Posts Tagged ‘Barnes & Noble’
Look! Look! The Barnes & Noble Nook-nook!
Barnes & Noble customers are about to see a lot more of the Nook.
In September, the chain will begin an aggressive promotion of its Nook e-readers by building 1,000-square-foot boutiques in all of its stores, with sample Nooks, demonstration tables, video screens and employees who will give customers advice and operating instructions.
By devoting more floor space to promoting the Nook, Barnes & Noble is playing up what it calls a crucial advantage over Amazon in the e-reader war: its 720 bricks-and-mortar stores, where customers can test out the device before they commit to buying it.
“I think that’s everything,” William Lynch, chief executive of Barnes & Noble, said in an interview. “American consumers want to try and hold gadgets before they purchase them.”
Barnes & Noble has already installed small counters in its stores where customers can test out the Nook. The new display space would be much larger, and it would be located next to each store’s cafe, to encourage customers to stop by the Nook space, coffee or tea in hand. It would also sell more than 100 accessories for the Nook, like padded covers designed by Kate Spade and Jonathan Adler.
While in the store, Barnes & Noble customers can read entire e-books free, just as they can with print books.
My wife thought I was practicing walrus noises while sorting the headline for this post. How many ways can you use “nook-nook”.
Barnes & Noble says “Yes”, Microsoft says “No” to e-readers
e-Readers have been the buzz word lately, and a slew of announcements has come out this week covering everything from Barnes & Noble launching their own Kindle competitor, to Microsoft saying they want nothing to do with e-readers, to Kindle going international. Check out the latest happenings in the next generation of books.
First off, territory for the Kindle is expanding. Amazon announced earlier in the week that they’re not only cutting the price of the Kindle 2 down to $259 (which is still a pricey device…) but that it is also launching an international version with a built-in AT&T SIM card. It will be priced a little higher at $279, and will be available on October 19. The Kindle DX will also have an international version, allowing readers in over 100 countries to access e-books…
Amazon’s e-books will be 40% more expensive in Europe and the UK.
Barnes & Noble has announced its own e-reader to ship next month. It is rumored to run on the Android OS, though that is definitely still a rumor so far. We know that it’ll have a 6″ screen from digital-paper maker E-Ink – which is a touch on the small side for easy reading – and will have touch input with a virtual keyboard. We don’t know yet about pricing…
And don’t forget, Barnes & Noble has partnered with Plastic Logic, who will put out a color e-book reader next spring, with books accessible through Barnes & Noble…
Microsoft says they’ll pass on putting out a e-reader device. This from Steve Ballmer: “We have a device for reading. It’s the most popular device in the world — it’s the PC.”
Frankly, that’s a little ridiculous as a reason for not making an e-reader. It’s comparing apples to oranges..If the company doesn’t want to enter the fray, then that’s just fine – there are plenty of devices already available and we don’t want to encourage too much of a mad rush towards electronics as primary reading devices – but it’s not smart to say a PC cuts it as an e-reader equivalent.
Measured, deliberate communications ain’t exactly a Ballmer specialty.
B&N, Plastic Logic to use AT&T network for new e-reader
Plastic Logic, which is still gestating its entry in the new market for electronic reading devices, is disclosing a little bit more about its upcoming product.
After announcing earlier this week that Barnes & Noble would manage its electronic book store, the company said Wednesday that AT&T’s 3G network will provide the mobile broadband connection for the device, which is due to go on sale at the beginning of next year.
The Mountain View, Calif., company declined to disclose any more information about the pricing, or whether it will charge consumers monthly for that wireless connectivity. Amazon.com’s Kindle accesses content through Sprint Nextel’s wireless network, although users are not charged for the service and many probably do not even know their Kindle uses Sprint to download books and access the Web.
The Plastic Logic Reader, the size of a regular piece of paper, will be slightly larger than the Kindle DX and sport a touch-screen. Plastic Logic says the device will be targeted at business users, which typically suggests a higher price and the need to lure more affluent customers.
Unlike the Kindle, the Plastic Logic Reader will also be able to access Wi-Fi hotspots.
That last sentence pretty much guarantees AT&T’s 3G access will require a monthly charge.
For publishers who want it, think they need it, the device is DRM-enabled. But, not required. The Reader and the communications system supplying it allow for self-publishing which can be a plus for many writers and editors.
Frankly, I’m looking forward to trying one – sooner or other.
