# Gah, It's the Cooler Reader!



## Tris (Oct 30, 2008)

Okay, I have been putting a lot of work hours again, and was just about to go to turn off the boring TV and go to bed when I accidentally hit the QVC channel.  There infront of me they were selling the Cooler Reader.  I'm sorry to those who think it is cool (no pun intended), but out of all the ereaders out and will be coming out, the Cooler Reader just doesn't add up.  They said retail price was $357 and that blew me away!  Of course, they were selling it for $226 with a silcone skin, earphones, and 10 book downloads...but I was yelling it's not worth it.  It is already pre-loaded with books that are public domain and can get it free anywhere!  If I remember correctly, there is no wi-fi or 3G connectivity, and basically looks like a gigantic iPod Nano (wonder if Apple had a cow about that).  

People who called in seemed rather clueless on other ereaders such as the Kindle, Sony, or the Nook (all three that are way better value overall).  The hosts selling it only pointed out basic ereader functions that all ereaders do.  Supposedly they were selling over 1,000 live that night in the exclusive QVC violet color... 

Now I wanted to say, people it's not worth it!  Do your homework and reseach the best ereaders!  *sigh* I'm just so disappointed when people think that since it comes in pretty colors and extras (that you really can find really cheap but QVC thinks it's such a wonderful bonus)...don't just simply buy it.  Sure the Nook and Kindles aren't necessarily cheap, but there is a reason why it's not as cheap as the Cooler
Reader. 

What made me laugh was when the male host said all of the big name companies have already sold out of their ereaders.  Well, there is a good reason for that!  Not only is their stuff better, but people have passed on by word of mouth and in technology case if you do get it from a large more stable company, there is a better chance it will be more reliable (not all the time mind you, but a better chance).  Plus think of how long the product has been out and the different veriations.

Okay, I've ranted enough and my bed is calling me with my Kindle.

Tris


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

On another thread someone posted a link to QVC.  It had the Cooler manual in PDF format.  I took a quick look and see that Cooler books are in Adobe Digital Edition format.  It didn't say whether or not it was compatible with public libraries using ADE.  An SD memory card can be used in it (like the K1 and Nook).

It is overpriced, considering how much the Kindle has come down and the Sony Pocket reader is $200 list.  It looks a lot like the Sony (but has 6" screen).

Just as well that I missed the TV presentation.  I'm tired of all the talking heads that don't know that much about ereaders.


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

There are over 30 e-readers out there!  Everyone wants to get on the bandwagon, look what the kindle did to Amazon's sales.


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## Tana928 (Jul 12, 2009)

I saw this to and went a little further to check it out.  First off like they OP said, the preloaded books are all free domain books that any of us could get for free.

As for the additional 10 "free" downloads, there appears to only be about 20 on the list to choose from and it's rather limited.

I also checked their download sight and of the 15 or so books I knew I would like to read, only 1 showed as available on their site.

The really sad thing is thousands of people will buy this TSV today and think they got a bargain and their view of what an e-reader really can do will be skewed.

Just like the other day, they were selling an 8GB iPod Touch on there for $279 and it was supposedly flying out the door with over 1000 ordered during the brief time I was watching.  Had any of those people taken a few moments to browse the net they could have found that Amazon had the identical same iPod Touch on a daily special for $158!!!!!


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## kevindorsey (Mar 4, 2009)

A lot of readers might actually help amazon sales by some degree.  People will be researching and will find out about the Kindle's position in the  market and all the positive reviews.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

I have a friend in England who bought the Cooler reader a few months ago and it was a disaster from the get-go. From the minute she got it she had problems. She spent lots of time with customer service, thought the thing was fixed...went on a week long vacation to Italy and on the second day of the trip, it died completely. So there went all her reading that she planned for for her vacation! She returned it when she got home (and I think received some sort of refund) and bought a Sony, which she is very happy with.

Her review: the Cooler is a piece of junk.

L


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## Tigress780 (Oct 3, 2009)

I really cracked up when the host praised the Cooler people for actually making the words look "like a real page from a book". Yes, how forward thinking of them! LOL


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## Tris (Oct 30, 2008)

It's just annoying because there are so many better eReaders than the "Cooler Reader" and people are falling for the easiest things.  I mean take a look at the Kindle or even the Nook, if you compare them with the Cooler Reader...ugh, no contest!  

They are seriously drawing unsuspecting people with the colors and large Nano look alike.  I don't have a Cooler Reader because the machine doesn't offer much.  Even the Kindle's 16 shades of gray beats it!  The book titles as well!

It is frustrating and sad that people just jump and spend their money on something that is not only over priced, but not worth it.

Tris


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

That seems to be what QVC does though and has done for years.  They get low end merchandise that they know has buzz words or are products that the target audience knows very little about then they have "experts" come in and show you how awesome this technology that very few of their target audience has been exposed to is.  Then they have no idea what price is good for the stuff cuz they aren't educated on it besides what this expert is telling them and that's how well meaning parents and grandparents end up buying their children and grandchildren knock off electronics when they really wanted an ipod or Kindle or whatever else it is.

I guess in a way it might be good because an intro device like this might cause people to look into others if they like the concept, but it can also be bad in that it might totally turn them off to the concept.  Hopefully they hear how nice they are from folks like us and don't fall into the latter category without seeing what else is out there.


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## cheerio (May 16, 2009)

Anju No. 469 said:


> There are over 30 e-readers out there! Everyone wants to get on the bandwagon, look what the kindle did to Amazon's sales.


Yeah and there are so many articles coming out about the end of the e-reader, but it doesnt look like sales are dropping for the kindle


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Just the name is enough to get me to look past this reader in favor of others.  Anytime I see advertising adjectives in the name of a product, I assume they're making up for some other deficiency in the product itself.


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