Consumer Reports: Nook Beats The Kindle

[stickybuns]

Originally Posted by boswd

I guess we all have our stories etc. My co-worker turned me on to eink, which I was opposed to. I was all about " the feel, the touch of a book" person. but I was impressed with eink. So for week he would let me read my current book on his kindle, I was sold. I went home ready to order up one. Then my wife came home with nook (nook classic) to be precise. After playing with for 15 mins, I felt like it was Divine Intervention. LOL

I could have kicked myself for not shopping around and looking etc. The Kindle felt and looked soo antiquated compared to the nook. This was the kindle 2. After playing around with the touchscreen of the nook and then fumbling around with that stupid stubby joystick on the kindle , I was like "Man what was I thinking" and the rest as they say is history.

Isn't it great that we have so many choices? You found an ereader that's perfect for you, and I found one that's perfect for me. No big deal that they don't happen to be the same.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by stickybuns

Isn't it great that we have so many choices? You found an ereader that's perfect for you, and I found one that's perfect for me. No big deal that they don't happen to be the same.

Is there a "peaceful hand holding" emote?

[ApK]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

BUT. DRM removal is onerous because it takes time and knowledge.

DRM removal is only ONE of the things that prevents lock in from being an issue. I refer you back to my list of groups.
(And I also maintain that it requires far less time and knowledge then some think, and I suspect it is more prevalent than some think.)

One of boswd's arguments has been that "lot's of people are locked, they just don't know it."
I contend that if they don't know it, it's not an issue for them.
It only becomes an issue when someone is more than slightly inconvenienced by it. And I see remarkably little evidence of that happening to any significant degree.

Even in your mom's case, she is not having an issue, you are only noting that she COULD have the issue if you get hit by a bus, and even then, it seems only because you steered her to a Sony reader, and away from the Sony store. That's a lot of special circumstances that had to happen to make a non-tech user even aware of lockout issues. And that's not even a Kindle!

In boswd's example above, it sounds like the coworker would have gone on happily with her Kindle not having any lock in issue, and not caring about other stores. Boswd made her aware of other stores, she expressed what sounds like slight passing interest and dismissed it. For all we know she will probably go on quite happily with her Kindle and never think about other stores again. For all we, know, if she had a nook, and boswd told her she could shop at other stores, but it would requires using ADE and side loading through a computer, she may have had the same reaction.

Lastly, again, I have never disputed the the technical facts of the issue. And I encourage potential buyers of all devices to be aware of the facts.

Again, I only object to the excessive FUD put on the Kindle and only the Kindle.

ApK

[ApK]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Is there a "peaceful hand holding" emote?

[SCION]

Originally Posted by ApK

Fab!!!

[boswd]

Originally Posted by stickybuns

Isn't it great that we have so many choices? You found an ereader that's perfect for you, and I found one that's perfect for me. No big deal that they don't happen to be the same.

what's even better about choices is BN makes Amazon improve and Amazon makes BN improve.

While they battle it out we are the winners on price and features

[anamardoll]

But since I separate store from device, to me, DRM *is* a lock.

Let's say you buy a DRM'd pdb from a B&N affiliate for use on your Nook. You're a loyal B&N customer, you don't want to leave their device OR their store. Then the N2 comes out without pdb support and the N1 line is canceled.

The DRM on your pdb that has to be removed before you can convert it IS a lock.

Sticking with the Sony store or the Nook store or the Amazon store and just resigning yourself to always buying their devices and no other (which is another the definition of "lock-in", realistically) doesn't always work. Even if you're faithful to your store/device combo, DRM is still a lock when/if they stop supporting that format.

What you're arguing -- that my Mom can just buy from Sony -- doesn't prove lock-in doesn't exist. It just shows it's not an issue for you. It WOULD be an issue in my family when Dad wanted to read Mom's book on his Kindle and vice versa.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

But since I separate store from device, to me, DRM *is* a lock.

Of course DRM is a lock. And a needless one, IMO.
DRM bad. Did you think you were going to get an argument from me on that?

I do think it's true that it's transparent to most folks, but as I said, I don't dispute the technical facts. If you want to spread the word of the potential issues with DRM as they apply to all devices and stores that use it, you'll get no argument from me.

[anamardoll]

Well... *blushes*... I thought you were saying that DRM wasn't a lock-in. Teaches me to jump into a 17-page-thread without re-reading it again for clarity. I see now that you're just saying that DRM lock-in isn't "an issue"?

If we agree than DRM is a lock, then the issue of whether or not lock-in is "an issue" becomes so individualized and subjective as to basically boil down to "well, it is/isn't for ME."

[stickybuns]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

But since I separate store from device, to me, DRM *is* a lock.

Let's say you buy a DRM'd pdb from a B&N affiliate for use on your Nook. You're a loyal B&N customer, you don't want to leave their device OR their store. Then the N2 comes out without pdb support and the N1 line is canceled.

The DRM on your pdb that has to be removed before you can convert it IS a lock.

Sticking with the Sony store or the Nook store or the Amazon store and just resigning yourself to always buying their devices and no other (which is another the definition of "lock-in", realistically) doesn't always work. Even if you're faithful to your store/device combo, DRM is still a lock when/if they stop supporting that format.

What you're arguing -- that my Mom can just buy from Sony -- doesn't prove lock-in doesn't exist. It just shows it's not an issue for you. It WOULD be an issue in my family when Dad wanted to read Mom's book on his Kindle and vice versa.

I haven't read all of your posts on this thread, so perhaps you've already addressed this, but wouldn't your mom be better off with a tablet that could be loaded with apps for all the different ebook retailers? That way she wouldn't have to worry about being unable to switch between stores.

For the DRM issue, couldn't you just set up Calibre with the appropriate plug-ins and teach your mom how to sideload to the Kindle and Sony?

[markdek]

Originally Posted by boswd

I guess we all have our stories etc. My co-worker turned me on to eink, which I was opposed to. I was all about " the feel, the touch of a book" person. but I was impressed with eink. So for week he would let me read my current book on his kindle, I was sold. I went home ready to order up one. Then my wife came home with nook (nook classic) to be precise. After playing with for 15 mins, I felt like it was Divine Intervention. LOL

I could have kicked myself for not shopping around and looking etc. The Kindle felt and looked soo antiquated compared to the nook. This was the kindle 2. After playing around with the touchscreen of the nook and then fumbling around with that stupid stubby joystick on the kindle , I was like "Man what was I thinking" and the rest as they say is history.

I can certainly see what you're saying......the diff. between the Nook Touch and Kindle 3 is just not so much for me...although, I use the Kindle browser alot, and could not abandon it. And if I got a 3g Kindle 3, which I should have, there would have been no contest. I have tried the Touch in person at B&N and it is really really cool.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by stickybuns

I haven't read all of your posts on this thread, so perhaps you've already addressed this, but wouldn't your mom be better off with a tablet that could be loaded with apps for all the different ebook retailers? That way she wouldn't have to worry about being unable to switch between stores.

For the DRM issue, couldn't you just set up Calibre with the appropriate plug-ins and teach your mom how to sideload to the Kindle and Sony?

She reads by the pool, so she needed an eInk supplement to the iPad.

[stickybuns]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

She reads by the pool, so she needed an eInk supplement to the iPad.

Oh, I can definitely understand that!

If I'm not mistaken, the Nook STR is an Android device and can be rooted (here's a video of one running Angry Birds). Maybe you could load apps onto that?

ETA: Ah! Here you go! A Nook STR running the Kindle app.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by stickybuns

Oh, I can definitely understand that!

If I'm not mistaken, the Nook STR is an Android device and can be rooted (here's a video of one running Angry Birds). Maybe you could load apps onto that?

ETA: Ah! Here you go! A Nook STR running the Kindle app.

Thanks, I've seen that.

We bought the Sony awhile back; she's pretty happy with it. She doesn't want to change devices; but if Dad got a Kindle, she would want to borrow his books.

Device != Store.

[bhartman36]

Originally Posted by Sil_liS

As anamardoll said, those of us who contradict this statement, don't view the store as part of the device.

Well, that's nice, I guess, but the store is part of the device, for most of the e-readers out there (including the Nook). What you're basically saying is the equivalent of, "I don't consider anti-lock brakes to be part of the car". If it's part of what's being sold to you, it's part of the device.

Originally Posted by Sil_liS

So try to look at it from our perspective for a moment. If you look at what the device can do, and you compare the possible sources for ebooks, you have more options with the nook.

You have more options of places to buy with the Nook, but if you really had disdain for the Nook's store, why would you use it? Why not get one of the other e-readers that are also compatible with the store you actually want to buy from? If you like the store already on the e-reader, it's no problem, and if you don't like the store that's on your e-reader, why not get one with a store you like?

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the Nook (of any version). I'm saying that you're paying a premium (in most cases) for whatever store is on the e-reader of your choice, so it would make sense that you'd use the store as a criteria for purchase (because you're essentially buying it anyway).