I love my Kindle as the best way to bring a library of books with me whenever I leave the house. I love even more that I always have my Kindle app on my iPhone, so I can read the same books anywhere I go even if I forget the Kindle. So, I am thrilled to see Barnes and Noble is about to release their own "Kindle killer" called the "Nook" which promises to bring healthy competition to the eBook sphere (Sony has been a competitor in this space, but the lack of a wireless bookstore has made it irrelevant in my calculations).
The Nook has one gee-whiz technology in a small multi-touch screen instead of the Kindle's keyboard. But what may be really revolutionary (and easy for Kindle to copy) is the ability to "borrow" a book from a friend with a Nook. This would eliminate one of the main remaining reasons to stay away from eBooks - the forced re-buying of titles for every reader.
4 comments:
My main reason for staying away from an eBook reader is that it is an eBook. I like regular books. The feel of the paper, the lack of a need for a battery. It doesn't accidentally erase because I drop it or something. They look nice on a shelf. It's not a screen. I can lend it out. Anyone can read it without the need for a "reader".
I'm old school, what can I say. I appreciate Google Books, and the access to old books and articles that it provides, but I prefer the book to the ebook.
I love old-school books, too. But when I am traveling, it is SO MUCH nicer to carry one Kindle than to carry 10 books. Even better when I am unexpectedly at the doctor's office with time to kill, and I can just pull it up on mu iPhone.
If I were to get an eBook reader the Nook looks like it would be my reader of choice. I like my 'real' books, but moving just gets harder with every book I buy - at least with a Nook, all I'd have to do is pack it in my bag and be done with it.
The question of Kindle vs Nook at the moment comes down to whose store is better. It'll be interesting to see how that goes over time. Right now, the Kindle has more eBooks (and the Nook is not out yet) but the Nook works with PDFs which gives more options for non-traditional book distribution. Competition is a good thing.
I love my Kindle. The real test will be to see if at some point one bookseller (or both) make their devices capable of reading books from the other!
Post a Comment