Kindle Review – Kindle Fire Review, Kindle 4 Review

iRex and Barnes & Noble have paired up to take on the Amazon Kindle -

1. iRex will use B&N’s eBookstore as a non-exclusive content provider. 
2. B&N will sell the iRex 800 (and perhaps other models) at their stores.

You can check on a review of the iRex 800′s features. All Things Digital broke the news though their article reads as if they really didn’t care to cover iRex.

Threat to the Kindle?

Well, if you look at this particular alliance you get a few key features -

1. 3G Wireless to take on Whispernet. 
2. B&N’s eBookstore, including 500K free Google Books, to take on the Kindle Store. 
3. An 8″ touch screen to take on Kindle 2 and Kindle DX.

Combine these with a Fall 2009 appearance and you get a more imminent threat than the Plastic Logic reader. Its also interesting that its confirmed the iRex will be retailing in stores while Plastic Logic were trying to be evasive about B&N store retailing.

iRex has little brand recognition so it’s uphill for them, as is the fact that their eReaders tend to be on the expensive side. The iRex DS 800 is their ‘consumer’ ereader and the first time they’ll be targeting the customer market.

Barnes & Noble’s Strategy

Jeffrey Trachtenberg at WSJ reported last Friday on B&N’s 2nd quarter earnings falling 20%. Its the 7th quarter in a row that earnings have declined.

B&N’s response to this is -

1. Add on Plastic Logic and iRex and other eReaders and try to claw back into the ebooks market. 
2. Buy back college bookstores (from its founder) and add on more college bookstores.

Its not a bad strategy – it’s just surprising that the Kindle was released in 2007 and B&N only got around to ebooks now.

iRex + Barnes and Noble Vs Kindle

How competitive the combination of iRex and Barnes & Noble will be to the Kindle also depends on -

1. Price of the iRex DS 800 – how close to $299 will it be? 
2. Price of B&N ebooks – will they match Kindle Store’s $9.99 on all books and not just bestsellers? 
3. How well they can work together.

iRex says its a non-exclusive deal and they’ll provide content from other stores too. B&N have Plastic Logic and might add other eReaders.

There really isn’t as close of a bond as between Kindles and the Kindle Store. Which, in my opinion, makes the Kindle much likelier to win the Kindle Vs Barnes and Noble, iRex battle.

Filed under: eBook Reader Devices Tagged: | kindle vs bn, kindle vs irex