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Kindle 3 or Nook???
- Thread starter ace198
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I've never used a Nook (Barnes and Noble aren't big over here) but I love my Kindle if that helps.
I'm in the middle of the worst customer service experience of my life with Barnes and Noble.
Short version:
Ordered some Blu-rays on Nov. 23, ordered 2 day (expedited shipping), item was in stock. They didn't ship until 12/14 or so, got here...in 2 days.
I got 2 of the 10 items I was supposed to get, with a packing slip stating I received all 10. 2 hours on the phone, finally got them to admit the problem and "refund" me. They refunded me for 1 item. 3 more hours on the phone, they admit the mistake again and say a refund is coming for the other 7 the next day. NOTHING.
Fast forward 2 weeks, call back because I hadn't seen anything refunded. They don't know what I'm talking about and nothing was in the system.
I file a paypal dispute (last time I'm using paypal, I've already been screwed as a seller 3 times, now I'm being screwed as a buyer). They apparently deny the whole thing and paypal is still "looking into it." I have a screenshot of my order, a picture of the box it came in (only big enough for 2 movies), and a screenshot of the shipping weight being 1.4 pounds (these were all heavy boxsets).
So, stick with AMAZON, who has time and time again proved to me that they are the best retail site on the web, with their prices, courteousness, and especially customer service. And, no I don't work for Amazon.
And, I hope that Barnes and Noble succumbs to this economy and their poor practices and ends up gone in 2011.
/rant
Short version:
Ordered some Blu-rays on Nov. 23, ordered 2 day (expedited shipping), item was in stock. They didn't ship until 12/14 or so, got here...in 2 days.
I got 2 of the 10 items I was supposed to get, with a packing slip stating I received all 10. 2 hours on the phone, finally got them to admit the problem and "refund" me. They refunded me for 1 item. 3 more hours on the phone, they admit the mistake again and say a refund is coming for the other 7 the next day. NOTHING.
Fast forward 2 weeks, call back because I hadn't seen anything refunded. They don't know what I'm talking about and nothing was in the system.
I file a paypal dispute (last time I'm using paypal, I've already been screwed as a seller 3 times, now I'm being screwed as a buyer). They apparently deny the whole thing and paypal is still "looking into it." I have a screenshot of my order, a picture of the box it came in (only big enough for 2 movies), and a screenshot of the shipping weight being 1.4 pounds (these were all heavy boxsets).
So, stick with AMAZON, who has time and time again proved to me that they are the best retail site on the web, with their prices, courteousness, and especially customer service. And, no I don't work for Amazon.
And, I hope that Barnes and Noble succumbs to this economy and their poor practices and ends up gone in 2011.
/rant
Where did you hear that? According to MSNBC, they don't exactly seem to be in the red.
Re: Kindle v Nook, I have used both, and they're about the same, so I'd lean towards the Nook only because you can walk into a store for support, much like an Apple store.
Unless you were looking at the Nook color, in which case there's no equivalent from Amazon.
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The one thing no one has mentioned is book formats. Nook supports ePub which is the standard used by libraries allowing book checkout. Nook will also allow downloads from Google books. Kindle does not presently support ePub.
On a side note: nook has only 3 Doctor Who books available, whereas kindle has many more.
Kindle 3 has a 30 day battery life, but the battery is not user replaceable.
So which one? I am still deciding myself. The nook color is tempting.
The one thing no one has mentioned is book formats. Nook supports ePub which is the standard used by libraries allowing book checkout. Nook will also allow downloads from Google books. Kindle does not presently support ePub.
On a side note: nook has only 3 Doctor Who books available, whereas kindle has many more.
Kindle 3 has a 30 day battery life, but the battery is not user replaceable.
So which one? I am still deciding myself. The nook color is tempting.
I've never read a book and thought to myself "If only the words were in color I'd be much happier!" It's an e-reader, not an iPad. The eInk is the killer feature.
B&N put itself up for sale last summer. They were too late to go digital and have been closing stores at a pretty high rate and are winding down operations for all their B. Dalton stores. If Borders wasn't in such bad shape, you'd hear more about B&N ills.
I have a Kindle 3 and love it. It's so much easier on the eyes than my iPad is when reading for extended periods of time, and I would imagine a Nook Color, with its LCD screen would be the same way. The E-Ink really does resemble an actual book.
I think you're mixing things up. I believe it was simply an effort to keep Ron Burkle from taking over. The B. Dalton stores were closed up years and years ago, before the "digital revolution" took place, and I haven't heard of them closing any stores recently - save for a few that were replaced with larger stores right down the road (such as the squirrel hill store being replaced by one roughly 2x the size at the waterfront). Their nook is their best selling product, having sold more units (all 3 types) than any other product, including Harry Potter.
I'm not saying that Barnes and Noble is in great shape, but this time last year Borders owed 90% of its assets to creditors, and Barnes and Noble had millions in the bank. I wouldn't base my e-book reader off of fear that the company will disappear anytime soon.
And OP, I wouldn't get a nook color. The nook or kindle are what you want to consider, as the nook color's LCD screen has a refresh rate that, after reading for a few hours, can strain the eyes much like an iPad can.
It's pretty straightforward to convert an ePub into .mobi format (the Kindle format) using something like Calibre (http://calibre-ebook.com/)
That only works for non DRM books. True that DRM can be stripped out, although that is technically illegal.
As for the Nook Color, it is not the same as the iPad. It has a special anti-glare coating to make it easier on the eyes. The color option is for magazines and childrens' books. It can also be rooted like any other Android device.
Even so, I am also leaning towards the Kindle 3. Great price and 30 days battery life.
B&N is losing money, while better off then Borders which is on life support, people are not buying books in their stores any more and Amazon is eating their lunch in the online arena. While the nook may have some better specs (color), I'd say go with the kindle.
Nook and Kindle are great for reading books only. If I was gonna buy a reader it would be an ipad cause I want it for more than reading books. My wife drags a macbook with her, but she is drooling for an ipad so she can leave the MB home when we travel.
You can think that but look at a lot of people on these boards who own both. They have repeated multiple time they find themselve reading books on their kindle more than the iPad because it is easier on the eyes.
I got a Kindle 3 for Christmas and have burn threw 10 bucks since then.
I will say the 30 day battery life is not all there if you are heavy readier. I can go about little over a week with the wifi off but I am also being a very heavy reader reading hours each day because of all my free time. That being said it is not like I ever worry about the battery. If the low power warning comes on while I am reading I just keep going until I reach a stopping point and then proceed to charge it.
That's was just my opinion. Last I heard all you can do with a nook IS read books and I also heard the Kindle browser is substandard so my assertion that they are only good for reading books stands up, I think.
BTW, my wife has a nook but still wants the ipad. If I was going to drag a single device around the more it could do the better at least for me. Make it a phone too! Actually no... 
Kindle 3 all the way. I've had every Kindle since the beginning, and I love my Kindle 3. Best reading device I have ever imagined. Calibre is great for conversions. The Nook Color is a crappy, slow/lagged Android tablet. The original Nook was O.K., but still blown out of the water by the at-the-time competitor of the Kindle 2.
Not to mention Amazon is ten times better than Barnes & Noble in every aspect.
Not to mention Amazon is ten times better than Barnes & Noble in every aspect.
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You have never read a book with photos? I like photography and read a lot of books that are better with color...the same can be said of many art, landscaping, architecture, design, etc..books. the iPad also does magazines, which gives it a major benefit over the Kindle.
That being said, eInk is much better in the sun, so I also have a kindle 3. I picked it over the nook because I like Amazon.
In my opinion kindle 3 is way better than the Nook, Kindle 3 has an improved contrast for a clearer and brighter viewing experience. It also has a massively increased storage with up to 3500 books.
My wife has the Kindle 3, while I have the Kindle 2, and there's definitely a big difference in the contrast. Not that mine is bad, but hers is quite a bit better, and if the Nook still has the older display technology, I'd buy the Kindle for that reason alone.