“Designed specifically for the iPad, our new B&N eReader will give our customers access to more than one million eBooks, magazines and newspapers in the Barnes & Noble eBookstore, as well as the existing content in their Barnes & Noble digital library,” Hochman reports. “(That includes eBooks and content customers have downloaded to their nook eBook reader.)”
Hochman reports, “To be released around the time of iPad’s expected availability, the new Barnes & Noble eReader will join our growing list of free eReader software for most computing and mobile devices including PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod touch and Blackberry, many of which will be updated shortly for an enhanced on-the-go reading experience.”
Source: Barnes & Noble eReader Blog.
MacDailyNews Take: Smart move.
Nook is dead then?
What’s the point??? We have the iBookstore now…
Is the app called – iSurrender?
Will Apple allow such obvious direct competition with the iBookstore? It wouldn’t surprise me if this app never makes it to the iPad.
eReader had had a long history before it was acquired by B&N;. I’ve been using it for 4 years or PC, Blackberry, Mac and IPod Touch. Glad to see it on iPad.
B&N;sells media. So it makes sense for them so offer their ebooks to as broad a range of potential customers as possible.
It is wise of B&N;to enable customers to read their libraries of ebooks on whatever reader platform they choose (buy once/read many). That is the only way that they have a chance of remaining relevant/solvent in the next decade. Otherwise the coming legion of iPad users would inevitably gravitate to the Apple media stores. Even with this approach, however, there is no guarantee that B&N;will still be selling ebooks ten years from now.
Competition is great.
I have no problem checking the price in 3 stores before I buy …. iBook, B&N;, Amazon – and comparing user experience of course. I may be willing to pay a little more for a better user experience.
Apple designs and sells the experience. I don’t think they are afraid of competition from Amazon or B&N;.
Now the interesting thing will be to see if Apple would find any up side to providing an iBook app on the Kindle and Nook, and if B&N;and Amazon would allow it on their platform.
@Dabriase
Aren’t there already other examples of eReaders on the iPhone?
The key issue in my mind is the degree of Apple control over the ebook store and user media library. I assume that Apple will employ iTunes software as the interface for these functions. If so, then you should be able to add ebook content from other sources (just as you can today with music) as long as that content is free of DRM. That approach tends to marginalize other sources of ebooks, however, since most people will likely prefer the one-stop shopping experience through Apple – buy it and it appears in iTunes ready to sync. That is why B&N;’s enlightened approach may only delay their eventual demise, not prevent it.
I bet Amazon follows. Amazon and Barns & Noble are in the business of selling books and media, not hardware they design, so I think this was only natural.
Amazon will eventually do the same thing. This apps are still needed for those who currently owns ebooks from either Amazon or B&N;. If you don’t own any ebook, then just wait for the iBookstore. I do own more than 20 ebooks from Amazon, so I will still require Amazon app for the iPad, however the iBookstore looks like a good substitute.
“What’s the point??? We have the iBookstore now…”
The B&N;eReader iPad app might be more robust with features such as night mode and auto scrolling that Apple probably didn’t include in the iBookstore app.
If Dabriase is right then we could be looking at the next big App Store controversy.
Mac-nugget:
…”I bet Amazon follows.”
D0c:
…”Amazon will eventually do the same thing. “
Amazon has had their ‘Kindle’ app in the app store for quite some time. It will be available for the iPad as the original iPhone app, although I’m sure they’re already re-working it for the iPad.
The question remains whether Apple will tolerate store-within-app concept, which essentially bypasses Apple’s store for everything but the app itself.
If apple takes 30% of in-app purchases, how can b&n;offer books at the same price as the publishers selling directly through the ibookstore?
B&n;would be good for books apple doesn’t have yet, they would still need the higher markup.
It should be easier for B&N;to sell books on the iPad than on the iPhone or touch. That’s because they currently send readers to the Safari browser to buy their book. That’s how they get around the 30% fee. That also means it’s not as convenient as Apple’s own bookstore. On an iPhone or touch that was a pain, because their website was not at all optimized for those devices. I hear it’s better now, but still having the big screen of an iPad should make it more tolerable.
In a related development Barnes and Noble announced it would release a new version of it’s mildly popular e-reader. Called the BREAKFAST NOOK the new product would be bright yellow and would only allow use between the hours of 5 AM and 10:30 AM.
B&N;spokesperson Clu Lessness, said “We see the daypart segment as being underserved and can see people all over the world using this device during those vital morning hours.”
Co-founder and former publisher of The Harvard Voice on iPad pricing for e-magazines and what publishers must do to reestablish a pay model:
http://stevenduque.com/2010/03/new-frontiers-ipad-e-magazine-pricing/