Pun intended. What are your thoughts on this? An article from a newly favorite blog of mine, The Droid Guy, started me thinking.
As a tech lover, I hate to see my beloved NOOKcolor cast as the villain in this story (yeah, ok, another pun). Did e-books have a role in Borders’ demise? Sure they did. But I think it all started with Amazon and their super low prices plus fabulously free shipping on books. And then they introduced the Kindle which hurt the big brick & mortar stores even more.
I really thought Barnes & Noble was going down too until the Nook and Nook Color came out. Maybe it was the integration with their physical bookstores that saved them, it seems to be a completely genius idea to run in-store deals on the Nook. But before this, they were in just as much trouble as Borders. Big chains with big prices (I rarely got a deal when I bought paperbacks) just doesn’t equal surviving a troubled economy.
There are plenty of people that still read physical books. Like The Droid Guy, I too had the initial reaction of “I like my books! My library is heaven!” and then I got my Sony e-ink reader when I was pregnant (imagine: one handed reading while soothing or feeding an infant!) and that was that. But diehard fans won’t convert so easily, so I don’t see physical books ever really becoming extinct.
What do you think, did Borders make a mistake with pricing themselves out of the market or by not jumping on the e-reader band wagon fast enough?
Also, make sure to check out the liquidation dates for your local Borders, some incredible deals are just waiting to be had.
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What a coincidence that I run into this blog post of yours! I’m writing about Borders too, related to book printing. I think the e-readers are partly responsible for Borders closing, but can never replace the feel of having a gripping novel in your hands. Also as a Mom I can’t imagine my son learning to read on a screen! I stare at a screen enough, when I read I want an escape from all that! Although I guess I should also consider that it might be more environementaly-friendly since it saves trees, less shipping, etc. Glad to connect with another local blogger!
Thanks for your response. I love my Nook Color and my son’s favorite book is on it, which makes bed time reading a lot easier in low to no light settings. But I agree that I can’t imagine him not having any physical books. We make sure he has and uses both. I myself don’t see a difference in my ability to escape into a book whether it’s a paperback or on my Nook. But my mom has mentioned a lack of interest in her books since switching to the Nook. It’s not for everyone! 🙂