# The New Nooks



## sbaum4853 (May 3, 2010)

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/watch-out-amazon-barnes-noble-reveals-new-nook-hd-nook-1B6110338

From the article:


> ..throughout the hour-long presentation, I was handed both Barnes & Noble's new gadgets as well as Amazon's - along with a Google Nexus 7 tablet and an iPad - for comparison. I was asked to pay attention to the weight, the display quality, and the overal feel of the devices. I understood why quickly.
> The Nook HD is a 7-inch tablet with what Barnes & Noble describes as the "highest resolution ever on a 7-inch tablet.


With B&N spinning off the Nook business in a Microsoft partnership, and Wal-Mart & Target dumping the Kindle, I think the Nook is still a player. All it would take for B&N to be right in the thick of it with Amazon is some improvements to their online store.


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## Kathelm (Sep 27, 2010)

I'm a nook owner.  The new tablets look nice, but I'm still not sold on tablets for ebooks.  I like my eink.  I am curious to see if the OS is still on lockdown similar to the previous nook tablets and Kindle Fire.  

The online store is definitely B&Ns greatest weakness.  They really need to improve their search engine.


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## KVWitten (Apr 11, 2011)

I have two nook colors. Absolutely love them. And I'll check into the new versions when they become available.

But I think this paragraph is important...

_The Nook HD and Nook HD+ will allow you to set up individual profiles for family members so that you can make sure that mom's "50 Shades of Grey" trilogy doesn't wind up on a virtual shelf next to your son's digital copy of "The Hobbit." These personal profiles allow for parental controls, personalized recommendations, password protection, and so on. They are simple to set up, requiring you to do barely anything other than tap a couple of checkboxes._

I wish B&N would play this up more. That's one huge advantage it has over the kindle fire and they should publicize it more.


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## KindleGirl (Nov 11, 2008)

Actually, I belive the Fire beat them to it. I don't have the new HD, but I believe they said that was an option on the Fires now. I'm sure someone else here who has a new Fire can verify this, but I know I read that it was available now.


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## KVWitten (Apr 11, 2011)

KindleGirl said:


> Actually, I belive the Fire beat them to it. I don't have the new HD, but I believe they said that was an option on the Fires now. I'm sure someone else here who has a new Fire can verify this, but I know I read that it was available now.


Beat them to what? The parental control and privacy stuff?? You may be right, I haven't been on the Kindle discussion forum on Amazon in awhile but that was a big concern to many people a couple of months ago.

I'd be interested if any kindle Fire owner can confirm this or not.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

BarbaraKE said:


> Beat them to what? The parental control and privacy stuff?? You may be right, I haven't been on the Kindle discussion forum on Amazon in awhile but that was a big concern to many people a couple of months ago.
> 
> I'd be interested if any kindle Fire owner can confirm this or not.


Yes. . . .many of us here watched/listened/read about the Press event as it was happening on Sept 6. One of the big things that was announced -- and got a LOT of kudos -- is that there are more robust parental controls coming to all the new Fire models than were in place on the original. It's called "Kindle Free Time" and it will allow parents to set up profiles for each person including setting limits for videos, games, apps. The lock down of the archives is already there; Free Time is due to be available next month via an update, according to the product pages.

Speculation: As the new $159 Fire is showing as having "Free time" _coming next month_ and as it is basically the same as the original Fire software-wise, it is _possible_ there will also be an update to the original Fire that will enable similar controls.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

sbaum4853 said:


> With B&N spinning off the Nook business in a Microsoft partnership, and Wal-Mart & Target dumping the Kindle, I think the Nook is still a player. All it would take for B&N to be right in the thick of it with Amazon is some improvements to their online store.


Nook has loads of potential.

But a few things hurt it.

First, B&N employees push the device, but are all trained to push print books over eBooks. As a result, I think the average (notice I said average, not every) nook owner is more of a print-book buyer who's toying around with technology, and not necessarily an avid eBook buyer.

Compare that with Amazon, where a lot of emphasis is placed on eBook sales.

I think the spin-off might be the best approach for Nook as a product, but I wonder how long the brick-n-mortar arm can survive without it?

It'll be interesting to see how innovative and involved Microsoft decides to get with Nook, once they're fully integrated into that space.

I currently own a Google Nexus 7 and a K3K with a KPW on the way.

I've never been avidly anti-Nook... but I do think B&N isn't handling what it has in the best way possible, and by spinning it off, the Nook brand could easily improve.

But until both authors and readers see the emphasis on eBook sales placed properly, rather than as secondary to print sales, that will be an element that holds the Nook platform back form achieving its full potential.

(By comparison, the fall of Borders, which was never fully on-board with Kobo, has caused Kobo to reinvent itself without a strong bookstore partnership, and I think the seeds are being planted for Kobo to become a very strong alternative brand compared to Amazon... so Nook needs to get moving.)


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