B&N CEO on the future of Nook

[Deskisamess]

I glanced at the Wordery site. They are expensive. Hope their "paper books are better than ebooks" attitude keeps them warm at night.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

I glanced at the Wordery site. They are expensive. Hope their "paper books are better than ebooks" attitude keeps them warm at night.

The rest of the company is being liquidated because nobody was buying the remaining units.

They found a buyer so, presumably, they have enough of a customer base or infrastructure or *something* that made Elliot but last month instead of waiting for the auction.

[Fbone]

Buy out the competition. I suppose.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Buy out the competition. I suppose.

Or acqui-hire; buying an operation as a way of hiring the staff.
Like when google bought Oyster.

[barryem]

Back to the idea of changing the name of the Nook, I think Nooks used to have a good reputation and now they've lost it due to the mishandling and closures by B&N. The thing to do, I would think, is stick to the Nook name because people know it and make people trust it again. That won't happen overnight but a few statements, backed up by action, from the company can only help.

On the other hand, if the name is changed that'll scare people even more.

I probably don't matter as a Nook customer. I only ever used my Glowlight 3 6" for sideloading but it was easily my favorite reader for sideloaded books. Now I read on my phone and my Kindles, Nooks and Kobos just get charged now and then. I keep the Nook and a Kindle handy for checking out books to decide if I want to read them. That's about it these days.

Reading on my phone is, of course, sideloading. I use Moon+. I have the Kindle app there but I rarely use it. If I was going back to using ereaders I'm pretty sure I'd use my Nook and keep the Kindle handy for those few times I might use it for something.

Barry

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by barryem

Back to the idea of changing the name of the Nook, I think Nooks used to have a good reputation and now they've lost it due to the mishandling and closures by B&N. The thing to do, I would think, is stick to the Nook name because people know it and make people trust it again. That won't happen overnight but a few statements, backed up by action, from the company can only help.

Companies generally don't rename even flailing products without good reason.
Even a bad reputation among the masses is better than no reputation; at least it adds name recognition.

One thing B&N can do that won't cost much is to embrace Nook and credit store managers for promoting them. As Walmart has shown with Kobo, if the staff isn't invested in actively moving the product it won't matter if they stock it or not.

A rename might work if it comes with something that separates the new from the old; it could be as simple as a book club users can subscribe to or a Scribd-style limited service or even just access to a library of PD classics, including those used in education, or a section of permafree titles. There actually a few ebook marketing tricks Amazon hasn't tried with Kindle, mostly because it would be overkill.

A rename/relaunch could be something as simple as: NOOK II by BARNES AND NOBLE.

For years, Amazon stamped their name on the back of Kindles until the Kindle name could stand on its own. Nook (or whatever) could use a lot of reinforcement and if they can't afford an Apple-style saturation PR campaign (they never could, nobody else can) at least sustained dual branding can't hurt.

[Pajamaman]

The irony is Nook continues to produce maybe the best e-readers on the market, at least for my needs. Take for example the Nook GL3. The screen is the clearest I have ever used. The orange comfort light is the most red and configurable. The UI is poor, but I've rooted it and use Koreader. Reading epubs on it is a joy. With koreader I reverse the screen to white (or orange) on black. I have sensitive eyes and this works brilliantly for me. I have other higher-spec readers, but it is the best for reading on that I've ever owned. As such, I will continue to buy Nook ereaders if they keep getting the hardware so spot on.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

The irony is Nook continues to produce maybe the best e-readers on the market, at least for my needs. Take for example the Nook GL3. The screen is the clearest I have ever used. The orange comfort light is the most red and configurable. The UI is poor, but I've rooted it and use Koreader. Reading epubs on it is a joy. With koreader I reverse the screen to white (or orange) on black. I have sensitive eyes and this works brilliantly for me. I have other higher-spec readers, but it is the best for reading on that I've ever owned. As such, I will continue to buy Nook ereaders if they keep getting the hardware so spot on.

That's an old story, going back to when folks would hack their Nooks to add the Kindle app.

Do you buy books from them?

Because, if not, the only money they make off you is whatever markup they get on the hardware. Just as when folks outside the US were using reshippers to get the Nooks B&N refused to sell them.

Ten years and they've learned nothing...

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

The irony is Nook continues to produce maybe the best e-readers on the market, at least for my needs. Take for example the Nook GL3. The screen is the clearest I have ever used. The orange comfort light is the most red and configurable. The UI is poor...

I agree. I've never bothered rooting mine though. I actually would like the UI if the database were accessible by Calibre so we could control shelves and series on sideloaded books.

When actually reading, sure, there's less options for font size, margins and line heights. But what they have available looks good to me.

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Do you buy books from them?

Because, if not, the only money they make off you is whatever markup they get on the hardware.

Yeah, that is the shame of the Nook.

Just as when folks outside the US were using reshippers to get the Nooks B&N refused to sell them.

Well, Barnes and Noble doesn't stand alone there. I thought the Bookeen Saga/Nolim looked cute when it was released and looked into buying one, but: Bookeen Saga Now Shipping to US, But There’s One Big Problem

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Well, Barnes and Noble doesn't stand alone there. I thought the Bookeen Saga/Nolim looked cute when it was released and looked into buying one, but: Bookeen Saga Now Shipping to US, But There’s One Big Problem

Yeah but remember all vendors *used* to ship to the US.
Before the shift to near-cost pricing by "you know who" and Amazon matching them.

Before that some of us could buy pretty much everything from anywhere.
(Bookeen, Pocketbook, assorted Hanlins...)
Right now it is harder though not totally impossible.

It's not that they don't want our money, just that there aren't enough likely buyers, to make it worth their time.

Edit: about that Bookeen, what makes it unique is why I'd never get it.
I'm hard on covers so I prefer to go cheap.

Like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Fintie-Slimsh...s%2C222&sr=8-5

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

That's an old story, going back to when folks would hack their Nooks to add the Kindle app.

Do you buy books from them?

Because, if not, the only money they make off you is whatever markup they get on the hardware. Just as when folks outside the US were using reshippers to get the Nooks B&N refused to sell them.

Ten years and they've learned nothing...

Oh, totally. That's why it's ironic. I'm not even in the USA. But they sure know how to make a mean e-reader, though it's hit and miss. The screen and light on the GL3 is the best I've ever seen. It's so nice it makes bad books readable

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I agree. I've never bothered rooting mine though. I actually would like the UI if the database were accessible by Calibre so we could control shelves and series on sideloaded books.

When actually reading, sure, there's less options for font size, margins and line heights. But what they have available looks good to me.

I might not bother rooting it if there was a night mode, which there isn't. Night mode with that deep orange light is sooooo nice. Obviously folders to organize books and the font of my choice is a big plus. Oh, and Koreader.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Yeah but remember all vendors *used* to ship to the US.
Before the shift to near-cost pricing by "you know who" and Amazon matching them.

Before that some of us could buy pretty much everything from anywhere.
(Bookeen, Pocketbook, assorted Hanlins...)
Right now it is harder though not totally impossible.

So if the average reader were still three hundred dollars, I could (maybe) have bought that Bookeen Saga, whereas now it isn't worth ordering because shipping and the device total about three hundred dollars.

It's not that they don't want our money, just that there aren't enough likely buyers, to make it worth their time.

When B&N does it, it is bad, but when others do it, it is a rational business decision

Edit: about that Bookeen, what makes it unique is why I'd never get it.

I also like the buttons. It's like a low-end Oasis or Forma. It has page turn buttons on one side and uses a gyroscope to flip the book.

That silicone cover makes me wish it were waterproof though.

Like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Fintie-Slimsh...s%2C222&sr=8-5

You and I have similar taste. I use this: Fintie Case for Nook GlowLight Plus and this: Kobo Clara HD Case, Gylint Folding Folio Ultra-Thin Smart PU Leather Case (that one would have been a Fintie too, but only ugly ones are left).

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

When B&N does it, it is bad, but when others do it, it is a rational business decision

.

Really? The cases are equivalent?

B&N is in the US, the biggest ebook market.
Bookeen is in France, much smaller.
B&N's primary business is books and they run a walled garden. Albeit a very leaky one. They get at least some after sale income.
Bookeen is primarily hardware with limited, if any, after sale revenue.

Bookeen in 2010 was selling enough to the US to justify FCC certification, I doubt that is the case today.

B&N had a 25% market share on ebooks and aspired to match Amazon, which was in 200+ markets. Selling internationally would've opened up new markets and besides, they had 30-40% margins on the hardware.

Today the margins are much lower, more like 10-15% after years of near zero.

In 2010 each international sale would've brought B&N maybe $100 vs Bookeen netting maybe $30 today.

Plus, the two cases are *ten* years apart.

In 2010 the two markets were starting up. Sales in France and the UK were comparable, if smaller, to US sales. In the 50-100k range at most. (Kindle launched with 25,000.) Today the market is mature and, for better or worse, walled gardens rule. The market for interoperable epub readers is tiny.

So, Big B&N passed up big margins in an eager market while smaller Bookeen is indifferent about selling low margin into a tight market.

Sorry, I don't see any equivalence.
Different times, different markets.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

You and I have similar taste. I use this: Fintie Case for Nook GlowLight Plus and this: Kobo Clara HD Case, Gylint Folding Folio Ultra-Thin Smart PU Leather Case (that one would have been a Fintie too, but only ugly ones are left).

Yup.
Cheap and disposable.
I love Oberon covers...as gifts.
But not for my use. Cheap plastic is fine. Thin, light, and no replacement angst.