The 1520 got me to switch to Kindle

GSOgymrat

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I never liked using a phone for viewing information and always reached for my Surface or computer when reading something of any length. The 1520 is like a small tablet and I have found myself carrying my Surface less often and relying more on my phone. One consequence of using my phone more frequently is missing the Barnes and Noble Nook app to read books. Not having a Nook app on the Nokia 900 and 920 app was annoying but with the 1520 not having my books has become a real inconvenience. After all, the 1520 is about the size of an e-reader. I have been waiting for Barnes and Noble to release a Nook app for Windows Phone, particularly after Microsoft invested $300 million in Nook in 2012, but at this point I don?t think a Nook app is ever going to happen. So today I got a Kindle Paperwhite and I am switching to Kindle simply because they have an app for Windows Phone. The Kindle app itself is very basic but at least it works.

Apparently I am not the only person transitioning between devices. According to this, phablets are expected to outsell tablets in 2014 (I noticed the author confused the 1020 with the 1520).
 

Laura Knotek

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I've used Amazon for years now, but I've never used Barnes & Noble. I like the Kindle app. Now I just hope Amazon adds a Cloud Player app for Windows 8 and Windows Phone, since I buy all my music from Amazon.com.
 

snowmutt

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Yeah, I posted a thread where I had emailed Barnes and Noble about an app for Windows Phone. I told them I wanted to by a Nook eReader, and the only thing stopping me was their lack of a WP app. They have one for Windows 8, just not WP. Their response was "we are kinda working on it, sorta, though we are not sure when" thing.

http://forums.windowscentral.com/windows-phone-apps/252631-hoping-barnes-noble-support-wp8-but.html

You are probably better off with Amazon. Bums me out. I like competition, and would like to support B&N if for no other reason they are the last book seller standing.

Oh well. I am fairly sure once I get the 1520, I will get the Kindle app as well. Their loss.
 

GSOgymrat

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Bums me out. I like competition, and would like to support B&N if for no other reason they are the last book seller standing.

I agree. I enjoy shopping at Barnes and Nobles and appreciate they employ people in my community. Because there is no WP Nook app I often browse the store an take photos with my phone of books I want to buy with my Nook e-reader. I don't the idea of Amazon being the only game in town when it comes to e-readers and books.
 

Pete

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I also use a Kindle Paperwhite and absolutely love using it. As much as the 1520 has a large screen, it's not really convenient for reading a book.

WP8 also forced me to buy an iPod Classic - I never really got on with the music player on the phone and having my entire music collection on one device makes it very convenient.
 

Jazmac

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I use BookVisor on my phone and my Windows 8 devices. I like Freda but it seems unnatural to read a "word wall" and more natural to have it look like a book, with page turn animation which BookVisor has which would look great on a 1520. Also, I could download my own ebooks from Skydrive with it. Can't do that with a Kindle. So you didn't have to get a Kindle.
 

Laura Knotek

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I agree. I enjoy shopping at Barnes and Nobles and appreciate they employ people in my community. Because there is no WP Nook app I often browse the store an take photos with my phone of books I want to buy with my Nook e-reader. I don't the idea of Amazon being the only game in town when it comes to e-readers and books.
Other than textbooks when I was in school, I never buy books. I only read library books and have never purchased any books from Amazon or B&N. I used to go to Borders only to see local bands that used to perform there. A friend gave me a Borders gift card, which I used before Borders went out of business, to buy coffee.
 

GSOgymrat

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I also use a Kindle Paperwhite and absolutely love using it. As much as the 1520 has a large screen, it's not really convenient for reading a book.

I bought the Kindle Paperwhite and the screen and resolution is nicer than my Nook Simple Touch. I too prefer reading on e-ink but it is convenient to be able to read on my phone when I don't have an e-reader handy.
 

snowmutt

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Ya, they paid B&N so much, and all we got now is a windows 8 app. Anyways, glad you found a reading app for your 1520 and like it! :)
I seem to remember MS and B&N getting into bed with each other to create a line of online school text books. Ones for mostly universities and high schools. Never hear a single thing after that.

It does seem weird that a huge company like B&N wouldn't want to cover every likely market with access to their products.

What would be the disadvantage to a WP app? All they are doing is allowing Amazon to get on the ground floor and create brand loyalty with WP users.
 

Laura Knotek

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I seem to remember MS and B&N getting into bed with each other to create a line of online school text books. Ones for mostly universities and high schools. Never hear a single thing after that.

It does seem weird that a huge company like B&N wouldn't want to cover every likely market with access to their products.

What would be the disadvantage to a WP app? All they are doing is allowing Amazon to get on the ground floor and create brand loyalty with WP users.

I think Amazon already has brand loyalty, due to other products. I'm not a book buyer, but I buy all my music from Amazon, and I buy all sorts of other products from Amazon. B&N is at a significant disadvantage, since it does not offer nearly the selection of products other than books with nearly the competitive pricing as Amazon.
 

Old_Cus

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I've used Amazon for years now, but I've never used Barnes & Noble. I like the Kindle app. Now I just hope Amazon adds a Cloud Player app for Windows 8 and Windows Phone, since I buy all my music from Amazon.com.

I'm a heavy Amazon user as well. It would be nice if they had an Amazon Prime Video app for WP....especially since I have a 1520 that is wonderful for viewing videos when traveling.
 

Chris Sandiford

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I just wish the Amazon Kindle app would allow for sideloaded stuff to be sync'd but apparently that's not in Amazon's plans. I have tons of epub books not bought form Amazon.
 
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Honestly I really don't like Kindle. I use kindle for all my books I brought 2012 and earlier but the Barnes & noble app is hands down better than the kindle for windows 8 for the simple fact..... it lets you upload your own books and documents to the nook app, and you can't do that with kindle.

I haven't tried kindle for windows phone 8 in awhile so maybe it has gotten better. I may actually try it with my 1520 to see how it will be but the nook app is better than the kindle app on windows 8....they really need to port the windows phone version over asap.

Unfortunately, I tend to like indie or less popular authors and they are only on kindle so I actually do buy from amazon , unfortunately still, and alas feel a little dirty afterwards haha
 

GSOgymrat

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Honestly I really don't like Kindle. I use kindle for all my books I brought 2012 and earlier but the Barnes & noble app is hands down better than the kindle for windows 8 for the simple fact.....

Agreed. The Nook app for Windows 8 is much better than Kindle and I was hoping Barnes and Noble would produce a Nook app for Windows Phone of similar quality. I have online magazine subscriptions through Nook and the Windows 8 Kindle app doesn't support magazines. Now that I am moving to Kindle I may start getting my magazines from Zinio since they have nice Window Phone and Windows 8 apps. At least the Kindle app for Windows 8 finally works. When it first came out it crashed frequently, would not format correctly and would not access the Kindle store. .
 

HeavyHanded

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I feel the same way. However B&N tweeted me "we look forward to launching the best reading experience on Windows 8
Phone App in the near future." That was on Jan 6th. Hopefully they are getting close. I love Nook on my Samsung Series 7 Slate and I want the same experience on my phone. WARNING: Amazon isn't really about being ubiquitous anymore, I think. They are building their own platform. They won't bring Prime, Music, or any other app to Windows Phone. In face their Kindle app is totally half-***ed. Pages don't display properly and the functionality is extremely limited. Windows Phone is the enemy of Apple, Google, and now Amazon. Really, our hopes rest on B&N surviving. And to survive they need to build the best reading experience in the Windows ecosystem.
 

mjgerrard

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I have a couple of books with NOOK that I purchased because the Windows 8 app was so good. The trouble was, the software lost all my books and the support was such a nightmare that I wouldn't give them any more money anyway.

I'd definitely install a NOOK app if it eventually turned up, but as far as I see it I'm going to move to Kindle ASAP.
 

Kebero

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I feel the same way. However B&N tweeted me "we look forward to launching the best reading experience on Windows 8
Phone App in the near future." That was on Jan 6th. Hopefully they are getting close.

I love my Nook Simple Touch - this would be the perfect compliment!!
 

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