B&N launching Nook Tablet for $249 on November 16th, and we've got the dirty details -- Engadget

B&N launching Nook Tablet for $249 on November 16th, and we've got the dirty details -- Engadget

"Sitting down? Good. Come November 16th, Amazon's Kindle Fire will have company. We've wrapped our paws around a stash of documents confirming the impending launch of the first bona fide tablet in the Nook line, and lo and behold, the Nook Tablet will end up being a dead-ringer for the Nook Color that already exists.

What we're looking at is a 7-inch VividView IPS color touchpanel with a 1024 x 600 screen resolution (that's 169 pixels per inch), a 1.2GHz dual-core OMAP4 processor, 1GB of RAM, dimensions of 8.1- x 5- x 0.48-inches, 16GB of inbuilt storage, a microSD expansion slot, roughly eight hours of battery life with WiFi switched off (that sinks to four hours with videos playing back), 802.11b/g/n WiFi and support for a smorgasbord of file formats including ePUB, PDF, XLS, DOC, PPT, TXT, DOCM, Flash, JPG, MP3, MP4 and AAC."

SHOW #100 - NerdBoyTV: Android NOOK Color

In this episode of NerdBoyTV, Ryan Yee shares how some people are getting around the high cost of Android tablets by converting their NOOK Color e-readers into touchscreen tablets with full access to the Android App Market.

Nook Color Android hacks are being sold on eBay

By Crave - CNET

"Hacking or rooting the Barnes & Noble Nook Color has become a commercial venture for some, and that has plenty of Android enthusiasts calling foul.

In recent days folks on eBay have started selling hacks for the Nook Color pre-installed on microSD cards, which start around $60 for 4GB cards and work their way upwards. Installing one of the cards in the Nook Color's microSD slot allows users to override Barnes & Noble's 'closed' Android-based Nook firmware with an open Android system that supports running a multitude of Android apps. 'Modders' have been 'porting' various 'rooted' versions of the Android OS to the Nook Color, including a preview version of Honeycomb (Android 3.0), which is designed for tablets. This has made the affordable though slightly underpowered Nook Color ($250) a popular item with Android enthusiasts who don't want to shell out bigger money for true Android tablets like the $799 Motorola Xoom.

Over at the Android Police Will Shanklin was dismayed at the turn of events. He urged readers not to pay money for a Nook Color SD card that runs Honeycomb.

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Digital grudge match: Tablets vs. eReaders

From Kindles to iPads, MSNBC's Wilson Rothman discusses the pros and cons of ebook readers.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Barnes & Noble unveils color Nook e-reader

CLICK to read article on Yahoo! News

"Barnes & Noble Inc. is introducing a new Nook e-reader with a color touch screen for $249 as competition in the fast-growing industry heats up ahead of the holidays.

As the first full-color touch electronic reader, the Nookcolor stands apart from black-and-white competitors like Amazon's Kindle. The device can be used to read books, magazines, newspapers and an expanded array of children's titles. It also takes hints from Apple Inc.'s iPad with more games, Web browsing, music streaming and its own application store. Like earlier versions, it runs on Google Inc.'s Android operating system.

Barnes & Noble, which announced the product Tuesday, said it will begin taking orders for the device online and in stores on Wednesday and begins shipping in mid-November.

'I think Barnes & Noble did a pretty good job presenting this device as its own e-reader instead of just a cheaper version of the iPad,' said Simba Information analyst Michael Norris. 'It is focused on the reading experience.'

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Clearance Sale: Barnes & Noble Didn't Evolve Enough

Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance

"How did Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS - News) fall so far so fast?

The giant bookstore chain, whose superstores once struck fear into the hearts of independent booksellers everywhere, put itself up for sale this month, rendering it the corporate equivalent of the remaindered books it sells at a discount.

The company said it made the move because its shares are undervalued, but to me there was an air of desperation about it.

The simple explanation for Barnes & Noble's decline is the Internet, which spawned Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN - News), e-readers and digital books. But that didn't have to be the end for B&N, which had a dominant market position and should have out-Amazoned Amazon, leveraging its brand and innovating when it began marketing and selling books online.

I know exactly when B&N lost me as a customer. Some years ago, to compete with Amazon, B&N began offering free same-day delivery in Manhattan if you placed your order over the Internet by 11 a.m. I did so several times -- and not once did the books arrive when promised. Everything I have ordered from Amazon has arrived on time or earlier. Then came Amazon's game-changing Kindle, and instant delivery. Nothing I've read about B&N's belated rival Nook has tempted me to try it.

My hunch is that B&N never really embraced the Internet or e-books, tied as it was to the old-fashioned world of physical books and stores. As B&N focused on managing decline, a much more nimble Amazon could concentrate exclusively on the new world it was forming. B&N needed to destroy its business model to prevail. Now it is probably too late. There is a lesson for all businesses here.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Nook App Is Another Sign of Android Ascent

Nook App Is Another Sign of Android Ascent - PCWorld: "Barnes and Noble just couldn't afford to ignore Nook for Android any longer.

For months, Barnes & Noble has promised a Nook digital book reader app for Android, even though the bookseller's eReader app for iPhone and BlackBerry phones actually launched a year ago, long before the Nook's debut. I don't know why the Android version took so long, but with Android reader apps already available from Amazon, Kobo and Borders, it's about time Barnes & Noble caught up.

Nook's Android app has all the features of its iOS counterpart. You can launch Barnes & Noble's e-book store from within the app, let other people sample your library with LendMe and sync purchases and page counts across multiple devices. The Android app is also Barnes & Noble's first to get Nook branding; according to Electronista, the B&N eReader apps on other platforms will be rebranded in the future.

I'm guessing Barnes & Noble had to hustle on Android with all its competitors already on board, but the bigger picture is that all these new e-reader apps are a sign of Android development heating up. For reader apps specifically, it makes sense to start supporting Android now, with the large-screen Droid X and HTC Evo 4G on the market, and with Android tablets on the way.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Rivals moving to take on iPad

Rivals moving to take on iPad - Yahoo! News: "US bookstore giant Barnes & Noble added Web surfing and games to its electronic reader Friday as rivals move to break the momentum of Apple's freshly launched iPad tablet computer.

Barnes & Noble updated its Nook devices with features that included letting users browse complete works instead of just getting summaries of the content of digital books they are considering buying.

The Nook software update includes 'new games and many other entertaining features to continue to deliver on our promise to make Nook the most fun, easy-to-use e-book reader,' said Tony Astarita, vice president of digital products at the bookseller's website.

Amazon will make its Kindle electronic book reader available at US retail giant Target later this year in a deal that marks the first time the device will be available anywhere other than the Amazon.com website.

The basic Kindle sells for 259 dollars, the same price as a Nook.

The moves come nearly three weeks after the US launch of the iPad, a multi-purpose table computer that lists rich electronic book reading as just one of its features."

Barnes & Noble CEO: Nook Helped Boost Online Sales 67%

READ on Mashable.com: "According to Barron’s, Barnes & Noble CEO Steve Riggo told analysts in a conference call today that the bookseller’s recently launched Nook e-reader is its “single biggest-selling product.” He said that the Nook has boosted B&N’s online sales by 67% since it launched.

The Nook got a lot of press when it was first announced last year, but its launch was marred by supply shortages. Riggo said that the big boost in online sales would have been even bigger if it weren’t for the supply problems. However, the general consensus about the device among bloggers and reviewers was that it was neat but not quite finished.

Riggo was asked if the Nook was worth the substantial investment given that Apple’s iPad — which will try to compete directly with e-readers like the Nook and Amazon’s Kindle — is coming soon. His response: “Gee, that’s a great question.” He said that the Nook is “a very, very big component of our strategy” in that it will drive traffic from both in-person and online shoppers.

Unfortunately, he didn’t disclose exact sales figures about either the Nook or the e-books intended for it. Those figures probably won’t be public soon, but what really matters is how useful the device is. If you have a Nook and some insights about it, let us know in the comments."

SHOW #87 - NerdBoyTV: Barnes & Noble Nook

In this President's Day episode of NerdBoyTV, Ryan Yee demos the Barnes & Noble Nook eReader with its color touchscreen and available designer accessories. It connects to the in-store WiFi automatically. Retails for $259.

E-reader boom kindles a variety of new options

By Rachel Metz / Associated Press (CLICK to read more)

"When most people think of electronic book readers, Amazon's thin, white Kindle probably springs to mind. But that could be about to change.

A cascade of e-readers will hit the market this year, taking the devices far beyond gray-scale screens with features like touch navigation and video chatting — and probably lowering prices, too.

It's happening as other gadgets, such as mobile phones and tablet computers, give people even more choices for diving into their favorite books. Perhaps the only downside is worrying you might buy an e-reader from a company that won't stick around.

This week, nearly two dozen companies that make the devices or deliver reading material to them are showing products at the International Consumer Electronics Show, the first time it has devoted a section to e-books.

In a good sign for the mainstream status e-book companies hope to achieve, they are clustered at a prime location in the Las Vegas Convention Center often taken over by the likes of Microsoft Corp. And Amazon isn't even at the exhibition.

E-books make up a tiny portion of book sales, but their popularity is growing rapidly. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, which organizes the trade show, 2.2 million e-readers were shipped to stores in 2009, nearly four times as many as the year before. This year, the group expects 5 million will be shipped.

'It's an incredible growth category,' said Jason Oxman, senior vice president of industry affairs at the electronics association."

Barnes & Noble Nook (CNET Product Review)

When Barnes & Noble unveiled the Nook, the first Android-powered e-book reader, a lot of people were excited, because it appeared to offer some key competitive advantages over Amazon's Kindle e-reader.

First and foremost, while the Nook features the same 6-inch E-ink screen (600x800 pixels; 16 shades of gray) as the Kindle, it includes a separate color capacitive touch screen (144 x 480 pixels) that allows you to navigate content and use a virtual keyboard for typing searches and annotations. Furthermore, on top of its free AT&T 3G wireless connection, the Nook packs in Wi-Fi connectivity and a memory expansion slot; you get 2GB of internal memory, but can add up to an additional 16GB via the microSD card slot. And finally, Barnes & Noble offers an e-book-lending option (for participating titles) and the capability to browse the full text of e-books on your Nook if you're in a Barnes & Noble brick-and-mortar store (the latter feature is due to launch in early 2010). Unfortunately, both the lending and in-store browsing features come with some significant restrictions, which we'll detail below.

Caveats notwithstanding, those features are nice extras, but the big questions are: how much of a difference do they really make in the overall user experience, and are they enough to push the Nook to the top of the e-book reader heap? Alas, the answer, you'll soon find out, isn't as clear cut as it might seem.