B & N Nook labelled "Unrevolutionary"

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by kennyc

The Nook may not be revolutionary, but the entry of B&N into the eReader market is a major milestone in the evolution of the ebook.

The problem with B&N is their entry into the eReader market. Most people want ePub and not eReader.

[kindlekitten]

is your cup EVER half full?

[Sporadic]

Originally Posted by bkilian

You forgot the ability to loan the books out to your friends, which is a huge win over the Kindle.

Not really when it is 1 time per book, for 14 days and you can't access the book while it is loaned out.

[neilmarr]

***4. So? Do you expect B and N to pay for you to access other companies' stores?***

Why the heck not, Luc? They're selling a device here as electronics manufacturers (not as publishers or even book retailers). Why should they (and others) have it both ways? It's like making and selling a TV set that will only receive one channel. Neil

[Daithi]

I wouldn't say that it is revolutionary, but it looks like a pretty nice ereader to me. As someone else said, "They got a lot of things right." It has an SD Card, replaceable battery, supports user designed "screen savers." Of course, all these features were on the Kindle 1, so not revolutionary (although stupid on Amazon's part to discontinue these features).

The LendMe technology is about as revolutionary as Amazon's Text-To-Speech in that publishers can opt out, which greatly reduces it's revolutionary impact. Their FAQ on lending books also states that you can only lend a book out once, and a B&N mod reiterated that you can only lend a book one time only, but I'm still having a hard time believing this is true. If it is true then the LendMe feature is virtually worthless. If you can lend out a book, and then relend it once the 14 day lending period has expired, then this is a pretty cool feature. I'd even say revolutionary if most publishers support it.

Supporting Folders/Tags would have been a step in the right direction. Maybe not revolutionary, but a step in the right direction. For whatever reason, they decided not to take that step.

Supporting ePub is probably its biggest feature, but I wouldn't call this revolutionary. If their ebooks came in the ePub format and didn't contain DRM that would definately be revolutionary -- but that's a pipe dream.

[lisreed]

Originally Posted by Sporadic

Not really when it is 1 time per book, for 14 days and you can't access the book while it is loaned out.

Last time I checked you can't access your physical book when you loan it out either. You shouldn't be able to access an ebook while its loaned out. You only own 1 copy. Atleast the ebook you will get back. A physical copy, probably not! It is too bad you can only loan it out once but its better than nothing. I can't really see using this feature. I don't know anyone who would be interested in ebooks other than my husband and he could be on my account anyway.

[PaulGuy]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ratcliffe/?p=434

This article asks several interesting questions:

1. What's so great about 3G or WiFi that only works just to buy B&N books, or in the case of WiFi, works only inside a B&N store?

2. No access to Google Books?

3. A nice shiny LCD display that just displays your book covers? Who cares?

4. You're still tied to a PC to download content from other sites.

Aside from ePub support (yet another DRM), what do you really gain?

1. why even respond to morons too lazy to even get their facts right?

2. why even respond to morons too lazy to even get their facts right?

3. why even respond to morons too lazy to even get their facts right?

4. Gee, B&N wants you to buy from them. I shocked.

[kennyc]

Be nice.

[LDBoblo]

I think if the Nook (I think I'm going to pronounce it "nuke", even though I don't think it's the bomb) gets some hacking behind it to open up the device's potential a bit, it'll be quite cool. If the hardware is too limited to allow much functionality behind what is already shown (the few videos I've seen show it to be somewhat ploddy...anyone got a video to counter this?), hopefully some of the inevitable clones will yield some promise.

[pshrynk]

Here at MobileRead, we take pride in having a community that is open to a wide range of members and opinions. We make a great deal of effort to maintain an atmosphere of tolerance and politeness. Please refrain from using invectives or insults when discussing topics. ]

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pshrynk (mdoerator)

[jasonkchapman]

Originally Posted by Sporadic

and you can't access the book while it is loaned out.

Unlike paper books.

The ZDnet post missed the point. The device isn't so much aimed at people looking to buy their third, fourth, or fifth e-book reading device, or at people who essentially want a tablet computer. It's aimed at getting the paper-only crowd (that other 98% of the potential market) to move over to e-books by addressing the flaws of existing devices--flaws as seen from the perspective of the paper-only crowd, that is.

[=X=]

Originally Posted by Daithi

The LendMe technology is about as revolutionary as Amazon's Text-To-Speech in that publishers can opt out, which greatly reduces it's revolutionary impact. Their FAQ on lending books also states that you can only lend a book out once, and a B&N mod reiterated that you can only lend a book one time only, but I'm still having a hard time believing this is true. If it is true then the LendMe feature is virtually worthless. If you can lend out a book, and then relend it once the 14 day lending period has expired, then this is a pretty cool feature. I'd even say revolutionary if most publishers support it.

Not even close the LendMe is a hack solution for a inappropriate constraint on the consumer. A feature that allows one to lend a book once for only 14 days is nothing to get excited about. Also we haven't seen how LendMe works. More than likely the person that you share a book with will need an account on B&N and have a device that supports eReader.

TTS however allows one to read a book via a different process. This works with and without DRM and enhances the reading experience (Okay some might argue otherwise).

Sell a DRM less item and TTS still has value where as LendMe is obsoleted.

[LDBoblo]

Originally Posted by jasonkchapman

Unlike paper books.

The ZDnet post missed the point. The device isn't so much aimed at people looking to buy their third, fourth, or fifth e-book reading device, or at people who essentially want a tablet computer. It's aimed at getting the paper-only crowd (that other 98% of the potential market) to move over to e-books by addressing the flaws of existing devices--flaws as seen from the perspective of the paper-only crowd, that is.

So you think of the ability to read a book you are sharing with a friend as a flaw of ebooks?

[pking36330]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

So you think of the ability to read a book you are sharing with a friend as a flaw of ebooks?

Can't be a flaw, its not a feature. The point is, the only way you and your friend can read the same pbook at the same time is to buy two copies. Why would you think we automatically deserve that capability with an ebook by purchasing only one copy?

[LDBoblo]

Originally Posted by pking36330

Can't be a flaw, its not a feature. The point is, the only way you and your friend can read the same pbook at the same time is to buy two copies. Why would you think we automatically deserve that capability with an ebook by purchasing only one copy?

Not a matter of deserve. I lend and give away books all the time, including ones that I'm not supposed to. On the inside of many paper books:

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent.

I can appreciate everyone's interest in making their quick buck, but the kind of gimmicky garbage being put forward as book usage emulation limitations are just ridiculous.