Now I admit, I’m going on the words of others. I personally bailed on the Nook app and B&N a while ago. I am saddened by the troubles of the local B&N—it’s the only bookstore in town.

I was hoping for viable competition to Amazon, but it is just not there. As they are stuck in a supposedly poor version of proprietary DRM, the smelly ears syndrome has got them in its clutches. I’m slightly hopeful that Riggio can do something with the stores while leaving Nook to die. But competition to Kindle it is not.

What could B&N do?

They could go to DRM-free downloads, and get out of the ebook management business. I’m convinced that the reading world is waiting for the first company to actually offer books which can be owned and shared like real books. Maybe Riggio can get a hold of that. Maybe he should drop the Nook and hook up with the iPad? I’d buy from them if I could own my books and read them in iBooks.

A Barnes & Noble hookup with the iBookstore might work

But I’m still convinced someone needs to have the hutzpah to offer ebooks on the same terms as real books: I buy it, I own it, I can share it with my friends.

Related articles

• Countdown To The Death Of The Nook Begins (mikecanex.wordpress.com)
• Barnes & Noble Buy-Back and the Nook (kellielarsenmurphy.com)
• Barnes & Noble founder moots buy-out (bbc.co.uk)