Comments on: ‘Kindle’? ‘Nook’? ‘Blio’? What were Amazon, B&N and the rest thinking when they named their babies?

By: Sean

Sean — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 18:59:11 +0000

I think the Nook is actually kind of a brilliant name, especially for B&N. Change the B in book, and replace it with N. It evokes finding a cozy nook to read it, suggesting you can curl up with the digital reader the same way you can with the paper version. It also has a sound similar to the pacifier brand Nuk, giving the name a cute, soothing quality. The stylized lowercase N in the font also offers a distinctive branding symbol, one that is contemporary and recognizable, and worlds away from Barnes & Noble’s usual aesthetic and connotations. I’d say, well done.

Oh, and I don’t own any of these readers, although I do find the trend fascinating. I tend to resist technology because it advances too quickly, and I hate shelling out money on top of money just to keep up.

By: marc

marc — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 08:59:43 +0000

I love it when people trash brand names, how hard could it be? Find a name that hasn’t been taken, a simple word, precise, memorable, differentiated, oh, and it must have an available URL. I named nook, it was hard, mostly to try and stop it becoming over complicated. It actually turned out well, polarizing the normal tech male audience into smutty innuendos, and women, those who actually read books, thinking about a warm and relaxing space. I’m not saying naming is an art, but staying away from complexity without being obvious isn’t easy. But nook is one letter away from book, a new book if you like. And it’s selling quite well thank you. Best Marc Shillum

By: karen wester newton

karen wester newton — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:23:32 +0000

I concur! I believe “Kindle” was because Jeff Bezos wanted to “kindle an interest in reading.” I would argue that no product name should start with a K because copy editors cannot resist alliteration, hence the plethora of articles about “Is product x a Kindle killer?”

As for the Nook, it just proves no one at Barnes & Noble has a dirty mind. I kind of like CyBook, though. It at least sounds futuristic.

By: Ahaeger

Ahaeger — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 18:15:22 +0000

I rather like ‘nook’, it makes me smile. I’ve never understood where they got ‘kindle’ from. I still think the best is the iRex iliad. Maybe apple should go with ‘iLiad’?

By: Al

Al — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:45:06 +0000

I was reading casually on my Palm T|X but the Kindle has kindled my interest in reading and now I am burning up with the desire to get into yet another book, pun intended.

By: Tim Middleton

Tim Middleton — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:20:12 +0000

Ye who have not sinned cast the first stone – you may want to reconsider your company’s name as well because it makes me think they’re always after my lucky charms. At least the obscure and funny names makes you think what were they thinking and try to figure it out. Go figure.

I believe you can think of Kindle as kindling a passion for reading and Nook as a book nook, and your point about 70% of books being bought by women so nookie is inappropriate is lost on me. Do you know what a lot of those women are buying – yeah that’s right Romance novels.

By: Jon Renaut

Jon Renaut — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:03:53 +0000

Et tu, BookTrix?

I’m still waiting for something compelling for under $200 without the proprietary lock-down from the Amazons and the B&Ns and whatnot.