Gawdzilla wrote:Coito ergo sum wrote:Gawdzilla wrote:Single-purpose. You say that like it's a good thing.
Oh, and the tremendous weight of a net book certain isn't a point in my favor, fer shure.
It is, actually. Most folks who own an ereader only want it for the purpose of reading books. That's why they like the screen to be in black-and-white mimicking a book.
I didn't say the netbook had tremendous weight. It is simply bulkier than an ereader, and as I mentioned you can't lay on the couch or in bed and read a netbook like you do an ereader, and it's much better to read an ereader on the beach than it is to read a netbook on the beach. And, if one is traveling on a plane, one can toss the ereader in one's carryon easily.
Single-purpose is not a selling point, it's a handicap.
It would be a handicap if the advantage of the e-ink, non-back-lit screen were present in a multifunction device. I.e., if an ipad or a tablet can also have an e-ink screen, then you would be correct. However, multifunction devices lack the one function that a Nook actually provides: a paper-like screen. You may have a device with as many functions as a swiss army knife has tools, but it doesn't do what a Nook does.
Gawdzilla wrote:
So far you have "beach" and "bright sunshine" (ergo, rather redundant) in the advantage column. The netbook we have here weights twice what a Nook does, and still comes in under five pounds. BFD.
Weight: a Nook weighs about 12 ounces. Most netbooks weigh almost 3 times that.
Weight is not the only, or even the primary, issue. Bulk - volume - is also an issue. A Nook is the same size as a book, which is what people are buying the Nook to replace. That's why it's easier to transport - you just put it in a carryon, whereas a netbook has to be its own carryon.
Yes, beach and bright lighted spaces are advantages.
However, you have ignored the advantages of reading while laying on the couch and while laying in bed - you can read a Nook EXACTLY like you would read a book. That's what the Nook is for - replacing a book. A netbook is something you have to place on a flat surface or put in your lap and sit up. Lots of people recline or lay down when they read books.
Cost: the current Nook costs $99 and a Kindle about $114. The new Nook costs $139. The Nook is the price of 4 hardback new releases, or 10 or so paperpacks. Most ebooks cost about 1/3 of what the paper price is. If someone is an avid reader, the thing pays for itself in a matter of months. Plus, you can back up your library just like a music library.
A netbook, on the other hand typically has no CD holder, and has limited memory and storage capacity. It falls short of the functionality of even a crappy laptop, and doesn't do what a Nook or a Kindle e-ink device does. They aren't comparable devices. When a tablet gets e-ink capability, then you'd have a point, because then that tablet would be able to do what the Nook does, plus other things.
Your argument is basically this:
You: "You bought that coffee maker? Bah! That's lame, all it does is make coffee! Look here! I have this food processor that can slice, dice, grind, mince, pulverize and even make julian fries!"
Me: "But, ummm... your food processor doesn't make coffee..."
You: "Yeah, but your stupid coffee maker ONLY makes coffee. Mine can slice, dice, grind, mince, pulverize and make fries!"
Me: "But, umm... I don't want my coffee maker to do those things."
You: "Your device is stupid."
