Wednesday, October 21, 2009

We Know You're Here

Already literary agents are putting all advertising for Barnes & Noble's e-reader in the bin. A reading device that can't handle Word documents is worthless to those who earn their keep with words.

Anyone who values their privacy will not be keen to purchase a Nook either.

Barnes & Noble will know when you enter one of their shops.

Combining free WiFi with marketing, Big Reading Brother will zap your Nook with sample chapters the minute you wander into the shop. You wouldn't want to be carrying your Nook if you were a hit man on your way to a job near a Barnes & Noble. One subpoena and your movements would be traced as easily as that.

The suits at Barnes & Noble will tell you it's a brilliant thing, to be able to read the opening of a new book that's not to be laid down for another month, and you'd be the first. Why, there'd be coupons and such dumped into your Nook, and that's all to the good, the marketing department is proclaiming. Never mind the creepiness factor, that your electronic reading device is being used to spy on you.

As for lending e-books, the publishers don't like that at all, even if Nook users can share one title with one friend just the one time. It's one thing to do that with a hard copy that costs $24.99 and quite another to do so with an e-book that's going for $8.99.

Still, the device will store 17,000 books, and that's enough reading material to last a lifetime.

Just don't carry the thing around if you don't want B&N to know where you are.

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