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YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Look Out, Kindle Fire: Barnes & Noble to Launch Cheaper Nook This Week [REPORT]

    By Lauren Indvik | Mashable – Mon, Feb 20, 2012

    nook_tabletIs Barnes & Noble launching an 8GB Android tablet to compete with Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet?

    The bookseller is planning to release a smaller edition of the Nook Tablet this week, if a leaked memo from Walmart is to be believed. The memo, obtained by The Verge, says that a Nook 8GB tablet is currently arriving in stores and will be available for purchase the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 22.

    [More from Mashable: iPad 2 vs. Kindle Fire: Top Consumer Gripes [VIDEO]]

    In terms of specs, the current Nook Tablet and Kindle Fire are nearly identical: both are Android tablets with 7-inch, 1024-by-600 screens, and have 1GHz dual-core processors, access to Wi-Fi, more than eight hours of battery life, built-in microphones, etc. The Nook Tablet, however, comes with double the storage (16 GB vs. 8 GB) and is $50 more expensive.

    Presumably, the new, lower-storage option will allow Barnes & Noble to compete with the Kindle Fire not just on specs, but also on price.

    [More from Mashable: Amazon and Viacom to Sign Video Deal]

    In Barnes & Noble's latest earnings call, CEO William Lynch said the company's Nook family of tablets experienced record sales during the nine-week holiday period at the end of 2011. In fact, that segment is doing so well that the company is considering spinning off the Nook business altogether. Digital content sales for 2012 are expected to be around $450 million, with the annualized forecast between $700 million and $750 million, according to Barnes & Noble's own estimates.

    Amazon also reported record-breaking holiday sales of Kindle tablets and ereaders. More than 4 million devices were sold altogether during the season.

    Barnes & Noble's Nook Demo

    A look at some of the games and apps available on the Nook Tablet. By the holidays, Barnes & Noble will offer thousands of high-quality Nook Apps from leading third-party developers and content providers that can be enjoyed on Nook Tablet, as well as Nook Color.

    Click here to view this gallery.

    This story originally published on Mashable here.

     

    13 comments

    • Rodbober1
      Rodbober1  •  3 mths ago
      It would have been nice to have a prediction price of this new Nook.
      • Max
        Max 3 mths ago
        $199
    • Robert
      Robert  •  Livonia, Michigan  •  3 mths ago
      it seems that the article is saying the main difference is because of the 16gb and 8gb memory. that is very misleading. on e bay I can get an 8gb microsd for $5 and 16gb for $14. Not getting into whether it is a fake namebrand or not, but because of buying in bulk, nook should be able to obtain these even cheaper. my difference estimate is $9, very far off from $50. they're different brands and there are some other features that make the price differences.
      • Ryan
        Ryan 3 mths ago
        thats 8 gigs of flash memory on the device, with the new tablet priced at 199 you get a dual core processor, 1 gig of ram tablet, with a 16.7 million color per pixel screen (~720 hd quality) and a micro SD slot... spend the extra 50 you would have spent to pick up the 16 gig one on a 32 gig micro sd card for 30 bucks, heck, spend 10 more and get 72 gigs of total storage space for only 260 bucks.
    • PattyDucker
      PattyDucker  •  3 mths ago
      Nothing said about USB or SD ports. Tablet - WiFi - external storage = paperweight.
      • Ryan
        Ryan 3 mths ago
        microsd/microsd HC slot, up to 32 gigs in a class 2/4/6, no reason why it wasnt mentioned in the article really, poorly researched on their part.
    • Joe Truth
      Joe Truth  •  3 mths ago
      I'd rather read a real book.
      • imo
        imo 3 mths ago
        I always said that, too. Then someone bought me a Kindle. I didn't want it but in the two months I've had it I have changed my mind. I LOVE using it to download library books for free. I don't have to drive to the library to pick up or return books.. it's all done through wi-fi. I love reading with a built in book light, love being able to search electronically for references. I would never have thought I would like reading on a device like this - I have a library of over a hundred books at home and used to frequent the public library... but now I have everything in this one little device. Wonderful!
      • C
        C 3 mths ago
        Plus, it's E-friendly. Not to mention that kids love it. There are many school districts implementing tablets in their classes with positive results.

        The Nook it's a good device for those who are just looking for ebooks and search the web.
    • HHH
      HHH  •  3 mths ago
      Remember reading about Germany burning unwanted knowledge and books in a fire, I sure am glad we won't have to worry about unwanted knowledge disappearing over time in the computer based Kindle,,,Fire. (They must have so much fun smearing this stuff in the unsuspecting masses face.)
    • Ryan
      Ryan  •  Dekalb, Illinois  •  3 mths ago
      I would like to know how they are virtually the same being that the nook has a microsd slot that can take up to 32 gigs... that is a HUGE plus... the fact that you can get an n2a card and turn it into a fully functional android tablet, with that micro SD slot so you get the entire android market... the fact that the battery life on it is 12 hours compared to 8 on the fire... or the fact that the tablet has 1 gig of ram compared to the 512mb in the fire.
    • franka
      franka  •  New York, New York  •  3 mths ago
      Barnes and Noble will never be able to compete with the Kindle Fire. It has something The Nook does not: AMAZON
      • robinb
        robinb 3 mths ago
        It's called competion and/or choices, not everybody wants what you want.
      • Ryan
        Ryan 3 mths ago
        Nook has something the Kindle Fire doesnt... Micro SD slots... ill just keep getting those and running honeycomb soon to be ice cream sandwhich on mine, with infinite storage space.
      • MLA
        MLA 3 mths ago
        LOL That's funny, Ryan. My father-in-law, nuclear physicist for ORNL, got one of each from us kids for Christmas--he researched BOTH extensively AND RETURNED THE NOOK TO GET HIS MONEY BACK.
    • El Fuego
      El Fuego  •  3 mths ago
      Unfortunately, it's not just price the Nook is competing with but Kindle Fire content.
    • T4
      T4  •  Pleasanton, California  •  3 mths ago
      Indvik is wrong - the target is the emergin makrte for tablets - not the fire. Apple and its overpriced clones will be drawn to lowerprices as the market matures.
    • Dexter
      Dexter  •  3 mths ago
      Nice spin on the spin-off. They're spinning it off because of the debt-heavy brick and mortar side of the business is dragging everything down. Enough spinning to make your head spin.
    • Wild
      Wild  •  San Diego, California  •  3 mths ago
      Why is it so small..make them the same size as i pads and make some money
    • Grumpy
      Grumpy  •  Midland, Texas  •  3 mths ago
      In other news I just farted. And I think I blew some poop out my hole.
    • Trouble
      Trouble  •  3 mths ago
      I'll keep my IPad2, thanks.
     Post a comment
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