Barnes & Noble and Amazon are raising the stakes in the e-reader competition, putting pressure on Apple's iPad, the new kid on the block.
Barnes & Noble is starting to run televised ads for its nook e-reader, ending a 14-year absence from the airwaves (and cable wires). Among the targeted shows is American Idol. "Companies will have to create demand, which will take a lot of advertising," says Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst at Forrester Research told the Wall Street Journal. The research company estimates that three million e-readers sold last year and predicts sales of six million this year. Forrester puts iPad sales—which aren't included in the e-reader figures—at three million this year. (B&N also sells the nook in its stores.)
Meanwhile, starting Sunday, Target will begin selling Amazon's Kindle. It will first be available in Target's flagship store in downtown Minneapolis as well as 102 stores in Florida, and will roll out at additional stores later in the year.
Soon, consumers will be able to test drive all three e-readers -- the iPad, of course, is available in Apple stores around the nation. That's sure to boost demand, especially among print-centric folks who are leery of the digital reading experience. When consumers get a chance to kick the tires, a significant hurdle should begin to erode.