Barnes & Noble and NOOK Media have launched a new program called Sync Up that lets you get a big discount on select eBooks when you purchase a paperback copy of the same title.
It’s kind of the B&N version of the Amazon Kindle MatchBook program that launched last year… but there are a few key differences.
First, B&N’s program works when you buy books from a physical book store. Walk into the store, find a paperback book with a B&N Sync Up! bookmark, and you’ll be able to show the bookmark at the cash register to get an access code that lets you buy the eBook at BN.com/redeem.
The other differences are that B&N’s selection of content isn’t as extensive as Amazon’s, and the prices aren’t as good.
Amazon’s MatchBook offers thousands of Kindle Edition titles for $2.99 or less when you buy a physical copy of the book at full price. B&N Sync Up offers “over 70 titles”a and the eBooks are all priced at $4.99.
There are some popular titles in there including Stpehn King’s Doctor Sleep, Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander, and Yann Martel’s Life of Pi, and the program could be good for loyal B&N customers. But it doesn’t look very competitive with Amazon’s offering at this point.
via B&N
I could see like $2 or so, but this seems like not that great of a deal.
Many DVDs are now coming with inclusive streamable/downloadable versions, so no, horribly pointless and obviously just another way to make money rather than be actively appealing.