The virtual world is in an uproar surrounding Barnes and Noble’s upcoming ereader. It is being heralded as the first real Kindle competitor and the first great hope of giving Amazon a run for its money. Barnes and Noble has made it their purpose to deliver “any book, any time, anywhere” and touts the nook as the most recent vehicle for achieving this goal.
At Ooligan press, the issues raised by this (and all ereaders) is how it will affect publishing. Following is a look at the nook’s features and how we think they might contribute to the future of reading.
Readability
The nook features a 6-inch eink display. This feature allows for low energy reading, resizable text and readability akin to that of a paper book. The eink is crisp and easy to read even outdoors. The nook uses the same E Ink Vizplex screen as the Kindle.
Eink has been a great contributor to the popularity of hand held ereaders. The visual similarity to ink on paper has drawn readers who were resistant to reading “on a screen.” The scalable print of eink is superior to ink on paper for those readers who require large print. These readers no longer have to wait for large print editions to trickle to the shelves.
Color LCD Menu
One frustrating feature of fully eink readers is the slow refresh rate when browsing menus. Eink is meant to be read like a book, with a page turn every minute or so. The nook solves the menu problem by featuring menus on their 3.5 inch LCD screen. Vivid book covers and menu options are scrolled through a capacitive touch screen in the same manner as the Apple iTouch products. The LCD screen will also provide a search function using a virtual keyboard.
For readers, this means faster and more functional browsing through book collections. The nook can hold, at maximum capacity, 19,000 books. Browsing through this type of collection on eink would have been a long, probably frustrating process. Now it is easy, fast and visually appealing.
Readers can now share books visually even with those who do not have ereaders. Imagine the benefit of being able to send a friend to the bookstore with a book recommendation and have them be able to find the title by sight.
Connectivity
The nook allows users to connect to their computers using USB 2.0 and to the internet through Wifi and AT&T’s 3G wireless network. Like the Kindle, there is no cost for service and no contract required.
Readers can now buy new ebooks (including upcoming digital epub releases of Ooligan Press books) in their socks or in a box, on a train or in the rain–anywhere with a wifi signal, a cellular signal or a USB port.
Holdability
The nook claims to weight about as much as a standard paperback book, about 11.2 ounces. The back of the device is contoured to attempt a more ergonomic and comfortable hold.
One of the chief complaints among the ereader-reticent is the loss of that book feel. While the ereader will probably never have that paperback smell or the visceral appeal of turning pages, the nook does acknowledge the need for the reader to be comfortable. Awkward screens, slippery devices and five pound ebooks seem to be a thing of the past.
Lendability
One feature that separates the nook from other current ereaders is the ability to lend books to other users with nook software. Applications will be available too allow nook readers to share their books with the iPhone, Blackberry, PC, Mac and others. The books can be loaned for up to 14 days. Just as with a physical book, when you lend an ebook, you will no longer be able to read it. After the 14 day lending period expires, the book will be removed from the borrower’s use and return to the original owner. Unlike a physical book, each title can only be loaned one time. The ability for a book to be loaned or not will be determined by the publisher. Books with the ability will have a LendMe Logo.
This feature is a huge step toward the physical book experience. The ability to lend a book without infringing on copyright laws or lending out their $250 e-reader will help readers feel like they own the work. A lack of trust was created around the Kindle-Orwell debacle this summer and this function is an effective way to rebuild the relationship between reader and technology.
Customizability
The nook will launch with a few accessories to customize the look of the ereader. Four different colors of back plates can be swapped out for the original gray. Soon after launch, additional accessories including protective covers, designer frames and carrying cases, will be available for purchase.
Personal expression has stopped some readers from joining the masses of iPhone users and Kindle toters. Some other readers just miss the beauty of cover art tucked beneath their arm or hidden away in a briefcase. Designers and artists have been hired by Barnes and Noble to restore beauty and individual expression in the visual appearance of the nook.
Magazine and Newspaper subscriptions
Barnes and Noble will offer subscriptions to over 20 newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and Newsweek.
The portability of the nook and the ability to download favorite journals and newspapers anywhere will appeal to traditional newspaper readers as well as to those who read their media online. It will also bring readers back to the nook daily and increase their comfort with the technology. There is potential here for increasing book sales or at least exposing them to new book titles that is not possible with traditional newsprint.
Brick and Mortar Experience
While the nook is within the walls and Wifi network of a Barnes and Noble store, readers can browse and read the entire content of books within the Barnes and Noble online library.
This is another feature that brings the traditional physical book experience to the digital reader. Readers of ebooks will be able to browse an ebook with the same depth as physical book readers. Traditionally, this has been an excellent way to sell books to customers as they get hooked on the book by chapter two but need to leave the bookstore.
In addition to being an excellent way to browse books for the reader already in the store, the feature has the added benefit of drawing readers physically into the bookstore. In the future, there is hope that independent book stores will be able to take advantage of similar features on other brands of e-reader.
Ebooks also cannot be damaged in the way that traditional books can so there is no risk of damaged returns from this kind of digital trial.
Price
The nook will launch with the retail price $259—the same as the current Kindle price. Barnes and Noble also offered The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell to the first 10,000 preordered units from their website www.nook.com.
Price is still prohibitive for many. Book sellers cite this as their reasoning behind the low $9.95 price point for ebooks. As more products become available to consumers, the hope is that prices will become more and more competitive and the price for ebooks will slowly come to reflect the cost of production.
Other Tidbits
Unlike the Kindle, the nook’s battery is replaceable. This will increase the overall life of the e-reader making it a more sustainable choice.
The nook has 2GB of built in storage—meaning it can hold up to 1,500 books—and has a 16GB SD card slot for an additional 17,500 book capacity. The device can also function as a USB storage device holding any type of file.
The nook does not have Kindle’s text-to-speech experimental functionality but it does play mp3s on a built in microphone or through headphones.
As we have seen with cellphones, the multi-functionality of our digital devices increases their use.
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