The Sword and Laser discussion
Should I switch to Kindle now that Nook is going under?
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Michael
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Jul 10, 2013 09:11AM
With Barnes and Noble stopping production of Nook tablets I'm wondering if I should switch to a Kindle. Any thoughts?
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I think they are selling it to Microsoft, so I would not count the Nook out yet.
I heard about the Microsoft deal. I also know they are still producing the regular e-readers too. Hopefully it won't effect eBook releases though.
I had a Kindle once. Left it on a plane. Been using the Kindle app on my tablet since. Been planning on getting another Kindle, mostly for convenience and reading under the sung.But now I think I'm going to get a Kobo. The cheapest model is $39 until July 18 or 19. Can import your own ebooks. Has social / public commenting. And you can buy Kobo books through some indie bookstores.
Check out the discussion next door....
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
And an article about the $179 "hi-def" version:
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/0...
I have an e-ink kindle touch and a kindle fire. If you go kindle, I recommend the paperwhite.
I love my Kindle paperwhite! Would totally recommend it.
I feel confident that whatever version of Nook is available now will become obsolete.This is the equivalent of HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, eventually one format wins the war. You're going to lose support on Nook devices and will find a hard time finding replacement parts if it breaks.
If Microsoft did buy it out, they are most likely going to merge any Nook features into whatever tablet they are promoting to compete with the Ipad. Essentially, whatever Nook you have is now going to be a collector's item.
But if you want to keep reading books, I recommend you pick up a kindle or see what Microsoft does.
I've always been annoyed that Kindle is the most popular. They're most restrictive in how you use their readers, but they've got the biggest market share. Even their epublishing arm 47North restricts the author from selling works in any other digital form (which sucks!), which means I would have to break the law (remove DRM) if I want it on my ereader. *deep breath to cool down*I've chosen to go with a Kobo, but there are other good ereaders out there, like the Nook. And if you go with either of those two, you're getting access to the large catalog from the manufacturer, but also getting the ease of loading ebooks from all sorts of sources, in all sorts of formats.
Ben wrote: "I've always been annoyed that Kindle is the most popular. They're most restrictive in how you use their readers, but they've got the biggest market share. Even their epublishing arm 47North restric..."There are DRM free books on the Amazon store that you can convert to another format. Most Tor books for example.
Matthew wrote: "Matthew wrote: "There are DRM free books on the Amazon store that you can convert to another format. Most Tor books for example."True, but Tor has taken the lead and forced anyone who distributes their books to publish them without DRM. Can't wait for the basic idea of "I bought it, I own it" to carry through to digital publishing. It's why I buy most of my books from Tor, or Baen, or The Humble Ebook Bundle, or Weightless, or Aqueduct, or directly from the author. It's also why I still buy my music on CD and rip it to lossless unless it's on Bandcamp or lossless digital through the musician's website.
so will epub no longer be made for books if it's sold or goes under? my mom got a nook glow but didn't like it & is giving it to me since the reader in my phone is epub too. just curious.
Nathan wrote: "I think they are selling it to Microsoft, so I would not count the Nook out yet."Didn't the old eReader.com get sold to MS where it languished and then was put out of its misery...
Don't switch to Kindle...switch to Kobo!But
Definitely switch.
Calibre and Apprentice Alf are your friends. I buy from a number of stores, own both Kindles and Nooks and have no problems sideloading books on either reader.
Leigh wrote: "so will epub no longer be made for books if it's sold or goes under? my mom got a nook glow but didn't like it & is giving it to me since the reader in my phone is epub too. just curious."epub is an open format. plenty of people will continue to use it.
OP - if you have a nook, continue to use it. Buy from B&N as you have in the past. You can always (I, *cough* hear) remove the DRM.
Basically, there is no reason to switch who you buy from just because B&N isn't making the tablets anymore (they are making the ereaders).
I recently had to replace my ereader. I got mine in 2009 before the Nook was even out and I refused and refuse to go kindle (though I get many books from there--mostly free, mostly DRM-free). I ended up back then and now with the Sony eReader. I had a feeling Nook wouldn't last. Sony may not either, but it was much cheaper than what I paid in 2009 ($130 vs. $299!).I use Calibre to convert all my books to EPUB.
From a tablet perspective it doesn't matter [ Kindle Fire excepted - but the Nook Reader may be available in the Amazon App store for all I know :) ], you can download the Nook Reader App and all your eBooks. Therefore there's no reason to switch until you want a new tablet.E-Ink presents a different situation. I do not think you can download a Nook Reader App onto a Sony or Kobo e-ink device. On the other hand, B&N is keeping the e-Ink NST in house, so there's no issue there either.
Converting book formats, limiting yourself to non-DRM or removing DRM, etc...is all well and good if your into that sort of thing (like me!), but if you just want to turn your device on read, I'd stand pat. The Google Nexus is a good device and if you have an HD/HD+ you would be able to keep all your apps you've bought from Google Play too!
Summary - If you stay with a non-Amazon Android tablet you will not lose anything. If you move to Amazon you could lose your 'investment' unless you're willing to spend the time (= $$$) to remove DRM and convert from an open format (epub) to Amazon's proprietary format.
...and that's my 2-cents worth :)
I wouldn't be in a rush to replace a perfectly functioning Nook. If you need a new device, get an Android tablet. If you have any kind of Android tablet (or iPad), you can download Kindle, Nook, and Kobo apps. Then, you can always get the best deals on e-books and not worry about losing your library. I have the Nook HD and it recently became a full Android tablet. The first thing I did was download the Kindle app. It's the best of both worlds. I also have the Overdrive app and can easily borrow ebooks from my library.
You can side load Nook books onto a Kobo and vice versa. All you need is a computer that has Adobe Digital Editions (free) installed. You buy the book, download the link, plug in your reader, get ADE running, drag & drop. You don't even need to convert the format. One annoyance I had was my Kobo books lost their covers when I'd put them on the Nook though, so now I have a Kobo Arc and a Glo.
I have chronic fatigue and with this I am not able to read for long periods at a time. This does have one big advantage in that I can use a cheap tablet (not something using e-ink) which means in my view I can get the best of all worlds. I can use the kindle app, the kobo app and various others so that I can purchase my books from where ever I wish and read them without being tied into one company or publishing platform. I think for people who do not read for long enough periods for the e-ink to be an advantage then that is a good option as you have complete choice and freedom without having to do anything that may seem overly technical.
So I bought a Kobo Mini yesterday, and an indie bookstore in Venice (Florida). They're on sale for $39 till the 18th or 19th. I don't think they have any more on the Kobo Site, but may be at an indie store near you.I do like it. But I only have a Kindle I owned a few years ago to compare. And I've already finished a book. Even though I have the Kobo app on my tablet, I prefer the Kindle version more. It is a little small, after using the tablet for so long. But I'm getting used to it. (I guess at $39, I can't be picky)
I don't know how much the hardware Kindle interface has changed. I only know the app. But I can say I prefer the Kobo interface. You can create custom shelves, whereas with the Kindle app, you can't. And the ability to sideload ebooks from other sources ia a HUGE plus.
The only thing I'm not crazy about is the eInk page turning and refresh. The speed that my original Kindle has is not fresh in my memory, so I don't know if the Kobo's refresh rate is slower, or just the same. I may have been spoiled by the speed of the Kindle and Kobo spps on my tablet.
And I originally bought it as a backup to the tablet when I wanted to read outside under the sun, usually in our pool. But now I'm using it as much as I can, such as in the house. The only time I can't use it is if I want to read outside at night. So it turns out the Kobo has become my primary reading device, and my tablet the backup.
Thanks for reminding me again why I like printed books.
I just bought a Nook HD. I love it, especially since I can install the Play store on it. They are still making the e-ink readers. Someone else will make the tablets from now on.I have been really happy with my Barnes and Noble readers. I will probably go down with the ship.
The Kobo Arc also has the Play Store app
I heard a rumor that Microsoft might be picking up the Nook. Don't know how reputable that source was but Nook may not be totally doomed. Of course after taking into consideration M$ struggle to properly compete in the tablet world, that might not be too reassuring even if it is true.
Travis wrote: "I heard a rumor that Microsoft might be picking up the Nook. Don't know how reputable that source was but Nook may not be totally doomed. Of course after taking into consideration M$ struggle to pr..."Microsoft invested like 300M into the Nook line. Not sure why they did that. I hope I don't end up with Windows on mine.
Yeah, I wasn't really sure why Microsoft's name was being tied to the Nook either. It doesn't make sense to have the Surface and the Nook. You can download and read books on all tablets. The e-ink Nooks are straight-up readers but I always heard that it was the more tablet-like Nook Color that was the big seller in that line.
B&N is still going to make the e-ink readers like the Simple Touch, they are just going to stop making the color tablets.
Microsoft invested $300 million in Nook a long time ago. Whether or not they'll pick up the rest of the name is up in the air. Don't go Kindle. Don't support anything that has DRM or other proprietary formats. We're at the point where we need to be able to buy our digital books anywhere we want and read them on any reading device we have. Amazon is a closed market, for the most part, and B&N is nice enough to support ePub and a myriad of other formats, but it's all too ridiculous to switch at the drop of a hat right now from one proprietary device to another (a worse one if you ask me - the Kindle Fire is a lovely little device, but it's silly compared to an actual tablet, and the Paperwhite isn't exactly special compared to B&N's Simple Touch or the Kobo.)
Don't switch. Wait for something actually worth your time and money. You'll be fine with B&N for a while longer.
I have a Galaxy tab 7.0 2...its amazing you can use kindle reader or any other reader you want plus its a regular tab as well been using it for my reading for 14 months now and its amazing and can get books from kindle(Amazon) still if you want. Then if something strikes you just jump on the internet or the goodreads app without leaving your couch...Its only $180 bucks too...full color beautiful even have two cameras that are amazing. Seriously...android...much better choice...even bought a second one for wife and son so I can have it all to myself...my precious...:)
Ya know - with the sale that B&N has on their tablets - they are actually a really great deal right now. They are well and truly a full fledged HD tablet for less than 200$.
Does anyone know how does Sony play into all of this? I know before it was open to indi booksellers but now that Sony has a store is it still the same?I have the original nook and it still works just fine I love it because I added a 4gb sd card and I have a ton of books on it. When it dies I will figure out what to do then but for now :-)
Just for clarity's sake, not all books on Amazon use DRM. When you upload an ebook to the Amazon marketplace, you'll be asked if you want to invoke DRM or not. Unless something has changed recently, that decision can't be reversed later, you're stuck with using or not using DRM for that particular book.I gave the matter some thought and decided to go sans DRM for my stuff. DRM is easy to break, but even if it wasn't, making it harder for someone to use a product they paid good money for doesn't sound like the best way to win friends and influence people. :)
But they are in a file format that is not compatible with the ereaders that use epub.
True, Caitlin, but there are a lot of converters out there. My book is only available for sale at this time via Amazon because I wanted to make it available to the Kindle Lending Library, but if someone buys it they'll have the file, so converting it from mobi to epub shouldn't be too arduous.
Caitlin wrote: "But they are in a file format that is not compatible with the ereaders that use epub."But since they do not have DRM, they can be easily -and legally- converted to epub or other formats using Caliber or a similar program.
And I can think of at least 2 major publishers who sell all ebooks DRM free, regardless of where sold. TOR & Baen.
DRM is a publisher level decision as far as I can tell. And while, yes, you can convert to and from Kindle format there's really no good reason to move from Nook to Kindle at this point. This whole question is one reason I think open tablets of some kind are the way to go. I'm partial to iPads, but others work as long as YOU control what's on there. Kindle tablets are devices meant to help Amazon, not you. They make is easy to buy things... from Amazon. I don't hate Amazon, but I don't see any reason to buy a device that locks you into one ecosystem. Choice is good.
What I'd recommend is that people buy a tablet that lets them install any reader that they want... Kindle, Kobo, Nook, iBooks. Then, buy books from wherever you want. I'm partial to B&N or Kobo because they're the same price as Amazon 99% of the time and I think competition is good.
You can, of course, break the DRM on most books. It's illegal (DMCA violation) but no one will come after you unless you start torrenting things from your home machine and, unless you do that, I can't see an ethical issue. Once you have a DRM free book you can easily read it in any ereader software you want and if a store dies you still have your ebooks.
The local Nook guy told me B&N will just someone else make the color nooks, like Apple or Google, and they'll still make the b&w ones.
kvon wrote: "Thanks for reminding me again why I like printed books."Same here--I'm sticking to paper books.
For consuming large numbers of books, for ease of use and for the best experience borrowing ebooks from you library, nothing beats a kindle. Refurbs are $69 and I've seen them as low as $49. I have explained how to borrow book to people with every sort of device. The kindle has the least obtrusive drm.
I had a kindle 'til my daughter smashed it one too many times against a bookshelf. Now I'm tossing up between the closed environ of the Kindle store, with it's easy to access books, and (from past purchases)fairly decent prices. Even if I found a epub cheaper elsewhere, I just use calibre to translate.And the Sony Reader... It's slightly higher resolution, but no backlight, and their store is more consistently cheaper. Again, the Epub format is open, so getting books for it is no problem. I think the only thing is whether the Reader bezel is to deep set (how finicky is that!) or whether a case with built-in light or a paperwhite will look nicer.
I really like the whispersync on kindle, so it automatically tracks my latest page so that I can skip forward when reading the same book on my android at work lunch breaks :)
Switch to Android if you get nervous about this sort of thing.
Ulmer Ian wrote: "Switch to Android if you get nervous about this sort of thing."Its what I did :)
I have a Sony ereader that is several years old. It is open to epub or pdf in addition to their proprietary format. I have gotten many library books in these formats without any problem, and converted other DRM free documents with calibre and had them work well.
For it's size a nexus 7 is probably the best way to go. Install Nook, Kindle and Aldiko and you can ready almost any format.
A question if I may. I'm still new to this e-reader business and I don't quite understand the following: can you read on your Kindle the books that haven't been bought via Amazon? I have a ton of free and expired license books (or whatever it's called) on my smartphone that I read with Aldiko, and I'd like to be able to do the same on my Kindle (was planning to buy one this Wednesday).
Kir - If you are using Aldiko on a smartphone, I highly recommend buying a tablet rather than a Kindle. While you *can* read other formats on a Kindle, it is not as intuitive as reading books from Amazon on a Kindle. Also, on a tablet, you can use any apps you have purchased for your smart phone as long as you stay in the same family. I am going to assume Android since you say smart phone and not iPhone. The apps just transfer right over.
Again (and I have no connection with Barnes & Noble) the Nook HD Tablets are at an incredible price right now. And, with the inclusion of the Google Play store, they are truly functioning *tablets* and not just eReaders.
If you struggle with technology OR have Amazon Prime, the Kindle may be a better choice, but that does not seem to be the case here.
Just my 2 cents.
If your free or expired books are DRM free you can convert them to mobi using Calibre and put them on a Kindle.Also, in deciding between an ereader and a tablet, consider whether weight matters to you. I love my ipad, but I way prefer reading books on my Kindle just because I can easily hold it for long periods of time in all sorts of orientations without hurting my hand. I use the ipad for other things.
I dislike tablets.I was honestly considering buying a Kindle since reading an e-book on my smartphone drains the juice from the battery quite fast, but now seeing all this DRM talk, I was forced to intrude in an offtopic-ish way in this discussion and raise the question that I did (sorry for the OT).
I'm puzzled now really, should I consider a different e-reader then, that hasn't the DRM issues that I saw mentioned here and in some other discussions? I did consider a Nook before, but then I saw a few unfavorable reviews. (Again, sorry for the OT, I'm searching and reading through the past discussions in this group, trying to find the suitable one for my questions)
