Nook Simple Touch: Cover/Case prices high compared to the device?

[osu]

I was searching around tonight, and was surprised to see the price of some of the Nook Simple Touch cases.

I know some cases are leather, some are designer, ... and a cheap device doesn't mean the case costs less to make. But, I was still surprised..

Some JavoEdge Nook ST cases were $25-35
Kate Spade Polka Dot Cover was $55 or so
Neon travel case was around $35
CaseCrown case around $30

I'm just a bit stumped at this.

Why would someone spend a third of the cost of the device ($99) on a case?

Do you buy covers just to personalize the device?

Just to have a leather/silk/whatever case to hold, instead of plastic?

To protect it?

To.... ?

I'm curious. I like cases, but for a cheap device, the prices of some of these cases baffles me when compared to the price of the device. I'm sure they're nice cases,... but I find it hard to understand spending ~$30 for a case for a $99 device. Do these cases really "save" a lot of devices from drops and spills and so on? I spent $5 on my iPad case... but $5 to protect a $500 device seems natural. I think I'm missing something. Maybe I just like boring, naked devices... my phones never have cases, either.

[Asawi]

The case is part of the personalizing of the device for me. Having said that I would not spend ridiculous amounts on a case. $30 would be all right though for a pretty case. Mainly for protection (I like naked devices when actually using them), but I don want them to be goodlooking!
All the young girls that I have gifted Nooks have pretty covers on their wish lists and they definitely want them to make their readers look cool and they also want more than one to switch between. Kind of like different handbags.

[PodPeople]

I bought a case to protect the screen from scratches. It also makes the NST easier to hold. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get a nice case. I bought the iPearl mCover from Amazon for $15.95 and I'm very happy with it.

http://www.amazon.com/iPearl-mCover%...5513694&sr=1-1

[afv011]

I bought a case for my original nook, but for the nook touch I bought a simple and cheap pouch. My personal opinion is that it is not worth to spend that much (1/3 of the reader value) for a case.

[tdonline]

It's expensive for the official covers as this is probably where BN get their biggest profit margins. The margin for the reader itself is probably very slim due to competition with the Kindle.

I didn't buy a BN cover as I don't understand why I would want my ultra slim and light reader to look a bulky book with sharp corners? And the neoprene case didn't seem to provide that much protection for $20. I use two soft neoprene cases that happen to be the perfect size for the Nook. They're not particularly thick so I put the Nook in one case with a zipper and then cover that case with one without a zipper--so the outer case is left open. It's snug fit so the inner case doesn't fall out. I was worried about a sharp object or corner damaging the screen in a freak accident so I cut out a cardboard piece from a shoebox and inserted it between the cases and now my screen has a "hard" cover. The soft cases were bought in the Japanese equivalent of a dollar store 15 years ago.

A friend and her boyfriend made their own cases on the cheap also. They carry their readers in envelopes that have bubble wrap and then slip the envelopes in cloth pouches. A co-worker was carrying her ultra slim Apple laptop in a plain old yellow bubble wrap envelope too for awhile.

I like the flip edsel cover sold by BN and when my discretionary income is much bigger, I may consider buying it. Right now, I'm pretty happy with my setup. I actually like holding the reader by itself when I'm reading and prefer not to have it in a cover.

[mlewis78]

I see no connection between cost of cover to cost of device. If I want a great looking cover, I have to pay for it.

Kate Spade is a designer, so of course all of her covers cost a lot.

I bought one of the NY Times covers for my new Nook ST -- the one called newsstand. It's $30 and very cheap looking but very lightweight, so it doesn't add much weight to the reader.

[azazel1024]

I didn't like how bulky most of the covers were, but I finally settled on a Madeleline cover in Ink for mine. I wanted something to protect the screen more than anything, but I also don't mind it looking a bit more like a book. The added thickness isn't really appreciated, but at the same time it isn't anything horrible. The whole package is still pretty small and I like the elastic band to close the cover, which then stays out of the way when pulling it over the rear cover or slipping it between the cover when reading.

I looked at some clasp closure cases, but I know that the clasp would just bump my hand and annoy the bejesus out of me over time and I needed something to keep the cover closed.

I don't disagree on an expensive cover being "pointless", but within reason, as cheap as the nook touch is and ereaders in general are getting, you can only make a cover so cheap (within reason)...so proportionally they are going to get more and more expensive as a percentage of the original ereader price. That said, my limit is about $30 on any kind of cover unless it can either increase my preceived sexiness by my wife, bump my IQ by a couple of points or make Julianned fries.

Since I have yet to find a cover that can do any of those three things, my limit is $30.

[frankelr]

Hi,
I bought a "casecrown" red "leather ?" cover for my nook simple touch
for between $10 and $11 via Amazon. Over the last year and a half, we
have bought six different covers for Kindles and Nooks (extended family purchases). This was probably the best of the lot. The only complaint is that its perhaps a bit thick (a trade off for great protection)

[ipsofacto]

Just bought a Nook Simple Touch (my first e-reader. yipee!) from my local B&N and blanched at the prices for covers and cases.
So when I got home I searched amazon and found a case and a cover w/protective screen for about $12 and $10 respectively

[dbeman]

I think covers, cases & jackets for any electronic device are overpriced. That being said I bought a neoprene sleeve for my nook ST. Since the device was designed with ergonomics in mind it seems a shame to completely negate that with a heavy, bulky cover or case.

My ipad sports a nice, flexible case from speckproducts.com. Slightly overpriced but easily one of the more versatile and lightweight cases I've seen for the iPad.
My iphone has a very simple "bumper" style case from Incipio...just enough to protect the glass ensconced back and provide me slip-free handling.

The biggest "snake oil" product of all are the screen protectors that need to be painstakingly applied lest you wind up with a speck of dust, an eyelash, or an air-bubble perfectly preserved between the protector and the screen. Unless you regularly run a course grain of sandpaper across the screen these things are completely unnecessary.

[afv011]

Originally Posted by dbeman

The biggest "snake oil" product of all are the screen protectors that need to be painstakingly applied lest you wind up with a speck of dust, an eyelash, or an air-bubble perfectly preserved between the protector and the screen. Unless you regularly run a course grain of sandpaper across the screen these things are completely unnecessary.

I thought so too, but I have now a screen protector on my NC and it reduces significantly fingerprints and makes it easier to clean-up. As a scratch protector, it is probably unnecessary, but it makes the screen less of a fingerprint magnet.

Now, for eInk, yes, I agree they're a total waste of money.

[domani7]

I don't think the nook needs a cover or a case of any kind. It's awesome just naked (but I do have a screen protector, painstakingly applied by a B&N employee). The design of it is great- it's actually very easy to hold. The curve in the back is very ergonomic and I love the rubbery texture. By contrast, the kindle is hard and slippery. My sister who owns a Kindle agrees and we are both flummoxed as to why no one ever mentions that the nook is so much nicer and more comfortable to hold.

In terms of protection, I don't think it's all that fragile. I've dropped it several times (on pavement!) and besides a couple of tiny scratches at the corners it's fine. If I were to put a cover on my nook, you wouldn't see those corners anyway. In addition, the covers are expensive- if it's about 1/3 of the cost of a brand new Nook, so I'll just take my chances. If I do wind up having to replace it, it would be great to have an extra charger. I also don't want to get a cover because that'll singlehandedly make it bigger and heavier.

[lavieenrose]

yea Barnes and Nobles prices are very high compared to the cost of the nook-- crazy!

But just go to eBay, there are cases for as little as $5.44 (free shipping), and VERY nice leather cases for as little as $10.... some of the cases on eBay even come with stylus, screen protector, a clip on light, and/or wall and car chargers (usually between $15-$20ish to get all that). Save yourself headache and money by just getting your Nook Simple Touch case from eBay.

(here's a link to US sellers, $15 and under cases: http :/ /www. ebay .com/sch/i.html?LH_PrefLoc=1&LH_Price=..15%40c&_trkparms=65 %253A1%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1&rt=nc&_nkw=nook+s imple+touch+cover&_dmpt=US_Tablet_Accessories&_mPr RngCbx=1&_sticky=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_sop=15&_s c=1)

[KindleChickie]

I love covers, all of my devices have multiple covers. I switch them out depending on which purse or where I am going.

My $99 simple touch fits in some older kindle/nook covers with the addition of a foam piece in the bottom. I carry it in the old pink and orange Kate Spade I picked up on clearance for $35, or one I got from Icon Shoes, or the gold Amelia pouch for the Nook Color (also bought on clearance).

I am lusting after the Kate Spade polka dots or charm covers, but waiting on a sale.

Cover prices just haven't fallen like ereader prices. My first reader was pushing $500.

[malligator]

I agree, but it's not that the cover prices have gone up. It's--thankfully--that the reader prices have come down. WAY down. I like to use my devices "naked" as they say so I have a timbuk2 sleeve for my iPad and my Kindle hitches a ride inside of it so it doesn't need a cover and I always have my two favorite gadgets with me. Well...three with my iPhone in my pocket.