Barnes & Noble sold out of Nook reader until 2010
updated 01:40 pm EST, Fri November 20, 2009
New Nook orders only shipping January 4
Barnes & Noble today signaled that new orders for the Nook reader now won't ship at all in 2009. Those placed today will ship no sooner than January 4th, or more than three weeks after the delay to December 11th. The bookseller hopes to console those missing the Christmas target by giving them a certificate that promises a Nook reader when it ships.
The company has previously attributed the delays to sheer demand, though it mirrors production-related shortages of the Amazon Kindle and makes it difficult to tell whether the sellout directly reflects the popularity of the reader.
Barnes & Noble's device promises to have some technical advantages over the Kindle despite the same official price, particularly its Android foundations and its color touchscreen. It also has limited use of Wi-Fi and removable storage.
The relative popularity regardless of numbers points to a burgeoning e-book market that some have speculated Apple may join in 2010 with its rumored tablet.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2009
Meeting holiday demand
Not being able to meet the expectations of shoppers for the holiday season is a sure way to lose customers. When people want to give a gift, they want to give someone an actual gift, not a piece of paper. Especially when there's so many readers already out there and talk of Apple announcing one in early 2010, B&N might as well just send cards referring shoppers to another company.