The news of Barnes & Noble sacking its CEO and discontinuing production of its Nook line of readers doesn’t seem yet to have dented appetites for the devices, with enthusiasts scouring retailers and online shopping sites for remaining examples.

Following a savage discounting round in the UK in May-June, the Nook Simple Touch has been one of the most sought-after items on the British hit list, retailing at around £29.00 ($43.20).

Proclaims one poster on the MobileRead.com Forums:

“1000 Nook STRs in UK Argos Warehouse for 32 pounds.”

Another replies:

“Asda Direct have them stock with free delivery to a local store for £29 for anyone with an Asda store nearby who wants to save a few quid!”

Sure enough, Asda Direct is listing the Nook Simple Touch online as a best seller.

Disregarding the B&N ecosystem and the company’s own fortunes and future for a moment, the Nook Simple Touch still enjoys great esteem as a straightforward e-reading device, especially at this price point. PC Magazine gave it a 4.5 rating and an Editor’s Choice award as: “the best low-cost ebook reader you can buy.”

The Nook Simple Touch can also be rooted by a relatively simple procedure, allowing avid modders to install all kinds of baseline Android software, including the Google Play Store and Amazon’s Android Kindle client. Sideloading books purchased through B&N or third-party non-DRM sources is also relatively easy.

UK online stock level and comparison shopping site StockInformer.co.uk, referenced by the MobileRead.com posters, confirms Nook Simple Touches still available at £29.00 at UK chain stores Argos and Asda, as well as John Lewis. However, the John Lewis reference is for only one item, so eager buyers had better hurry.

NO COMMENTS

  1. “This basically means that you can buy books from any E-book store, except Amazon and Apple”

    Not strictly true.

    Not all eBooks in the iBookstore have DRM. That’s a publisher decision, not Apple’s. all of the Baen books available from the iBookstore explicitly say “No DRM!”

    And there are others.

    And can’t you use Calibre to convert Kindle/mobi format eBooks to something else?

    Not that I would know – bought my first Kindle book yesterday (a book from my childhood that is available in hardcover for $15 ( Yikes!) vs $4.99 as a kindle edition)

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