October 19, 2002
I don't like Barnes and Noble

To be honest, I never really did. Ever since the day I first discovered the university bookstore which happily overcharges for every teeny thing it sells (powerbar? That'll be $3, thank you) is actually a spawn of B&N.

Yesterday, as I was driving home with my newly purchased wireless network stuff I saw a B&N sign.. "cool a bookstore" I thought, as I was planning to get a mod perl book.

I should have known better. This wasn't a bookstore, this was B&N hell, books included.

Not only does their computer book selection suck (they didn't have the one I wanted..) but the whole store has the warm feel of a emergency ward waiting room. To make matters worse, as I fondly remembered my local Border's coffee shop (it's a great little hang out) I thought "at least I'll grab a coffee". Right. The B&N coffee shop turned out to be a Starbucks complete with snotty personnel who turn their noses on anyone ordering a plain, black coffee.

Latte my ass.

Posted October 19, 2002 12:17 PM in Random
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Comments
On October 19, 2002 12:45 PM Techie2000 added:

I also like Borders much better. However it is a long drive to any of them. The closest is B&N in Glastonbury, for Borders I have to go to either Manchester or to the area by West Farms Mall...

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On October 19, 2002 02:52 PM Jeremy Zawodny added:

Watch what you say about my cats. :-)

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On October 19, 2002 06:48 PM Dan Isaacs added:

I too have never really liked B$N. Never been able to articulate just what it is that I don't like. But I continue to dislike them regardless.

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On October 19, 2002 07:20 PM PopeMatt added:

My wife works in a Brentano's bookstore. If she pulled some of the crap that I've seen B&N employees pull (oh, you want the Blah section, it's over that way *point*) she'd get fired.

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On October 20, 2002 01:12 AM tmpchaos added:

Once upon a time I liked B&N...back in the eighties, when they gave 20% off on paperbacks. In the 'main' store on 18th street, they also had a large selection of used books to paw through. Now I don't go into them (and yes, there's one in Howbroken) unless I have a gift certificate...then it's a game to see how close I can come to the value of the certificate.

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On October 21, 2002 01:29 PM joshw added:

I like B&N.. when I was in California, I spent hours there every weekend plowing through computer books and such. That, to me, is what makes them (and Borders) so much better than the local chains for me -- the scale makes it easy to freeload. :-) It's like a library with coffee and books that aren't out-of-date. I'll agree that the Starbucks connection sucks, but I never got less than cheery service while I order my black coffee there.

Unfortunately, the nearest B&N is now 45 minutes away. Grr.

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