The Glade 4.0

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-gadget ... ablet/4052

Why on earth? If you were using mirasol or E-Ink's new color (or capacitive) displays, I could get it.. but why on earth is Barnes and Noble creating an LCD e-reader?

ZERO desire to purchase, and I'm a consumer whore and nook addict.

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

I guess it's their response to the iPad? I don't know.

_________________
Sail forth! steer for the deep waters only!
Reckless, O soul, exploring, I with thee, and thou with me;
For we are bound where mariner has not yet dared to go,
And we will risk the ship, ourselves and all.

That's kind of the point. I don't know, either.

I mean, it's a 7" 1024x600 LCD IPS display. It's not going to be competitive with the iPad on display size, has no option for 3G, no Android Marketplace, and a worse battery life.

That said, the tablet market is already pretty crowded; it seems a really odd move for Barnes and Noble to try to get a foot into it, particularly when they're fighting uphill against the Kindle already (and doing a moderately okay job at it). Any marketing for NOOKColor vs. iPad seems like it would be more useful to devote towards Nook vs. Kindle, where they already have a strong product and market foothold.

Marketing the Nook for the holidays while working on a reflective color follow-up early next year seems like it would have been such a smarter notion. Expand the market against your primary competitor to secure future ebook sales on YOUR site, and come out with something very new for *all* market segments, rather than nipping at the heels of yet another established market giant in a completely separate arena.

The only moderately strong argument I've seen pro-NOOKColor is to serve the reference and textbook market, where a touch display with writing input could appeal to the student crowd. Though, if I were a student, my reaction would be the same as it is as a graphic novel/comic reader; I don't need to spend hours looking at a backlit display, thanks.

_________________
"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

I thought I read something about them launching a kids ebook program simultaneous to this? Where some of the products had interactive stuff added to the books designed specially for touch screens?

Anyway, I agree with you. I love my nook the way it is. I wouldn't trade my current screen for an LCD version. Especially if I had to pay for it.

Ah, now, see, that I could kind of believe. Except, it's awfully pricey to be giving to a toddler to drop...

_________________
"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

Peanut Butter and Jelly on your touch-screen LCD anyone?

In other news, I think I've been doing too much coding lately. I parsed NOOKColor like it was a named constant: NO_OK_Color.

_________________
Sail forth! steer for the deep waters only!
Reckless, O soul, exploring, I with thee, and thou with me;
For we are bound where mariner has not yet dared to go,
And we will risk the ship, ourselves and all.

It's scratch-and-sniff!

_________________
"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

I had the same reaction when I saw this the other night.

In other news, the new line of Sony Readers is sexy. I seriously want.

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Go back to zero, take a pill, and get well ~ Lemmy Kilmister