Katie Marsal
At $249, the Nook Tablet features more power than the similarly sized Kindle Fire, with the latest Nook packing a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of built-in internal storage. Barnes & Noble said its new Android-powered Nook, which arrives on Nov. 17, also boasts 11.5 hours of battery life.
"In Nook Tablet, we've created the best wireless media tablet in the portable 7-inch class," said Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch. "Nook Tablet’s VividView display has been designed to be the world’s finest screen for readability and viewing content. We've utilized that breakthrough display technology to bring consumers the largest digital catalog of color and interactive books, magazines, children’s books and high-quality apps through our NOOK Store.
"Additionally, we’ve seamlessly integrated today’s top entertainment services like Netflix, Hulu Plus and Pandora in a product that’s powerful, easy-to-use, under a pound, and a tremendous value at only $249."
The Nook Tablet's closest competitor will be the new Amazon Kindle Fire, another 7-inch touchscreen tablet powered by Android. Set to ship on Nov. 15, the Kindle Fire is available for preorder and carries a price of $199.
To compete with Amazon at that price point, Barnes & Noble also dropped the price of its previous-generation Nook Color to $199. Apple's entry-level 16GB, Wi-Fi-only iPad is $499, sporting a larger 9.7-inch display.
Speaking with USA Today, Lynch said that he doesn't view Apple's iPad as a direct competitor. Instead, he believes people will buy both an iPad and a Nook Tablet.
"Despite the fact (that Apple is) closing in on 40 million iPads in the U.S., the iBookstore is still a much smaller share of the overall market than is the Nook bookstore and the Kindle bookstore," he said. "That is because these devices, including Nook Color, have been optimized around the reading experience."
Apple executives indicated last week that they are not concerned with the forthcoming Amazon Kindle Fire. They believe that devices like the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet will only fragment Google's Android platform, as both devices feature a custom user interface that masks the Android underpinnings of the devices.
And Amazon is already rumored to be looking beyond the forthcoming first-generation Kindle Fire, even before it becomes available. Numerous reports have suggested that the world's largest online retailer plans to adopt a larger screen size with future color touchscreen Kindles.
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65 Comments
Is the 7" tablet really more optimal for reading than the iPad?
Over time, I wonder if it might turn into a hardcover vs. paperback comparison.
The Kindle Fire won't add to Android fragmentation because from the user's point of view it is not Android. It's looks and behaves like a proprietary platform.
The Kindle Fire won't add to Android fragmentation because from the user's point of view it is not Android. It's looks and behaves like a proprietary platform.
you're right. the Fire and Nook do not "fragment" Android. they "fork" it. and in fact compete directly with Google's version.
And yet the Lenovo A1 has better specs and a $199 price tag. The 7" market is so overrun, no one will be able to tell any of them apart. And iPad will just let them have the tiny screen market. No use getting into that mess.
The Nook color looks like a good alternative to the iPod touch. I think I'll get one of these for the kids this christmas, mostly for netflix.
I'd really like to see a 5" iPod touch with the A5 and 32GB for $300.
Yeah, that's the same price as the current 32GB iPod touch...but it's still $50 more than the Nook and $100 more than the fire.