one naughty sumbitch

I've been nice.... trust me

I put someone in jail for throwing a piece of cheese at their girlfriend... isn't that nice?

My mistakes helped keep people out of jail.... isn't that nice?

I put people in jail... isn't that nice?

I finally got a chance to use one of these things today at my local B&N and I wasn't impressed. I don't own a Kindle, but I've used both the first and second editions. I like both better than the Nook, and really don't see how you could rightfully consider a Nook over a 2d gen Kindle right now.

First off, the Nook feels cheap to me. You can definitely feel the difference in thickness, and even though it's narrower than the current Kindle, it was harder to hold in one hand. Pressing the back and forward page buttons felt flimsy to me, like I was going to crack the casing if I pushed too hard. I couldn't flex the device (I didn't really try), but it sure felt like I could.

Second, since I had the opportunity to read a lot of reviews on it before handling one, the bottom-pane navigation wasn't that unfamiliar, yet I still found it awkward to use. It seemed like there were far too many steps to complete even the simplest of tasks, responsiveness was really slow, and overall I found it's existence pointless. It was also awkward to be navigating the top pane while having to focus on where I was touching on the bottom pane. A lack of tactile feedback caused me to constantly look back and forth, which is really annoying. I would have rather had more reading real estate so maybe a page on the Nook could equal a page in an actual book. I hope the next iteration of these reading devices adopts some sort of dual-use bottom screen that can show reading text when no navigation is needed, but then has a pop-in navigation package when you want to get around, a la the Kindle app (and others) on the iPhone.

Third, I hope it's just a software issue, but the e-ink screen takes forever to turn pages and has a clunky artifacting effect as it transitions that I found disturbing. Also, the fact that the device needs to Format Text almost every time I open a book is disappointing too. It also might just have been the particular device or the lighting, but I found it harder to read than the Kindle.

Finally, there are the "future" features that just don't seem that appealing or useful. First, I couldn't navigate the B&N Nook store through the device due to an error, but the device did appear to be connected to in-store wi-fi. That's nice, but who cares? The thing doesn't have any functionality other than reading books and buying books (MP3 player aside). Am I going to go to a B&N brick & mortar just to use their free wi-fi to do this? Am I going to "miss it" when I'm away from wi-fi? We're not talking about a very data-intensive process here. The built-in 3G should be more than enough bandwidth to complete a task that I might do once a day, if that. I mean, let's think this process through for a second - I want a book. I'm on the road, away from free wi-fi (at least wi-fi that doesn't require I go to a web page first), and I want to read a book. So what do I do? Well, I could get off my lazy ass, find an actual bookstore, browse the shelves, buy the book, go read. This might take 15-60 minutes, depending. Or, I could go online with my free 3G, surf online, download a book and begin reading in a process that might take 15 minutes tops. How much time could that possibly take on 3G vs. wi-fi? Am I saving that much time on wi-fi, while also killing my battery? Wi-fi seems pointless to me on this thing.

As for the book-lending feature, it's nice in theory, but horrible in practice. First, not every book can take advantage of the feature. Second, when I loan it out, I can't read it. I realize that's how it works in "real" life, but then why do I have this reader in the first place? That's right, to do things "better" than I can in real life. Third, you can only loan it once, and for 14 days. Ok, that's fine if I want to loan it to my wife. She reads like lightning and she'd be the only one to read it. But what about office book clubs, where they pool their money, buy a few books, and pass them around to read? Or something similar. Not happening on the Nook. It makes the feature a completely pointless exercise right now.

Things like replaceable battery and expandable storage are nice, but if I'm using this thing as a reader - how much space do I need? And if I need a new battery any time soon, something would be really fishy to me.

The only three features I find mildly attractive are the EPUB compatibility, Android, and that it can work with some libraries out there, like the Sony reader is supposed to. However, I expect Amazon to move to close these gaps in some fashion, particularly the library issue. And the Android thing is an unknown - I think there could be some interesting apps, but the battery life is already subpar and how many apps can really be crafted for a digital reader. I have an iPhone - that's enough apps for me, thanks.

So, while the Nook might get better with a software update, I find it's hardware to be subpar. By the time they iterate on the hardware, other competitors should be continuing to innovate and close the features gap. There's a price I'd pay for convenience - but it isn't $259 every 12 months to save a few bucks on books each year. I want to spend that money and trust my device will remain competitive and useful for the long-term. I don't see Nook 1.0 being that device, nor do I see Kindle 2.0 being that device either, so I'll continue to remain on the sidelines and read my print books and magazines until something far more compelling comes out.

This puts companies like Amazon and B&N in an interesting position. It's no secret that brick & mortar bookstores are rapidly going the way of the dodo. I don't know the exact numbers, but I'm sure that a significant percentage of books are now bought online, and that number will only go up. So what this decision does for online retailers, particularly ones with their own readers, is put them in a marketing bind - do I push the hardcovers to my customers, or tell them to wait until the digital version is available for the reader I manufacture (and mostly lose money on)?

I agree that the market is clearly moving toward digital books, and history shows that what content providers refuse to do, pirates and grey markets will. So I don't see decisions like this being widely adopted or lasting very long. But it's clearly a line in the sand, a sort of battle cry for the publishers, and a sign they might not go quietly into that good night. I'm going to enjoy the bloody mess that unfolds as a result.

So it's Canabalt, kinda.

If Kotick's comments were in any way not in jest, then I would take this action by IW as a clear indication that they are inclined to leave Activision for greener pastures, even if it means quitting and forming a new studio with a new IP. However, I think it is more a sign that IW got the joke.

Maybe, but probably likely that MSFT will carry both for a while, putting the N adapter at $100 and dropping the price of the regular adapter down to $40-$60.