iPad vs. Nook: Is Nook In Trouble?
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Credit: B&N
Experts have talked a lot about how the iPad is going to challenge Kindle and force Amazon to innovate or get out of the hardware business. While it’s true that the iPad will put pressure on all e-book readers on the market, nobody seems to be talking about the effects of such a device on Nook or Sony Reader. Nook was launched just a few months ago and was hyped up heavily as a device that was going to finally put an end to Kindle’s supremacy in the e-book reader market. Fast forward a few month, and the device has lost a lot of momentum. In fact, many are publicly questioning whether the device has a future.
Nook had a huge potential and had all the momentum behind it. But one could argue that B&N dropped the ball by underestimating demand for Nook during the holiday season. Sure, that happened to Amazon as well. But if companies are not willing to learn from their competitors’ mistakes, they are doing themselves a disservice. Nook also had a lot of software glitches, which was understandable for a first generation device. But those issues did leave Nook owners frustrated.
Nook is in stock again and being hyped by B&N ahead of the Valentine’s Day. But is it really worth it? The iPad is not going to be right for everyone. Besides, Nook runs Android, so as long as B&N is willing to allow developers to bring their apps to Nook, there is no reason the device can’t be a success. I don’t believe the Nook can be a market leader, but it will be competitive, especially if B&N continues to innovate and learns from its mistakes with Nook 1.0.
Let’s hope Apple iPad pushes all e-book reader makers to innovate and take their devices to the next level. When companies compete and innovate, consumers win.
Your take: is Nook still worth picking up?
