Waterstone's to launch new e-reader

din155 · 09-09-2011, 05:58 AM

Waterstone’s are planning to launch an ereader in spring 2012 but no specifications yet. Link for the same:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14841692

Apparently the new owners want Waterstone's to move in a new direction. I am not sure if they are also planning to introduce their own reading app or will license it from someone. Anyway we will get the details sooner or later.

din

petermillard · 09-09-2011, 06:35 AM

Be interesting to see what they come up with; at least with being this late to the party they have the advantage of seeing what's gone before, and (hopefully) learning from other's mistakes. Not convinced it'll be enough to keep Waterstones bookshops open on the high street though...

Arrghus · 09-09-2011, 06:51 AM

I wonder if this will just be a rebadging, with some custom UI? I hope not. Sounds very interesting though. I also wonder if this will be a tablet-esque device (ala the Nook Color) or an e-ink device? And will this mean customers will have the ability to browse Waterstone's digital collection in store?

They need to do something, as the popularity of the Kindle in Britain will mean their stores will be consigned to acting a mere window-shop for its undisputed rival(s).

I hope Waterstone's can survive. I love having a browse when I'm out and about on the high street. They need to expand more into high quality stationary and gifts, and offer a compelling digital service. At present, they offer some nice gifts, and a clunky eBook website that is poorly advertised in store.

din155 · 09-09-2011, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petermillard

Be interesting to see what they come up with; at least with being this late to the party they have the advantage of seeing what's gone before, and (hopefully) learning from other's mistakes. Not convinced it'll be enough to keep Waterstones bookshops open on the high street though...

Yeah, but won't it also mean that people have already invested in ereaders including like Sony/iRiver that Waterstone's itslef sold and will not be interested in investing in new ereaders? I will be happier if they brought the prices of their ebooks down at least at par with Amazon. Or maybe they are banking on their customers who have not brought ereaders yet but are willing to wait till next year.

din

Arrghus · 09-09-2011, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by din155

Yeah, but won't it also mean that people have already invested in ereaders including like Sony/iRiver that Waterstone's itslef sold and will not be interested in investing in new ereaders? I will be happier if they brought the prices of their ebooks down at least at par with Amazon. Or maybe they are banking on their customers who have not brought ereaders yet but are willing to wait till next year.

din

As Waterstone's hasn't exactly been pushing eReaders too heavily in store, perhaps this won't be that big an issue. Whenever I'm in Waterstone's I NEVER, EVER, see anybody trying out the two they usually have on display.

If they improve the current buying experience (i.e. their clunky website), and promote waterstones.com as a viable (and more importantly, better) alternative to Amazon, then perhaps they will not alienate early adopters who bought other eReaders from them.

Not everybody will want to strip the DRM from titles downloaded from the Kindle store and then convert them using Calibre. If they can get their regular customers onboard and not have them feel they are being ripped off when they hear how their friends are getting eBooks at least 25% cheaper from their biggest internet rival, then perhaps Waterstone's ARE on to something. We'll see.

EDIT: Oh, and this is also welcome news: Waterstone's drops 3-for-2 book deal. They are switching to a £3, £5, or £7 pricing structure. Much better clarity for the customer. And no having to spend an hour looking for that third book you're not sure you want to make up the deal. I only used to buy from Waterstone's at Christmas. One book for myself, and the other two as gifts. I never wanted to pay full RRP, so I've end up only buying books from the 3-for-2. By the sounds of it, they won't be charging full RRP on most titles soon, in any case.

din155 · 09-09-2011, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arrghus

As Waterstone's hasn't exactly been pushing eReaders too heavily in store, perhaps this won't be that big an issue. Whenever I'm in Waterstone's I NEVER, EVER, see anybody trying out the two they usually have on display.

If they improve the current buying experience (i.e. their clunky website), and promote waterstones.com as a viable (and more importantly, better) alternative to Amazon, then perhaps they will not alienate early adopters who bought other eReaders from them.

Not everybody will want to strip the DRM from titles downloaded from the Kindle store and then convert them using Calibre. If they can get their regular customers onboard and not have them feel they are being ripped off when they hear how their friends are getting eBooks at least 25% cheaper from their biggest internet rival, then perhaps Waterstone's ARE on to something. We'll see.

I really hope so and hope they improve their ebookstore.

TGS · 09-09-2011, 07:06 AM

There's a report coming up on BBC Radio 4's "You and Yours" today - which is on now - about this.

Arrghus · 09-09-2011, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TGS

There's a report coming up on BBC Radio 4's "You and Yours" today - which is on now - about this.

Thanks for the heads up! Switched on the wireless now!

charleski · 09-09-2011, 08:00 AM

Coming out in Spring 2012. Basically will be an attempt to emulate the success of the nook. Some vague references to providing a better 'buying experience' - so probably in-store wifi that will allow direct purchases.

All-in-all - it looks like he wants a nook for the UK, though it's interesting that he specifically mentioned the nook Colour as a competitor to the iPad, so maybe there'll be a (relatively) low-cost Waterstones version as well (or maybe instead of an eInk reader).

ShellShock · 09-09-2011, 12:02 PM

I guess this is being announced now partly to distract people from all the recent press about the new Amazon and Sony devices.

TGS · 09-09-2011, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charleski

Coming out in Spring 2012. Basically will be an attempt to emulate the success of the nook. Some vague references to providing a better 'buying experience' - so probably in-store wifi that will allow direct purchases.

All-in-all - it looks like he wants a nook for the UK, though it's interesting that he specifically mentioned the nook Colour as a competitor to the iPad, so maybe there'll be a (relatively) low-cost Waterstones version as well (or maybe instead of an eInk reader).

He didn't say a lot in the broadcast but it seems clear that he is basing his model on B&N - bookshops that sell all sorts of content in all sorts of ways.

Ben Thornton · 09-09-2011, 04:04 PM

Another article here - not much new info.

Ben Thornton · 09-09-2011, 04:08 PM

I'm not sure what they can do with the device to compete. The real attraction would be if they had better deals with the UK publishers, so that we could get access to books not offered by Amazon. If they don't have something like that, I suspect that the Amazon offerings will be more attractive.

pdurrant · 09-09-2011, 04:10 PM

If they want it to have an impact, they'll have to do something distinctive.

If they were brave enough, they could use their clout in the UK paper book market to get some deal from the publishers. "Give us [some ebook concession] or we'll no longer stock your paper books, and we'll return the stock of your books we currently have."

I'm thinking of either DRM-free or no agency model.

But I suspect it'll just be another "me too" ADE eInk reader.

Bookworm_Girl · 09-09-2011, 05:28 PM

I am curious. Is the selection of ebooks in the Amazon UK Kindle store better than the selection of ADE ebooks from places like Waterstone's and WH Smith? The ADE bookstores have been around longer than the Kindle store so I thought they might have a better selection.

I have shopped at both Waterstone's and WH Smith, which seem very similar to Borders and B&N in the US. Is one bookstore more popular than the other? My impression is that WH Smith is the larger chain. I wonder what they think of this news and what their strategic plans are.

09-09-2011, 05:58 AM	#1
din155 Guru Posts: 880 Karma: 7556602 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: UK Device: Kindle PW, Win 10 thinkpad 8in	Waterstone's to launch new e-reader Waterstone’s are planning to launch an ereader in spring 2012 but no specifications yet. Link for the same: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14841692 Apparently the new owners want Waterstone's to move in a new direction. I am not sure if they are also planning to introduce their own reading app or will license it from someone. Anyway we will get the details sooner or later. din

09-09-2011, 06:51 AM	#3
Arrghus Zealot Posts: 143 Karma: 5002 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Llandudno, Wales Device: Kindle PW2; Nexus 5X	I wonder if this will just be a rebadging, with some custom UI? I hope not. Sounds very interesting though. I also wonder if this will be a tablet-esque device (ala the Nook Color) or an e-ink device? And will this mean customers will have the ability to browse Waterstone's digital collection in store? They need to do something, as the popularity of the Kindle in Britain will mean their stores will be consigned to acting a mere window-shop for its undisputed rival(s). I hope Waterstone's can survive. I love having a browse when I'm out and about on the high street. They need to expand more into high quality stationary and gifts, and offer a compelling digital service. At present, they offer some nice gifts, and a clunky eBook website that is poorly advertised in store. Last edited by Arrghus; 09-09-2011 at 06:56 AM.

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09-09-2011, 06:35 AM	#2
petermillard Evangelist Posts: 496 Karma: 2384998 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: London, UK Device: iPad, iPhone, K3 & Amazon - between them they cover my needs.	Be interesting to see what they come up with; at least with being this late to the party they have the advantage of seeing what's gone before, and (hopefully) learning from other's mistakes. Not convinced it'll be enough to keep Waterstones bookshops open on the high street though...

09-09-2011, 07:06 AM	#7
TGS Country Member Posts: 9,058 Karma: 7676767 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Denmark Device: Liseuse: Irex DR800. PRS 505 in the house, and the missus has an iPad.	There's a report coming up on BBC Radio 4's "You and Yours" today - which is on now - about this.

09-09-2011, 08:00 AM	#9
charleski Wizard Posts: 1,196 Karma: 1281258 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-505	Coming out in Spring 2012. Basically will be an attempt to emulate the success of the nook. Some vague references to providing a better 'buying experience' - so probably in-store wifi that will allow direct purchases. All-in-all - it looks like he wants a nook for the UK, though it's interesting that he specifically mentioned the nook Colour as a competitor to the iPad, so maybe there'll be a (relatively) low-cost Waterstones version as well (or maybe instead of an eInk reader).

09-09-2011, 12:02 PM	#10
ShellShock Wizard Posts: 1,176 Karma: 2431850 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: IPad Mini 2 Retina	I guess this is being announced now partly to distract people from all the recent press about the new Amazon and Sony devices.

09-09-2011, 04:04 PM	#12
Ben Thornton Guru Posts: 900 Karma: 779635 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: UK Device: Kindle 3, iPad 2 (but not for e-books)	Another article here - not much new info.

09-09-2011, 04:08 PM	#13
Ben Thornton Guru Posts: 900 Karma: 779635 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: UK Device: Kindle 3, iPad 2 (but not for e-books)	I'm not sure what they can do with the device to compete. The real attraction would be if they had better deals with the UK publishers, so that we could get access to books not offered by Amazon. If they don't have something like that, I suspect that the Amazon offerings will be more attractive.

09-09-2011, 04:10 PM	#14
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 71,506 Karma: 306214458 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Voyage	If they want it to have an impact, they'll have to do something distinctive. If they were brave enough, they could use their clout in the UK paper book market to get some deal from the publishers. "Give us [some ebook concession] or we'll no longer stock your paper books, and we'll return the stock of your books we currently have." I'm thinking of either DRM-free or no agency model. But I suspect it'll just be another "me too" ADE eInk reader.

09-09-2011, 05:28 PM	#15
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,871 Karma: 36507503 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	I am curious. Is the selection of ebooks in the Amazon UK Kindle store better than the selection of ADE ebooks from places like Waterstone's and WH Smith? The ADE bookstores have been around longer than the Kindle store so I thought they might have a better selection. I have shopped at both Waterstone's and WH Smith, which seem very similar to Borders and B&N in the US. Is one bookstore more popular than the other? My impression is that WH Smith is the larger chain. I wonder what they think of this news and what their strategic plans are.

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