Kindle or Nook?

[modern_muslimah]

Nook wi fi is $139 that's comparable to the Kindle Touch which is $99.

You think so? I think a lot of people will decide to keep the $40 and go with the Kindle Touch (with ads). The Kindle Touch without ads is $139.00 but I think more people will decide to live with the ads for the cheaper version.

Nook Color is $249 now, but its a e reader tablet. It actually uses Android OS for the tablet portion, Amazon Kindle Fire is not. Also, Nook Color is currently "rootable". I know a few folks who have rooted their Nook Color which makes the Nook Color an actual 7 in Android Tablet for $249.

I know. However, again the Kindle is cheaper and it will probably rooted in the near future (where hackers have a will there is a way).

I'm sure there are people who will choose the Nook over the Kindle (I'm one of them) but it's going to be a lot more who are going to pick the Kindle because of price.

[jlai]

I'm thinking about buying Nook but it's only because I've used their physical store as meeting places so many times (without buying anything) and it's only right to support them in some way....

[Prancer]

You think so? I think a lot of people will decide to keep the $40 and go with the Kindle Touch (with ads). The Kindle Touch without ads is $139.00 but I think more people will decide to live with the ads for the cheaper version.

Gah, not me. I get so sick of ads. It's well worth $40 to me not to have them.

However, again the Kindle is cheaper and it will probably rooted in the near future (where hackers have a will there is a way).

While that's true, I wouldn't count on that. B&N has taken an extremely laissez-faire approach to people rooting their Nook Colors because B&N knows it's a selling point. Amazon, however, is likely to not take the same approach because they are developing tablets. Why would they want you to buy a cheap Kindle and have it be a functional tablet when they want to sell you a tablet instead?

I think it will be a lot like jailbreaking a cell phone. Cell companies have always known when people have done it (they CAN tell) but now they are beginning to penalize people for that.

[Allen]

Gah, not me. I get so sick of ads. It's well worth $40 to me not to have them.

The ads don't bother me. They are only on the screensaver, so I don't really ever have to see them.

[topaz]

I know. However, again the Kindle is cheaper and it will probably rooted in the near future (where hackers have a will there is a way).

I'm sure there are people who will choose the Nook over the Kindle (I'm one of them) but it's going to be a lot more who are going to pick the Kindle because of price.

Alot of people are buying of the ipad and imacs not due to the price but due the quality of the product and what the product can do for them.

Amazon created their "own" browser and OS so they could prevent hacking. Amazon's main goal to create a venue for their products and services, i.e Amazon Instant Video. If hackers could hack into the Amazon's video library and cloud server, it would be mayhem. Amazon just signed a big deal with Fox to offer their movies and tv shows in their Instant Video library. This is big because of Netflix losing the Starz deal. Starz may even sign with Amazon, ie. they can make money with streaming Starz and having Starz products to buy. It would be a win/win for both Starz and Amazon.

I do think the Amazon Fire will do well, if it performs well out of the gate. There are few things that I fell would make it stronger, i.e micro SD card slot(it doesn't have). There are going to be some things consumers will think the Fire can do that it wont' be able to do nor do it well.

The fire's success will depend on how well it functions in the real world and what Barnes and Noble do with the Nook. Barnes and Noble as a company the Nook Color has been a savior for them and the company is not giving up on the product.

B&N will announce if we'll see 1 or 2 Nook Color product updates. I read on a tech web site that B&N is coming out with Nook Color 2(encore and/acclaim) shortly that will have Netflix app, ESPN and hbo go apps. I'm sure it will have more "android" apps and possibly run Google Gingerbread and maybe Honeycomb.

[Maofan7]

I would recommend the IPAD everytime, but the Kindle is pretty good too

[modern_muslimah]

While that's true, I wouldn't count on that. B&N has taken an extremely laissez-faire approach to people rooting their Nook Colors because B&N knows it's a selling point. Amazon, however, is likely to not take the same approach because they are developing tablets. Why would they want you to buy a cheap Kindle and have it be a functional tablet when they want to sell you a tablet instead?

I meant to say Kindle Fire. I think hackers are probably already trying to figure out to root the Kindle Fire to make it into a tablet. Amazon seems to already expect this.

Alot of people are buying of the ipad and imacs not due to the price but due the quality of the product and what the product can do for them.

Amazon created their "own" browser and OS so they could prevent hacking.

The Fire runs on Android like the Nook Color. That will probably make it easier to hack. I don't think the unique browser is going to prevent hacking on the fire

Amazon's main goal to create a venue for their products and services, i.e Amazon Instant Video. If hackers could hack into the Amazon's video library and cloud server, it would be mayhem.

I'm not talking about users hacking into Amazon's mainframe, just users hacking the Fire to make it more like a regular Android tablet.

[Prancer]

B&N just lowered the price on the Nook 1 with Wi-Fi to $89.

[Spinner]

B&N just lowered the price on the Nook 1 with Wi-Fi to $89.

That price drop happened Monday, along with all the covers that fit the 1st edition for $15. Keep in mind though, it's the WiFi only Nook, not the one with 3G. They're also "all sales final" (covers too). Bonus though, you can get $10 off that Nook with the purchase of a new B&N membership (or by renewing your current membership). So, for around $100 you can have a new device and cover. They'll probably sell well for the holidays.

[DORISPULASKI]

I received a Kindle for Christmas, and have enjoyed using it to read free books from places like Baen books and project Gutenberg. It's very light weight, has adjustable orientation and fonts, and will read the books to you without your purchasing an audio book, should you want to do such a thing. The computer generated voice is not too annoying.

The reason my husband chose the Kindle over the Nook was that the Kindle required no classes to learn to operate and the Nook did.

I also found no need to look for classes.

However, I do recommend buying a Kindle case with the Kindle. And do not fall asleep with the Kindle and roll over on it. The plastic screen will be damaged. However, for one year after purchase, Amazon replaces it without giving you any problems, other than that you must mail the old one back--however, it's at their expense. The customer service desk had less than 1 minute wait every time I called it and the service reps spoke excellent idiomatic American English. The new Kindle arrived the day after I called in my problem. Downloading my books from my account was no problem; however, I had to replace project gutenberg books from where I had stored them on my computer.

The UPS label to return the old Kindle must be printed from an email the customer service rep sends you. The way they asked whether I had a printer makes me believe that otherwise they would have printed the label for me.

All in all, relatively painless.

My only real complaint about Kindle is that trying to use a Physics text with one is a true pain. I'm tutoring a friend's daughter, and flipping back and forth between the text, exercises, and appendices is so much more annoying that a real, full size book.

[Alexa5]

For me I knew I was getting a Nook because I am much more apt to buy from BN than Amazon. Also because of the access to library ebooks, etc.

I thought I wanted a color and bought one, but I had to return it for the regular e-reader (the newer one that came out this summer). I just could not tolerate the backlight on the color Nook at all. It drove my eyes crazy. I don't have issues with computers and such, but I just couldn't handle the reader in color. I also quickly realized I didn't need any of the extra features of the color version....I really just wanted to buy and read books. I use my computer for internet access most of the time, so didn't need an extra means to do that.

I love the regular version.... I bought some books right away and had no issues reading on it--it was much better for reading in my opinion. It is all just so easy and it is nice to have a library of books on a little tablet. I also wanted to add that having wifi only is not an issue at all for me (I had worried about that originally). I can easily buy a fair number of books from home and have several ready for wherever I was that didn't have wifi access.

[NancyNC]

The reason my husband chose the Kindle over the Nook was that the Kindle required no classes to learn to operate and the Nook did.

The Nook requires classes???

[modern_muslimah]

The reason my husband chose the Kindle over the Nook was that the Kindle required no classes to learn to operate and the Nook did.

I had the Nook classic for a few months and I never took any classes to use it. It was pretty simple to use and comparative to the Kindle (I tried one in Target a while back). I know B&N offers Nook classes at their stores for people who want to learn how to do things with their nook that may not be obvious when you take it out of the box but you don't have to take them.

Honestly, I think all e-ink readers are pretty simple to use. I own a Sony now and I find it just as easy to read on as a Kindle or a Nook. Putting books on it requires more steps since it doesn't have wifi or 3g but even this isn't very hard. I just hook it up to my computer via USB and then sync my e-books with the reader.

[DORISPULASKI]

You will notice upthread that B&N offered classes at the store. Apparently, some people feel they need them.

Ski found the Nook unusable without some directions when he tried it out at Borders last year, shopping for me. He got the Kindle to work immediately. I've never tried the Nook, but I can't imagine anyone needing classes for it.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

The Nook requires classes???

No. Barnes and Noble offered complimentary tech support and classes on location for those who needed it.

When I worked at BN, a large demographic of people who were using nooks were the elderly who have never heard of things like Wifi or didn't know how to create a BN.com account or put their credit card on file, etc.

It's just a service to help people. Most people can figure out how to use a nook on their own with no classes. Like most devices, all one has to do is play with it to figure it out.

Doris, I think you're either thinking of the Kobo, or you mean Barnes and Noble as Borders never carried the nook.

[modern_muslimah]

The bezel on the original Kobo reader (which like VIETgrlTerifa pointed out was sold at Borders) was harder to navigate than the side buttons of the Nook and the Kindle. The new Kobo is touchscreen so it should be easier to use. I haven't used it, so I don't know.

[DORISPULASKI]

Strictly speaking, I have no idea where Ski tried out both the Nook and the Kindle at the same place, since he was buying a Christmas present for me

I do know it wasn't B&N, since he would have had to drive 50 miles to find one.

It might have been Books a Million instead of Borders, since one is also close to our house. Just asked him. He tried it there, and describes it thus: "It didn't work."

[Prancer]

When I worked at BN, a large demographic of people who were using nooks were the elderly who have never heard of things like Wifi or didn't know how to create a BN.com account or put their credit card on file, etc.

Yes, every time I see a class at B&N, it's full of elderly people who want to learn how to sideload library books.

For what it's worth, I've never had a bit of trouble getting my Nook to work. If you can work a cell phone, you can surely work a Nook--much easier .

Strictly speaking, I have no idea where Ski tried out both the Nook and the Kindle at the same place, since he was buying a Christmas present for me

I do know it wasn't B&N, since he would have had to drive 50 miles to find one.

It might have been Books a Million instead of Borders, since one is also close to our house. Just asked him. He tried it there, and describes it thus: "It didn't work."

Um, it is highly unlikely that a bookstore other than B&N would have a Nook on display, and even less likely that one would have both a Nook and Kindle. Why advertise for the competition?

It's more likely that Ski went to a place like Best Buy, which sells just about all the readers.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Books-A-Million sells nooks now, which was always weird to me since BN is their competitor. However, they wouldn't have had a kindle. Like Prancer said, he was probably at Best Buy or Wal-Mart.

[Spinner]

Yes, every time I see a class at B&N, it's full of elderly people who want to learn how to sideload library books.

For what it's worth, I've never had a bit of trouble getting my Nook to work. If you can work a cell phone, you can surely work a Nook--much easier

This is a huge difference for many people, that personal touch. And to reiterate, classes are not required to learn a Nook. If Prancer can figure it out...

Target will begin selling Nooks soon too.