Comments on: B&N offers free WiFi in stores: E-book possibilities? http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/bn-offers-free-wifi-in-stores-e-book-possibilities/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:05:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Pepper Tanner http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/bn-offers-free-wifi-in-stores-e-book-possibilities/comment-page-1/#comment-1113632 Pepper Tanner Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:17:43 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/07/29/bn-offers-free-wifi-in-stores-e-book-possibilities/#comment-1113632 What would be really really interesting is if you could browse the periodicals section, purchase a new single copy of a magazine or newspaper on a reader device, and have the periodical delivered wirelessly, locally to your device -- without the need to have a subscription to anything, including Internet service! I can walk into B&N and buy the New York Times in print, but I can't buy it in E-format over Wi-Fi even if B&N is Wi-Fi equipped and I own a Wi-Fi device. If I want the latest NYT on my device, I have to subscribe to Times Reader for $3.45 a week. I did so, but only because the single-copy E-option is unavailable, at least not without some form of subscription. And now it turns out that their Times Reader will not display properly on my popular Linux device despite the company's claims -- and the NYT customer service department hasn't a clue. On my netbook it is impossible even to login to the Reader with a valid user ID due to poor design choices in the application. Here's hoping retailers, publishers and software developers make the most of local Wi-Fi sale and delivery. No Whispernet needed. Until then we must still exit the bookseller with an armload of inky print. What would be really really interesting is if you could browse the periodicals section, purchase a new single copy of a magazine or newspaper on a reader device, and have the periodical delivered wirelessly, locally to your device — without the need to have a subscription to anything, including Internet service!

I can walk into B&N and buy the New York Times in print, but I can’t buy it in E-format over Wi-Fi even if B&N is Wi-Fi equipped and I own a Wi-Fi device.

If I want the latest NYT on my device, I have to subscribe to Times Reader for $3.45 a week. I did so, but only because the single-copy E-option is unavailable, at least not without some form of subscription.

And now it turns out that their Times Reader will not display properly on my popular Linux device despite the company’s claims — and the NYT customer service department hasn’t a clue. On my netbook it is impossible even to login to the Reader with a valid user ID due to poor design choices in the application.

Here’s hoping retailers, publishers and software developers make the most of local Wi-Fi sale and delivery. No Whispernet needed. Until then we must still exit the bookseller with an armload of inky print.

]]> By: Eric Rosenfield http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/bn-offers-free-wifi-in-stores-e-book-possibilities/comment-page-1/#comment-1113258 Eric Rosenfield Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:54:26 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/07/29/bn-offers-free-wifi-in-stores-e-book-possibilities/#comment-1113258 What would be really interesting is if the new Plastic Logic reader had some kind of camera/bar code scanner that could scan the bar codes of books in the bn store and immediately allow you to purchase the ebook of it on the device. What would be really interesting is if the new Plastic Logic reader had some kind of camera/bar code scanner that could scan the bar codes of books in the bn store and immediately allow you to purchase the ebook of it on the device.

]]> By: Brad Vertrees http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/bn-offers-free-wifi-in-stores-e-book-possibilities/comment-page-1/#comment-1113250 Brad Vertrees Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:34:27 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/07/29/bn-offers-free-wifi-in-stores-e-book-possibilities/#comment-1113250 I hope this means they'll upgrade their WiFi. At my local B&N (which is one of the older stores), the WiFi is spotty at best and when it works, you have to be in the right spot at the right time. I always seem to have better luck hopping onto the Starbucks WiFi - which is a few doors down. I hope this means they’ll upgrade their WiFi. At my local B&N (which is one of the older stores), the WiFi is spotty at best and when it works, you have to be in the right spot at the right time. I always seem to have better luck hopping onto the Starbucks WiFi – which is a few doors down.

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