaders).

    Hardware
    1. Nook
    2. Kobo
    3. Kindle

    The Nook simply feels the best and has physical buttons. The Kobo Aura, at least, has a bigger and higher density screen than the other two, which is what edges it out over the Kindle. The Paperwhite is very basic, but it is a solid device; my Kobo, on the other hand, is a bit creaky (apparently not all are like this, and you can fix it with some crafting glue and patience; this sucks hard, but I guess it's an option).

    Software
    1. Kobo
    2. Nook, Kindle

    The Kobo allows you to change many more aspects of fonts, such as weight and spacing, than the other two. It offers much more granular control, as well (the Kindle, for instance, only allows three spacing settings, while the Kobo offers at least ten). Put simply, the Kobo is more appealing to actually read on. Before the Paperwhite, the Nook beat the Kindle in terms of presentation, but now the three are all pretty equal on that front. Both Kobo and Nook allow you to actually turn off the backlight in models that have that feature. The Kindle only uses AZW or MOBI files, but as this (along with the DRM) is so trivial to circumvent, I don't consider it an issue.

    Platform
    1. Kindle
    2. Nook
    3. Kobo

    Amazon's platform is top-notch. The Kindle syncs your reading location almost instantly, allowing you to change from a phone to an eReader in a snap. The Nook takes several minutes or longer, and the Kobo actually seems to require you to manually hit a sync button, or else it will take hours (if it ever syncs at all). The Kindle (and I think Nook?) automatically downloads titles, but again, the Kobo requires a manual sync (though it still uses Wifi, at least). And the Kindle is the only one that will sync side-loaded books to your devices and keep track of your reading location.

    Which device is best comes down to the individual. If you're on the go a lot, or have lots of downtime, the Kindle's syncing capabilities are great. If you just read a lot (and particularly on the same device), the Kobo Aura is the one to get. If you want physical buttons and the overall best feel, go with the Nook.

    --
    If you can't convince them, convict them.
  30. protesteth too much by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

    You know when a CEO insists that the company is committed to the product line that it's only a matter of time until they're gone.

    Once they dump as many of the readers that are in the pipeline as possible, they'll drop the Nook faster than Anthony Weiner drops his pants.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  31. Re:What is it about the Nook? by Maestro485 · · Score: 1

    You don't need an Amazon device to read Amazon ebooks.

    I do own a Kindle touch, but I have the Kindle app on my iPhone, iPad, and Macbook. I frequently read various things on every one of those devices depending on the situation.

    The sync up nicely too so that each device will pick where I stopped reading on any other device.

  32. Why bother with a Kindle or a Nook? by macbeth66 · · Score: 1

    I have a 7 and 10 inch tablets. Both are Androids and both have the Kindle and Nook apps on them. I buy different books for different reasons for the two platforms. There seem to be fewer and fewer Kindles and Nooks in the wild. Most people doing what I am doing and reading on mobile devices. I actually lent a Nook eBook to a colleague at work. However, according to the pundits, eBook sales are 'faltering'. I just Googled "ebook sales 2013".

    1. Re:Why bother with a Kindle or a Nook? by asavage · · Score: 1

      It is so much nicer to read off e-ink screens than tablets, especially when outside. The battery life also makes e-readers great for traveling as they get much better battery life. When I see people reading on a electronic device in public it is almost always an e-reader over a tablet. Sales might be down but there is no reason for most e-reader owners to buy new devices as a new e-reader isn't noticeably better than one bought 4 years ago. A 4 year old tablet is much worse than a 2013 Nexus 7.

  33. Re:What is it about the Nook? by tverbeek · · Score: 4, Interesting

    My primary motivation for buying a Nook instead of a Kindle was my interest in supporting competition for the 8000-ton gorilla that is Amazon. Consumers benefit when there are at least two comparable options to choose from. Also, as a long-standing bookseller with experience dealing with calls for censorship, B&N has also been less prone to kneejerk removal of books, and (as far as I've heard) they haven't been caught purging their ebook catalog of fiction that touches on controversial themes. (Which is an example of why competition is needed.)

    I replaced my Nook with the latest model when the original one was damaged because I'd found that it was also just a plain good device. I especially like the big page-turning buttons, which make it easy to operate while running on the treadmill at the gym.

    --
    http://alternatives.rzero.com/
  34. Re:What is it about the Nook? by hedwards · · Score: 1

    You're missing the point. You can only read on devices that Amazon sanctions. Sure, Amazon does provide an iOS and an Android version on top of the Kindle itself, but so do the competitors. And I can load most of those books up in ADE, regardless of store. Adobe itself doesn't have the incentive to keep people restricted to one type of ebook reader or another.

  35. Re:What is it about the Nook? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I have a nook ST with Glowlight, and while I can't tell you much about the Kindles I can tell you that I love my nook. I can easily side-load it with books, it's the right size and very comfortable (more than my original Sony PRS which I fucking LOVED at the time) to hold and read. The button placement makes sense esp. the power button the on the top/back, though the paging buttons on the bezel are just slightly confusing, and I always just swipe instead of using them. I spend as much time as I can in the physical bookstores and while there I can preview books for an hour. That's been enough to persuade or dissuade me from multiple book purchases. I love Sci-Fi novels and I now read them exclusively on my nook, while I buy programming books and magazines at the store. (Yes, I still buy programming books even though The Internet.)

    My daughter received a nook from us and a kindle from her biological father on the same Christmas a couple years ago. She liked both, had money in both, yet somehow built a larger library in the nook until the kindle started to gather dust. The Kindle was one with a keyboard and while very thin and light I personally never liked the shape and layout compared to the Simple Touch. It apparently got flexed one day and ruined the screen, so now she only has the nook. She felt bad because it was a present but said "at least it wasn't the nook, that would have really sucked."

    Tablets; I like the small one, but even at the price they're selling for I don't think it compares favorably. They tried something with it, the Nook Store, and in some ways it was a good idea because the problem I have with android is the general lack of quality, but no one liked the idea of being locked in with pricier versions of android software. Now it can use both, and I wish they'd done that from the start.

    Rant aside, don't count the nook out, but at the same time realize the original nook was an ebook reader and the tablet is just kind of coat tailing. I love the nook e-reader, the tablet is probably a bad decision for them. I don't know, I'm sure they have smart people looking at this and I wish them well.

  36. Stick to content distribution. by John+Pfeiffer · · Score: 1

    A while back, my little sister picked up a Nook Tablet for, what was it? Like $170? Back in May I picked up a 7" Android 4.0 tablet from China that kicks its ass for $30. (In fact, I bought four different ones, and one of those 'Android TV stick' devices, for a total of $145, god bless DealExtreme.)

    Just pull the plug, B&N. Concentrate on content distribution, and maintaining the reader app. I think in the long run, the Nook is nothing more than an unnecessary expenditure that exposes them to equally unnecessary financial risks. Hell, if they really want a branded tablet to sell in their stores, they should just re-brand one of those Chinese ones, and cut it out with the custom OS crap that makes it 'not quite an Android device'.

    --

    Friend: "The NIC is misconfigured..." Me: "No prob, I'll just telnet in and fix it." *Silence*
    1. Re:Stick to content distribution. by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Can you provide a link to the $30 tablet that kicks the Nook's ass on DX? I would like to buy one. Thank you.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    2. Re:Stick to content distribution. by John+Pfeiffer · · Score: 1

      These are the devices I bought:

      http://dx.com/p/187854 (This is my favorite, Center-Top in the picture I linked before. Larger, 4:3 screen.)
      http://dx.com/p/178118 (Left.)
      http://dx.com/p/166593 (Center-Bottom.)
      http://dx.com/p/183756 (Right.)
      http://dx.com/p/160535 (Top-right corner.)

      Unfortunately, it was during this crazy 50% off sale back on May 15th, but in my opinion, they're still totally worth it at full price. They're ridiculously capable little devices.

      They're great readers, they run apps perfectly, and they even play 1080p video files over my network flawlessly. (With the correct combination of player/codec) And I'm talking like 18gb .MKV files; the stuff I watch on my desktop.

      The 'Android TV' stick turns any TV or monitor with HDMI (Or DVI with an adapter) into an Android device. Just add USB or wireless keyboard and mouse. Instant media center! Has OTG for external storage, and has GPS for some reason, lol. Really an awesome idea.

      --

      Friend: "The NIC is misconfigured..." Me: "No prob, I'll just telnet in and fix it." *Silence*
  37. Re:What is it about the Nook? by 0123456 · · Score: 1

    Of course they do. They only exist to support DRM-ed epub.

    Besides, do you really want to tell Adobe every book you read?

  38. oddly enough by kcmastrpc · · Score: 1

    i rooted my nook color and installed the kindle app on it.

  39. Re:What is it about the Nook? by Will.Woodhull · · Score: 1

    Yes, the ability to do a 2 hr in store preview of any purchase was a big factor in my choosing the Nook.

    I use it some for entertainment but mostly it is the most convenient way to carry reference books with me when I am on the move. Determining whether a particular reference is going to work well on an ereader sometimes takes a while: does the book depend on diagrams that are crappy on the Nook screen? A lot of publishers just dump the hardcopy version of a book into ereader format without bothering to revise diagrams, etc.

    --
    Will
  40. Re: What is it about the Nook? by peragrin · · Score: 1

    I like my nook color. But amazon has a better book selection. However my last purchase was a nexus 7(2013). I can install the nook app, and kindle app while having a decent web browser too.

    Sure e-ink is better for reading. But for multifunction a tablet is better

    --
    i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
  41. Nook Owner Here by JackSpratts · · Score: 2

    Bought the Tablet the week of release and paid around $250.00 w/handsome flip cover. It's fits in my suit pocket so it actually goes to meetings. Great screen - easy to read, displays AV content pleasingly (charts, pics, NetFlix etc), good sound. Has page numbers! With format-shifting Calibre I can load any content out there and the expandable memory let's me add all I need. Mine's nearly two years old so the idea of "doing it again" is basically moot. Technology marches etc...I'd buy something up to the 2013 minute now, like the new Nexus 7 with faster page loading maybe, but I have no need to replace my Nook. It's still doing what I paid it to do in '11. It's bulletproof. Battery holding up...It's a real GLU, a great little unit.

    1. Re:Nook Owner Here by apcullen · · Score: 1

      I have almost exactly the same experience. I own a nook color

      My oldest son has a nook tablet, and he complains that there aren't any free-to-play games on it.

      My younger son has a nexus 7. The reader apps all fall short of the nook. But the nook app (as far as I can tell) for generic android devices only works for books bought from B&N.

      In general our consensus is that the nook is the better reader, but the nexus is more versatile.

    2. Re:Nook Owner Here by caseih · · Score: 1

      I use FBReader and Amazons's Kindle App. With FBReader, I use ivona TTS and the TTS reader plugin and listen to books.

      The Kindle App can read any book in mobi format, DRM or not. Calibre works well for this.

      What problems do you have with those two apps?

    3. Re:Nook Owner Here by apcullen · · Score: 1

      FBReader is ok. I like the nook one better-- on an actual nook it can be used to read both free and paid content, but the app from google play doesn't seem to be able to do this. Never tried the kindle app, because I assumed it would work the same as the nook one. I'll probably give it a look. OTOH, all of my books are in epub, which makes for a lot of converting.

  42. Re:What is it about the Nook? by Brianwa · · Score: 2

    Yeah, the Nook lineup seems to a be a lot more open than the Kindle. You can also root most (all?) Nooks if you want to. I have a simple touch and really enjoy it.

  43. The device is more important than the book by sgt+scrub · · Score: 1

    Books are primarily going to be sold for eReaders. They don't so much need "the nook" as much as they need an eReader. Applications for a competitor's hardware is known to be destined for failure when you compete with companies that do not play fair, U.S. v. M.S.. My money says selling books that will be read by someone else's software on someone else's hardware will always be less profitable than selling real books.

    --
    Having to work for a living is the root of all evil.
  44. Good by nurb432 · · Score: 1

    Competition is good.

    On a personal note i prefer the simple touch nook over kindle due to native ePub support. And the hardware just 'feels' better. ( yes, that's an abstract opinion )

    Now, if they can come out with color.. And get rid of the gloworm version of the simple touch..

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  45. glo-worm touch by nurb432 · · Score: 1

    Looks terrible in the store.. You telling me its not bad in the flesh?

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
    1. Re:glo-worm touch by hedwards · · Score: 1

      Looks terrible in the store? None of the ereaders I've seen look appreciably different. Well, not since they dropped the physical keyboard in favor of a touch screen. For the purpose of reading, I've found Nook to do a good job. My main complaint is that it has gimped support for foreign fonts.

    2. Re:glo-worm touch by nurb432 · · Score: 1

      Yes, it looked terrible in the store. Was not as sharp as the no-glo version ( which i do have, and love ).

      But to be fair, the paper white looked bad to me as well, side by side, until a guy at work bought one and it didn't seem as bad as the 'demo' and was pretty nice. But its still tied to the amazon store, unlike the nook, which makes it a non-option for me. ( i dont want to have to screw with converting everything.. )

      --
      ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  46. Color e-ink! by nurb432 · · Score: 2

    Hey, if you are listening.. 9.5" color e-ink please..

    Come out with one of them, ill buy 2 more simple touches as a thanks..

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
    1. Re:Color e-ink! by pecosdave · · Score: 1

      I would love to have a Kindle DX - the only big screen ereader that comes to mind.

      I've got lots of PDF documents, mostly manuals for work but some other things also. My 7" Nook and Kindle are great for reading flowing text, but for PDF's that bigger screen makes a difference.

      And yeah, color eInk would be great even if it was crappy 16 color. I've got V for Vendetta and Watchmen as ebooks and wouldn't mind even 16 color for those, 256 would be better of course.

      --
      The preceding post was not a Slashvertisement.
    2. Re:Color e-ink! by camazotz · · Score: 1

      Count me in. A 9.5" color e-ink reader is something I have fond dreams about.

  47. Re:What is it about the Nook? by mlts · · Score: 2

    I bought a Nook HD because the price was right. Yes, it is sans camera and 3G, but it does make for a fairly inexpensive tablet, and you can easily run a recent version of Android on it. For security, there are apps that implement EncFS so I just create a volume and stash my files in that.

    As for an E-reader, it does the job decently, although for long texts, I prefer my e-Ink display Kindle Keyboard.

    Only two downsides are its funky charging connector, and the fact that if it fails to boot eight times, it will erase and reinstall itself, which means one forced upate, then the second update so it has the Google Play Store usable.

  48. Re:What is it about the Nook? by Darinbob · · Score: 1

    The Kindle is chock full of DRM, much more than the Nook has. So on that issue alone, Nook wins.

  49. Re:What is it about the Nook? by Darinbob · · Score: 2

    You want to tell even more evil companies like Amazon and Apple? If you get a DRM free book then you don't need to worry about it and no one will come along later and erase it without your permission.

    It's moot anyway, I won't use either because I want my books on paper. But if you're insistent on carrying around a device to show off, carry around one that restricts your rights the least.

  50. Re:What is it about the Nook? by tricorn · · Score: 1

    User replaceable battery? How? I don't have any real problems with battery life yet, but I'm not aware that it can be replaced when it eventually reaches end of life.

    Referring here only to the E-ink versions (Simple Touch and Glow), they did a lot of things right. Organizing your books is the weakest part, the book shelf implementation is really weak. The Kindle Paper White sounds like it's better hardware wise than the Glow, but not by a lot. My main issue with the Glow is the durability of the screen compared to the unlit Simple Touch.

    Kobo sounds really good, especially the higher-resolution larger screen E-ink Aura, but all the social media oriented aspects of it are a bit of a turn-off, and it sounds like they have some real design issues with battery life, auto-power-off and sleep behavior. NOOK seems to get this right.

    Ability to boot off of the external microSD card is also a big selling point for me on the NOOK. If they come out with (and don't screw up) a new version using the newer screen technology that's in the Aura, I'd buy it first chance I got (probably end up buying two, in fact, and pass on our current NOOKs to family).

  51. Re:What is it about the Nook? by dk20 · · Score: 1

    Don't get me wrong, its not like a user replaceable battery is the ultimate selling tool. To me it does show they are more willing to work with their users. Everyone seems to want to make disposible stuff these days.
    How? On the original white nooks you can just pop the back off. This is the same way you install a microSD card. The back isn't even held on with screws (just clips).
    http://portables.about.com/od/ebookreasers/ss/Nook-Battery-Removal-How-To-Change-Battery-Of-Barnes-And-Noble-Nook.htm

  52. Re:What is it about the Nook? by aheath · · Score: 1

    I had a Nook Simple Touch which was gathering dust. I gave the Nook to a friend and bought a Kobo Aura HD. I like the Kobo hardware. I also like supporting my local independent bookstore when I buy books for my Kobo. Wireless syncing can be slow if the wireless signal quality is poor. I use a USB cable to charge the Kobo from my MacBook. I always sync when I charge the Kobo. The Kobo does have a social media tie ins to Facebook that I haven't used the social media features because I don't use Facebook. The one thing that I miss about the Nook Simple Touch is the rubberized back. The back of the Kobo Aura HD doesn't provide as much traction as the Nook Simple Touch. I recommend the Kobo Aura HD sleep cover because it makes the Kobo easier to hold.

  53. Re:What is it about the Nook? by hedwards · · Score: 1

    A couple things, first off, that's similar to the epub standard. But, you can't remove the DRM from kindle books without having the ID from a Kindle. So, if you buy a book and the Kindle breaks, you can find yourself in a position where you can't decrypt it.

    Secondly, in much of the world, cracking the DRM is illegal. If you're going to go to that trouble, you might as well just download a pirate copy if you can no longer access it.

    Lastly, all ebook readers have a similar magic number, ebooks are ultimately not possible to secure completely, as they need the ability to decrypt the book without being online. Which means that somewhere in the reader there is a key that can be used to unlock the book.

    Lastly, can has been used to reflect permission for about 3 centuries, nitpicking of this sort isn't helpful. I could also get a new car by walking up to a dealer with a large gun. Doesn't mean that I can get a free car like that.

  54. Re:What is it about the Nook? by hedwards · · Score: 1

    As much as I dislike certain practices that Adobe has, like limiting the availability of Flash and their new pricing scheme for Photoshop, nothing they do is as evil as what Amazon and Apple are up to in the market. Adobe has a huge incentive to permit their software to be used as widely as possible, because that's how they make their money.

    Amazon and Apple both have a huge incentive to not play well with others and lock people into their ecosystem as much as possible. It remains to be seen if B&N is going to be able to survive without going that route, but at least they're trying to do things responsibly.

  55. I love my Nook Simple Touch. by pecosdave · · Score: 1

    I have both a G3 Kindle (Kindle Keyboard) and a Nook Simple Touch.

    My Nook Simple Touch is more versatile right off the bat since it does ePub and can support Adobe's DRM. First thing I did to the thing was root it. It was great rooted, I could access my entire Kindle library save for the one audio book, and I was even able to make the page turn buttons work for it. With the limitation that the buttons worked for Kindle or Nook books but not both at the same time (grumble grumble). I was also able to get it to access my entire Google Book library with an old pre-"play" version of the app without resorting to the Adobe stuff.

    After playing with the Nook, the Kindle, Calibre, and the Adobe management stuff in my Windows virtual machine I was able to get all my books save for the Kindle DRMed ones on the Nook anyway without the root. I went ahead and unrooted it. The Nooks battery doesn't seem to last as long as the Kindle's, but it's physically smaller. All in all I would say it was the cheaper, supperior device. I don't really care for touch screen, but it does make the whole device more compact since it doesn't need external controls, they just shaved that area off the bottom in comparison to the Kindle, even the modern 4th Gen Kindle.

    Now I get my books from multiple sources, I still use Amazon, I pick up good deals on Google, I'm a Humble Bundle junkie having bought both of their ebook offerings, and I even pick up one from Barnes and Noble occasionally. They do seem to be the least deal and price concious of the bunch, but they have the occasional exclusive.

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  56. Re:What is it about the Nook? by dotancohen · · Score: 1

    The Nook Simple Touch does have those buttons.

    If you ask me (which I guess the OP did), the Nook Simple Touch is a great little device, but the Nook Tablets are worthless. Since you can get the Nook App on just about any tablet (including Windows 8 tablets) you might as well get a tablet you actually want and then just install that, if you really want to use Nook ebooks on a tablet. There's no compelling reason to get a Nook Tablet.

    Another thing is that the Nook Simple Touch is very easily rooted. After rooting I've got a backlit $120 e-ink tablet running full Android.

    I mostly use it to review Anki, but it is adequate for browsing in Opera, reading books, or most anything else that a tablet does. Without the backlight but with wifi the battery lasts at least 10-12 hours of use, and the screen is absolutely the best screen I've ever use, on any mobile or stationary device.

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  57. Re:What is it about the Nook? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    more importantly, if I decide I don't like the next generation of Nook and my current one breaks, I can switch to a competing ebook reader, without having to crack my library or buy it a second time. Something that's impossible with Kindle.

    Wait, what? That's almost right. If I don't like the next generation of nook and my current one breaks, I can install the nook app on another Android tablet. But if I don't like the next generation of Kindle and my current one breaks (actually I have a NST but bear with my example) then I just buy an Android tablet and install the Kindle app on it. I have Kindle on my NST. It works fine. I don't know WTF you are talking about. You're not any more locked into Kindle than you are into Nook.

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  58. It's probably been noted already... by rusty0101 · · Score: 1

    ...but I think the biggest problem with the Nook and Barnes & Nobel going forward is not the Nook hardware (widely acclaimed, see above) or the selection of books, (especially considering that you're not limited to B&N content) or even the Android platform options and marketplace options that B&N has elected through the years.

    The problem that the Nook has at this time, and going forward is the Investment that Microsoft made in B&N. As that is the factor that has essentially destroyed Nokia as a brand, I can't see anyone thinking that it's going to help B&N over the long term.

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  59. Re:What is it about the Nook? by outlander · · Score: 1

    I've also got a Simple Touch, and it's great. It's easier on the eyes than a bright tablet screen, and it does a pretty good job of rendering text.

    If it had a browser on it which could be considered reliably open-able, I'd use it. Without it....well, it's an e-reader, and it's a bloody annoyance because it means I either leave it at home and use it at night, or carry it and leave the tablet home. Neither alternative is good.

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