Kobo Wireless E-Reader at Best Buy for $99

 Posted by at 2:22 AM  Tagged with: ,
May 072011
 

Kobo announced today that Best Buy will carry their Kobo Wireless e-reader (which is their second-generation model), both in stores and online. From now until May 14, the price is discounted to $99.99 (retail price is $139).

My hands-on review of the Kobo Wireless is here. Quick summary: it’s a decent enough e-reader, but I prefer my Kindle 3. The sale price makes the Kobo somewhat competitive, and I do like the very light weight and ability to read library e-books on the Kobo.

Between this, some sales of refurbished Nooks for $99, clearance sales on Kobo e-readers at closing Borders stores, and the new ad-supported Kindle 3 Wi-Fi for $114, it looks like 2011 is shaping up to be the year of the $99 e-reader.

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Sony, B&N E-Readers Plus Free Case Deals at Best Buy

 Posted by at 2:12 PM  Tagged with: , ,
Feb 112011
 

A pretty good deal here on various models of Sony and Barnes & Noble E-Readers, where Best Buy throws in a free case with e-reader purchase. The e-readers available are:

  • Sony Pocket PRS-350 for $129 (normally $179)
  • Sony Daily PRS-950 for $299
  • B&N Nook Wi-Fi for $149
  • B&N Nook 3G for $199
  • B&N Nook Color for $249

The Sony Pocket is an especially good deal, since it’s also $50 off. And, considering that you can select from a number of cases, including cases with built-in lights that retail for $50, a lighted case and Sony PRS-350 for $129 is a pretty good deal — $100 off the combination.

I’ve previously discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the various Sony E-Readers and B&N Nooks.

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E-Readers At Retail Stores Roundup

 Posted by at 2:58 PM  Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,
Oct 222010
 

More and more brands of e-book readers are showing up in more and more retail stores (such as Wal-Mart and Target) nationwide. This gives people who may be unfamiliar with e-book readers or the benefits of e-ink a chance to see one hands-on and understand what e-readers are all about. I’ve posted before about various e-readers becoming available in retail stores, but with the recent news that the Nook and Kobo E-Readers will soon be available at Wal-Mart, I’ve decided to make a summary post detailing when and where each of the popular e-readers are available. I’ll try to update this post with new info as it becomes available. I hope it’s useful.

(Links go to posts giving more info on that brand of e-reader. E-readers should be currently available at listed stores unless noted otherwise — but calling your particular store to double-check might be a good idea.)

  • Kindle (latest versions are Kindle 3 for $189, Kindle 3 Wi-Fi for $139, and Kindle DX 2 for $379)
  1. Direct from Amazon.com
  2. Target
  3. Best Buy
  4. Staples
  5. UPDATE: Wal-Mart, as of May 5, 2011
  • Nook (latest versions are Nook for $199, Nook Wi-Fi for $149, and Nook Color for $249)
  1. B&N bookstores or direct from Barnes & Noble.com
  2. Wal-Mart
  3. Best Buy
  4. Books-A-Million
  • iPad (latest versions range from $499 for 16 GB Wi-Fi to $829 for 64 GB 3G)
  1. Apple stores or direct from Apple.com
  2. Wal-Mart
  3. Target
  4. Best Buy
  • Sony Reader (latest versions are Pocket for $179, Touch for $229, and Daily for $299)
  1. Sony Style Stores or direct from Sony.com
  2. Wal-Mart
  3. Target
  4. Best Buy
  5. Staples
  6. Office Depot
  1. Direct from Kobo.com
  2. Wal-Mart
  3. Borders bookstores

Of note, you can view and compare Kindles, Nooks, iPads, and Sony Readers at Best Buy, making it a good choice for a one-stop shop if you’re unsure which one you’d prefer. Most e-book readers are now available in most large retail stores: the notable exceptions being no Kindles at Wal-Mart and no Nooks at Target yet. [UPDATE: Kindles are now at Wal-Mart, which makes it an option for comparison shopping.] Please let me know in the comments if I’ve missed any large retail stores where these e-readers are available.

Kindle 3 at Best Buy, Target

 Posted by at 1:30 AM  Tagged with: , ,
Sep 232010
 

I’ve been hearing reports around the Internet of new Kindle 3 demo units available in some Best Buy and Target stores. While Target has carried the Kindle 2 for a while, it appears some stores now have the new, lighter Kindle 3 in stock.

I had also heard about Kindles being scheduled to show up in Best Buy as well, but I didn’t expect them to be available so quickly. I’ve heard multiple reports of the new Kindle 3 at various Best Buy locations around the country (although I can’t say for sure if they’ve arrived at all locations yet). Of note, you can now visit a Best Buy to see the Kindle 3, Nook, the Sony line of e-readers, and the iPad, to compare all the major e-readers in the same place.

Two caveats: first, the Kindles at both Target and Best Buy are only demo models, which are set to run through a fixed presentation. So you can see the e-Ink display and handle them to see the size and weight, but you can’t access the menus or play around with it to get the full experience. Second, don’t be surprised if the employees at your particular Best Buy have little or no accurate information on these new Kindle arrivals: the best place for info is still directly from Amazon.

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