Classic Nook: the positives

[The-eBook-Reader]

In contrast to my earlier post about the negatives of nook (which can be found here https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60095), here are all the good things about nook and why it's a big step forward for ebook readers and ereader competition in general (in no particular order).

1. Nook is one of the best looking ereaders out there, and is relatively inexpensive.
2. LCD touchscreen is innovative and is a good way around adding an extra layer (Sony) or incorporating an expensive Wacom tablet (iRex).
3. Lending feature, even limited to once is a step forward for ebooks (not sure if authors and publishers are going to be on-board with this though; it's their discretion to allow this feature, like text-to-speech).
4. User replaceable battery.
5. B&N allows for reading their books on phones and PCs as well as the nook.
6. Custom screensavers.
7. Wi-Fi, even though there's no browser, customers visiting B&N stores can look through entire books.
8. Micro SD memory card slot.
9. Native PDF and ePub support.
10. Android OS.

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by The-eBook-Reader

In contrast to my earlier post, here are all the good things about nook and why it's a big step forward for ebook readers and ereader competition in general (in no particular order).

1. Nook is one of the best looking ereaders out there, and is relatively inexpensive. It is pretty. Its also the same price as the Kindle2 with international coverage.
2. LCD touchscreen is innovative and is a good way around adding an extra layer (Sony) or incorporating an expensive Wacom tablet (iRex).
3. Lending feature, even limited to once is a step forward for ebooks (not sure if authors and publishers are going to be on-board with this though; it's their discretion to allow this feature, like text-to-speech). By stripping drm of a book legally bought, I can lend my books to anyone without any silly time restrictions.
4. User replaceable battery. I have that on my K1. My battery costs $19.99. How much is theirs?
5. B&N allows for reading their books on phones and PCs as well as the nook. Kindle can read on phones, and if you liberate them, on your pc. But why would you want to?
6. Custom screensavers. Okay. I guess thats important to some people. I still love the drawing on my K1.
7. Wi-Fi, even though there's no browser, customers visiting B&N stores can look through entire books. I can go into a BN store and look thru the books directly.....and if I like them, download from Amazon. Why would I want to browse with my device while I'm in the store?
8. Micro SD memory card slot. My K1 has a card slot.
9. Native PDF and ePub support. I can covert my books to both using calibre. If I wanted.
10. Android OS.

Its pretty, I'll give you that. How the customer support and book prices play out remains to be seen.

I think BN may have a good product. I still love mine.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by The-eBook-Reader

... here are all the good things about nook and why it's a big step forward for ebook readers and ereader competition in general ...

Stop posting this crap!! Do you even begin to realize just how hard it's been for me to resist buying one? Yesterday, my finger hovered over the "Buy Now" button no less than three times! I've only got so much sales resistance!

[lisreed]

On another positive point in the vanity department you will be able to buy a different color back for the nook. Already thinking about getting a blue one if they are priced around $20 or less.

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Stop posting this crap!! Do you even begin to realize just how hard it's been for me to resist buying one? Yesterday, my finger hovered over the "Buy Now" button no less than three times! I've only got so much sales resistance!

Tom, I think the primary reason to not preorder the Nook is the heavy cost of returning it should it not be what you want. To me, this is a major marketing blunder on B&N's part, making it more expensive than to return a Nook than to return a Kindle (plus you have only 14 days to do so instead of Amazon's -- and most other device maker's -- 30 days).

Also, as a B&N club member (not Fictionwise but B&N) I think B&N is making a second strategic blunder. I buy several thousand dollars worth of books every year from B&N and they know what I have bought and what I have on order because of my membership. A smart marketer would have culled its membership list and found the big buyers and offered a special low cost deal if they purchased the Nook. After all, such buyers are important to insuring B&N's success and are likely to buy more books than others. But B&N won't even honor it's club discount.

Anyway, I think the Nook is probably a great device, but I want to see it in the store before I commit my money considering B&N's return policy.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by rhadin

Tom, I think the primary reason to not preorder the Nook is the heavy cost of returning it should it not be what you want. To me, this is a major marketing blunder on B&N's part, making it more expensive than to return a Nook than to return a Kindle (plus you have only 14 days to do so instead of Amazon's -- and most other device maker's -- 30 days) ...

Thanks, Richard.

The main thing holding me back right now is the fact that it won't ship until November 30th. A lot can be learned about it in that amount of time, including perhaps, some negatives that aren't yet apparent.

[gigercounter]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Stop posting this crap!! Do you even begin to realize just how hard it's been for me to resist buying one? Yesterday, my finger hovered over the "Buy Now" button no less than three times! I've only got so much sales resistance!

WT- you can purchase Nooks in the B&N physical store- I just called my local BN. I am personally going to wait until then.

[bruba]

Originally Posted by The-eBook-Reader

2. LCD touchscreen is innovative and is a good way around adding an extra layer (Sony) or incorporating an expensive Wacom tablet (iRex).

e-Ink touch screens have a lot of advantages.

• Clickable indexes
• Navigate in ePapers/magazines
• Make notes inside books
• Lookup word in dictionary by touching it
• Highlight passages
• Make/draw regular notes
• And of course, no battery drain from the LCD

[eidahl]

Wait, why no Nook in black or dark silver? I recently bought the Kindle 2 (recent enough to get a refund if I want) and it's been verrry tempting.. even though I know it's an illusion, dark color = makes screen look brighter. :O

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by eidahl

Wait, why no Nook in black or dark silver? I recently bought the Kindle 2 (recent enough to get a refund if I want) and it's been verrry tempting.. even though I know it's an illusion, dark color = makes screen look brighter. :O

Amazon made the Kindle white so that it would "blend" into the background....like reading a real book with the white margins......

[=X=]

Originally Posted by The-eBook-Reader

1. Nook is one of the best looking ereaders out there, and is relatively inexpensive.
2. LCD touchscreen is innovative and is a good way around adding an extra layer (Sony) or incorporating an expensive Wacom tablet (iRex).
3. Lending feature, even limited to once is a step forward for ebooks (not sure if authors and publishers are going to be on-board with this though; it's their discretion to allow this feature, like text-to-speech).
4. User replaceable battery.
5. B&N allows for reading their books on phones and PCs as well as the nook.
6. Custom screensavers.
7. Wi-Fi, even though there's no browser, customers visiting B&N stores can look through entire books.
8. Micro SD memory card slot.
9. Native PDF and ePub support.
10. Android OS.

Okay your reaching for some of the positives but at least your trying

1. Considering the old adage "Don't judge a book by its cover" arose from this industry, I can help but to smile when this is the number one factor in considering a device is based on looks.
2. I'll give you this, if the LCD SW is designed right the GUI can be an excellent experience and if not, a firmware release can fix most problems. However considering it a positive before any first hand experience I think it's putting the horse before the cart.
3. LendMe is Nice idea but completely impractical. At least with TTS you can make use of it immediately where as with the LendMe technology you have to share it with a another Nook user.
4. Yes!
5. Old news here. Heck Mobi supports more platforms and has a far supperior solution.
6. Your kidding right? Please tell me you are.
7. Yes++! If they allow transferring books and docs via wi-fi that would be awesome. If it's only to browse a book store it is a useless feature.
8. Again old news most support cards except kindle and. Sony 300.
9. That is big but again nothing new all newer readers support ePub/PDF.
10. Aside from the cool factor what does it matter what OS is under the hood?

One item you did not include was that you can buy books from Fictionwise, BoB, and
eRreader.com. buying the native ereader format.

[kezza]

Originally Posted by =X=

10. Aside from the cool factor what does it matter what OS is under the hood?

OS is very important. An open OS like Android means that 3rd party developers can produce software for the device. Sure, I doubt B&N will be open to 3rd party software, but Android + mini USB = hackable.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by The-eBook-Reader

3. Lending feature, even limited to once is a step forward for ebooks (not sure if authors and publishers are going to be on-board with this though; it's their discretion to allow this feature, like text-to-speech).

I'm not sure that will be possible to quantify. We'll have to infer from teh catalogs which publishers bought in to the concept. The ones that allow it are hoping lending will help generate sales. The ones who don't are afraid lending will cost them sales. I think the former group are right, but can't prove it.

4. User replaceable battery.

Definite win

5. B&N allows for reading their books on phones and PCs as well as the nook

With qualifications. The nook supports ePub, PDF, and the legacy Fictionwise eReader format. So if what you want to reader is an eReader text, you can read it on all manner of things, as versions of the eReader viewer are available for a variety of platforms: http://www.ereader.com/ereader/software/browse.htm

Support for newer ePub volumes is a bit more problematic. We may see a bit of competition between B&N and Amazon about porting versions of the reader software to other platforms for folks who want to buy the books but not necessarily use the readers.

7. Wi-Fi, even though there's no browser, customers visiting B&N stores can look through entire books.

And if they like it, can purchase and download it on the spot. But wifi is the transport, and separate from the ability to browse a full book. (The B&N folks said they didn't include a browser because they didn't think the browsing experience on an eInk device was good enough. We'll see whether that's an error on their part.)

8. Micro SD memory card slot.

Allowing (currently) 16GB storage per card. Folks who want to carry thier entire ebook library about with them should have no problem doing so.

9. Native PDF and ePub support.

Like Sony, they licensed Adobe's mobile SDK.

10. Android OS.

How big a win this is depends on where they go with it. The nook developers at the B&N launch party talked about liking Android because it was optimized for display on small screen devices. (I suspected "free, open source, and no licensing from Google required" were possibly more compelling reasons.)

But Android is modular, and adapted for mobile devices. The SDK is available, and a lot of developers are looking at the platform. Because Android is under the hood, there are an assortment of things that could potentially be done to enhance and extend the nook. The big question at the moment is whether B&N plans to open it to third party developers.
______
Dennis

[scveteran]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

3. Lending feature, even limited to once is a step forward for ebooks (not sure if authors and publishers are going to be on-board with this though; it's their discretion to allow this feature, like text-to-speech). By stripping drm of a book legally bought, I can lend my books to anyone without any silly time restrictions.

That is illegal in the US and can land you in jail and/or a large fine. Your own use and distributing are two totally seperate things.

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

7. Wi-Fi, even though there's no browser, customers visiting B&N stores can look through entire books. I can go into a BN store and look thru the books directly.....and if I like them, download from Amazon. Why would I want to browse with my device while I'm in the store?

You might not like that feature, but some of us would love it. Especially those of us who have mobility and dexterty issues.

[Giddeaon]

Originally Posted by kezza

OS is very important. An open OS like Android means that 3rd party developers can produce software for the device. Sure, I doubt B&N will be open to 3rd party software, but Android + mini USB = hackable.

This is the truly big issue with the Nook. Android has a large user/programmer community, and I would not be surprised to find that the Nook will be hacked and customized firmware will be available quickly. Imagine a community providing a customized firmware that supports just about every ebook format? That may sound like a reach to many people, but it's not. When much more complex devices (like the Sony PSP and Xbox 360) and software (for example Win7 already has an activation crack) can be cracked/hacked within days of release, putting out an ereader with an OS that a user community is already familiar with programming....well you're basically asking for the device to get broken wide open. Don't forget that the first Android google phone was hacked within 24 hours of its release. Can we really believe the Nook will be any different?

I'm not buying a Nook yet....but if the Android OS gets torn apart and rebuilt so that we can customize the device to read the formats we want....well I'll gladly drop the bucks to finally have a device that does so instead of sticking me with specific formats and purchasing options.