# The Nook might be selling better than many expected.



## kb7uen Gene (Mar 13, 2009)

April 26, 2010 10:09 AM PDT 
Analyst says Nook selling better than Kindle
by Don Reisinger 
The Nook might be selling better than many expected.

(Credit: Barnes & Noble) The Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader shipped more than Amazon's Kindle in March, DigiTimes Research claims in a new study.

According to DigiTimes, it consulted "suppliers" of the e-readers to determine how many units shipped. Based on that information, the researchers found that the Nook "accounted for 53 percent of e-book readers shipped to U.S. vendors last month." The company didn't provide data on how much of the market the Kindle took, but based on the fact that the Nook accounted for more than half of all shipments in March, the researchers concluded that the Kindle trailed.

But before we crown the Nook as the next big thing in the e-reader space, it's important to consider that Amazon, like Barnes & Noble, doesn't release Kindle sales figures, making it difficult to pinpoint exactly how many units either company has sold. And since DigiTimes can only see how many units were shipped and not sold, the Kindle, which is currently the top-selling device on Amazon.com, could have beaten Barnes & Noble's device in sales. That said, Barnes & Noble representatives told CNET recently that sales "continue to exceed projections."

DigiTimes' findings and Barnes & Noble's comments highlight something rather interesting: the Nook, a device that many believed would be the also-ran in the e-reader space, is actually selling well. Although it was criticized at launch for issues like slow page-load times, Barnes & Noble recently updated the device to make it more appealing to users. And by virtue of it being offered in Barnes & Noble brick-and-mortar stores, consumers are having a chance to try it out before they buy.

At the same time, the e-reader space is becoming increasingly crowded. Aside from the Kindle and Nook, Apple's iPad is now competing for readers with its iBooks application. So far, that feature has been almost universally cited as a fine reading experience. Whether or not that will negatively affect Kindle or Nook sales remains to be seen.

Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.


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## JeffM (Nov 22, 2009)

Being able to go touch one in a store is a huge plus.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I would suspect this is part of the reason Amazon is reportedly going to test sell the Kindle in some Target stores.  (There's a different thread somewhere about this.)

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

In the aforementioned "thread somewhere" there are actually pictures. . . .I think it's in "Let's Talk Kindle".


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## Jeff (Oct 28, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> In the aforementioned "thread somewhere" there are actually pictures. . . .I think it's in "Let's Talk Kindle".


http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,23251.msg440880.html#msg440880


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## Keef (Feb 25, 2010)

The Nook, Kindle and Sony Daily Reader are all good E Readers with some plus and minus areas when compared to each other, but all are good. I personally did not care for the feel of the back of the Nook and the small screen area to type, but hey it's all personal preference.


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## HeadshotHeather (Jan 7, 2010)

All the eReaders have positive and negative aspects to them.  The consumers will have a difficult time finding the 100% perfect reader. Like for me, I love the nooks ability to add memory and the fact that you can lend/share books on the nook is a very cool function.  I however went with the Kindle and am extremely happy with my choice.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I think if I was only just now searching for an eReader (I've had my Kindle almost 2 years) I'd be looking very closely at the nook as well as the Sony Daily. I got to play with the nook a bit the other week at a B&N store. The clerk was very knowledgeable. . .I told him up front I had a Kindle already and was really just looking out of curiosity. He was fine with that; in fact also asked _me_ a lot of questions so that he would know the competition, which is a smart thing for him to do.


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## geko29 (Dec 23, 2008)

Best Buy starts carrying Nook at all stores this month, and there was a large volume of Nooks "shipped to retailers" last month?  What a HUGE surprise!  Other breaking news stories: water is wet, and the sun rises in the east.

Seriously, do people actually think B&M retailers can sell a product without having it on their shelves?


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## mwb (Dec 5, 2008)

geko29 said:


> Best Buy starts carrying Nook at all stores this month, and there was a large volume of Nooks "shipped to retailers" last month? What a HUGE surprise! Other breaking news stories: water is wet, and the sun rises in the east.
> 
> Seriously, do people actually think B&M retailers can sell a product without having it on their shelves?


Bingo! It's the same scam publishers use to make sales seem big. I'm not saying the Nook might not be selling well, just that the statement isn't proof of it in fact.


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