The End of Books As We Know Them...

[News Hound]

"Digital Divide Propels Barnes & Noble Past Rival," by LYNN NEARY

The digital divide has created a chasm between the nation's two biggest bookstore chains: While Borders is trying to hold off bankruptcy, Barnes & Noble announced Thursday its best holiday sales season in more than a decade.

"Thrilled" was the word Barnes & Noble Chief Financial Officer Joseph Lombardi used to describe the mood at his company. Holiday sales at BarnesAndNoble.com were up 78 percent over last year; store sales increased by almost 10 percent. While sales of hardcover books were better than expected, Lombardi made it clear that Barnes & Noble's popular e-readers, the Nook and the Nook Color, were behind the good news.

"We made a big decision to invest a lot of money this year in developing the hardware and software that has become Nook, and we think we've done the right thing," Lombardi said. "And I think what this holiday season has proven is that our customers believe in us, and they believe in our product, and we've proven that we can do it — and I think that's been the most satisfying thing coming out of this holiday for our company."

James McQuivey, an analyst at Forrester Research, says the Nook is a popular reading device, but selling it at the chain's stores gives Barnes & Noble an added advantage.

How have digital books effected your reading habits?

By the way... look forward to Boarder Books to become "Amazon" outlet shops with in the next few months or years.

[AeroDillo]

Not at all. They can have my paper when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.

[Orc4hire]

It's actually not clear at all that ebooks are the difference. Borders has been very poorly managed in many ways, such as using profits to buy back stock to drive up the price, rather than use it to pay down debt, and locking in long term lease rates at the height of the real estate market bubble, so their lease costs account for a relatively huge part of their revenue. (About 20%, compared to an average of about 6% for strip malls and 12% for premium locations.)

Poor management and high expenses trump a low margin niche market product.

[Blackthorn]

Not at all. They can have my paper when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.

Ditto. I'm retro enough to believe that it's way more convenient to get my reading from something that doesn't require batteries and will still work during power failures. This is like saying pills will replace pizza someday.

[n11pilot]

Not at all. They can have my paper when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.

Ditto. I'm retro enough to believe that it's way more convenient to get my reading from something that doesn't require batteries and will still work during power failures. This is like saying pills will replace pizza someday.

Make that three. There is a pleasure in holding a book while reading that cannot be duplicated by Kindle or I-Pads. Besides going to a bokstore is like a treasure hunt, especially a used bookstore. I'm sure that the magic tablets have a place but they will never replace books in my life.


Mmmmmmmmmmmm! Pizza!

[Bendingoak]

I say save a tree and a heck of a lot of space.

[MacFett]

Reading? Is that what I'm suppose to be doing between working and more working? Oh yeah and video games?

[davidg]

I say save a tree and a heck of a lot of space.

I don't have a kindle or some such, but for years I've downloaded stuff to my Palm pilot.. books and articles that (sooner or later) I read, and pulp stuff that I just can't find in print. It works for me, but an actual book with cover and pages is almost like company.. and don't even get me started on the wonderful scent of book mold wafting the air in an old store or library!

[Bendingoak]

I wouldn't get rid of every book I own but most of them. Yes. If I turn all my books over to digital like I did my movies. I would gain a whole room.

[The Oracle]

I have a difficult time with digital books. I guess it is in my head, but I like the idea of sitting with a hardback cover. Unfortunately, they do take up space and I can't seem to rid myself of any that I have read. So, one question for those who do use digital books, I find that my eyes strain after a long period of looking at the computer screen, do you feel the same looking at a kendel or what ever you have as you do after a long time on the computer?

[Cousi]

I've wanted a Nook or Kindle for a long time now, but its not financially feasible. I'm not sure they'll ever replace books and I'm not sure I'd want them to. I like the feel of a book but I'm too much of a geek not to want to at least try an e-reader.

[Bill]

I had a govt.meeting of my committee the other night and following it was another meeting.
The town librarian was a guest. One of the subjects she discussed was the evolution of the library. They recently purchased 9 Nooks that people can check out. Each was loaded up with 29 of the most recent best sellers. Long list already to check them out.

As cool as these things are I still like to turn a page.

[Blackthorn]

I don't really read books anyway.

I just like to circle words that I recognize (if they're small words).

[n11pilot]

I don't really read books anyway.

I just like to circle words that I recognize (if they're small words).

Wise a$$!

[Lost Sailer]

There just one more thing that is slowly stealing the important fabric of our lives away from us...