NOOK Color is a Tablet PC not a colored E-Ink Rreader!

[boswd]

Originally Posted by ppw

If Nook Color fails, B&N might well be the second Blockbuster in the making. I just can't believe they left the first gen Nook to fight with the third gen Kindle. Granted the software updates can improve the first Nook. It sure feels like a white flag on the e-ink front.

The book business is transforming from paper to e quickly. B&N is facing a formidable competitor in Amazon and an incredible destructive force in tablets (iPad/Android). If B&N makes a critical mistake at this stage, it's going to be fatal. 12 months sounds rights to judge if Nook Color is a brilliant move or a suicidal one.

i would say at the snails pace that the eink techonlogy is moving, I think it came down to a "we have to do something now".

don't get me wrong I love eink, and if I do get the Nook color I will still use my original nook for all my novel reading. But the masses, and trust me we on this forum are not it, want color, want touchscreen, what fun interactive technology. it moves sooooo fast.

and e-ink is moving like a glacier. Think about it. e ink was around for quite a few years now. At least 3 years, i think, before Amazon and the best we have to show for it after these years is Pearl screen. so a little better contrast?

I think it was a we can't wait around for this do anything. Let's go forward using LCD

To BN's credit they skimped on nothing, everything is high end, high end IPS panal/screen, fantastic screen resolution, using the TI OMAP Processor's.
Running Android 2.1 (eclair) with a 2.2 update Froyo coming next year.
They have incredible specs and at a steal for $250.

[ppw]

Originally Posted by boswd

i would say at the snails pace that the eink techonlogy is moving, I think it came down to a "we have to do something now".

don't get me wrong I love eink, and if I do get the Nook color I will still use my original nook for all my novel reading. But the masses, and trust me we on this forum are not it, want color, want touchscreen, what fun interactive technology. it moves sooooo fast.

and e-ink is moving like a glacier. Think about it. e ink was around for quite a few years now. At least 3 years, i think, before Amazon and the best we have to show for it after these years is Pearl screen. so a little better contrast?

I think it was a we can't wait around for this do anything. Let's go forward using LCD

To BN's credit they skimped on nothing, everything is high end, high end IPS panal/screen, fantastic screen resolution, using the TI OMAP Processor's.
Running Android 2.1 (eclair) with a 2.2 update Froyo coming next year.
They have incredible specs and at a steal for $250.

The Nook Color is probably the best Android tablet in terms of value at this point. It should perform well short term.

[jeffcobb]

I am in no hurry for a color ereader until they can get current E-ink battery life out of it. Until then, I am more than happy to wait. The Nook (and others in that space) have hit a form-factor/functionality model that PCs, tablets, laptops, phones and netbooks (which is a blurry line around which all of the above gravitate) cannot touch. If I wanted a color screen to read on, netbooks do it for less money. iPad et al do it for more money and less space (sometimes) and/or more "geek" worthiness. Laptops do it about the best but at the cost of the power of a single-purpose item not to mention sporting about 10pct of the battery life.

I am content to wait.

[brecklundin]

Originally Posted by boswd

i would say at the snails pace that the eink techonlogy is moving, I think it came down to a "we have to do something now".

don't get me wrong I love eink, and if I do get the Nook color I will still use my original nook for all my novel reading. But the masses, and trust me we on this forum are not it, want color, want touchscreen, what fun interactive technology. it moves sooooo fast.

and e-ink is moving like a glacier. Think about it. e ink was around for quite a few years now. At least 3 years, i think, before Amazon and the best we have to show for it after these years is Pearl screen. so a little better contrast?

I think it was a we can't wait around for this do anything. Let's go forward using LCD

To BN's credit they skimped on nothing, everything is high end, high end IPS panal/screen, fantastic screen resolution, using the TI OMAP Processor's.
Running Android 2.1 (eclair) with a 2.2 update Froyo coming next year.
They have incredible specs and at a steal for $250.

actually about a decade now...but it really is a whole new technology which also required a completely new mfg process and equipment. Color is even more so, the current monochrome, B&W, panel tech is sort of like an etch-a-sketch, but color is totally different ball game. There are quite a few different techs for color panels, most have been pretty washed out in dynamic range. The problem has been obtaining the capital to refine the panels as well as design and refine the mfg process and physical plant.

Mirasol shows promise, so does Liquavista's panel as do those from Bridgestone. Problem with Bridstone's panels are one, there has not been a lot of news in the past year and two, they seem to have the worst color reproduction of the bunch. BTW, all of them are flexible media panels.

[fairy_dreams]

I will definitely be going over to B&N to check out the Nook Color, but I have a feeling that I won't be impressed (especially since I already have an iPad, and I'm not very impressed with it...haha).

Their advertising is very strategically done. A person who didn't know better would think that it's the Kindle with color :P

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

• Should I spend $250 on a Nook Color, or $300 on an Android tablet with the same screen and can run the Nook and Kindle and Kobo ebook software, plus email, games, and so forth?

But at the moment, there aren't really any good competing Android tablets at that price.
Google will not consider Android ready for tablets until 3.0, and devices without 3G are not allowed to access the Google app store, so each manufacturer has to set up their own. (Or gain unauthorised access, as some have done). That is why the only mainstream devices available (Streak and Tab) come with phone contracts, and the added expense that means.
There are devices that enthusiasts can poke at and get set up they way they want, but no something suitable for mass market acceptance.

[Kali Yuga]

Originally Posted by boswd

i would say at the snails pace that the eink techonlogy is moving, I think it came down to a "we have to do something now".

Considering that the Kindle 3 is allegedly flying off the shelves, I don't think that's B&N's motivation here.

The more likely scenario is that they believe they're getting slaughtered by the iPad and the Kindle, and are attempting to combine some of the advantages of the two products. They also know their physical stores will be a source of losses rather than profits some time in the next few years. On some counts it's positive (color, animations small, light-weight, focused) on others, negative (more expensive and consumes far more power than eInk).

Originally Posted by boswd

the masses, and trust me we on this forum are not it, want color, want touchscreen, what fun interactive technology.

That's nice, but it's not really relevant here, because the "masses" simply don't buy a lot of books.

If you purchase 2 books a year, there is almost no way you're going to drop $250 on an ebook reader; the very concept won't make sense to you.

The people who will want, and will benefit from, a dedicated device are the more frequent book buyers/readers. And for them, spending an extra $100 on a device does mean $100 less spent on ebooks.

Originally Posted by boswd

e-ink is moving like a glacier. Think about it.

I hate to break it to you, but LCD's aren't exactly moving forward by leaps and bounds either.

LCD is a mature technology, and we aren't likely to see any significant improvements any time soon. The allegedly super-fantastic alternatives like Mirasol and Pixel Qi are stuck issuing press releases rather than shipping real product.

Plus, you're selling eInk a bit short. In the past few years, eInk devices dramatically improved contrast, got tremendous extensions in battery life, faster page refreshes and price drops. It may not be color, but the devices have improved quite a bit in the last few years.

[mcooke66]

I think many of you are way to focused on the device, which by the way looks really good for what it is made to do.

The move here is to push the market out of novels and black and white magazines. They have completely rebranded their e reading materials and introduced NOOK Kids, newsstand etc. This is about content as much as it is about a single device.

I am sure B&N would love to sell a ton of devices but what they really are fighting for is the most expanded ereader market place and they are moving into color because most people I know want color and doe not live on this forum. They are also putting a ton of effort into the NOOK app that you can run on your ipad, pc etc. They clearly do not expect to beat the ipad they want ipad users to by books from their store. If you want a reader and not an ipad you should look at this device.

The B&N I frequent is busy every single day of the year, they may need to restructure the retail side to meet the changing needs of readers but they seem to be the only major bookseller that understands where the future is going. Borders is the dinosaur here. B&N may just have released one of the hottest items for this Christmas we will wait and see. Will people pay 250.00 Ummm YES they will. 3 million people paid 499.99 and up for an ipad they did not need in 80 days!!! NO I do not think they can sell to Apple levels, who can just a point on how Americans will use disposable income even when we have 10% unemployment.


eraders should rejoice that somebody is pushing the market forward other then Amazon.

[ppw]

Originally Posted by mcooke66

eraders should rejoice that somebody is pushing the market forward other then Amazon.

Yes, this move is a brave one. Nook Color has a chance to be a big seller this holiday season if supply is not an issue. But the problem is, there is nothing on the Nook Color that can not be duplicated by a simple app on a tablet. The time for many Android tablets to arrive on the market is 2011. Give it a few months to a year and see if this strategy pans out.

[ppw]

Originally Posted by mcooke66

eraders should rejoice that somebody is pushing the market forward other then Amazon.

The more choices for consumers the better. Without iPad, I can not get Kindle for this cheap. I am rooting for Nook Color to be successful. My negativity towards it is because it does not make business sense to me.

[brecklundin]

Now the $64,000 question...since the Nookcolor is an Android device, will they allow the Kindle for Android software?

The answer to that is the answer to what device makes the most sense. But it might not be as simple as saying no because publishers are greedy and might not want devices to be so vendor specific and could try and force such a move under whatever agreements they have with B&N and even Amazon. So, even though I highly doubt it, the publishers might be more on the consumer side of things in this one tiny, though not insignificant, area.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by brecklundin

Now the $64,000 question...since the Nookcolor is an Android device, will they allow the Kindle for Android software?

I doubt very seriously they'd ever allow it.

OTOH, NC will get hacked as soon as it hits the shelves; so it'll be available.

[mcooke66]

Originally Posted by ppw

The more choices for consumers the better. Without iPad, I can not get Kindle for this cheap. I am rooting for Nook Color to be successful. My negativity towards it is because it does not make business sense to me.

A couple of big IFs

If the device is solid
If they relase on time with good supply

B&N will be ahead of others and focused on reading, for sale at B&N, Wal-Mart and BB. All pushing for folks to buy books from B&N. I am not sure how that is a bad business move. They are the only bookstore taking the change in reading habits and teh technology seriously.

Methinks you just like to hate B&N.

[ppw]

Originally Posted by mcooke66

A couple of big IFs

If the device is solid
If they relase on time with good supply

B&N will be ahead of others and focused on reading, for sale at B&N, Wal-Mart and BB. All pushing for folks to buy books from B&N. I am not sure how that is a bad business move. They are the only bookstore taking the change in reading habits and teh technology seriously.

Methinks you just like to hate B&N.

I don't hate B&N. But personally I think NC is a bad business decision.

Here is the data from Gartner on tablet sales predictions:

Media Tablets (Thousands)
2010 - 19,490
2011 - 54,781
2012 - 103,425
2013 - 154,150

http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1452614

Assuming every 20 sales of tablets means one lost NC sale, you can draw your own conclusion on where B&N is heading into.

[khalleron]

Originally Posted by ppw

I don't hate B&N. But personally I think NC is a bad business decision.

Here is the data from Gartner on tablet sales predictions:

Media Tablets (Thousands)
2010 - 19,490
2011 - 54,781
2012 - 103,425
2013 - 154,150

http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1452614

Assuming every 20 sales of tablets means one lost NC sale, you can draw your own conclusion on where B&N is heading into.

And why do you assume that? Why not assume that 1 in 20 tablet sales will be a NookColor? Either is just an assumption.

If they provide decent apps, at this price point they might do rather well.

As the success of the Kindle and the iPod show (since both were competing against decent devices already on the market), marketing is everything.