Borders online bookstore beta

Bob Russell · 09-17-2007, 04:28 PM

The Borders online bookstore beta is available now.

Good news for e-book fans, you might think, as Borders stocks the Sony Reader in its stores. Well, maybe not. There's no sign of the Sony Reader, and when you search for "ebooks", you get the following sad message... "Did you mean books?"

Oh well.

NatCh · 09-17-2007, 05:03 PM

Ah, so the rumors of a split with Amazon are evidently true.

jasonkchapman · 09-17-2007, 05:29 PM

I'm not normally one who likes gimmicks in Web design, but I think I like their bookshelf browsing gadget. Browsing is one of the things I miss most about buying books (p- or e-) online.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 09-17-2007, 06:14 PM

Agreed, Jason... much more comfortable than tilting my head 90 degrees and browsing sardine-packed bookshelves.

Is anyone going to mention to them the fact that e-books are absent (including from their book category lists)?

JSWolf · 09-17-2007, 08:22 PM

They don't even have the Sony Reader as an item in their online shop.

NatCh · 09-18-2007, 10:19 AM

The Browse feature is nice, though I find the term "Contributor" (as opposed to "Author") interesting, I suppose they didn't want to have to fiddle the language when they move to non-book material. Contributor is still an odd choice to my mind.

I'd also like to have an alphabet selector for the A-Z listing options instead of a numbered page thing, it's a bit cumbersome, and I don't want to have to do work that the computer can do for me so easily.

NatCh · 09-18-2007, 10:25 AM

I've dropped that and the e-books think in their suggestion box. Perhaps we should organize a suggestion campaign for them for e-books?

JSWolf · 09-18-2007, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

I've dropped that and the e-books think in their suggestion box. Perhaps we should organize a suggestion campaign for them for e-books?

Problem is that since they aonly sell the Sony Reader, they cannot have ebooks other then BBeB and to have DRM protected books, they'd have to get permission from Sony. Unless of course they didn't mind DRM free ebooks.

NatCh · 09-18-2007, 10:57 AM

I don't see that handling Sony Hardware necessarily limits them to only BBeB books. I rather doubt that Sony has gotten them to sign any sort of agreement to that effect, if only because they don't currently sell any e-books.

nekokami · 09-18-2007, 11:00 AM

NatCh, that's what I was thinking. Especially since they don't list the Reader for sale. The online store might be rather separate from their bricks-and-mortar store -- I know the B&N online store is very separate from their b&m outfit. The contracts (whatever they are) could be different for each.

09-17-2007, 04:28 PM	#1
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	Borders online bookstore beta The Borders online bookstore beta is available now. Good news for e-book fans, you might think, as Borders stocks the Sony Reader in its stores. Well, maybe not. There's no sign of the Sony Reader, and when you search for "ebooks", you get the following sad message... "Did you mean books?" Oh well.

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09-17-2007, 05:03 PM	#2
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Ah, so the rumors of a split with Amazon are evidently true.

09-17-2007, 05:29 PM	#3
jasonkchapman Guru Posts: 767 Karma: 2347 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: NYC Device: Sony Reader, nook, Droid, nookColor, nookTablet	I'm not normally one who likes gimmicks in Web design, but I think I like their bookshelf browsing gadget. Browsing is one of the things I miss most about buying books (p- or e-) online.

09-17-2007, 06:14 PM	#4
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	Agreed, Jason... much more comfortable than tilting my head 90 degrees and browsing sardine-packed bookshelves. Is anyone going to mention to them the fact that e-books are absent (including from their book category lists)?

09-17-2007, 08:22 PM	#5
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,942 Karma: 128903250 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	They don't even have the Sony Reader as an item in their online shop.

09-18-2007, 10:19 AM	#6
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	The Browse feature is nice, though I find the term "Contributor" (as opposed to "Author") interesting, I suppose they didn't want to have to fiddle the language when they move to non-book material. Contributor is still an odd choice to my mind. I'd also like to have an alphabet selector for the A-Z listing options instead of a numbered page thing, it's a bit cumbersome, and I don't want to have to do work that the computer can do for me so easily.

09-18-2007, 10:25 AM	#7
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	I've dropped that and the e-books think in their suggestion box. Perhaps we should organize a suggestion campaign for them for e-books?

09-18-2007, 10:57 AM	#9
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	I don't see that handling Sony Hardware necessarily limits them to only BBeB books. I rather doubt that Sony has gotten them to sign any sort of agreement to that effect, if only because they don't currently sell any e-books.

09-18-2007, 11:00 AM	#10
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	NatCh, that's what I was thinking. Especially since they don't list the Reader for sale. The online store might be rather separate from their bricks-and-mortar store -- I know the B&N online store is very separate from their b&m outfit. The contracts (whatever they are) could be different for each.