When Barnes and Noble announced it would be selling both its own Nook e-reader and the PlasticLogic Que e-reader, people were confused: PaidContent reported that the Nook would only be available for order in retail stores, not for customers to walk out with. But VentureBeat said the Que e-reader (seen below) will be on shelves. Why wouldn’t B&N stores stock their own e-reader?
“I think there may be some misinformation about our retail strategy,” Mary Ellen Keating, B&N’s SVP of communications told FastCompany.com. “While it’s always difficult to predict demand on a new product, and early response from consumers is strong, Barnes & Noble expects to have Nook eBook readers in stock in the majority of its stores by the peak holiday season, and plans to have Nook devices in stock in all of its stores by early next year.” That’s also when Que will hit B&N shelves. (Below, the Nook.)
Why two e-readers? Well, Amazon has two, and the Que and Nook are different sized devices; the Que has a full 8.5-inch-by-11-inch screen, while the Nook is much smaller at six inches.