E-readers: The Next Generation

Once tablets like Apple Inc.'s iPad hit the scene, one of the livelier debates in the gadgetsphere was what they would mean for e-readers, those one-trick wonders that displayed electronic books on razor-sharp monochrome screens. After all, the thinking went, why buy a device that does just one thing, albeit well, when you could buy a device that does many things perfectly adequately? Many thought that the e-reader purchasing decision would become very simple: There would be no more e-readers.

But that's not what happened. The major vendors—Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Sony—tweaked their technology and their business models, and brought out models that boasted even better screens, along with touch controls (like swiping to turn pages), and dramatically reduced prices. That last change was particularly significant. With prices now under $100, the leap to a tablet was no longer a no-brainer. And if customers still were tempted, well, the vendors would offer low-cost tablets of their own.

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The U.S. giant Barnes & Noble said Friday it had sold its electronic book reader news, meals, and the next shipment would not be available before the holidays. "Nook continues to be the best product quickly sold at Barnes & Noble, and pre-orders have continued to exceed our expectations, "the airline said in a statement." While we increase the production based on consumer interest high, we sold our initial allotment meals available for delivery before the holidays, "he said.

NewsFactor - In what may remind consumers of many first days of Kindle Amazon, Barnes & Noble expects deliveries of its area of e-book reader to be delayed. On Friday, the giant book retailer said it has sold its first batch of medium corners demand - and new supplies will not be available before the holiday shopping season ends.

Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch With GlowLight Review: An E-Reader That Truly ...

1. By Jeremy C. Owens A Barnes & Noble Nook Color eReader, left, is shown next to a Nook Simple Touch eReader, right, on display at a Best Buy in Mountain View, Calif., Monday, April 30, 2012. An infusion of money from Microsoft Corp. sent Barnes & Noble
2. That firmware update introduced the Nook's text-smoothing enhancements, too. Thanks to those improvements, plus the flexible font options, Nook models now have the best-looking text you can buy on an e-reader today. The Nook Simple Touch With GlowLight
3. Ereaders function with different formats. Kindle models are on the Mobi platform while Nook, Kobo, and Sony models work on ePub and never the twain shall meet (without some assistance, anyway). When you buy a book, you're purchasing the actual book.
4. What I wrote: “When you buy an e-reader, you're committing to that one company's catalog of books forever, because their book formats are mutually incompatible.” Sample reader pushback: “Why do you write about things you don't know anything about?
5. PAUL SAKUMA/ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch eReader is displayed Monday at a Best Buy in Mountain View, Calif. An infusion of money from Microsoft Corp. sent Barnes & Noble Inc.'s stock zooming Mondayas the software giant