MSNBC Hates the Nook ... and ebook readers in general

purl4peace · 12-09-2009, 06:34 PM

If this has already been posted, I apologize -- I didn't see it on the front page.

Yet another poor review of the nook ... and ebook readers in general (why don't they have color screens, back light, yadda yadda yadda)... however, the criticism of the nook was particularly scathing.

MSNBC nook Review

He concludes:

Quote:

The Barnes & Noble application for the iPhone is excellent, and I far prefer it to the Nook. It's free, too. A lot of people say they don't like reading books on an LCD screen, but many of them might change their minds if they turned down the brightness of the backlight.

There are also "tablet" style computers and media players with screens larger than the iPhone. So far, none of them have been great e-book reading devices, but I think we'll see some next year. They might be more expensive than the current crop of e-book readers, but they also will be far more capable and user-friendly. In any case, the e-ink madness needs to stop.

I realize he isn't the eReader target demo but this can't bode well for the nook...

kindlekitten · 12-09-2009, 06:35 PM

nah! I think that kind of commentary goes the way of the dodo bird

Not_A_Crook · 12-09-2009, 06:37 PM

"Dedicated Devices, Primary Function E-readers to be removed off of the metaphorical dictionary".

purl4peace · 12-09-2009, 06:38 PM

I sure hope so... I want to shake columnists every time I read something about "I can read books on my iPhone just fine"... Get over the iPhone already -- I choose to read on something that supports more than 3 lines of text at a time and needs to be charged every 2 hours...

Not_A_Crook · 12-09-2009, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by purl4peace

I sure hope so... I want to shake columnists every time I read something about "I can read books on my iPhone just fine"... Get over the iPhone already -- I choose to read on something that supports more than 3 lines of text at a time and needs to be charged every 2 hours...

"By most popular" logic is the issue with people today, so-and-so device is more successful then other devices, or I can do this better on portable/non-portable systems.

Acting like there is no good alternative, or just no other toy exists is too redundant...

LDBoblo · 12-09-2009, 08:07 PM

It'll be great when we have Mirasol and Liquavista and others producing faster, better, and possibly color e-paper displays, and Pixel Qi for advanced transflective LCD applications. If e-ink somehow manages to produce something of quality, that'll be cool too.

The MSNBC article is of limited value, but it's a useful commentary about current generation e-paper. At least they didn't mention an Apple tablet by name.

WT Sharpe · 12-09-2009, 08:21 PM

For reading, e-ink rules! Methinks Mr. Svensson doesn't get it.

Sweetpea · 12-10-2009, 08:25 AM

He should have started with with saying: I don't like the entire e-ink technology. He could have then gone on to review the device and not blame every fault of the device on his dislike of the e-ink technology...

TallMomof2 · 12-10-2009, 08:33 AM

The gentleman is obviously a fan of converged devices so of course he doesn't like the eInk readers.

=X= · 12-10-2009, 09:53 AM

Why? While I really like the e-Ink technology I think what the author said about it if fair. In some areas eInk is much better than backlit technologies in some areas if falls short. Refresh rate and backlighting are some. Personally I feel the refresh rate is the most limitting.

dsvick · 12-10-2009, 10:16 AM

I dont think it was *that* bad of a review, or rather it was a bad review but I dont think he was too biased. Most of it sounded fair, if slighlty slanted, and a bit sarcastic at times. e.g. "would degrade its precious readability, apparently".

I definitely have the impression he is not the target audience, he is more likely the guy that raised his hand when the editor asked "Who wants to review this new book reader thing?"

KK is mostly right, this type of review will fade away and be replaced, hopefully, with more educated, less biased ones in the future. However, there will always be someone out there that talks out of their posterior when they should probably just shut up. And there will also always be people that legitimately have a difference in opinion, it should be up to us to educate them - or at least try.

I think I'll send him a link to this thread....

m-reader · 12-10-2009, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsvick

I think I'll send him a link to this thread....

Don't bother. I think he's copping enough flak on MSNBC's own article discussion forum.

Another thing - I don't the review is the worst thing about this article. It's the reviewer who takes that particular cake.

kwjones · 12-10-2009, 11:36 AM

That's OK, Kat Hannaford at Gizmodo hates e-books in general...
http://gizmodo.com/5423233/why-i-hat...the-mainstream

Quote:

That's the crux of my argument. Any company that attempts to own market share in that area is fighting a losing battle. Consumers won't buy an electronic book when they can get a paperback for the same price or even less, and when they can lend it to friends, read it in the bathtub or even sell it on and make a percentage of their money back.

I don't understand the fascination of reading in the bathtub, but whatever floats your boat.

kjk · 12-10-2009, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwjones

That's OK, Kat Hannaford at Gizmodo hates e-books in general...

What is interesting is both authors are hedging their bets for a true converged device.

edit: and my wife would kill for a way to use her iPhone in the bath, for reading and watching movies. We'd go the ziploc bag route that others have mentioned on this board, but it just seems too risky

Definitely considering the waterproof cases though.

kwjones · 12-10-2009, 11:46 AM

I liked this comment in the article....

Quote:

I find it funny that people will gladly archive their video and pictures on a computer and display them from there, yet find it "taboo" or "not needed" for books.

12-09-2009, 08:21 PM	#7
WT Sharpe Bah, humbug! Posts: 39,073 Karma: 157049943 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chesapeake, VA, USA Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Pro, & a Samsung Galaxy S9.	For reading, e-ink rules! Methinks Mr. Svensson doesn't get it. Last edited by WT Sharpe; 12-10-2009 at 06:02 PM.

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12-09-2009, 06:35 PM	#2
kindlekitten Professional Adventuress Posts: 13,368 Karma: 50260224 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: The Olympic Peninsula on the OTHER Washington! (the big green clean one on the west coast!) Device: Kindle, the original! Times Two! and gifting an International Kindle	nah! I think that kind of commentary goes the way of the dodo bird

12-09-2009, 06:37 PM	#3
Not_A_Crook Which way is up? Posts: 217 Karma: 94 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Nook, Alphasmart Neo (word processor, Viable document reader.)	"Dedicated Devices, Primary Function E-readers to be removed off of the metaphorical dictionary".

12-09-2009, 06:38 PM	#4
purl4peace Mommy of Many Interests Posts: 139 Karma: 660 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Wake Forest, NC Device: Kindle DX, Sony PRS-505, Cybook Gen3	I sure hope so... I want to shake columnists every time I read something about "I can read books on my iPhone just fine"... Get over the iPhone already -- I choose to read on something that supports more than 3 lines of text at a time and needs to be charged every 2 hours...

12-09-2009, 08:07 PM	#6
LDBoblo Wizard Posts: 1,385 Karma: 16056 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Asia Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Sony PRS-505	It'll be great when we have Mirasol and Liquavista and others producing faster, better, and possibly color e-paper displays, and Pixel Qi for advanced transflective LCD applications. If e-ink somehow manages to produce something of quality, that'll be cool too. The MSNBC article is of limited value, but it's a useful commentary about current generation e-paper. At least they didn't mention an Apple tablet by name.

12-10-2009, 08:25 AM	#8
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	He should have started with with saying: I don't like the entire e-ink technology. He could have then gone on to review the device and not blame every fault of the device on his dislike of the e-ink technology...

12-10-2009, 08:33 AM	#9
TallMomof2 Kindlephilia Posts: 2,017 Karma: 1139255 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Snowpacolypse 2010 Device: Too many to count	The gentleman is obviously a fan of converged devices so of course he doesn't like the eInk readers.

12-10-2009, 09:53 AM	#10
=X= Wizard Posts: 3,671 Karma: 12205348 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Galaxy S, Nook w/CM7	Why? While I really like the e-Ink technology I think what the author said about it if fair. In some areas eInk is much better than backlit technologies in some areas if falls short. Refresh rate and backlighting are some. Personally I feel the refresh rate is the most limitting.

12-10-2009, 10:16 AM	#11
dsvick Wizard Posts: 2,737 Karma: 635747 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Northeast Ohio, USA Device: PRS-900	I dont think it was that bad of a review, or rather it was a bad review but I dont think he was too biased. Most of it sounded fair, if slighlty slanted, and a bit sarcastic at times. e.g. "would degrade its precious readability, apparently". I definitely have the impression he is not the target audience, he is more likely the guy that raised his hand when the editor asked "Who wants to review this new book reader thing?" KK is mostly right, this type of review will fade away and be replaced, hopefully, with more educated, less biased ones in the future. However, there will always be someone out there that talks out of their posterior when they should probably just shut up. And there will also always be people that legitimately have a difference in opinion, it should be up to us to educate them - or at least try. I think I'll send him a link to this thread....

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