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Microsoft Mulling Nook Media LLC Purchase For $1 Billion

techcrunch.com

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Re: Microsoft Mulling Nook Media LLC Purchase For $1 Billion

#11

Post by eclipxe »

acabal wrote: post #9

It's too bad this basically means the death of the e-ink Nook. It was really a much better reader than Kindle for a long time, but BN couldn't stay a step ahead and Kindle ended up running circles around them. If Nook had just cleaned up its dictionary, bumped up the resolution on the screen, improved its frontlight (as it was the frontlight "glaze" or whatever washed out the display significantly), and kept polishin…

I don't think the market for a hacker-friendly Nook is as big as you think it would be.

Re: Microsoft Mulling Nook Media LLC Purchase For $1 Billion

#12

Post by eclipxe »

methodin wrote: post #2

What does the future hold for E-Ink readers? They are far superior for reading but useless in general. I could see myself getting a Kindle in a few months (I have a first-gen Nook) but after that I don't think they will be relevant as tablets continue to advance.

I was on vacation for the last week and along the beach I counted at least 20 Kindle eInk devices. Maybe 2-3 iPads/generic tablets. E-Ink readers can't be beat outdoors and for long form reading.

Re: Microsoft Mulling Nook Media LLC Purchase For $1 Billion

#13

Post by eclipxe »

transfire wrote: post #4

How does this effect Barnes and Noble?

They will probably work out something to continuing selling Nook devices in B&M stores. It will be interesting from a content licensing standpoint however. Will Nook/MS still have the same content rights and publisher relationships that B&N has?

Re: Microsoft Mulling Nook Media LLC Purchase For $1 Billion

#14

Post by apalmer »

transfire wrote: post #4

How does this effect Barnes and Noble?

I wonder, I remember talk that the Nook was the reason that barnes & noble survived when all the other rick and mortar bookshops went out of business due to Amazon.

Not sure if its true or not, wouldnt think the Nook was THAT popular.

Re: Microsoft Mulling Nook Media LLC Purchase For $1 Billion

#15

Post by dougk16 »

acabal wrote: post #6
methodin wrote: post #2

What does the future hold for E-Ink readers? They are far superior for reading but useless in general. I could see myself getting a Kindle in a few months (I have a first-gen Nook) but after that I don't think they will be relevant as tablets continue to advance.

I see them as exactly that, dedicated reading devices. Tablets are great for some folks, but others like ereaders because: -E-ink can be stared at for long periods and in bright light; staring at a tablet screen for long periods gives many (including me) eye strain. -Tablets usually include many other apps and internet access, which is a huge distraction when you just want to focus on reading a book. When I'm reading…

Much longer effective battery life is also a huge deal for me personally.

Re: Microsoft Mulling Nook Media LLC Purchase For $1 Billion

#16

Post by LarryMade2 »

acabal wrote: post #9

It's too bad this basically means the death of the e-ink Nook. It was really a much better reader than Kindle for a long time, but BN couldn't stay a step ahead and Kindle ended up running circles around them. If Nook had just cleaned up its dictionary, bumped up the resolution on the screen, improved its frontlight (as it was the frontlight "glaze" or whatever washed out the display significantly), and kept polishin…

Don't forget fixing its wireless issues... I had to setup a second wireless router to support the nook in the house.

Re: Microsoft Mulling Nook Media LLC Purchase For $1 Billion

#18

Post by acabal »

eclipxe wrote: post #11
acabal wrote: post #9

It's too bad this basically means the death of the e-ink Nook. It was really a much better reader than Kindle for a long time, but BN couldn't stay a step ahead and Kindle ended up running circles around them. If Nook had just cleaned up its dictionary, bumped up the resolution on the screen, improved its frontlight (as it was the frontlight "glaze" or whatever washed out the display significantly), and kept polishin…

I don't think the market for a hacker-friendly Nook is as big as you think it would be.

Perhaps, but there certainly was (and still is) a not-insignificant amount of people interested in hacking both Nooks and Kindles. Sell a hackable version at a big markup to please the nerds and make some money; regular folks will find them useless or too difficult and stick to the standard offering; meanwhile the nerds will evangelize the hardware for you.

I think their big fear is people buying a hackable version and setting it up to be a generic epub reader instead of a walled-garden sales point, thus losing money on the hardware or perhaps support costs for people who messed up their devices. But hacking hardware, even if it just means transferring a .deb and restarting, is utterly beyond the kind of people who would rather just press "buy & download" and forget about it, which of course is 90% of the market anyway.

In either case a premium hackable ereader would be an interesting (though perhaps not profitable?) direction for anyone, even an indie company, to pursue.

Re: Microsoft Mulling Nook Media LLC Purchase For $1 Billion

#20

Post by shmerl »

This must be the money that MS bribed B&N with, after they they realized that their patent litigation against B&N was falling apart, and it could threaten their protection racket against other Android vendors. I guess B&N didn't have guts to reject the bribe and to fight against the troll to the end.
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