[irockster9]

An email to our friends at Barnes and Nobles:

Original Message Follows:
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Hi, I have just recently gotten a Blackberry Playbook for Christmas. So far i love it, but I looked at the app world and couldn't find that there was a Nook App for it (as i know other tablets have a nook app) When can we expect a Nook app? I mean there is a kobo app, but I like to support Barnes and Nobles whenever I can because I love your book stores. Can we expect one soon? Thanks!

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(B&N Response)
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Thank you for writing to us.

We truly appreciate your taking the time to share your feedback. We have forwarded your suggestion to the individuals responsible for NOOK Books for consideration and possible implementation.

If you have any further comments, we invite you to chat with one of our Digital representatives by clicking on this link:

NOOK & NOOK Color Support

Once again, thank you for your email.

Sincerely,

Peter Golmes
Customer Service Representative - Digital Support Barnes & Noble Barnes&Noble - Books, Textbooks, eBooks, Toys, Games, DVDs and More Visit our NOOK Support site for the latest updates and downloads at:
NOOK� - Support - Barnes&Noble

Speaks for itself?

notice how I asked a question

[aaast36]

I enjoy my Kobo apps, on the playbook, and my 9900. Nix the nook, and kick it with Kobo.

[jtokarchuk]

That's your standard corporate answer! Get used to it!

[jcbrunson]

It would be a great idea to get B&N to support the PB in lieu of Amazon. But I'm afraid Kobo is just not the answer. I started a thread on this very subject the other day, link below:

http://forums.crackberry.com/playboo...s-down-682883/

[bounce007]

I enjoy my Kobo apps, on the playbook, and my 9900. Nix the nook, and kick it with Kobo.

Nice little slogan: Nick the Nook! Kick it with Kobo!

[irockster9]

I enjoy my Kobo apps, on the playbook, and my 9900. Nix the nook, and kick it with Kobo.

That'll be great if reality didn't exist. Check out the thread that jcbrunson linked above, and I posted my kobo thumb down there just now http://forums.crackberry.com/playboo...3/#post6986815

That's your standard corporate answer! Get used to it!

I'm actually surprised that I received that response. Barnes and Nobles is no position to be blowing off potential customers. Unlike Amazon, they need us more than we need them. And this is not a standard corporate response, only standard of one that doesn't give a s*

It would be a great idea to get B&N to support the PB in lieu of Amazon. But I'm afraid Kobo is just not the answer. I started a thread on this very subject the other day, link below:

http://forums.crackberry.com/playboo...s-down-682883/

Thanks for the link. I don't see why everyone is trying to fight off B&N. As much as I would love to "kick it with Kobo" it simply doesn't work for me or others. Just because people don't personally like B&N and their products doesn't mean all of us do, and why turn down options? The Playbook is in dire need of support, and getting B&N to support Nook on Playbook would be nothing but a positive.

[jcbrunson]

I can just see the battles going on over at B&N and Amazon between their content wing and tablet wing. Content should want to sell to all platforms (including iOS) and tablets want to close off all access to all other devices to force usage on theirs. Ultimately the consumer loses if their tablet wing wins.

Amazon & B&N have tremendous deals, which is the antithesis of Apple, Sony, and all others that dictate price. We want to support them, and then they go and isolate PB users. How sad.

[TheScionicMan]

It's called an "automated response" and it's quite common. I could email them asking for cookies and I would probably get the same reply email. Doesn't mean your comments aren't going to be noted somewhere, but don't expect a dialogue on every thought you send them...

[Trevante]

I can just see the battles going on over at B&N and Amazon between their content wing and tablet wing. Content should want to sell to all platforms (including iOS) and tablets want to close off all access to all other devices to force usage on theirs. Ultimately the consumer loses if their tablet wing wins.

I disagree with your assessment of the tablet and content wings. Ultimately, B&N and Amazon's goal is to sell content. They make more profit by selling more content, not necessarily by selling hardware. From what I remember, Amazon is actually taking a small loss on the hardware (for the Kindle Fire), so it's in their best interest to sells books to everyone, even if they're not buying the books for a Kindle device. I'm not sure what kind of profit B&N makes on their hardware (if any), but once again, the reason their Nook app is available on iOS and Android is that they make a lot more money selling content to everyone, rather than to a smaller group of individuals that own B&N hardware.

Amazon & B&N have tremendous deals, which is the antithesis of Apple, Sony, and all others that dictate price. We want to support them, and then they go and isolate PB users. How sad.

Actually, it's quite the opposite. RIM has isolated the PlayBook in a way due to its poor sales (which are due to another subset of issues such as lack of marketing).

Overall, it may not be worth B&N's time to make a PlayBook app because there simply aren't enough PlayBook owners. The amount of time, energy, and (most importantly) money it takes to develop an app for a new platform has to be able to promise a good yield (financially and socially) to make it worth it. From what I understand, there are less than 1,000,000 PlayBooks in the hands of consumers, and there are millions and millions of users on iOS and Android. Is it really going to be worth their effort to make an app for a platform that has such a small percentage of the market? Just because it's a new platform, that doesn't necessarily mean it deserves their attention, or even the attention of any other major developer who may not yet want to invest in it.

[anon(2325196)]

i don't need a book app, i just roll around a large barrel full of actual books in front of me everywhere i go, just in case i want to read something

[SCrid2000]

TBH, I don't care for the nook app or the kindle app or the kobo app on my android tab or playbook. IMO, Aldiko beats them all hands down and I wish it was available for the Playbook.

[jcbrunson]

@two515ty - it's the chicken and the egg argument, regarding PB sales. Amazon has a Kindle reader for the BB, and we use it frequently. So it's not totally due to RIM. True, the PB sales might not warrant app dev yesterday... Until we saw Angry Birds show up in appworld. The biggest complaint from the public regarding the PB has been lack of popular apps (not sheer numbers, which is irrelevant). Just like with Angry Birds, the PB will have overcome a huge obstacle when a popular bookreader shows up in appworld.

I will concede this. Apparently we are all missing just how hard and frustrating it is for devs with RIM and qnx. I remember the open letter to RIM from a dev blogger, detailing why he hated RIMs process, devtools, and COST to submit. It got some attn from RIM, but surely late in the game.

Edit - who would have ever thought that the potential savior of the "professional" PB would be a silly game like Angry Birds... how ironic.

[app_Developer]

@two515ty - it's the chicken and the egg argument, regarding PB sales. Amazon has a Kindle reader for the BB, and we use it frequently. So it's not totally due to RIM. True, the PB sales might not warrant app dev yesterday... Until we saw Angry Birds show up in appworld. The biggest complaint from the public regarding the PB has been lack of popular apps (not sheer numbers, which is irrelevant). Just like with Angry Birds, the PB will have overcome a huge obstacle when a popular bookreader shows up in appworld.

I will concede this. Apparently we are all missing just how hard and frustrating it is for devs with RIM and qnx. I remember the open letter to RIM from a dev blogger, detailing why he hated RIMs process, devtools, and COST to submit. It got some attn from RIM, but surely late in the game.

Edit - who would have ever thought that the potential savior of the "professional" PB would be a silly game like Angry Birds... how ironic.

Yes, but porting an immersive game is considerably easier than a book reader would be. The development tools just are not there yet. There aren't even books or classes yet on PB development, and that's step 1 for a lot of lot of developers. I don't know how RIM missed that in their rollout plan.

Anyway, all of this is coming next month I hope.

[jcbrunson]

...snip...
Actually, it's quite the opposite. RIM has isolated the PlayBook in a way due to its poor sales (which are due to another subset of issues such as lack of marketing)...snip...

I definitely think BB6, BB7, QNX dev soup has muddied the waters. If I'm a dev, which one do I commit to and write for? The same issues do not appear to exist with iOS or android dev.

[app_Developer]

I definitely think BB6, BB7, QNX dev soup has muddied the waters. If I'm a dev, which one do I commit to and write for? The same issues do not appear to exist with iOS or android dev.

Well, other companies have had to make transitions like this also. But in hindsight, they announced BBX/10 way too early if we're still almost a year away from shipping devices.

When did they first announce BBX? Wasn't it a year ago or more?

[TheScionicMan]

Well, other companies have had to make transitions like this also.

Examples, please?

[app_Developer]

Examples, please?

Apple had to do it with the Mac. Two huge transitions at once, in fact, dumping their tired old OS in favor of NeXTSTEP/OS X which they bought.

Palm did it twice (obviously not as successfully).

Nintendo's done it a few times now. Commodore. Nokia (remains to be seen if they pull it off).

It happens, sometimes your technology justs get old and needs a reboot. Apple denied it for years with the Mac, and then really screwed up their internal "modernization" ideas, and then screwed up their effort with IBM, but then finally the NeXT acquisition and the complete reboot did it.

[pkcable]

I believe many are simply waiting for 2.0 and android support at which point they will port their android app. I bet kindle and nook will be ported, don't count out Netflix either.

[jcbrunson]

I believe many are simply waiting for 2.0 and android support at which point they will port their android app. I bet kindle and nook will be ported, don't count out Netflix either.

That's great to hear, assuming all is going as well as expected. If RIM misses the OS2 Feb date, we're all gonna hurl in their shoes. In the meantime, I'll be reading _Hunger Games_ today via Cloud Reader on my PB32...

[jcbrunson]

Update on "our friends at B&N":
Barnes & Noble Warns of Loss, Considers Separation of Nook - WSJ.com

Link probably requires a WSJ subscription, so headline reads "Barnes & Noble May Separate Nook Business as Losses Mount".

Maybe launching on the PB would have saved two companies...

[jwn66]

I have no experience with e-readers and am thinking about getting one for my mom and I have a few Q's.

1st, She want's a kobo, if I just get a playbook that has the app instead of a standalone kobo e-reader, I assume the book store is the same between the two.

2nd, Kobo, Nook, Kindle..etc. do they all sell the same books or what? Or is it some stupid thing where one will have stuff the others don't? Or do they all have the same stuff, just it's displayed differently for each style?

[Roscopcoletrain]

I have no experience with e-readers and am thinking about getting one for my mom and I have a few Q's.

1st, She want's a kobo, if I just get a playbook that has the app instead of a standalone kobo e-reader, I assume the book store is the same between the two.

2nd, Kobo, Nook, Kindle..etc. do they all sell the same books or what? Or is it some stupid thing where one will have stuff the others don't? Or do they all have the same stuff, just it's displayed differently for each style?

1. yeah its the same, although a lot of people have had issues buying books directly on the Playbook from the app.

2. Mostly all the same books, but not always. Ive had to wait a few weeks for a book that was released on Amazon to be in the Kobo store.

[anon(3896606)]

Kobo works well for me. Although that just my preference...

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[jwn66]

1. yeah its the same, although a lot of people have had issues buying books directly on the Playbook from the app.

2. Mostly all the same books, but not always. Ive had to wait a few weeks for a book that was released on Amazon to be in the Kobo store.

Guess I'll just get a playbook then since they're all 299 now (groan...)

Er, does kobo work in 2.0 which will happen next month?