Barnes and Noble’s new Nook Considered (From a Distance)
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
I don’t think I’ve ever been, nor do I think I’ll ever really be, what hardcore tech types and marketing gurus like to call an “early adopter.” I tend to adopt late, if I bother to adopt at all. Let the early adopters deal with the high prices, buggy performance, shipping issues, production shortages, and the fact that all the cool features typically come out in the second generation. The early buzz on Barnes and Noble’s new Nook e-reader indicates that there may just be good news for those of us who habitually lag behind the times.
Taken on its own merits, the Nook would appear to be a worthy competitor to the Kindle. It’s premature to call it the “Kindle killer,” as Wired has; the fact that Amazon was there first (at least vis-a-vis the Nook, if not the e-reader market in general) with a good product means that Nook’s presumed dominance — even with a product that looks this good — isn’t a done deal just yet. Entropy goes a long way toward reinforcing brand loyalty.