But, WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE THESE COMPANIES DOING?.. spending the resources on developing electronics dedicated to reading books. Same applies to Amazon with the Kindle. Okay, I suppose one could argue (at least in B&N' case) that they are appealing to their specific audience with modern tech. Nevertheless, why would a consumer spend $250+ on a device just to read books? B&N.com, if they really care about their costumers, should put an ad up that says: “We do not recommend spending $250 on a dedicated eReader.”

Sure Apple (i.e. iPad/iPad2) offers an eReader... but it's just one of 65,000+ apps.

Let’s organize a group and barge into B&N’s next board meeting, explain in plain English where our planet is heading with tech, and help them diversify/liquidate+re-invest in a better model.

Sorry (but not really); I felt the need to vent.