The e-book reader price wars

I feel bad for our intrepid Shaft, the first of our number to step up and purchase an e-book reader – the B&N Nook. In e-book land, the sky is falling. Last week Barnes and Noble announced a price reduction from $259 to $159 and a new Wi-Fi Nook for $149. This in turn led to Amazon lowering the price of its Kindle from $259 to $189. That’s a chunk of change. Borders has a $149 reader – the Kobo – and will be rolling out another reader that will sell for $119. Amazon and Barnes and Nobble are both offering store credit to the customers it just screwed over with these moves. It seems inevitable that the sub $100 e-reader is only a matter of time. I’m waiting for the bottom to fall out.

Books | Tim | June 24, 2010 10:04 am

5 Comments

By Jim Randolph, June 24, 2010 @ 10:12 am

The bottom is falling out because of tablet computers. Who is going to want to buy an e-reader when they can buy a tablet computer that can do the same thing and surf the web and hold all of their pictures and music and a bunch of other stuff? Either these e-readers will start adding things or they’ll blow away as more tablet computers come out.
By Shaft, June 24, 2010 @ 7:45 pm

So they’re giving refunds/credits? I’ll have to mosey on down to one of them there terrestrial book-selling places and inquire.
By Dani in NC, June 24, 2010 @ 8:44 pm

Even at the current price drops, an e-reader doesn’t interest me. However, if I could get one under $100 I would consider getting one for the house. I have four kids and several of their required books for class have been available as free e-books. They would love to read them on a device they could hold on their laps that has a bigger screen than my Palm Centro .
By Len, June 25, 2010 @ 1:10 pm

I agree with Jim. The iPad, in particular, has made the whole e-reader concept irrelevant.
By Gary Ponzo, June 27, 2010 @ 5:38 pm

With everything these smart phones can do, who needs an extra piece of equipment to check my email? I’ll probably get the Kindle because it’s not backlit and I’m on a computer all day as it is, I don’t need another computer to read recreationally. Just my thoughts. I’m sure everyone’s going to have one type or another within 3 years.