Touch Looks like a new nook is on the way...

[unkilbeeg]

Touchscreens limit the clarity of the device. It's possible that the Pearl screen is enough clearer that it makes up for it somewhat, but I'd prefer a Pearl screen with no touch. Particularly since (for me) a touch interface is just irritating.

[Hoyt Clagwell]

Originally Posted by unkilbeeg

Touchscreens limit the clarity of the device. It's possible that the Pearl screen is enough clearer that it makes up for it somewhat, but I'd prefer a Pearl screen with no touch. Particularly since (for me) a touch interface is just irritating.

The touch screen that Sony introduced with the X50 readers and is now being employed by the new nook and the new Kobo do not limit the clarity of the device.

[Hoyt Clagwell]

Originally Posted by chas0039

I am pondering the fact that they are promoting this as a stripped down eReader for those who don't want frills, but they are pricing it $10 under the regular nook and $25 more expensive than the Kindle, which is hardly stripped down. As has been the case since inception, B&N seems to be clueless as to what their customers want, hence their very expensive marketing campaign that barely gets them 25% of the market.

It is unfortunate, as I like my nook since I rooted it. I just see know point in this new version. It reminds me of a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

From what I have read they are not promoting the device as a stripped down reader. They are promoting the device as simpler to use. Thus the name The Simple Touch Reader. Using the dictionary for example. On the old nook when I want to look up a word I have to select the nook icon, then scroll down till I find Look up Word. Then use the arrow keys to select the word. Then select Look Up. With the new nook one just taps their finger on a word for a few seconds and a screen pops up and you can click on the definition. Much simpler. Plus the new device has the better pearl screen and is a lot lighter then the old device. Perhaps B&N has received feedback from their customers that asked we want a lighter reader that is easier to use and with a better screen. If that is the case B&N delivered.

[revfish]

What I am curious is whether they have the My Shelves function compatible with Calibre so I can import my Collections from there into the Nook rather than having to do it all on the device like on the Classic.

I am sticking with my Sony 650 for now but my wife wants to upgrade her 505 to the Nook2 if they fixed that issue. We both had the Classic and sold them as the organization sucked.

If anyone knows, I would really appreciate it.

[apastuszak]

I want to know about the firmware. Are sideloaded books still second class citizens? Is book organization better than shelves? As much as I love 2 months of battery life, and eInk pearl, I need to see how the firmware works before I can make a decision on whether to upgrade my wife's nook.

[unkilbeeg]

Originally Posted by Hoyt Clagwell

The touch screen that Sony introduced with the X50 readers and is now being employed by the new nook and the new Kobo do not limit the clarity of the device.

OK, that sounds promising. I haven't had a chance to see the latest generation, but it certainly reduced clarity on earlier editions.

Now, if you could get it to ignore all touches on the surface (essentially turn the touchscreen off) I might be interested.

[SCION]

Originally Posted by revfish

What I am curious is whether they have the My Shelves function compatible with Calibre so I can import my Collections from there into the Nook rather than having to do it all on the device like on the Classic.

I am sticking with my Sony 650 for now but my wife wants to upgrade her 505 to the Nook2 if they fixed that issue. We both had the Classic and sold them as the organization sucked.

If anyone knows, I would really appreciate it.

Most likely there will be no metadata recognition (not even book info/summary) and basic manual library management. The first NOOK and NOOKcolor are like this. I won't be manually shelving anything,; I'll just keep a small quantity of books on the device sorted by recently read, title, or author.

[chas0039]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Well.... I would presume that B&N would say that their $140 reader is better than the $114 Kindle because:

1. Touch interface
2. Faster response time
3. Less flash/ghosting
4. No ads

But - as you have demonstrated - how much value customers subscribe to these features is EXTREMELY variable.

I would rather have the $140 nook than the $114 kindle. But I'm not necessarily the person B&N wants to reach - they already have me as a customer. They need to be reaching the people who don't have ANY e-Reader, and price point is probably going to matter more than technical features (less flash!) that non-techies aren't as aware of.

Good points. As you say, I was also a devoted Nook customer. I had three.

They lost me because they ignored the problems that I and many other people repeatablt pointed out. The software crashes with more than 1275 titles making the 32gb of potential storage space a joke. Also, as they changed the hardware to make it less rootable, I found more hack support for Kindle with the larger user base.

They may be able to get users with some of their features, I just see nothing for me and I doubt that their $140 price will compete with the Kindle at the same $140 or the KSO at $114. They will especially have a problem with the thousands of "refurbished" WiFi & 3G versions at $99 with full warranty. The Nook I finally kept was one of those and it is virtually new.

[boswd]

Originally Posted by SCION

Most likely there will be no metadata recognition (not even book info/summary) and basic manual library management. The first NOOK and NOOKcolor are like this. I won't be manually shelving anything,; I'll just keep a small quantity of books on the device sorted by recently read, title, or author.

though if they do implement the "My Shelves" organizaton on the nook 2 similiar to the Nook color, it is much less painless than the My Shelves on the nook classic.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by chas0039

Good points. As you say, I was also a devoted Nook customer. I had three.

They lost me because they ignored the problems that I and many other people repeatablt pointed out. The software crashes with more than 1275 titles making the 32gb of potential storage space a joke. Also, as they changed the hardware to make it less rootable, I found more hack support for Kindle with the larger user base.

They may be able to get users with some of their features, I just see nothing for me and I doubt that their $140 price will compete with the Kindle at the same $140 or the KSO at $114. They will especially have a problem with the thousands of "refurbished" WiFi & 3G versions at $99 with full warranty. The Nook I finally kept was one of those and it is virtually new.

Valid points when you mention software updates and brand loyalty (and the loss of such).

We have 3 Nooks in the household - 4, if you count the one my step-daughter got after using mine. I started out as a STRONG B&N cheerleader and would pimp their brand to anyone who would listen. I even had little printout cards explaining what made the device unique (because people kept asking me "Is that a Kindle?" and I would give them my pretty FAQ card and go back to reading. ).

I made B&N my single-source bookseller and was seriously happy with them for a time - ESPECIALLY after the first Nook update came out and it was so responsive to the customer needs/complaints. (Faster page turns, especially.)

And then........ fast forward a few months, and I feel like B&N is resting on its heels. The Nook Color update (the one that mattered) took forever to come out and was "stealth announced" by the Home Shopping Network of all things. Ick. The update didn't fix the serious customer concerns that a lot of people had - and that I myself had written in.

The point wasn't so much that Christmas didn't come with the new update, but rather that B&N is being so secretive about the update process and there's no real way to weigh in on an official "to-do" list and +1 say, better PDF support. That makes the customer feel isolated from the company.

In the meantime, I've bought several extremely low-quality books and in one case was on hold for over 4 hours total (1 hour call plus 1 hour call plus a TWO HOUR CALL) just to get my refund on a book that was crashing my Nook Color AND my Nook for PC app.

Now I have a PB360 and I'm fairly happy with it, but a touchscreen interface would be nice for looking up words and the like. Since the SD card slot is so accessible with this device, I can see myself pulling my SD card from my PB360 when I get home (I carry my PB everywhere), slapping it into the N2, and picking up reading where I left off.

But if it doesn't support the folder system, then I won't be able to do that. And I no longer have confidence that B&N will address these issues in a further update.

Brand loyalty is a tricky thing to cultivate and a fickle thing to maintain. I'm not sure where I stand with B&N anymore. I find that a little sad.

ALL THIS IS MY SUBJECTIVE OPINION; SERIOUSLY NOT TRYING TO START A FLAMEWAR HERE.

[JohnnyRocks]

Originally Posted by unkilbeeg

Touchscreens limit the clarity of the device. It's possible that the Pearl screen is enough clearer that it makes up for it somewhat, but I'd prefer a Pearl screen with no touch. Particularly since (for me) a touch interface is just irritating.

Your point on clarity here isn't correct, and, given the fact it has both a touch screen and page turn buttons, you don't have to use the touch screen if it irritates you that much.

[JohnnyRocks]

Originally Posted by chas0039

They may be able to get users with some of their features, I just see nothing for me and I doubt that their $140 price will compete with the Kindle at the same $140 or the KSO at $114. They will especially have a problem with the thousands of "refurbished" WiFi & 3G versions at $99 with full warranty. The Nook I finally kept was one of those and it is virtually new.

Whether or not they can make a dent (a significant one) into the Kindle's market share remains to boe seen, but, to say that you doubt that their $140 price can compete with the Kindle's, is simply absurd, given the touchscreen, faster page loads, support for SD cards, and smaller form factor.

[chas0039]

Originally Posted by JohnnyRocks

Whether or not they can make a dent (a significant one) into the Kindle's market share remains to boe seen, but, to say that you doubt that their $140 price can compete with the Kindle's, is simply absurd, given the touchscreen, faster page loads, support for SD cards, and smaller form factor.

I would guess "absurd" is a bit strong, but in any case, faster page loads are compared to their own Nook not the Kindle. My Kindle page turns are faster than the Nook and neither is too slow, especially after the Nook 1.5 update.

I love the support for SD cards in my current Nook and I would love it even more if the file system wouldn't crash after more than 1300 or so titles. The available memory in my Kindle is all I will ever need and I doubt I will ever have enough titles to fill it.

I don't like a touchscreen at all; many don't, and the size or the current Kindle is as small as I would want.

I am not trying to start a debate as these things are subjective. I will never succeed in convincing someone that they are wrong to like a touch screen. I am just pointing out why I won't be adding a new Nook; I would get another Kindle first. My guess is that they are after the first time user more than they after those of us who have tried a lot of readers and know what works and what doesn't. And this is what I doubt will work. On the old Nook they already have a touch screen, SD support, and user replaceable battery.
It is hard to see how less than an inch and an already "challenged" reputation for listening to their customers will over come the massive user base of the Kindle, and at a higher price no less. My guess is that their financial difficulties kept them from hitting the magical $99 price point where they just might have done some serious damage.

[JohnnyRocks]

Are you kidding me? You weren't going to find anything to like about this, versus your beloved Kindle, no matter what they had done. Which is fine, but, you simply are not objective. There is absolutely NOTHING to like about the K3, over this Nook Second Gen, with the possible exception of a web browser. And, I would guess that very few people actually browse the web on an ereader, preferring instead, a smartphone.

I OWN a Kindle (second gen) and a Sony PRS-350. And, I'm buying a new Nook (point is...I'm not a first time buyer of ereaders). And, while you might not like a touch screen, and while some others might not like them either, I would guess that in the VAST majority of cases (at least 75% of people), a touch screen is considered an upgrade. And, the fact that it has both a touch screen AND page turn buttons gives those of you who don't think of it as an upgrade, the option to use buttons.

In addition, I would guess that the page turns are at least slightly faster on the new Nook, even when compared to the K3, as the hardware is significantly upgraded (over both the first gen Nook AND the K3). And, while I agree that 1,000 books on the included memory is more than enough, many people would like to carry their entire library on a memory card.

So, let me get this straight. You don't believe that a smaller form factor, with the same size screen is an upgrade? You also don't think that at least the OPTION of page turns with a swipe of the finger and SIGNIFICANTLY easier dictionary lookups, notetaking, etc, is an upgrade? Or the option to store more books on the machine (with an SD card)? All at the same price, by the way, as a K3?

Let's be honest you likely weren't going to find anything to like about the new Nook, no matter what they had done, and would have found some way to tout your K3.

I am looking at this objectively with ZERO allegiance to any "brand."

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by JohnnyRocks

Are you kidding me? You weren't going to find anything to like about this, versus your beloved Kindle, no matter what they had done. Which is fine, but, you simply are not objective. There is absolutely NOTHING to like about the K3, over this Nook Second Gen, with the possible exception of a web browser. And, I would guess that very few people actually browse the web on an ereader, preferring instead, a smartphone.

May I suggest we dial it down a bit before another flame war flares up?

The poster has already admitted that his opinion is subjective. He did raise a valid point about the Nook file systems not working in an ideal manner in the past AND he's not the only person on earth who subjectively prefers a physical keyboard to a touch screen.

I can think physical keyboards are an abomination unto the gods and he and I can still be pals as long as he continues to clarify that his Subjective Opinion is a Subjective Opinion.

Can't we all just get along?