By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.com
December 22, 2009
Some people expecting a Barnes and Noble Nook in their stocking Christmas morning will find a $100 gift certificate instead. The company says supply problems are worse than expected.
Barnes and Noble was already struggling to produce the new e-reader, a competitor to Amazon.com's Kindle. However, it had assured early buyers that it could deliver the devices before the holidays. Those who ordered and were promised delivery by December 24, but won't get the Nook, will receive a voucher for use on the Barnes and Noble Web site.
The book retailer says only "a very small percentage" of early Nook buyers won't getting it on time.
The Nook has been plagued with production delays since the beginning. In fact, the company said consumers who ordered it on Black Friday, the official start of the holiday shopping season, wouldn't receive it in time for the holidays. However, those who ordered it October 20 were promised a pre-Christmas delivery.
But supply problems appear to have worsened. A message on the Barnes and Noble Web site says orders placed today will be delivered in February. Retail stores have only demonstration models for customers to inspect.
Both the Nook and Kindle retail for $259 and the average e-book will run around $9.99. Unfortunately though, Barnes & Noble members won't get their usual 10 percent discount on e-books or Nook itself. The company said the unit is already priced as low as production costs will allow.
Besides books, Nook features an mp3 player and "The Daily," a feature on Nook's touchscreen that gives users instant access to a variety of online content like articles and news updates.
Like the Kindle, Nook allows readers to view newspaper and magazine articles, though with only limited illustrations and lacking most of the design elements that make print versions more aesthetically appealing.
Perhaps Nook's most distinguishing feature is "LendMe," which gives users the ability to share an e-book for up two weeks with someone else. E-books can be sent to another Nook or to an iPhone, iPod touch or any home computer with the Barnes & Noble e-reader software.
The lending feature can only be used once per book and won't be available on all titles.
Nook users will also have the ability to enter any Barnes & Noble retail store and view a selection of e-books for up to one hour. This "try before you buy" model could be Nook's biggest selling point to consumers. The company likes it because it requires users to actually be in the store, increasing the chances theyll buy something.
