In a sign that Barnes & Noble is serious about moving its Nook platform beyond something tied to its own reader, the bookselling giant has announced plans for Nookstudy, which extends the Nook platform to the higher-education market, largely comprised of PC/Mac users.
Nookstudy is free software based on the existing Nook software platform and is billed as a study tool enabling students to manage all their digital content -- eTextbooks, class materials, and notes -- on a PC or Mac. Instead of pushing to have student adopt yet another hardware platform, as Amazon is seeking to do with its Kindle college efforts, B&N is pushing texts on computer.
Nookstudy lets students view multiple books and sources at once and offers access to complementary content (e.g. toolsets, reference materials, etc.), as well as the ability to highlight and take notes that are searchable and customizable. This comprehensive software solution also provides students access to all of their materials -- eTextbooks, lecture notes, syllabi, slides, images, trade books and other course-related documents -- all in one place, so their digital library goes wherever they go.
"Nookstudy is a big win for college students: it will not only lighten their backpacks, but also help them save money and study more efficiently," said Tracey Weber, EVP, Textbooks and Digital Education, Barnes & Noble.com. "Nookstudy is a revolutionary approach to learning that offers students access to the reading and organizational tools they need, across all content sources and formats, enabling them to study smarter, not harder."
Barnes & Noble is America's largest operator of college bookstores, with exclusive relationships to distribute educational materials, in all formats, across hundreds of educational institutions, including Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, University of Central Florida, the Kentucky Technical and Community College system and many more.
Nookstudy will be compatible with the company's entire catalog of eBooks and digital content, including relevant study aids, test prep guides, periodicals, and hundreds of thousands of trade and professional titles. Nookstudy will also enable students to save money, as eTextbooks offer up to 40 percent savings off new textbooks.
Nookstudy is currently being used in several private and public 2-year, 4-year and research institutions, including Pennsylvania State University, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Queensboro Community College, and Rochester Institute of Technology. The product will be rolled out for the 2010 fall semester and will be available for higher education students everywhere.
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