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Friday, April 13, 2012

Nook With Light Costs How Much More?

The latest tech news has Barnes & Noble's Nook updated with an internal light to read in the dark.  And the cost for this added feature is an incremental $40.  WHAT?  No outrage, no laughter.  Now I am a big fan of B&N; I love their bookstores and my wife owns a Nook.  Unfortunately, she has gotten so angry with it unable to keep a charge for longer than a few days, even with the wireless off, that she has gone back to print.  Still, I believe it is a terrific device, yet I am moving toward the iPad and Nook app as opposed to an e-reader.

To read that the update model with internal light is priced a whopping $40 bucks more, especially as the non-light devices are even being given away with new newspaper subscriptions, makes me wonder if B&N has thought their pricing strategy through thoroughly. No other changes to the model, no bigger battery, no new screen clarity, just $40 more for a light.  Given our current issues with battery life, a light must lead to more drainage of the battery and an even shorter life per charge.

Will customers flock to the new light emitting device or simply add a clip on light to their device for less than $10?   I think the price point is problematic and I think it will either get people to buy up to the tablet or back down to the basic.  This Nook goes on sale next month so we can only wait and see if there is actual customer demand or not.