Barnes & Noble working on an e-book reader of its own?
By Donald Melanson 
posted April 8th 2009 3:42PM
posted April 8th 2009 3:42PM
Everyone else is doing it, so why not Barnes & Noble too? That's the talk following last week's CTIA at least, where mysterious "insiders" were reportedly abuzz about the possibility of a B&N e-book reader that, like the Kindle, would supposedly be tied to a cellular carrier for some Whispernet-like connectivity. According to one of those insiders, Barnes & Noble had apparently first been in talks with Verizon about a partnership, but those seem to have fallen apart for one reason or another, and it now looks like Sprint (Amazon's partner, coincidentally) is the top contender. Some "observers" apparently still aren't ruling out AT&T as a possibility, however, especially in light of its recent expression of interest about getting into the e-book reader game. No word about the actual device itself just yet, but there's no shortage of ready-made options out there (like Plastic Logic's e-reader above) should B&N decide to go that route.
[Thanks, Tim]
[Thanks, Tim]
Another reader? We need another one just like we need another iphone clone.
Another troll? We need another one just like we need another apple troll.
Huh? Compared to the number of models for cell phones, TVs, MP3 players, etc, etc, etc... there are almost no e-readers. Prices are still pretty high, more competition in this arena should be welcomed.
@broli-
I am not a troll nor am I a fanboi either. My point being is we already have SEVERAL e-book readers. In fact, it seems like EVERYONE is making one. The problem that is going to arise is - one service will only work with it's e-book reader and vice versa. Every new e-book reader is going to have it's own service that won't be compatible with another. Hopefully it won't, but I have a funny feeling it will. As long as the content can be transfered from one to another without issue - I am all for competition. However, I seriously doubt that will happen. So what you end up with, is money out the window because your new e-book reader is not compatible with your old e-book reader account from another maker.
Get it?
We need LOTS more ebook readers. More competition. Cheaper devices.
Competition will also ensure that new readers can take more formats.
if it was 10x12 with hand writing recognition and mulitouch it'll sell...
if it was 10x12 with hand writing recognition and multitouch it'll sell...
You know, sometimes I wonder if the people designing a product such as this look at competition, at its drawbacks and try to incorporate the feedback.
In other words, I wish they'd listen to us engadget nerds.
Love the ideas, more ebook readers, more competition, and soon we will have something an iPod equivalent of ebook.
B&N did just purchase Fictionwise, the owners of both the FictionWise.com and EReader.com ebook stores.... They have software that allows ebooks to be read on computers and virtually all smartphone platforms (including the iPhone through both their own EReader software and through an agreement with Stanza). I'm pretty sure this makes B&N now the second largest ebook distributor after Amazon. It certainly makes sense for them to release their own focused ebook device...
They don't want to follow down Blockbuster's footsteps and watch technology put them out of business.
I agree companies need to keep up with the time, although, it will be a LONG time before people give up physical books.
An example, DAP's have been out for around 15 years (at the BestBuy/Walmart level) and MP3 downloads are only about 15-20% of the market. Yes the "everyone is doing it" mentality is out there but the real numbers dont add up.
That being said, I want one of the Sony ebook readers, they are sexy. I would get a Kindle but they are UGLY and are too big outside the screen, I don't need wifi or a keyboard on my ebook. I have a computer that has both, I want my ebook to be sleek.
My guess is they would stick with their classic ugggh line of "not valid in Barnes & Nobles university stores" to screw over the digi-textbook market.
Meh, I think the life of dedicated e-book readers is limited. Someone is eventually going to release an absolutely amazing 10-12" touch tablet with e-paper mode (pixelQi screen anyone?) and make the whole notion of the dedicated e-book device irrelevant.
Maybe. Not sure it will be pixelQi though. They're still using LCD technology and depsite how efficient they may be compared to the average LCD, the battery life still won't compete with most e-readers and their bitstable displays.
Heh, well I wasn't meaning any specific company I just think it is the inevitable outcome. ;-)
As for battery, I guess that depends on how good the "epaper mode" of a pixelQi screen really is.
So many of us already have devices that can read e-books ... we don't need another player ... we need content providers to start selling us ebooks again.
Win Mobile has had it's ebook reader for years ... i used to read books on it all the time. Then amazon and B&N stopped selling ebooks ....
I am not spending another $300-$500 so someone can sell me content ... sell content that people can read on their iphone, blackberries, and win mobile phones.
I don't want to be forced to buy a Kindle or iCrap to read a book. It's not hard to offer up books it several formats.
My phone can take pictures. That doesn't mean it'll replace my dSLR.
These devices have screens that are actually optimized for reading. For one thing they're a lot bigger (3-4" vs 6"). The technology is reflective, and highly usable in sunlight. It also consumes next to no power, allowing for an especially long battery life.
BTW, there are plenty of open ebook providers. Fictionwise is an interesting example since it is actually owned by B&N now.
Open ebooks=crap i dont want to read
I don't need an "optimized screen" ... books are words ... phones and pcs can display words ...
With Microsoft Reader i can read on all my devices plus DRM is supplied to make the publishers happy. It's a very simple solution. I could read on my LG Incite or my Dell Mini 9 ... the Mini 9 would be a perfect e-book reader ... amd it was over $100 less than the Kindle.
Another simple solution would be Kindle software for WinMobile platform like they did for the iPhone.
Paying $350 for device then paying for the books is too expensive for most people ... they should be able to read books on devices they already own.
I meant open as in formats that will work just fine on a number of different devices. Such as Mobipocket, eReader, and Microsoft Reader. The latter two being good because the DRM is easy to dispose of. Those allowing you to read them on whatever you want.
A small screen is more cramped when it comes to displaying those words. And most LCD devices suck at reading in daylight. You have to turn the backlight all the way up just to make it at all legible. Killing the battery life. And even then the contrast is poor.
ereader drm is easy to dispose of? How?
@mian
There is a python script should do the job. Try googling for it.
Already found it (but thanks for getting back to me). Ironically, knowing it works means ereader gets more of my money. I was just starting to pull back my purchases in fear that my rather massive library would become unreadable when the format goes under, no sense in throwing good money after bad. I'm less concerned now.
Interestingly EReader users have the least to fear if something like that happened. Most formats need to have the reading device verified before you can read your books. If the verification server disappears then you can no longer activate your devices. With EReader though you use your credit card number. And the verification is embedded right into the ebook files themselves.
Would an e-book reader with a UPC scanner be awesome, or would that suck? It would be nice to walk into a B&N, flip through a book, determine you like it, and then scan the UPC to automatically buy it and have it appear on your reader.
Also possibly has uses to just steal books.
Somehow I don't think the employees in the store would appreciate that idea.
Camera phones will be able to do this eventually without needing a scanning mechanism. Snap the photo, let the software upload it, server side processing and recognition, and then you could buy it online. People have been playing with different iterations of this process for a while now, and there's an iPhone app that does something similar, albeit, not with UPCs.
I don't think we need more readers on the market, what we need is more content. As a college student, if I could purchase my textbooks for an ereader and not have to carry around 100lbs of books all day, I would buy one in an instant.
I have a Kindle. I'm not buying a new reader. They're boned.
Thats right, flood the market so I can get one cheaper.
$350 for an e-reader is nuts.
Nobody uses an e-reader. No matter how cheap it one cost, people will always prefer to own the book itself. Funny, how history repeats itself...like the old days when email would make offices completely paperless....LOL e-reader ....so silly
I use one. And the whole "DRM = Rent" or whatever isn't really an issue when you consider how easy it is to "liberate" books in the ereader or Microsoft reader format.
I've been reading books on various Palm PDAs for 6 years. More than half my library is digital now. My next phone purchase has been planned based on what would make a good replacement for my Palm TX as an ereader.
It's not for everybody, but guess what? Neither is paper.
Not true, I'm a book-aholic and I'd gladly use an ereader (reasonably priced) in place of the hundreds of books I have taking up space. Granted some of my books are collectors items and I would keep those but, everything else...just like my music and movies. Besides I don't think that it'll be aesthetics that drive this market it'll be economics. Once the ereader prices start to come down it'll just be cheaper then paying almost $30 for a new hardcover (if the stores even have the book in stock).
a4 please.
There is a converter that allows you to convert various types of
documents and e books to LRF (Sony's proprietary BBeB format).
Might be useful for someone - http://www.lib2go.com
Is BN making a reader for their customers, or for the 'publishers'? Many publishers have been notorious for overpricing digital books [some charging the same as hardcover]; If BN makes a new reader and prices it ridiculously cheap - this opens the doors for publishers to charge high prices for digital books. Most people won't mind paying $12.99 for an eBook if their reader only cost them about $80.00 :/ Publishers can also control the price and push it higher by adding extra content to their digital books; it all depends on someone out there making a reader that's affordable, and not priced as if it's from another planet.
Also, will BN's new reader [or anyone's new reader] be able to display graphic novels or illustrated content [color magazines etc]. This would be nice.
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