ENTRIES TAGGED "tablet"

Publishing News: B&N improves its ecosystem

B&N Nook HD tablets launch, with Nook Video on deck; Bjarnason argues against web-based ebook formatting; and taxes won't save journalism.

Here are a few stories from the publishing space that caught my attention this week.

B&N pursues the “low-end tablet throne”

Barnes & Noble’s new HD tablet launch was the headline news this week. Reuters reports B&N introduced a 7-inch Nook HD tablet for $199 and a 9-inch Nook HD+ tablet for $269 — a price point B&N CEO William Lynch called a “wow price point.” Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps told Reuters the devices were a big improvement over earlier iterations and that they even “one-up Amazon in some areas.”

Laura Hazard Owen took an in-depth look at the tablets over at GigaOm and outlines a few of the improved areas. First, B&N is looking to improve discoverability with the new devices and bring the tablet shopping experience a bit closer to the in-store experience. Owen reports that readers can browse the store from inside ebooks to discover additional titles by that book’s author and similar titles in the genre. B&N also is launching Nook Channels to help readers discover books that are similar to other books they’ve liked. Owen reports the channels are curated collections of books with 40 to 50 titles — many of which are curated by B&N’s in-store booksellers. There also will be a new “Your Nook Today” button on the Nook home screens, which most notably will provide book recommendations based on the device’s content.

B&N also announced plans to launch a Nook-branded video store this fall, called Nook Video. Lauren Goode at All Things Digital has the need-to-know info on the service. Goode writes that it won’t be video subscription service, but will offer rentals and download purchases for streaming, and all content will be stored in the Nook Cloud. Goode also highlighted an interesting feature regarding owned physical DVDs:

“Nook Video will also create and store digital copies of the DVDs that you normally play on UltraViolet and Blu-ray players. So if you purchase a Blu-ray or UV DVD and sync your console with your Nook Video account, it will create a digital copy in your Nook Cloud. You could then, theoretically, watch it on another gadget, via the Nook app.”

Kind of like iTunes Match for DVDs. Joe Arico at Mobiledia argues that the Nook Video announcement takes the new Nook HD tablets to the next level and fills a crucial gap in the B&N ecosystem, making B&N “much more of a legitimate contender for the mid and low-end tablet throne.”

Read more…

Why I haven't caught ereader fever

Why I haven't caught ereader fever

Platform lock-in and questionable longevity make the iPad a better investment than an ereader.

Ereaders may have their place now, but shifts toward the web and HTML5 make the iPad a wiser and more enduring choice for digital reading.

Kindle Fire: Three pros, five cons

Kindle Fire: Three pros, five cons

The good: Form factor and content. The bad: Lock in, auto updates and the Silk browser.

Joe Wikert says the Kindle Fire gets good marks for form factor and meeting basic consumer needs, but its lock in, auto updates and lack of a killer app are detriments.

iPad vs. Kindle Fire: Early impressions and a few predictions

iPad vs. Kindle Fire: Early impressions and a few predictions

Pete Meyers examines his iPad usage and sees how (and if) the Fire could fit in.

Few have actually held the Kindle Fire, let alone put it through its paces, so Pete Meyers chose a novel analytical approach: Examine his own iPad habits and look for spots where the Fire can find a foothold.

To page or to scroll?

To page or to scroll?

Digital book designers face a big question: Is it better to scroll or flip?

We all got comfortable scrolling through web pages a long time ago, but ereader and tablet design added a new quirk with the introduction of page flips. Here, Pete Meyers considers the applications of scrolling and flipping across reading environments.

Publishing News: Newspapers finally test tablet-content bundle

Publishing News: Newspapers finally test tablet-content bundle

Newspapers bundle tablets and content, Google gets an ereader.

In the latest Publishing News: Sister newspapers in Philadelphia announced a tablet program, Iriver launched an ereading device with the Google eBookstore on board, and Peter Meyers says digital can fix footnotes.

Ereading Update: Ebooks, tablets, and app confusion

Kindle editions eclipse paperbacks ahead of schedule and tablet competition increases.

In this Ereading Update: Ebook demand is fueling a highly contested battle for tablet market share. Plus, a brief look at new tablets from LG and Brainchild.

Device Update: New companies enter the ereader market

Device Update: New companies enter the ereader market

E FUn, bModo and BenQ are jumping on the tablet bandwagon.

In this edition of Device Update: New manufacturers enter the ereader market in time for the holidays; shifting perspectives on the breadth of ebook piracy.