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I'm not sure this applies to "end reader" but it does seem that B&N/Nook is cutting back on various Nook programs or simply not implementing from a publishing end. This may not be of concern to readers, but where I see Kobo and Amazon making advancements in upload processes and opportunities for authors...I see the opposite from Nook. I even see more effort on the part of Google Play when it comes to being committed to books/uploads/improvements/services.
This can impact the reader when it comes to selection. Even if you don't read indie books a lot of backlist authors are doing things like only loading to Amazon or limiting how they upload and when to other vendors. I've had concerns about Nook for a while--sales have dropped there significantly not just in the past year, but this year in particular (for me. They used to be my second best sales channel. They are right near the bottom now). They have changed their marketing (at least they still have some. Last year it looked like they might stop all together). But they deleted/stopped both of their reader forums in the last year.
They have no strategy for encouraging reviews. There are often spam reviews (reviews that discuss other products entirely and sometimes appear to be a reference to other businesses) but they do not clean this up even when reported. They used to have a strategy for reviews and no longer have one. This drop in services/effort concerns me.
I don't own a Nook, but I do follow reviews and frequency of new devices coming out and Nook is...behind and falling faster.
As a buyer of books I pretty much shop at Kobo, Amazon and Google Play. I would love for Nook/B&N to be a player, but I see too many aspects of the company that I don't like and not enough forward momentum in areas that I think are going to matter.
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