Barnes & Noble, Microsoft ink $300M deal on e-reading

[AlanNJ Inspired Bibliophile]

This is a major deal regarding the Nook's future!

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57423957-75/barnes-noble-microsoft-ink-$300m-deal-on-e-reading/

[sirwillard]

<snark>Maybe now we'll get a WP7 app.</snark>

On a less snarky bent, this sounds like a win/win for a lot of people. It could put some real pressure on Amazon when B&N has this sort of backing from Microsoft. From Microsoft's side of things, this gives them a major in for competing against the iPad with Windows RT.

[keriflur]

This deal makes me a little ill.  The last thing I want is MS coming in and "fixing" the nook.  They leave quite a bit to be desired in their design skills, IMO, and they aren't any better at testing their software than B&N is.

If the next nook is built on a Windows platform rather than Android, they'll lose me as a customer.

[MacMcK1957]

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keriflur wrote:

This deal makes me a little ill.  The last thing I want is MS coming in and "fixing" the nook.  They leave quite a bit to be desired in their design skills, IMO, and they aren't any better at testing their software than B&N is.

If the next nook is built on a Windows platform rather than Android, they'll lose me as a customer.

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I'm just waiting to see how MS will manage to implement the blue screen of death on a black-and-white e-ink display.

[keriflur]

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MacMcK1957 wrote:

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keriflur wrote:

This deal makes me a little ill.  The last thing I want is MS coming in and "fixing" the nook.  They leave quite a bit to be desired in their design skills, IMO, and they aren't any better at testing their software than B&N is.

If the next nook is built on a Windows platform rather than Android, they'll lose me as a customer.

---

I'm just waiting to see how MS will manage to implement the blue screen of death on a black-and-white e-ink display.

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It will be the new and improved grey screen of death.

[sirwillard]

Steve Wozniak doesn't agree, saying WP7 has a much better design than Android. If you haven't actually used a WP7 device I might suggest setting aside your preconcieved notions and check it out. Windows 8 on the desktop might not work out so well, but on tablets it's going to be very well received.

[keriflur]

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sirwillard wrote:

Steve Wozniak doesn't agree, saying WP7 has a much better design than Android. If you haven't actually used a WP7 device I might suggest setting aside your preconcieved notions and check it out. Windows 8 on the desktop might not work out so well, but on tablets it's going to be very well received.

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My notions aren't preconceived, they're based on the design, and by that I mean visual design, not usability.  IMO it's ugly.

I've also seen the new screens of Windows 8 and IMO design-wise it's a step back.  I like clean design, not clutter.

FWIW, it's in Steve Wozniak's best interest to say he prefers WP7 over Android - the market share of WP is so low that an increase over there won't hurt Apple, but Android is killing them in market share.  So, of course he likes WP.

[keriflur]

I just saw this:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57423980-93/microsoft-deal-allows-b-n-to-go-toe-to-toe-with-amazon-...

CNET proposes the new company should be called "Nooksoft".  I personally prefer "Micronook".

The article also mentions that B&N (or "Micronook") is planning to go international.

[sirwillard]

I'm fine with differences of opinion, but I do have some problems with saying Metro is not clean. There's far more clutter in a sea of icons and 3d drop shadows everywhere.

Also, Google has borrowed a lot of design from Metro in recent Android releases, making you're arguments even less compelling.

*shrug*

[AlanNJ Inspired Bibliophile]

I don't recall anyone saying that MS is going to rewrite the Nook software.  All the article said was that the B&N bookstore will be bundled with Win8 when it is released.

To have a discussion over points that aren't written seems like a waste of time to me but for those of you who want to discuss unproven conjecture have a good time.

[keriflur]

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sirwillard wrote:

I'm fine with differences of opinion, but I do have some problems with saying Metro is clean. There's far more clutter in a sea of icons and 3d drop shadows everywhere.

Also, Google has borrowed a lot of design from Metro in recent Android releases, making you're arguments even less compelling.

*shrug*

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What's metro?  I don't know what it is so I don't think it's possible I said it was clean, LOL.

FWIW, I use Windows 7 with all the home screen icons hidden and a hidden taskbar, so when I don't have any apps open the only thing visible on my screen is my background.  You really can't get more clean than that, LOL.

[sirwillard]

Metro is the "design language" of WP7, the product you knocked for not being clean.

Ah... just saw the confusion. Wozniak was commenting on WP7 (that is, Window Phone 7) not Windows 7. So I assume you don't have experience with WP7. So I'll again suggest you try it out before dismissing the ability of Microsoft to produce good UI design.

[rafalweb]

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MacMcK1957 wrote:

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keriflur wrote:

This deal makes me a little ill.  The last thing I want is MS coming in and "fixing" the nook.  They leave quite a bit to be desired in their design skills, IMO, and they aren't any better at testing their software than B&N is.

If the next nook is built on a Windows platform rather than Android, they'll lose me as a customer.

---

I'm just waiting to see how MS will manage to implement the blue screen of death on a black-and-white e-ink display.

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On the other hand, Microsoft was the best thing that ever happened to Skype, for instance.  So maybe that success will rub off here?   I will be interested to see how this is all executed.

[keriflur]

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sirwillard wrote:

Metro is the "design language" of WP7, the product you knocked for not being clean.

Ah... just saw the confusion. Wozniak was commenting on WP7 (that is, Window Phone 7) not Windows 7. So I assume you don't have experience with WP7. So I'll again suggest you try it out before dismissing the ability of Microsoft to produce good UI design.

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No, I was saying that WP7 is ugly.  You read it right the first time.  I don't like the boxes.  I don't like the icons in the boxes.

What I was referring to as a step back was Windows 8 for PC (which looks like Windows Phone 7), as opposed to Windows 7 for PC, which feels a lot cleaner b/c I can do all my nav via pull-ups and drop-downs.  I think that's what caused the confusion.

For my phone I use Android, alternating btw skinned vanilla gingerbread and sense 3.5, but I don't keep any icons on my home screen in either launcher, just a very clean clock and weather widget.  No drop shadows or the rest of it.  I like that having nothing is an option.

I don't doubt that the user experience is good on WP7.  I've seen it in action, and I know that apps are easy access.  I just don't like that look of it, and as a visual person, that's a big deal to me.

BUT... we're OT, and most likely at an impass.  So, what do you think of  B&N going international?  Any ideas for a good name for the new company?

And, do you think the partnership/spinn-off will inspire confidence that the nook is here to stay?  I do.

Also, as MS is much more of a closed system, what do you think that means for rooting prospects of future nooks?

[gb18]

"Also, as MS is much more of a closed system, what do you think that means for rooting prospects of future nooks?"

If it's as easy as putting Linux on a Windows machine, a piece of cake; even easier than rooting is currently.  Dual, triple, or more systems to boot into!

[AlanNJ Inspired Bibliophile]

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sirwillard wrote:

Metro is the "design language" of WP7, the product you knocked for not being clean.

Ah... just saw the confusion. Wozniak was commenting on WP7 (that is, Window Phone 7) not Windows 7. So I assume you don't have experience with WP7. So I'll again suggest you try it out before dismissing the ability of Microsoft to produce good UI design.

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It may be a beautiful interface but so far it's failing in the marketplace.  LG, the first vendor to commit to making WP7 phones has just pulled out as they are not making enough money.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/04/30/businessinsidermicrosofts-first-win.DTL

[Loyd]

I think this alliance with Microsoft is necessary and the future of the Nook with a MS OS is inevitable. Sure, the money B&N gets will be helpful but let's face it, Google makes Android and Google is in the book business. They're B&N's competitor. It doesn't seem to make sense to me for any company to rely on a competitor for an essential and critical part of their business. I just hope the file system gets improved when they implement the change to Microsoft.

[sirwillard]

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AlanNJ wrote:

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sirwillard wrote:

Metro is the "design language" of WP7, the product you knocked for not being clean.

Ah... just saw the confusion. Wozniak was commenting on WP7 (that is, Window Phone 7) not Windows 7. So I assume you don't have experience with WP7. So I'll again suggest you try it out before dismissing the ability of Microsoft to produce good UI design.

---

It may be a beautiful interface but so far it's failing in the marketplace.  LG, the first vendor to commit to making WP7 phones has just pulled out as they are not making enough money.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/04/30/businessinsidermicrosofts-first-win.DTL

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It's too early to say it's failing, IMHO (the Lumia 900 was the top selling phone at Amazon for a while and still holds the 6th place, and still holds the first place for top rated phone on Amazon). In any case, I wasn't arguing about the success or failure. There are a million reasons why WP may fail even if the design is great. All I was pointing out was that in general, pundits have had nothing but good things to say about the design. Even those who want Microsoft to fail and don't like them as a company have been (begrudgingly) admiting that the design is nice.

[Sun_Cat]

It looks to me as if the investment is more about selling content -- getting a Nook app with Nook bookstore onto Win8 devices, for example -- than it is about selling Nook devices or changing the direction of dedicated Nook device development. Nothing was mentioned about the latter in the announcement. But it did say that as part of the deal MSFT is dropping its lawsuit against B&N alleging patent infringement in using the Android OS. That clears the way for further unimpeded Android development.

[Loyd]

You are probably right. I discovered an article in the Washington Post where they quote the B&N CEO saying it has nothing to do with the Nook. Here's part of what he said:

"Lynch said that the Nook’s use of Android “doesn’t really relate to this partnership at all,” emphasizing that this is a content partnership that does not have an effect on the Nook device itself. He also said that analysts and investors should have “no concerns” that the bookseller is looking to separate itself from its retail operation."

The Post article suggested that B&N stores will sell Microsoft products in the future and that the deal will extend the Nook bookstore worldwide.

The article is here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/barnes-and-noble-shares-surge-on-microsoft-deal/20...