The best thing that I think B&N has going for it is their seemingly ongoing commitment to quality. I bought the original Nook shortly after its release and only recently decided to grab the NST to replace it (due almost entirely to simple gadget-envy). The Nook that I retired was a significantly better product than the Nook I originally bought. B&N continued to release relevant software updates for their original Nook for years. These weren't just bugfixes, but also major performance improvements, design improvements, and entirely new features. Basically, the Nook was, for me, the opposite of a disposable product because it kept getting better. That definitely built some brand-loyalty for me.