5typos.net

Barnes and Noble Plans Big Push for Nook E-Reader →

Julie Bosman, on NYTimes.com:

The new display space would be much larger, and it would be located next to each store’s cafe, to encourage customers to stop by the Nook space, coffee or tea in hand. It would also sell more than 100 accessories for the Nook, like padded covers designed by Kate Spade and Jonathan Adler.

The Nook has two things going for it: prime physical presence in stores and the accessories.

I do believe that Barnes & Noble has a good device and it’s actually being very bold in pushing forward its eBook strategy without much concern for the brick and mortar stores – as it should be.

Amazon.com Now Selling More Kindle Books Than Hardcover Books →

Jeff Bezos, in an Amazon Press Release:

[…] the growth rate of Kindle device unit sales has tripled since we lowered the price from $259 to $189.

Now imagine what would happen when you go to $119? or the mythical $99?. Of course, you can’t forget these things cost money, but I believe Amazon should focus on bringing the price down as the way to compete with the upcoming iPad/tablet wave.

Amazon.com customers now purchase more Kindle books than hardcover books—astonishing when you consider that we’ve been selling hardcover books for 15 years, and Kindle books for 33 months.

This speaks more to eBook adoption than the Kindle itself –Amazon doesn’t break down how many book where bought on the Kindle or the iPad– but they’re right to mention a tipping point.

Reading in a Whole New Way →

Kevin Kelly, on the Smithsonian Magazine:

Screens provoke action instead of persuasion. Propaganda is less effective in a world of screens, because while misinformation travels fast, corrections do, too. On a screen it is often easier to correct a falsehood than to tell one in the first place; Wikipedia works so well because it removes an error in a single click. In books we find a revealed truth; on the screen we assemble our own truth from pieces.

Almost poetic article on the future of reading. Really wish I could write like this.

Kindle Price Drops to $189 →

Let the price war begin.

I Was Wrong About Apple iPad →

Joe Wilcox, on Betanews:

I was wrong. On further reflection, I realized that iPad offers fresh functionality: Immersion. I find there are fewer reading distractions, and content is better presented than on a laptop and browser.

In my Kindle 2 review, the day before the iPad was announced, I wrote:

But the biggest advantage is the Kindle’s lack of any good use other than reading. When I pick up a Kindle, I read. There is no Twitter, RSS, email, games, etc.

After having the iPad for two weeks, I still believe this is true. My iPad time is coming mostly from my MacBook and iPhone use.

Instapaper reading is only area where the Kindle is loosing ground to the iPad. The whole experience is just too perfectly integrated. But when I need to sit down and just read, the Kindle is still the device I pick up¹.

However, with the iPad you can make the case that it’s the perfect device for browsing the web, because of the lack of screen multitasking². In away, the iPad is to a laptop, what the Kindle is to the iPad.

I have no illusions that dedicated book readers have their days counted. But right now, I still feel comfortable recommending the Kindle and other eBook devices to people that want the best reading experience

Amazon to Sell Kindle at Target Stores →

Julie Bosman, from NYTimes.com:

Beginning on Sunday, the Kindle e-reader will be sold in Target stores nationwide, the company announced on Wednesday. It will be the first brick-and-mortar store to sell the Kindle, which had been available only through the Amazon Web site.

Great move. With Barnes & Noble and Sony having competitive products that people get a chance to hold —in prominent in-store displays— I felt the Kindle 2 needed some exposure.

Personally, I’ve looking for a good case for my Kindle, but the lack of accessories in brick and mortar stores is almost absolute. I’ll stop by at a Target next week to check out the display.

Borders To Sell Up To 10 E-Readers In Stores →

From paidContent.org:

The “good, better, best” strategy is device neutral, offering e-readers in wide range of prices but all linked to selling books through the not-yet-launched Borders eBook store powered by Kobo.

They will also sell the Libre eBook reader for $120.

I don’t know if this is an open platform strategy, or a desperate attempt to enter the market. Will bet it’s the latter.

Apple Reveals New Service for Authors to Sell Their Books Directly in the iBookstore →

David W. Martin, in Mac|Life:

Apple sent us an e-mail today with details on how someone could sign up to sell their own books in the iBookstore. Their books would have to adhere to these criteria: each one would need to have a 13-digit ISBN, be in ePub format, validate against epubcheck 1.0.5, and contain no unmanifested files

There’s a few other conditions, but with iPhone OS 4 including iBooks, seems like a very easy way to tap into a huge market.