# Why haven't E-readers advanced like other tech? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 23, 2020, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-e-readers-advanced-like-other-tech/846842 "2020-01-23T13:28:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2020, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-e-readers-advanced-like-other-tech/846842/81 "2020-01-31T18:17:39Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Yes it’s true that the Nook e-reader software is based on Android. > > And if you use one of several [rooting](https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2040351) [kits](https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1343143) available, you can hack the device to make it run a standard version of Android. > > I can’t find any confirmation that later Nook e-Ink devices have standard Android, or have access to the Google Play Store, straight out of the box. Other than the links that I’ve previously provided, including a quote from one of them??? Re: Google Play store. From [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnes_%26_Noble_Nook#Sales): “On March 15, 2016, Barnes & Noble announced it would close the Nook App Store and Nook Video, probably because Google’s Play Store, which runs on Barnes & Noble devices, has been far more successful.” Here’s a sample thread from XDA-Devs (you know, the site that goes deep into Android stuff) on deep things with the latest Nook E-Ink E-Reader the [Glowlight Plus](https://forum.xda-developers.com/nook-touch/general/glowlight-plus-7-8-2019-t3934677/page14). You will note (once people got their hands on one) various Android tweaks and rooting they did to it. In particular, the wonderful **Renate NST** there is making a lot of comments. One of the top Android on Nooks people out there. (She, for example, showed how to add a sound dongle to the NST which she uses for her music stuff.) Now for the really insulting stuff: **tastysandwiches** : “Again, I mean e-ink devices, _not_ tablets - yes, nook tablets support the Play store. It would really help cut down on confusion here if you stopped conflating the two.” I own an NST and an HD+ (E-ink and LCD, resp.) for years. Rooted both and installed Cyanogenmod on them. And I’m confused??? You’ve got people here insisting all sorts of trivially false crap and you decide to make this up??? It is astonishing the nonsense these E-readers bring in. Folks: Unless you have the _personal_ experience with something maybe it’s a bad idea to post some _false_ rumor you picked up somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![tastysandwiches](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@tastysandwiches](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tastysandwiches)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2020, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-e-readers-advanced-like-other-tech/846842/82 "2020-02-01T06:49:30Z")
Sorry, I did t mean to imply you were confused, only that you might be inadvertently confusing others with less understanding of the differences between the types of devices. I don’t want some poor low-tech sap to read this thread, decide to go out and buy a Nook to read their Kindle books, and fail to understand that the HD allows doing so with no fuss, but the Glowlight requires a whole bunch of techie mumbo jumbo and a voided warranty. Though to be honest, you’ve got me thinking about buying and rooting a Nook… Would you mind my asking a couple more questions, as you’re the one with experience? If I have a Glowlight that’s been modified to run the Play store, can it still be used as a regular Glowlight? That is, can I use the Kindle app to read my Kindle books and then switch back to the normal GlowLight UI, the one designed for e-ink, to read my Nook and DRM free books? Or do you have to lose the original interface to use it as a tablet? How is the experience of running the Kindle app on your Nook Simple Touch? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2020, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-e-readers-advanced-like-other-tech/846842/83 "2020-02-01T19:46:54Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Other than the links that I’ve previously provided, including a quote from one of them??? > > Re: Google Play store. From [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnes_%26_Noble_Nook#Sales): “On March 15, 2016, Barnes & Noble announced it would close the Nook App Store and Nook Video, probably because Google’s Play Store, which runs on Barnes & Noble devices, has been far more successful.” I took that to mean the Nook LCD tablets now run Google Play Store, while their e-Ink devices just run their e-book reader software. I’m still confused as to why the [Nook Glowlight Plus product info page](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nook-glow-light-plus-barnes-noble/1130954407?ean=9780594829720), for example, does not mention Android or the Google Play Store at all, if it comes with the Play Store app installed and has access to all Android apps without any modification or rooting. As for the XDA-Devs thread, I don’t have time to go through a 14-page thread, can you point to a specific post that says the device does NOT need to be rooted to access the Google Play Store? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2020, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-e-readers-advanced-like-other-tech/846842/84 "2020-02-01T21:14:36Z")
The market is full of electronic devices that do not undergo constant revision and updating like cell phones and computers do. My Panasonic cordless phone is at least 10 years old, but they still sell virtually the same model. My Sennheiser headphones are at least 15 years old, but the same model is still being sold. Sometimes products get to a point where they are mature, do everything people need, or are so close to it that no one can identify significant improvements that are worth the expense of R&D. Calculators have been mentioned. Digital watches were like that for a long time until the smart watch came along. Cessna 172’s have not changed much for 50 years. E-readers have nearly perfect screens for reading. They have plenty of battery life. They have more memory than most people need. The places where they have improved are on the margins: waterproofing, better front lighting, etc. Maybe someone will come up with an idea for a killer feature and the whole market will shift. If not, we might be using essentially the same tech for reading books 20 years from now. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2020, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-e-readers-advanced-like-other-tech/846842/85 "2020-02-01T21:21:17Z")
Honestly, there are other products, like smartphones, where the companies seem to be trying really hard to justify introducing new models each year. Is there really that much of a difference between an iPhone X and an iPhone 11? ---
**Author:** ![GMANCANADA](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gmancanada/32/2837_2.png) [@GMANCANADA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GMANCANADA)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-e-readers-advanced-like-other-tech/846842/86 "2020-02-02T02:58:45Z")
Sam Stone > [@](#): > > My Panasonic cordless phone is at least 10 years old, but they still sell virtually the same model. My Sennheiser headphones are at least 15 years old, but the same model is still being sold. Sorry, your point is not valid. Cherry picking individual products from a full product line-up doesn’t doesn’t work. Both companies may have left basic models the same where there is enough consumer demand to justify the SKU, but they have also introduced many new models with new features like caller announcement, noise suppression, call blocking on phones and things like blue tooth on headphones etc. Additionally, prices (certainly for phones) have come down. I was looking at a Panasonic phone at Costco last year and I was blown away by the features, the number of handsets and how low the price compared to the last time I bought 10 years ago. The point is that when you have a robust consumer market, companies invest in R&D adding features and reduce prices to compete. When you don’t, you get e-readers. I confess, I know nothing about e-readers other than everyone I’ve know that had them 10 years ago has stopped using them. I do however, know about economics, I teach it at a university. This is classic capitalist economics, especially in a stagnant-growth oligopoly. This is literally an Economics 101 topic in my class. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-e-readers-advanced-like-other-tech/846842/87 "2020-02-02T03:38:25Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Right, the Oasis is the premium model. Metal body and all that. I love mine. The basic Kindle (6" 167 ppi) is $90, and the Paperwhite (6" 300 ppi) is $130. > > As for the bezel - ever notice actual paper books have margins? If they didn’t, your fingers would obscure the letters. That’s the same reason e-book readers have wide bezels. These aren’t pocket-sized devices anyway, so screen-to-body ratio isn’t a big selling point. and the form factor is similar to the form factor of a paperback book. I think the choice of size is intentional, not based on some tech limit. It’s a reasonably handy size to carry in a purse or hold with one hand. The Oasis even cleverly puts alone all of the weight along one edge so it’s easier to hold for a long time. > [@Morgyn](#): > > Given a choice between reading a book on the computer or the phone and reading it on my Kindle Oasis, I’ll take the Oasis. It doesn’t hurt my eyes, and no matter where I am, I can read it. I carry it with me everywhere. > > ETA: **wolfpup** , what do you call “heavy use”? I can run my Kindle out in a day or two, but we’re also talking 3-4 hours of continuous use. do you leave the WiFi on? Mine lasts for more than a week of heavy use, including reading at night by its light. > [@md2000](#): > > Not sure Amazon can lock people out… You can download Calibre which not only converts between (unlocked) ebook formats, but also functions as a reader for a number of formats. You can find a number of books available in non-DRM format. I have studiously avoided paying for books that don’t give me complete control over what I’ve bought. (Another use for Calibre is to convert PDF books to mobi or other ebook formats.) Yup. I borrow a lot of DRM library books, but I only buy books that are DRM-free. That’s not an insignificant number of books. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-e-readers-advanced-like-other-tech/846842/88 "2020-02-02T04:05:11Z")
> [@GMANCANADA](#): > > The point is that when you have a robust consumer market, companies invest in R&D adding features and reduce prices to compete. When you don’t, you get e-readers. > > I confess, I know nothing about e-readers other than everyone I’ve know that had them 10 years ago has stopped using them. I do however, know about economics, I teach it at a university. This is classic capitalist economics, especially in a stagnant-growth oligopoly. This is literally an Economics 101 topic in my class. Except prices _have_ come down. The original Kindle came out 12 years ago, and sold for $400 - that’s about $500 in today’s dollars. The current equivalent model (the basic Kindle) costs $90. The Kindle Paperwhite has 4x higher resolution than the original Kindle and adds LED illumination and 32x more memory, and costs $130. ---
**Author:** ![GMANCANADA](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gmancanada/32/2837_2.png) [@GMANCANADA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GMANCANADA)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-e-readers-advanced-like-other-tech/846842/89 "2020-02-02T05:04:36Z")
**@scr4** Apparently ftg disagrees with you, which part of what prompted the OP. That’s what I’m going by. You can have the debate with them. **ftg** > [@](#): > > Normally I’d expect that in 9 years the cost for a slightly bigger tablet that requires such mundane CPU and memory would have drastically fallen. $50 would be pricey. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-e-readers-advanced-like-other-tech/846842/90 "2020-02-02T12:56:57Z")
> [@GMANCANADA](#): > > **@scr4** > Apparently ftg disagrees with you, which part of what prompted the OP. That’s what I’m going by. You can have the debate with them. I thought that’s what we’ve been doing. Have you read the whole thread? ---
**Author:** ![GMANCANADA](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gmancanada/32/2837_2.png) [@GMANCANADA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GMANCANADA)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-e-readers-advanced-like-other-tech/846842/91 "2020-02-03T04:27:58Z")
TBH - I’ve skimmed most of the thread - I couldn’t care less about the pedantic debate on the minutia of what different e-readers offer in terms features, compatibility and hacking that the thread has devolved into. My focus has been on the OP’s questions: > [@](#): > > Why are E-readers some sort of tech exception? Why aren’t they more bangs per buck? Why isn’t there the amazing leaps that you see everywhere else in this field. and > [@](#): > > I was asking mainly about the economics of these vs. standard tech progress. I think his question is valid and have no need or desire to correct him and prove his premise invalid. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-e-readers-advanced-like-other-tech/846842/92 "2020-02-04T13:02:41Z")
> [@tastysandwiches](#): > > Though to be honest, you’ve got me thinking about buying and rooting a Nook… Would you mind my asking a couple more questions, as you’re the one with experience? > > If I have a Glowlight that’s been modified to run the Play store, can it still be used as a regular Glowlight? That is, can I use the Kindle app to read my Kindle books and then switch back to the normal GlowLight UI, the one designed for e-ink, to read my Nook and DRM free books? Or do you have to lose the original interface to use it as a tablet? > > How is the experience of running the Kindle app on your Nook Simple Touch? > > Thanks! Running Google Play Store on an old Nook Glowlight or Simple Touch won’t work. It’s just an astonishing resource hog. But you can sideload apps on a suitably modified old Nook using one of the services that grabs the app you want from the Play Store. (And they can make it easier to get the older version that would run on the 2.2 ? Android version.) It’s the newer LCD Nooks (and others?) that work natively with the Google Play Store. Here’s the [sub-forum](https://forum.xda-developers.com/nook-touch) on XDA-Dev for the NST and old Glowlight models. While some discussion concerns full blown rooting and/or installing a different Android OS like Cyanogenmod, most concerns more mundane stuff. One classic topic was finding various versions of settings.apk to try and get access to more settings than the original came with. Getting into landscape mode (which I love) is another old topic. * * * However, I would like to stop here regarding the side discussions regarding various E-reader internals and capabilities outside the scope of my OP. I really appreciate comments such as **GMANCANADA** ’s. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-e-readers-advanced-like-other-tech/846842.md?page=4)