Nook

eBooks
May 20, 2013
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Nook Simple Touch Browser Email

Can new tablet features save the Nook Simple Touch?

By on May 20, 2013 at 8:00 AM.

Can new tablet features save the Nook Simple Touch?

When people buy an E Ink eReader instead of one of the many affordable tablets available on the market, they’re likely looking for a somewhat pure eBook reading experience. As Barnes & Noble’s Nook business continues to flounder, however, the book seller will soon bank on new tablet features to help boost interest in its Nook Simple Touch lineup. According to a purported leaked email obtained by TechCrunch, Barnes & Noble plans to issue an update to its Simple Touch eReaders that will add a Web browser, email and a new store app to the devices. No other details were provided, though the update is expected to begin rolling out over the air (OTA) on June 1st. A copy of the leaked email follows below. More →

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Business
May 9, 2013
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Microsoft Nook Purchase Offer

Microsoft may be willing to take Nook off Barnes & Noble’s hands for $1 billion

By on May 9, 2013 at 9:10 AM.

Microsoft may be willing to take Nook off Barnes & Noble’s hands for $1 billion

With Barnes & Noble planning to kill off the Nook in the near future, Microsoft is reportedly willing to take the eReader line off the company’s hands for the cool $1 billion. TechCrunch reports that Microsoft “is offering to pay $1 billion to buy the digital assets of Nook Media LLC, the digital book and college book joint venture with Barnes & Noble and other investors.” Under the terms of the proposed deal, Microsoft would gain control over Nook “e-books, as well as Nook e-readers and tablets,” so it seems that Microsoft is looking to branch out its tablet business from high-end devices such as the Surface to cheaper tablets and eReaders in the future. Barnes & Noble’s shares jumped nearly 25% in pre-market trading on the rumor.

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Business
May 1, 2013
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Nook Price Cut

Dawn of a new era: Barnes & Noble cuts Nook price by 63% in the U.K.

By on May 1, 2013 at 4:20 PM.

Dawn of a new era: Barnes & Noble cuts Nook price by 63% in the U.K.

Cor Blimey — beginning on Wednesday, British consumers are staring at a huge 63% price cut of the cheapest Nook eReader. The Nook Simple Touch price has plunged to £29 from £79. The Glowlight version has dropped to £69 from £109. This is not a permanent price cut, but a part of the Get London Reading literacy campaign. Nevertheless, the move is eye-popping. More →

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Business
February 25, 2013
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Barnes & Noble Nook Warning Analysis

Did Barnes & Noble just kill off Nook?

By on February 25, 2013 at 8:25 AM.

Did Barnes & Noble just kill off Nook?

Barnes & Noble (BKS) issued two devastating warnings about Nook revenue performance over the past two months. On Sunday night, a New York Times article stated that a person familiar with Barnes & Noble’s strategy believes “the company must move away from its program to engineer and build its own devices and focus more on licensing its content to other device makers.” B&N may reveal its plans to intensify partnerships with Samsung (005930) and Microsoft (MSFT) as soon as next Thursday. More →

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Business
February 14, 2013
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Nook Sales Analysis

Nook’s death spiral and Kindle’s triumph

By on February 14, 2013 at 11:40 AM.

Nook’s death spiral and Kindle’s triumph

Companies very rarely warn twice in 40 days about the same problem. When it happens, it usually indicates that something so unexpected is taking place that executives just cannot wrap their minds around it. One example is HTC’s (2498) string of warnings last winter when its Android success story suddenly unraveled. Another is Barnes & Noble (BKS) and its Nook warnings on January 2nd and February 13th. More →

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Business
January 3, 2013
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Barnes And Noble Christmas Earnings Analysis

Amazon is gutting Barnes & Noble

By on January 3, 2013 at 9:35 AM.

Amazon is gutting Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble (BKS) warned about the Christmas quarter a while back, so we knew things were heading south. Yet the numbers still have the power to shock. As a Nook owner, I am now starting to get that queasy Betamax feeling; Nook volumes actually declined year-on-year. The true horror here is that Nook revenues declined by more than 12% — a steeper slide than what B&N’s total sales showed. This means that combined digital content and Nook device sales are now shrinking faster than traditional hardcover and paperback sales. More →

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Tablets
August 13, 2012
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Barnes & Noble slashes Nook pricing ahead of rumored Kindle refresh

By on August 13, 2012 at 10:25 PM.

Barnes & Noble slashes Nook pricing ahead of rumored Kindle refresh

Barnes & Noble Nook Discount

Amid rumors that rival Amazon (AMZN) is planning to launch new versions of its Kindle eReaders as soon as next week, Barnes & Noble (BKS) on Sunday slashed prices on two of its Nook models. The company cut the prices of both its Nook Color and Nook Tablet, which are now being offered starting at $149 and $179, respectively. “Our Reader’s Tablets have consistently been the highest rated products by the leading technology experts and now they’re available for the lowest prices ever,” said Jamie Iannone, President of Digital Products at Barnes & Noble. “With NOOK Color for $149 and NOOK Tablet starting at $179, customers can enjoy our best-in-class digital reading and entertainment experience with an expansive selection of digital content and apps at an unbeatable price.” The company’s press release follows below. More →

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eBooks
May 3, 2012
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Barnes & Noble plans to bring NFC to the Nook

By on May 3, 2012 at 1:00 AM.

Barnes & Noble plans to bring NFC to the Nook

Barnes & Noble to bring NFC to the Nook

Barnes & Noble’s Nook eReader business is expected to see continued growth and was recently spun off into a new subsidiary that Microsoft invested $300 million in. The company’s CEO William Lynch sat down with Fortune and spoke about the future of the Nook business, and the executive said NFC-equipped Nook eReaders will be released as early as this year. “We’re going to start embedding NFC chips into our Nooks,” the CEO said. “We can work with the publishers so they would ship a copy of each hardcover with an NFC chip embedded with all the editorial reviews they can get on BN.com. And if you had your Nook, you can walk up to any of our pictures, any our aisles, any of our bestseller lists, and just touch the book, and get information on that physical book on your Nook and have some frictionless purchase experience. That’s coming, and we could lead in that area.” More →

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Business
April 30, 2012
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Microsoft invests $300 million in Barnes & Noble

By on April 30, 2012 at 7:45 AM.

Microsoft invests $300 million in Barnes & Noble

Microsoft buys part of Barnes & Noble

Microsoft and Barnes & Noble on Monday announced the formation of a new partnership that will spin the bookseller’s digital Nook and College businesses into a new unnamed subsidiary. Microsoft’s investment of $300 million will bring it a 17% stake in the newly formed business, which is valued at $1.7 billion, and Barnes & Noble will own approximately 82.4% of the new company. “The formation of [this new subsidiary] and our relationship with Microsoft are important parts of our strategy to capitalize on the rapid growth of the NOOK business, and to solidify our position as a leader in the exploding market for digital content in the consumer and education segments,” said William Lynch, CEO of Barnes & Noble. “Microsoft’s investment in Newco, and our exciting collaboration to bring world-class digital reading technologies and content to the Windows platform and its hundreds of millions of users, will allow us to significantly expand the business.” Share of Barnes & Noble stock surged 80% in pre-market trading on the news. Barnes & Noble’s full press release follows below. More →

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eBooks
April 25, 2012
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Barnes & Noble says new glowing Nook eReader will ship early in limited supply

By on April 25, 2012 at 12:15 AM.

Barnes & Noble says new glowing Nook eReader will ship early in limited supply

Barnes & Noble on Tuesday announced that its new Nook Simple Touch eBook reader will begin shipping ahead of schedule over the next week. The bookseller unveiled its new Nook eReader earlier this month, and the response has been positive thus far. BGR reviewed the original Nook Simple Touch and found it to be a terrific device, though Amazon’s Kindle ecosystem posed the eReader’s biggest hurdle. The new Simple Touch model is very similar to the earlier version, however it includes a new “GlowLight” display that allows users to read in the dark without sacrificing the clarity and look of the E Ink display. Strong demand for the new Nook will result in a limited supply, but Barnes & Noble said that pre-orders placed on its website will ship in time for Mother’s Day. Amazon is reportedly preparing to launch its own front-lit eReader in the coming months, as well as a new model with a color E Ink display. Barnes & Noble’s full press release follows below. More →

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Business
March 8, 2012
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Kindle Fire extinguishes eReader demand in Q1

By on March 8, 2012 at 6:25 PM.

Kindle Fire extinguishes eReader demand in Q1

Amazon’s popular Kindle Fire is seen as having a huge impact on eReader shipments in the first quarter of 2012. The 7-inch Android tablet burst onto the scene in November and with less than seven weeks of availability in the fourth quarter, it managed to secure Amazon 14% of the global tablet market according to IHS iSupply. Demand for the Kindle Fire has remained strong in the first quarter — the slate is still Amazon’s best-selling electronics device for the 16th week running — and according to DigiTimes Research, eReader shipments will take a huge hit this quarter as a result. A seasonal decline from the holiday quarter to the first quarter is always anticipated, but DigiTimes’s research arm sees global eBook reader shipments dropping from 9 million units in the December quarter to just 2 million this quarter, a 78% decline. DigiTimes Research still projects solid eReader shipment growth in the coming years, however, as sales into channels jump from an estimated 22.82 million units in 2011 to more than 60 million units by 2015. More →

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Tablets
February 20, 2012
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Cheaper Nook Tablet could give Kindle Fire a run for its money starting tomorrow

By on February 20, 2012 at 11:05 AM.

Cheaper Nook Tablet could give Kindle Fire a run for its money starting tomorrow

Barnes & Noble may be planning to launch a new version of its Nook Tablet at the same $199 price point that has helped Amazon’s Kindle Fire retain its spot atop Amazon’s best-selling electronics list since its launch last year. According to a purported internal memo circulated at Walmart and obtained by The Verge, the new version of Barnes & Noble’s popular Nook Tablet will launch on Tuesday. The only known difference between the current Nook Tablet and the new version is the slate’s internal storage, which will be cut in half from 16GB to 8GB. Pricing is not mentioned in the memo, but Barnes & Noble’s 16GB tablet is currently listed at $249. Considering the downsized flash storage chip and the Kindle Fire’s $199 price tag, a new sub-$200 price tag is a safe bet if this rumor pans out. A screenshot of the purported memo follows below. More →

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Legal
February 1, 2012
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ITC reportedly rejects Barnes & Noble’s antitrust complaint against Microsoft

By on February 1, 2012 at 4:25 PM.

ITC reportedly rejects Barnes & Noble’s antitrust complaint against Microsoft

Barnes & Noble and Microsoft are currently tied up in two separate legal battles, one being heard by the Department of Justice and the other by the International Trade Commission. In March 2011, like previous Android vendors, Microsoft accused Barnes & Noble’s NOOK and NOOK Color of infringing on the company’s patents. The software giant, which takes in roughly $450 million a year through Android royalties, was looking to license the infringed patents to the bookseller, but the company fired back with claims that Microsoft was creating an abusive monopoly. It is now being suggested by patent expert Florian Muller of FOSS Patents that the ITC is likely to reject Barnes & Noble’s antitrust complaint against Microsoft, however. The complete order is not publicly available, but an administrative law judge has reportedly dismissed Barnes & Noble’s patent misuse defense against Microsoft . The judge issued a detailed order that has not yet been made public, but the headline reads, “Initial Determination Granting Microsoft’s Motion for Summary Determination of Respondents’ First Affirmative Defense of Patent Misuse.” The ITC evidentiary hearing will begin on Monday, February 6th. More →

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