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Add to SafariWhen comparing Barnes & Noble NOOK Books vs WHSmith, the Slant community recommends WHSmith for most people. In the question“What are the best eBook stores?” WHSmith is ranked 7th while Barnes & Noble NOOK Books is ranked 9th. The most important reason people chose WHSmith is:
Instead of developing their own eBook store, eReaders or reading apps WHSmith has the instant gratification of offering quality products with an established brand.
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Send eBooks as gift
The NOOK store allows users to send eBooks as gifts to their friends and family.
Pro NOOK app
B&N offers a NOOK app for Android, iOS and Windows 8 in their respective stores. This allows user to shop and read their eBooks natively on those operating systems.
Pro Self publishing
B&N offers a way for users to self publish their eBooks to the NOOK eBook store, the service is called NOOK Press.
Pro Instant quality with Kobo eReaders, apps and eBooks store
Instead of developing their own eBook store, eReaders or reading apps WHSmith has the instant gratification of offering quality products with an established brand.
Pro WHSmith and Kobo partnership create competition
A good thing about the WHSmith eBook store and its Kobo partnership is that it creates competition in the UK for eBook stores and devices. WIth competition comes better prices and innovation.
Cons
Con Uses a special DRM on their eBooks, any eBook purchased from B&N is not Adobe Digital Edition compliant
While B&N does use and read .epub on their devices, any eBook purchased from the B&N eBook store will not be able to be used in other .epub readers unless the DRM is stripped from said eBook.
Con No legacy Windows app or Mac app
While B&N use to offer a PC and Mac app for the desktop, they pulled support officially in 2013.
Con Higher prices then competition
Part of the reason B&N is having so much trouble with the NOOK brand currently and most likely part of its decision to separate itself from it by spinning it into its own company is that since the demolishing of agency pricing they are unable to compete on prices.
Con B&N not confident in NOOK brand
B&N will be spinning its NOOK division into a separate company, which does not show much faith in their own brand. What's worse is that this show of uncertainty of wanting to separate from the failing device and it's eBook store will only just further distance the customers from the NOOK. Being that their eBooks have a special DRM scheme that does not allow their .epubs to work in other device, current users better hope this new company does not fold or they will be out of their entire NOOK eBook library.
Con Some titles not available on the store
While most mainstream books can be found easily, there are a few smaller titles that are just not on the store at all.
Con Just a re-branded Kobo eBook store
WHSmith has entered a contract to where they are now partnered with Kobo. With this deal WHSmith has replaced their old eBook store with a Kobo powered alternative. Basically it is just a WHSmith skin over the Kobo eBook store.
Con UK only store
eBooks are only priced in GBP.
