Nook sold out for the holidays

If you were interested in buying the Barnes & Noble Nook as a holiday gift, strike it off your list. The e-reader is now officially sold out through 2009, according to the B&N Web site.

(Credit: Barnes & Noble)

"The hottest holiday gift is out of stock," a message at the top of the page reads. "Order the Nook today to be first in line for the new year."

If this sounds familiar, it's because last year Amazon had a similar message on its site when it stock ran out of the Kindle. However, in the case of the Nook, the company hasn't shipped a single unit yet, and it's a little unclear what day it actually will. (We've yet to receive word when we'll get our review sample).

The New York Times' Bits blog has a quote from Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst at Forrester Research, explaining what a lot of us already knew: that Barnes & Noble had rushed to announce its product to compete with Amazon and it wasn't really quite ready to begin selling its device this year--at least not in huge quantities.

"Even without specific problems in the supply chain, the manufacturing process takes time for new products--it could be three months from the time they place the orders with their factories until they actually ship," Epps said.

This is probably good news for Amazon, which should have plenty of its e-readers available. But it's worth noting that if you do want to hold out for a Nook, you shouldn't have to wait too long. The B&N Web site says that if you order a unit today, you'll get it shipped to you by January 4.

Comments?

Update: After reading our piece, Barnes & Noble spokesperson Mary Ellen Keating told us she hoped folks won't cross the Nook off their holiday lists, which is why the company created a "holiday gift certificate that can be wrapped and given to the recipient."

She also noted that Barnes and Noble is "on track to ship devices that were preordered prior to today by the holidays," and that today's update only affects orders made beginning today. Also, she said that Barnes & Noble expects to have a limited stock of devices available in its highest-volume stores during the holiday season.

Barnes & Noble Nook e-book reader--photos

[paulnelson20]

Correction, B&N website states Jan. 4 as the expected ship date, not when you'll receive it by.

[dcarnoy]

Corrected. Thanks.

[cftilley_dotmac]

What's happening with the legal challenge to the Nook from the company (forget the name) who are essentially claiming that B&N stole their device after they showed it to B&N?

[EdCenter]

I would like to second this inquiry. My guess is that they're doing something behind the scenes to compensate that other company (much like how Apple had that "IPhone" flap with Cisco) to prevent a delay of the launch.

[ibelem]

You meant Spring Design. Spring Design Files Lawsuit against Barnes &#38; Noble : Nook Violates Alex Intellectual Property. <br /> <br />http://www.springdesign.com/

[sapporobaby512]

Not to mention the specs of the Nook. Go to the website and read them. It is not really that impressive. More show than go. Get to the part about the wifi and start laughing your butt off.

[pcraine]

What's unfortunate for those trying to decide whether or not to order a nook is that B&#38;N has not made its User Guide available for download, and says it won't do so until after the nook begins to ship, which is scheduled, I believe, to be November 30. (The User Guide will be pre-installed on shipping units.) While there's always some marketing varnish in user manuals, they are the real place to find out what a device can and cannot do, and it's not a good sign B&#38;N is withholding this.

[phpdood]

I was talking with a nook salesman in a B&#38;N today, he said pre-orders can happen on Nov 30th, and that the store will be receiving 12 units (sold out in an hour of course!) in a big store here in Chicago. He said the first wave will be hitting Jan. 4th - but you can buy "Nook certificates" so you have something to open on Christmas morning.

[techman21]

...cause opening a certificate is so much fun...

[mbeoletto]

Really no different than opening gift cards which I actually like. Except in this case, your certificate gets you a predefined item. Maybe a $260 gift card to Barnes and Noble would be better.

[MkFn59]

Over promised and under delivered - a fatal mistake for high stakes business. Shows poor planning and execution and rather than buck up and take responsibility they blame the "supply chain" and offer a gift wrap for a Christmas present! <br />Mark<br />Colorado Springs

[bb_referee]

You didn't read the article, obviously. B&#38;N is not blaming supply chain. That was a market analyst from Forrester Research.<br /><br />If you're going to play the blame game, get it right.

[larry3rv]

Agree.

[chefjfl]

Sorry to tell you but this is the best product on the market YET !!!!! its awesome ! and its not yr fault you did not get it on time ! Its an underpriced gadget that in my many years of buying top of the line stuff, you have to own one to know its the best out there! and i dont even think B&#38;N know what they have ! its awesome ! get on the list and get one ! its so clear, and the browsing is anything but perfect. i own sonys version and not even close! dont expect a price battle since BN knows now they have a winner ! not their fault its the best thing out there ! its clear fast and not poor planning ! My review ! all the stars they can get ! best thing out there ! but maybe its because i have one already ! yr right id be pissed if i did not get one today! blame CNET for not buying a bunch and re selling ! ha ! <br />-Chef J<br />Dallas TX

[mbeoletto]

I'm going to wait to see the reviews. Although I'm interested in a eBook reader, I'm not in a hurry. Hopefully there will be a little price battle between the nook and the kindle and there will be better deals to come. The small color touch screen on the Nook looks like the differentiator between it and the kindle. That being said, does that color touch screen really make it a better device than the kindle? At first glance, I've found more $9.99 and under kindle books than I've found $9.99 and under Barnes and Noble e-Books. Thus, to me the Kindle may still offer the better overall value. Of course, Apple and other companies may release tablets that one can use for e-reading and much more and devastate the e-reader niche.

[ProDigit]

So the nook sold all it's 5 ebook readers?

I'm usually a big fan of Amazon and they do have a better selection of books I like than Barnes and Noble, but I support the trend to use Epub as the standard and also have PDF books I would like to be able to read with out Amazon charging me to convert them (not that I would let them with Calibre). Anyway, I an hoping for a standard format, like mp3 for music. We should have to have readers dedicated to content providers who have control over our collection. When I look at all the ebook stores, I think I can get by without Amazon until they are willing to play the game. I am leaning toward the Nook but want to see some reviews. Until then I'll get by with the computer or the books I can read on my Palm TX. I am glad they came up with Kindle for PC. It was annoying not to be able to buy an ebook from Amazon without owning a Kindle. Several other choices will be added in the new year but doubt if they will be price competitive with the Nook and Kindle. Nice to see ebook readers getting so much attention.

I'm usually a big fan of Amazon and they do have a better selection of books I like than Barnes and Noble, but I support the trend to use Epub as the standard and also have PDF books I would like to be able to read with out Amazon charging me to convert them (not that I would let them with Calibre). Anyway, I an hoping for a standard format, like mp3 for music. We should have to have readers dedicated to content providers who have control over our collection. When I look at all the ebook stores, I think I can get by without Amazon until they are willing to play the game. I am leaning toward the Nook but want to see some reviews. Until then I'll get by with the computer or the books I can read on my Palm TX. I am glad they came up with Kindle for PC. It was annoying not to be able to buy an ebook from Amazon without owning a Kindle. Several other choices will be added in the new year but doubt if they will be price competitive with the Nook and Kindle. Nice to see ebook readers getting so much attention.

[jcmark42]

"After reading our piece, Barnes &#38; Noble spokesperson Mary Ellen Keating told us she hoped folks won't cross the Nook off their holiday lists, which is why the company created a "holiday gift certificate that can be wrapped and given to the recipient."<br /><br />Of course they are going to lose sales to the Kindle. B&#38;N would be naive to think otherwise. On Xmas morning, I get to open a box that says I'll get my gift after January 4th......gee thanks.

[josh_nippon]

Just well to go with Kindle anyway. Yah the color nav screen is clever, but that's it. Amazon books are better or sililarly priced, and you can use Kindle almost anywhere in the world. You don't really need Wi-Fi, and if there's no 3G, you can DL to a computer and load it with USB. B&#38;N won't even let you buy books outside the U.S., save for Canada starting next month, but same thing. It looks like B&#38;N isn't serious about gaining one of the main ebook customers, people who travel. My money's on Kindle.

[rolodexter]

I'm short BKS. I'm not convinced B&#38;N can win this retail war. In the end, this is a coffee situation. Where you have the big box (SBUX) and the local independents (your local specialty, novelty shops). There's no middle ground in a retail war. And BKS isn't going to be AMZN. It's a well established routine, this retail war. That's what's happened to music (by Tower Records!), and now it's happening to books, quite expectedly.

[bwa9175]

Okay, all the hate mongering can stop. If you were actually interested in getting an ebook device you would have known that there would be a shortage at first. Being that if you actually tried to pre-order, you would have found out that they are shipping in waves. I have already pre-ordered two, one in store and one on the web for a gift. Going into the store I was informed that the first wave, the Nov 30, shipment had been sold out. Thus, the system indicates that the second shipment is Dec 18th, with free 2nd day shipping. The online order stated the same information, considering I ordered it that same day as the in store. Now whether this holds true is between me and them, not to made in to conjecture, since this last new release states the next wave won't be until January. I have checked my orders and they still list the 18th of December as the ship date. There is no need to jump down any ones throat, unless the packages do not show up on or before the 23rd.

[jackdaniels08]

nook looks awesome! Sleek design. Nice color screen.

[feliusrex]

Companies that put items out for pre-order always annoy me. It seems the more they try to trumpet their miracles, the more disappointed we are in the end. The fact that CNET doesn't even have a review sample yet doesn't bode well either. I've been curious about the nook since I would like a new ebook gadget (my sony pda is getting old and hard to charge) the lack of a backlit screen is a deal breaker for me as most the time I'm reading in the dark with little/no ambient lighting.

[seandog3152]

Barnes and Noble is slipping in this business. They are trying to blow up a huge balloon, with numerous holes. and if you've ever tried to do that, you know it can be done, but eventually you will run out of air.<br />Basically, B&#38;N is creating lots of hype for a device that no real reviewer has held. Sure they show it at special events, but they don't even let you touch it! Seems a little suspicious to me...

[Mr_7235]

All I can say is that I never really wanted an ebook reader before, I really have no use for one or no way to justify the cost, but now that I can't have the Nook, I sort of want one.

[donovan1983]

The nook looks kind of interesting. Too bad I can't find a straight answer to whether or not it supports the DRM'd eReader PDB format. I would hope that it would since Barnes&#38;Noble owns eReader. I also don't like that despite BN owning eReader, I'd have to create a new account on their website to access their ebook selection. I've been purchasing stuff from eReader.com for 8 years now (no joke, I started with a Handspring Visor Pro) and like their site, despite their limited selection, and really don't care to use any other format unless something truly better comes out and I can seamlessly integrate my library of already purchased content with it. For now I'll just stick with the eReader iPhone app which functions quite well and even automatically downloaded my existing library.

[captpc]

I'll take the Nook ANY day. I loathe the Kindle. Not as nice, proprietary format, STUCK with Amazon...why? Forget it. <br /> <br />I want to be able to read other materials (such as PDFs) and not be chained to one vendor. Buying a Kindle is like paying admission to Amazon. Then you're stuck with their terms and their prices and limitations. <br /> <br />The Nook looks quite good. I can't imagine any sensible person going with a lesser product because of a few weeks' delay.

[pcraine]

Actually, no - Kindle owners are not tied exclusively to Amazon. Ebooks can be purchased (or downloaded for free)from many other sites.

[dfrisco]

Also the Nook only downloads from B&#38;N. There is no web browser on it, yet. You have more possibilities with the Kindle right now. Android OS is ok but one wonders if B&#38;N will ever utilize the openness of it and allow you to purchase ebooks from other vendors and not just B&#38;N (on the device itself without a computer usb connection).

[candide08]

Amazon may win on a "technicality" - but the Nook is serious, long term competition with many better features than Kindle.