Not Yet The Season For a Nook(nytimes.com)
nytimes.com
Not Yet The Season For a Nook
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/10/technology/personaltech/10pogue.html?_r=1&8dpc
2 comments
> I don't own any e-reader or plan to buy one anytime soon, My mac book does a good job...
That is basically what I thought (if you replace macbook with iPhone) for the past few years, up until I got a Kindle last week and then fell in love with it. While there is a lot of room for innovation still, I don't see Apple releasing an e-ink based device for a long, long, long time if ever. Apple could release a tablet in the next year, but presumably it will have a display like the iPhone's, and battery life to match. It'll probably be general purpose: good for almost everything, useful for people that need a color display, but it won't really match a Kindle or Nook specifically for reading text and not having to charge for a week at a time.
But of course, Amazon has an iPhone app already. They're working on desktop apps now. Presumably an Apple tablet will run 3rd party apps, in which case there will also be a Kindle app for the Apple tablet. Amazon sells books regardless in this situation, which is a win-win. The same goes to Barnes & Noble too. So will the next generation Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, or Apple tablet truly drive hardware innovation between all the competitors? Not so sure...(although I personally would like to see the keyboard on the Kindle replaced with a touchscreen).
That is basically what I thought (if you replace macbook with iPhone) for the past few years, up until I got a Kindle last week and then fell in love with it. While there is a lot of room for innovation still, I don't see Apple releasing an e-ink based device for a long, long, long time if ever. Apple could release a tablet in the next year, but presumably it will have a display like the iPhone's, and battery life to match. It'll probably be general purpose: good for almost everything, useful for people that need a color display, but it won't really match a Kindle or Nook specifically for reading text and not having to charge for a week at a time.
But of course, Amazon has an iPhone app already. They're working on desktop apps now. Presumably an Apple tablet will run 3rd party apps, in which case there will also be a Kindle app for the Apple tablet. Amazon sells books regardless in this situation, which is a win-win. The same goes to Barnes & Noble too. So will the next generation Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, or Apple tablet truly drive hardware innovation between all the competitors? Not so sure...(although I personally would like to see the keyboard on the Kindle replaced with a touchscreen).
e-ink devices will continue to move slowly until there is competition in providing the screens.
I really agree with that. We keep forgetting that all of these devices essentially depend on the same company for their screens, which are arguably the most important components of the devices anyways.
I might be wrong, but doesn't NY-Times has exclusive subscription deals with Kindle? If so, its better to take this review with a grain of salt.
Oh come on. If you're going to accuse David Pogue and the New York Times of corruption just come out and say it.
Oh come on. If you're going to accuse David Pogue and the New York Times of corruption just come out and say it.
Well put: Every one of the Nook’s vaunted distinctions comes fraught with buzz kill footnotes.
I don't own any e-reader or plan to buy one anytime soon, My mac book does a good job. Generally speaking ebook market has a lot of room for innovation, with the possibility of big players like apple entering the tablet market soon, it will drive innovations among competitors and consumers will benefit from superior products in a year or so.
Unlike computers, e-readers can tie you down with their proprietary book formats saved in your "library collection". So its a good idea to think long term when you invest on your book reader, not so much because of the cost of the book reader but the value of your book collection that you might not be able to transfer from one reader to another if you change your mind.