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Topic: Amazon

Barnes & Noble chops $25 off price of Nook Color

Summary: Is a $25 price drop enough to save the Nook?

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

By for Hardware 2.0 |

In what I'm assuming is in response to Amazon's revamped Kindle lineup, Barnes and Noble is cutting the price of its Nook Color ebook reader by $25 for new customers.

Shortly after Amazon's press event, this email started landing in the inboxes of Barnes & Noble customers:

If the $25 isn't enough to tempt you, then what about the free shipping?

Personally, I think that Amazon has set the price bar for ebook readers and and tablets that all OEMs (except Apple) will now have to limbo under. Some will find ways to cut corners, other won't. A $25 cut off the Nook really isn't enough.

Amazon's stolen the Holidays from Barnes & Noble.

[UPDATE: A Barnes and Noble PR representative tells me that this promo has been 'been offered for some time to new members'.]

Topics: Amazon, Apple, Tablets

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17 comments
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  • RE: Barnes & Noble chops $25 off price of Nook Color

    They have been running this deal in store for several weeks. My wife got a Nook Color almost three weeks ago and received this offer.
    Gungnir
    Reply Vote

  • This article is very incomplete

    In what way has Amazon set the bar? Because of price alone? There have been other sub-$200 Android based tablets that sunk like lead because they were underpowered and lacking in capabilities and based on old versions of Android, not to mention not compatible with the Android Market. The Kindle Fire is underpowered and lacking in capabilities and based on an old version of Android, not to mention not compatible with the Android Market.

    The only thing that could possible save them is brand name recognition, but this is the first time they've entered this particular market, so they don't even have name recognition for this market. Apple is able to get away with having that kind of name brand recognition across new markets because they've proven they can, but Amazon hasn't earned that distinction yet.
    Michael Kelly
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Barnes & Noble chops $25 off price of Nook Color

      @Michael Kelly
      People who buy gadgets because of specs are high end consumers or techies/geeks. People who buy gadgets for content totally disagree with that. I think Amazon wil penetrate into that market. They have the complete ecosystem from content to cloud infrastructure. I think they covered their bases unlike rest of the Android tablet makers both highend and lowend.
      Ram U
      Reply Vote

      • WOW!

        @Rama.NET .. i actually agree with the RAMA .. for once!

        (... the stars must be out of alignment)
        thx-1138_
        Reply Vote

      • Yeah, Amazon makes it easy to buy things

        @Rama.NET I have been impressed with everything they do. I have gradually been won over to their Kindle, Cloud Drive, Android App Store, Prime, and will probably end up using this too.
        otaddy
        Reply Vote

  • RE: Barnes & Noble chops $25 off price of Nook Color

    $224 for NEW members. Existing members? $299.
    jbach67
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Barnes & Noble chops $25 off price of Nook Color

      @jbach67 $249. There's no reason it'd be more expensive for existing members than it would be for anyone not enrolled in the program to begin with.
      albrecht_letao
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Barnes & Noble chops $25 off price of Nook Color

    Thats not enough.
    Ram U
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Barnes & Noble chops $25 off price of Nook Color

    That is not a new deal, since mid-June new members have been getting $25 off. AND since August current members have been getting $25 coupons via e-mail and mail, was select at first, but more and more have been receiving these coupons now.

    So.. This is -not- B&N's response to Kindle Fire, the advertising for this offer might increase yes, but this isn't anything new. I wouldn't be surprised if a $50-$60 price drop, for everyone, is announced, along with the $25 discount to new members or the coupon to current members.
    basil232
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Barnes & Noble chops $25 off price of Nook Color

    Rumors are a new Nook Color is coming. This is also a good way to move what's left in inventory.
    ivelbow@...
    Reply Vote

    • No, a good move would have been

      @ivelbow@... to drop the price down by between $50 to $100. As others have already alluded to, this is effectively too little, too late, by Barnes & Noble.
      thx-1138_
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Barnes & Noble chops $25 off price of Nook Color

        @thx-1138_@...
        +1
        Ram U
        Reply Vote

  • Considering their current status...

    ...the real question is whether B&N will survive. Borders is already gone, and B&N is dancing on the precipice.
    itpro_z
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Barnes & Noble chops $25 off price of Nook Color

    They have almost 2 months before they have to drop the price further but that isn't going to matter because B&N will not have nearly as many features to leverage as Amazon.
    slickjim
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Barnes & Noble chops $25 off price of Nook Color

    Page One of "ebooks for brain-dead retards*" says: only buy what is supported. Since the Nook is not for sale to Australia, I guess I'm forced to buy from Amazon.

    *Calling readers "dummies" helps to sell books, even while insulting the buyers. This title is the logical extension of that strategy.
    alan_r_cam
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Barnes & Noble chops $25 off price of Nook Color

    Well the nook color seems like it is more of a compete tablet. Because the kindle is a device based around Amazon content. Where nook is a full tablet. Atleast that is what it seems like from the preliminary reviews of the kindle fire.
    Jimster480
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Barnes & Noble chops $25 off price of Nook Color

    That add is not a new promotion with B&N. Notice that the $25 off is for new Members (a $25 fee for 12 months anyway). They have been running the $25 off one Nook Color (or $10 off the other Nook?) once per year per new member since like June. It's not a response.

    In terms of pressure? Absolutely. The Fire (from it's specs) will leave Nook color owners jealous. First thing is the dual-core processor which will undoubtedly run much more efficient than the Nook Color does in the media arena. Second, is Amazon built it's app store prior to launch and did it right. It's a pretty hefty selection of good apps. B&N's app store has been lacking in selection, download time, and generally delivering on promises. Third, is the Fire is $199. Unless B&N comes under that price, you're not competing because it's a no-brainer for the consumer. The tablet version and the library ebook borrowing were B&N's competing ammo. They're are both gone. Likewise, Amazon not only released the Fire . . . they released a pretty nice-looking touch eInk ereader that also under-prices the Nook Simple Touch. Amazon's been reacting to B&N for the last 2 years and now they really just turned the tables back around. This will be interesting to see what B&N does.

    Oh, did I also mention that Amazon allows other ereading apps including Kobo's? B&N does not. In my opinion, if B&N was smart they would really get into the tablet business and court Amazon to allow their ereader app on the Fire while allowing the Kindle app on their device.
    bwest2
    Reply Vote
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