Borders To Sell Up To 10 E-Readers In Stores; Adds $120 Libre
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Running well behind aggressive rival Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) on the digital front, Borders is now in the midst of a big catch-up push. The struggling bookstore chain, which has had Sony (NYSE: SNE) kiosks for years, plans to sell as many as 10 e-readers in stores and online by the end of 2010. The “good, better, best” strategy is device neutral, offering e-readers in wide range of prices but all linked to selling books through the not-yet-launched Borders eBook store powered by Kobo. (Borders is one of the investors in Kobo, a recent spin off from Canadian Indigo Books & Music.) The devices will be showcased in stores in digital shops called “Area-e.’
Border has been taking pre-orders for Kobo’s own $149 e-reader, due in stores this month. Today the chain said it is adding an even lower-end device, the $120 Libre eBook Reader from Aluratek. It’s taking orders now for July shipping. The Libre has a 5-inch LCD black-and-white display and can play digital music. It’s also being pitched as a digital photo viewer but hard to believe that a b&w photo viewer will be a big selling point. Like the Kobo, it relies on sync from computers or SD cards for adding e-books. Unlike the Kobo, which I’ve been trying out, getting started appears to take a series of steps (pdf) some might find complicated. More details in the release.
Posted In: Media & Publishing, Books, e-readers, Companies, Barnes & Noble, Nook, aluratek, borders, kobo, libre
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