Screenshot
Dublin Core
Title
Screenshot
Subject
Screenshot of the Barnes and Noble online bookstore
Description
This is a screenshot of Barnes and Noble's online bookstore on the company's Nook app. Many of the books featured in the store come with an option to sample them. When selected, this allows one to download the first chapter or so of the book and decide if they want to read it or not.
When moving from physical books to digital books, there is much to discuss. The customization of the digital, the nostalgic feel of the physical, and the many other pros and cons of both mediums are worthy of attention. But few of these comparisons pertain to the commercial aspect of their differences.
Sampling a product in order to see if one is really interested or not is an important part of the purchasing process, and digitizing complicates that for the consumer. The ability to sample a digital book begins and ends where the download does, whereas the ability to sample a physical book begins at the front cover and ends at the back one. Consumers like sampling products, and Barnes and Nobles wants consumers to do so because it can make consumers more interested in buying the book. However, consumers obviously cannot be allowed to sample ALL of a digital book. Therefore, consumers must trade off the other advantages of digital reading for the inconvenience of not being able to sample an entire book without purchase, like they would be able to if going into the physical bookstore.
When moving from physical books to digital books, there is much to discuss. The customization of the digital, the nostalgic feel of the physical, and the many other pros and cons of both mediums are worthy of attention. But few of these comparisons pertain to the commercial aspect of their differences.
Sampling a product in order to see if one is really interested or not is an important part of the purchasing process, and digitizing complicates that for the consumer. The ability to sample a digital book begins and ends where the download does, whereas the ability to sample a physical book begins at the front cover and ends at the back one. Consumers like sampling products, and Barnes and Nobles wants consumers to do so because it can make consumers more interested in buying the book. However, consumers obviously cannot be allowed to sample ALL of a digital book. Therefore, consumers must trade off the other advantages of digital reading for the inconvenience of not being able to sample an entire book without purchase, like they would be able to if going into the physical bookstore.
Publisher
Justice Thomas
Date
Feb. 23, 2020
Format
Screenshot Image
Files
Collection
Citation
“Screenshot,” COM/ENG 395, accessed January 19, 2025, https://com395.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/items/show/146.