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Topic: Tablets

Nook Tablet already in stores: Let the cheap tablet war begin!

Summary: Some stores are already showing the Nook Tablet ahead of schedule, and the Kindle Fire is shipping early. The cheap tablet war is on!

James Kendrick

By for Mobile News |

Barnes & Noble took it straight to Amazon when it recently announced the Nook Tablet. It was pointed out time and again at the launch event how the Nook Tablet has better hardware components than the Kindle Fire. Amazon responded by shipping the Kindle Fire ahead of schedule, and B&N has retaliated in kind as the Nook Tablet is already appearing in B&N stores.

Early shipments are rare in the consumer electronic space, as it is more common to see delays in getting products into consumer's hands. It seems the cheap tablet war has left the podium and is now in the trenches, with Kindle Fires and Nook Tablets shipping ahead of schedule.

The Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet are similar in form and function, with a $50 price difference separating the two. B&N is quick to point out the hardware differences that make the Nook Tablet worth the extra price, but that may be a dangerous gambit as most mainstream consumers don't care about the technical stuff. The cheaper price and familiar Kindle brand may give Amazon a leg up in the cheap tablet war.

It will bear watching how the market reacts to the Nook Tablet once widely available. It is reported Amazon has already sold a million Kindle Fire tablets prior to shipping, and that is a significant start in the race against the Nook Tablet. B&N is not disclosing Nook Tablet sales figures so far.

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Topics: Tablets, Amazon, Hardware, Laptops, Mobility

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43 comments
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  • RE: Nook Tablet already in stores: Let the cheap tablet war begin!

    If XDA can get CM7 on a Nook Tablet, it jumps to the top of my Christmas list. Sadly, with a shorter battery life and less memory, the Fire will not make my Christmas list. Yes, I understand it is a streaming device. But sitting on an airplane crossing the Altantic is not conducive to streaming. 16 GB of memory plus an SD card slot is a much better proposition. (Heck, if the Fire had the SD slot, I would probably get it instead, but limited memory is just too limiting.)
    jglopic
    Reply Vote

    • Not the only issues with the Fire

      @jglopic If you check around, pretty much every reviewer (even by Fandroids) are complaining about sluggishness .... even worst than normal Android lag.

      Here is an example ... fell free to search for more:
      http://www.extremetech.com/computing/104945-kindle-fire-flames-have-been-doused
      wackoae
      Reply Vote

      • Having tried the Kindle Fire, its a disappointment

        B & N wants to kill the Kindle. Keep the 250 price. Add a 5Megapixel camera and a Mic. Game over.

        But at current prices. Asus Transformer is the best buy at 271 along with the Asus Slider at 378 (google shopping). Then I would consider the HTC Flyer or the Sony Tablet S.

        Many like the Acer Iconia, its quality is just not enough. The display is subpar compared to the Asus / Sony or HTC Flyer. Updates even though they are there, they are just not good enough. And its HEAVY.
        Uralbas
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Nook Tablet already in stores: Let the cheap tablet war begin!

        With double the RAM, 6x the storage (if you count the SD slot), longer battery life, and the more "open system" than the Kindle Fire (not locked into Amazon only formats), on paper at least, the B&N Nook Tablet is easily worth the extra $50. I'll be interested once actual user reviews hit the street for both these products.
        ckantack@...
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Nook Tablet already in stores: Let the cheap tablet war begin!

      @jglopic
      In Europe the Kindle Fire is the only game in town. A guy in a US store tried to sell me a Nook, but he was asking me to give a fraudulent address so he could get the sale. I walked away. Still thinking about the Fire, but my current Kindle is only a few months old, and my Windows Phone and ancient iPod Touch do most of the other stuff in the meantime.
      A.Sinic
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Nook Tablet already in stores: Let the cheap tablet war begin!

        @A.Sinic
        Why would you be required (in the U.S.) to give an address to buy a Nook? For warranty purposes? Uh Uh! You do that after the buy. Absent any international treaties limiting the ability to sell a computer device in your country, there is absolutely no valid reason to claim fraud.
        WCarlS
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Nook Tablet already in stores: Let the cheap tablet war begin!

      @jglopic For sure. And now, with Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich source released, we may finally see something even better from CyanogenMod for both the NC and the NT. :)
      tkeller@...
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Nook Tablet already in stores: Let the cheap tablet war begin!

      @jglopic Nook is going to be a better tablet
      Jimster480
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Nook Tablet already in stores: Let the cheap tablet war begin!

    Just Picked up the new Nook Tablet. I really want to like this tablet. Being a current satisfied owner of the older Color Nook. I was ready to dig in. Being very familiar with the Older Nook I would think I know how to use the newer one out of the box. It could pass for a twin. Everything is okey-dokey except the Tablet isn't recognized by Calibre. ANY E-Reader MUST be able to communicate with Calibre. It is the most popular E-Book Library out there. The issue must be addressed immediatetly. I called B&N support and they are working on it. The problen isn't with the Tablet or Computer. In my opinion it is a Calibre driver/plugin issue. You might want to wait until this is fixed before proceeding with Nook Tablet order. I will post again here immediatedly when corrected.
    Bookzilla
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Nook Tablet already in stores: Let the cheap tablet war begin!

      @Bookzilla

      Well, the darn thing just came out! Give the Calibre people a chance to get their driver working! As often as they update the software, I would say it will be less than a week before they come out with a new version that works with it.
      Unusual1
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Nook Tablet already in stores: Let the cheap tablet war begin!

        @Unusual1
        I agree. It's not a B&N issue really. Calibre will get the driver sorted out in a week. They are very responsive. I love Calibre and use it with my CM7 Nook Color and stock original Nook.
        faxmonkey
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Nook Tablet already in stores: Let the cheap tablet war begin!

      @Bookzilla Who's the tard who flagged this post?
      Sure, Calibre will probably have this fixed pronto, but is the complaint about that flag-worthy?
      tkeller@...
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Nook Tablet already in stores: Let the cheap tablet war begin!

    These are bargain-basement dollar store toys. If you just want to read and do some really low level surfin' and email, well ok. But for another 100 -200 bucks you get either an Ipad or Galaxy that will turn either of these offerings into paperweights.
    TKodiak
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Nook Tablet already in stores: Let the cheap tablet war begin!

      @TKodiak
      Spoken like someone who has never used one. I have a Nook Color and use it every day. It is a great device (once rooted).
      BoloMKXXVIII
      Reply Vote

      • I love the qualifier "once rooted". Something that less than 1% will do ;-)

        @BoloMKXXVIII
        rcosby
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Nook Tablet already in stores: Let the cheap tablet war begin!

        @BoloMKXXVIII Agreed. the NC is a good value. I was hoping the new Tablet would have GPS though...
        tkeller@...
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Nook Tablet already in stores: Let the cheap tablet war begin!

      @TKodiak - Math was never my strong suit, but shouldn't the price range be from $250-$300 more you can get an iPad or Galaxy? In both cases, that is at least double the price of the devices in question... That is a significant price difference.
      tdogg219
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Nook Tablet already in stores: Let the cheap tablet war begin!

      @TKodiak Really, I can go out and buy a new Ipad2 for $299 - WHERE?! (and don't point to those penny-bid sites as an example).
      tbuccelli
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Nook Tablet already in stores: Let the cheap tablet war begin!

    I don't do social, I read real books instead of screens, I don't shop on line. What would I do with either of them?
    No_Ax_to_Grind
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Nook Tablet already in stores: Let the cheap tablet war begin!

      @No_Ax_to_Grind - My NC replaced a carry-on full of books and magazines for the weekly plane flights and airport waits. My eyes are not up to doing it on a 3" smartphone, and an iPad won't fit in my jacket pocket. It's been a great little device.<br><br>As far as shopping online, you don't know what you are missing. I've purchased everything from cars to office furniture to olive oil online, with selections I could have never found locally. People talk about price, but for me the ability to get exactly the model or feature that I want in something is the main attraction.
      terry flores
      Reply Vote
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