Problems reading in store with original Nook wifi

[dom62]

For several months there has been a problem with the "read in store" function on original Nooks in my local B&N store. The in-store "experts" always apologize. Sometimes they call tech support and tell me it is a "known issue." Sometimes they say that someone will be coming to work on the store network, but the problem never gets resolved.
There should be an option to trade in the old Nook for a discount on the new version if the old one isn't being supported.

[Zeeker]

I would like to know how high up in B&N the issue is "known".  N1E owners have been reporting the problem for months (even before the tablet was introduced).  The customer service techs I have spoken with do not acknowledge a known problem.  They blame it on an individual nook and not the network.  They will send you a replacement nook, but the same problem exists on the replacement (and you have to transfer all your wallpapers, screensavers and side-loads ... on and re-register).  Makes you wonder if all nooks will not be supported after a two year lifespan.

[ColoKid]

I have had the same problem with my original Nook.  I have made at least 5 visits to my local B & N, and was only able to read in store once, and even then it took about a minute to turn the page.  Today I spent about an hour with the store staff trying to figure it out.  Even some of the display units where unable to read in store.  I can down load samples.  While my Nook is trying to open the book, it displays the book title on the top line, but then nothing happens until it ultimately shows an error message. 

The store manager called the B & N help desk, and they came up with three possible solutions. 1) remove the memory card I added, which I did but it had no effect. 2) Reboot the Nook, again with no change. 3) Reset to factory settings, which I am willing to do since it will remove everything on the unit, including books I have downloaded from other sources. Further reading on the web indicates that this is a well known problem which B & N is unwilling to acknowledge.

Since B & N advertises the ability to read in store, and sells their product partially based on that advertising, that they have a responsibilty to fix the problem or drop the ads.  Continuing to advertise a feature that is not available is not right.  Since we all have to register our Nook with B & N, including our e-mail address, they should send out a notice to all the affected unit owners advising of the problem, and their proposed solution.

Given this type of customer support, it is difficult to want to buy another Nook, or to recommend one.

[Doug_Pardee Distinguished Bibliophile]

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ColoKid wrote:

I have had the same problem with my original Nook.

 ...

Since B & N advertises the ability to read in store, and sells their product partially based on that advertising, that they have a responsibilty to fix the problem or drop the ads.

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To be picky, B&N hasn't advertised the NOOK 1st Edition for quite some time now.

[dom62]

Today the manager at the local B&N said I can now trade my old Nook in for a new Nook Simple Touch and get a $50 gift card. I guess I will have to do that.

[Zeeker]

So is B&N admitting that the "read in store" feature will never again work on any 1st edition nook?

(I have tried 3 times this week at two different stores and no read in store.  Staff even tried a couple nooks from a back room and they didn't work either.)

[RHWright]

While it may suck, and kinda leave a bad taste in the mouth...

The fact the B&N has discontinued support way mean that certain features that might, uh, require B&N's continued support, like read in store, may cease working permanently at some point. (This could be the problem and B&N just doesn't want to kick the hornet's nest by admitting it.)

It also could mean, I hate to say, certain other off-device functions might cease working as well at some point. Including: 3G service, all that stuff in The Daily, syncing with My NOOK, and even the ability to shop from the device. As changes happen to the site and the overall current NOOK architecture evolves, that lack of continued support could mean the older device becomes incompatible in many ways with what is current.

Disturbing to think that a 2-year-old, functional device may soon be obsolete, but I guess that's the 21st century for you. Personally, I'm still waiting for my own personal jet pack.

[Zeeker]

Although B&N may not be promoting the 1st Edition any longer, they did state that it would continue to be supported.  They also DO promote the read in store feature.  If they stop providing that feature to one variant of nook, how would someone not believe that it will happen to another? ... maybe the color next?

[dom62]

I did buy the new Simple Touch, and I'm having similar problems with it. I was able to read a couple books for a few minutes in the store last week. But every time I return to the store and try to read those books, it tells me my hour for that day has expired and that I can "come back tomorrow and continue reading it.". The tech support in the store is nonexistent. They have no idea what is wrong. I'm thinking of demanding my money back.

[vlcowley]

I just got back from a very frustrating time at B&N. I tried to use the read in store feature on my Nook WiFi and even though I should have been able to access books in the store I kept getting a network error message. The past 3 times I have been at the store I have only been able to use the read in store feature once. This time I talked to the nook person on staff and he called their tech support. He was promptly told by them that B&N no longer supports the Nook WiFi. I purchased my nook a year ago and already no support and one of the features that convinced me to by the Nook over the Kindle doesn't work! I will think twice about purchasing anything from B&N again. I definitely will not be purchasing a Nook ever again.

[kathybaug]

Sometime in the past 3 weeks, the Read In Store feature started working for my Nook1E.  Hope others have had this happen for them, too.  But I thought I would report a success.

Of course, now I can't access my Nook wish list as of today, but that's a different problem.  Probably