An epidemic has struck this generation with increasing vitality—the participation trophy. Otherwise known as the “A for Effort” award given to sports teams or competitors who did not win but still get recognition for making an effort. In order to keep up with these trends and, in light of recent news, it seems fitting to award Barnes & Noble’s NOOK the participation trophy of the e-reader world—because hey, at least you tried.
In an effort to combat Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Microsoft released the original NOOK, a six-inch e-paper display for readers on the go and those who wanted something more convenient than a paperback. However, the life of the NOOK seems to be coming to an end just seven years after its initial introduction to the e-reader market.
On March 15th Barnes & Noble stopped sales on its app and video stores. Now, for those of you who are avid NOOK users, it’s not time to abandon ship—yet. In case you haven’t been bombarded with notifications on your tablet, here’s what is going on.
- In order to watch purchased videos after April 30th you will need to move your files to CinemaNow or Disney Movies Anywhere per instructions issued to you lucky ducks on April 1st.
- If you have any content you have not downloaded to your NOOK yet, do so by May 31st (even that beach read you were saving until June).
- The US digital bookstore is still functioning (as of right now).
- The UK digital bookstore will be transferred to Sainsbury’s, who will issue free copies of purchased materials or digital vouchers for NOOK-users who transfer their accounts.
Even though NOOK is not officially dead yet, it seems the death sentence has been issued and it is just waiting for its execution date. The tablets are now NOOK-branded Samsung tablets with the exception of the final remaining e-reader—the NOOK GlowLight Plus. These last few breathing tablet models include the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 Nook, Samsung Galaxy Tab E NOOK, and Samsung Galaxy 4 NOOK 7.0.
While the NOOK seems to be a failed attempt to compete with Amazon, there are many positive realizations that can come out of this venture. For you avid readers who love the feel of a book in your hands, Barnes & Noble as a store does not appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, they are set to open four new stores. So if you e-book readers decide you want to venture back in time to the age of dinosaurs and reading paperbacks, have no fear, Barnes & Noble will always (hopefully) be there for you to have the immediate justification of being able to hop in your car and pick up a book instantaneously. If you are not willing to part with your modern day technology, keep checking your NOOK for more updates on their changes or use your Kindle or iPad with the great pleasure knowing that their impending death is not so near.
As a Nook owner, I’ve kept an eye on the downfall and await the execution date, while wondering what I should turn to next. Has any Nook owner you know declared what they felt was a good replacement? Kindle may be the first answer that comes to mind, but the file format is entirely different, and I’m not sure how that conversion would work, or how well. Also, for some reason, I’m reluctant to jump the Nook ship and hop on board with Kindle for some reason. Perhaps silly feelings of loyalty? Feeling like a sheep following the masses? Any thoughts on Kobo? Thanks!
As of now, you can still use the Nook to download books. You can also use the Nook app on other devices such as an iPad or iPhone if you like the formatting of your books that way. Otherwise, the jump to a new tablet will be your preference! Think about the format you want and where you tend to do most of your reading. If you find yourself pulling out your reader when you’re outside, Apple products may not be your best bet. The good thing about Kindle is that it is not going anywhere anytime soon, so you will have some peace of mind if you go that route!
I have to agree with Monica – I love my Nook and when I use the Kindle app (sometimes it’s the only format that you can get a book in) it’s just not the same. I hope the book portion of Nooks stay alive – I find myself using my original “Nook Color” as my son is able to still play some video games and watch Netflix on my larger Nook HD Plus (his Nook HD is full and can’t download any Netflix app of any kind presently – and this was last year before all the announcements).