[Marketing] Competitive Landscape: Barnes & Noble launches Android-based "nook" e-reader device and MP3 player; "Kindle killer"; Adobe DRM

[Sean DALY]

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/
http://www.nook.com


This is an excellent opportunity to study B&N's marketing and learn
what their market studies analysis and focus groups have found
concerning eBook perception in consumers. Remember however that their
target market is not ours, although there is surely overlap
(well-to-do parents and teachers who love to read, geeky teachers
interested in the budding eBook reader gadget segment).


I already notice the terms "eBook", no hyphen, capital B; this echos
Apple's product marketing, and seems to me to be preferable to "ebook"
or "e-book" or "e-Book" or "E-book". And, they are calling Epub
"EPUB", probably to differentiate the format from commercial products,
and to equate the format with "PDF" in importance.

When a media launch is done six weeks before street availability, you
know they are scrambling for purchase intention before the holiday
season.

"Thousands of free eBooks: From Treasure Island to Pride & Prejudice,
download thousands of free titles."

They are leveraging their retail presence by offering free wifi eBook
browsing in-store.

EPub and PDF formats.

There is a 14-day "lending" function to nooks or other devices, which
means DRM, confirmed in joint Adobe PR describing the Adobe Reader
Mobile software development kit (SDK) and use of Adobe Content Server.