# Barnes & Noble's new tablet ?



## Sandpiper

Barnes & Noble expected to unveil new Nook

Barnes & Noble's new tablet to compete with Fire. I think Amazon will be the winner. I don't have the love for B&N that I did for Borders. I still miss Borders.


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## jbcohen

You might be right here although I am told that b&n did a better job of the interface than amazon did.


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## QuantumIguana

I do like that the Nook Color has an SD card slot.


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## Eltanin Publishing

I like that the Nook Color has a non-glossy/non-glass border around it which I can hold, and know that I'm not putting fingerprints on anything. Sure, it's a touch screen and I do get finger prints on it, but I just like the plastic/rubbery border to hold. Some people will disagree, I'm sure - some with think it's wasted space. To each their own. But I'm a little surprised that all the other tablets on the market seem to just have a full glass face.

I'd get a Fire (since I love Amazon) if I could justify it. But a rooted nook color plus a K3 seems to cover all my bases...


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## kahoolawe

I'll stick with my Amazon Kindle Fire without doubt! Can't beat Amazon's Cloud and customer service.
It's a no brainer for me!!!


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## dbeman

If the leaked specs are accurate, the new nook tablet is the superior product. Of course people whose libraries already reside in Amazon's closed system are unlikely to jump ship; but those who have not entered the ereader market may opt for the better device.


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## Ann in Arlington

dbeman said:


> If the leaked specs are accurate, the new nook tablet is the superior product. Of course people whose libraries already reside in Amazon's closed system are unlikely to jump ship; but those who have not entered the ereader market may opt for the better device.


I don't know as I'd agree that it's superior. . .it's definitely a competitor. For me, I don't see features in the nook tablet that are worth the extra $50. Again, that's For Me.

Also, one of the things that is never addressed in these sorts of comparisons is 'What if something fails? What kind of support can one expect?'

That's huge for many people and Amazon has a reputation for superior customer service. B&N . . . .not so much. 

The nook Color definitely was popular. . . .I think this 2nd gen of that device will be as well.


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## Ann Chambers

Announcement came too late. I gave in and pre-ordered a Fire just the other day. Have been surfing all over comparing devices and small tablets for weeks. Can't beat Amazon's customer service, prices and selection. (Only 11 more days to Fire! Woohoo!)


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## kahoolawe

Ann Chambers said:


> Announcement came too late. I gave in and pre-ordered a Fire just the other day. Have been surfing all over comparing devices and small tablets for weeks. Can't beat Amazon's customer service, prices and selection. (Only 11 more days to Fire! Woohoo!)


I know!!! I can't wait to recieve my Fire!!! And yes, Amazon's customer service is amazing. No Nook for me!


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## Jenna Bayley-Burke

I love my Nook (ducks) but I preordered the Fire...I mean, who didn't? It answered my wishlist...but now I'm reading about the Nook Tablet and wondering...

I like the idea of starting fresh with Amazon...though I Kindle on my phone. Might have to set up a whole new account


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## dbeman

Ann in Arlington said:


> I don't know as I'd agree that it's superior. . .it's definitely a competitor. For me, I don't see features in the nook tablet that are worth the extra $50. Again, that's For Me.


The SD card capability and extra memory are worth the price of admission alone; particularly if one plans to install applications (which take up significantly more space that ebooks.)



Ann in Arlington said:


> Also, one of the things that is never addressed in these sorts of comparisons is 'What if something fails? What kind of support can one expect?'
> 
> That's huge for many people and Amazon has a reputation for superior customer service. B&N . . . .not so much.


Speaking strictly from my own experience my nook ST froze up on me. After 5 minutes of customer service via online chat I had a new nook on the way; which arrived at my door two days later along with the necessary materials to return the old nook. I really can't find any fault with that scenario...


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## luvmy4brats

dbeman said:


> The SD card capability and extra memory are worth the price of admission alone; particularly if one plans to install applications (which take up significantly more space that ebooks.)
> 
> Speaking strictly from my own experience my nook ST froze up on me. After 5 minutes of customer service via online chat I had a new nook on the way; which arrived at my door two days later along with the necessary materials to return the old nook. I really can't find any fault with that scenario..


It sounds like you've had good luck with B&N customer service... It's very hit or miss and many, many people have issues with them. Plus, with B&N you can't return eBook purchases, whereas with Amazon you have 7 days to return them for any reason. And Amazon hasn't bricked everybodies Kindle for several days with a botched upgrade. Also, with Amazon, they usually overnight your replacement, no matter how many times you have an issue..and you never return the old Kindle until you get your replacement. With B&N, they'll do that the first time, but after that, you have to mail your nook in before you get it replaced.. And sometimes it takes weeks to get a new one back.

As for Amazon's "closed" system, I'm always amused by this. Yes, it's true that you can't buy books from B&N or Sony or kobo or wherever for your Kindle, but 99.9% of the time Amazon has the books and they're either the same price or cheaper than all those other places anyway. (and you can buy books from Smashwords and dozens of other places, so its not like Kindle owners are just stuck with Amazon) And if you buy books from B&N guess what, even though they are ePub, you can ONLY read them on a nook (so B&N is just as closed as Amazon in that respect) in other words, you have a nook now and decided to buy a Sony next.. All those epubs you bought from B&N won't work on the Sony because the DRM limits them to the nook... And Amazon doesn't use your credit card information for the DRM..


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## dbeman

Again I can only speak to my own customer service experience. We could argue the "what ifs" all day long (What if my e-reader arrives broken? What if I drop it in the pool? What if a bear runs off with it while I'm camping, etc). I will say that most of the people I talk to who have complained about Barnes & Noble's customer service have rarely, if ever, done business with them and are simply repeating what they've "heard from someone else." Of course most of the people who complain about ad-supported Kindles have never owned one, so I guess it all balances out! 

While both B&N and Amazon have "closed" systems; since you can read Adobe DRM books on the nook you do have a few more purchasing options (I've utilized a few of Kobo's deals in the past.) However since I rarely re-read books I would have no issues "jumping ship" should an e-reader from another company appeal to me.

That being said my point in even bringing up a "closed" system was not to knock Amazon for having one; it was more to illustrate that existing Kindle users are unlikely to purchase a product from any other company for fear of not being able to transfer their library to their new device. However someone who has yet to enter the e-reader market has quite a few options to choose from; some of which from a _purely technological standpoint_ are superior to the Kindle options.


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## jonathanmoeller

I'm highly in favor of the Nook Tablet. Of course, I'm highly in favor of the Kindle Fire, and the iPad, and the Kobo Vox, and all the other ereaders. Every new ereader is new device for someone to buy one of my books, and every sale brings me one step closer to my goal of _total global domination_.

Practically speaking, I have a Toshiba Thrive with both the Kindle and the Nook apps, and I'm quite pleased with it. If I was going to get a tablet, I wanted something that was cheaper than the iPad, but could do more than the Nook Color or the Kindle Fire.

Of course, much to Toshiba's dismay, I suspect I am the only person on the planet to feel that way.

But the Nook Color was (and is) a fairly slick device - several of my non-tech savvy relatives have one, and get good use out of it.


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## Will Write for Gruel

I think the new Nook tablet is competitive with the Fire in terms of specs and even price because it has a little more under the hood, but I suspect Amazon's overall superiority in its bookstore and cloud services really will carry the day for them. 

That said, I'm thinking about the $99 Nook Simple Touch. I really just want an e-reader. I don't need a tiny tablet. I am happy to do my browsing and gaming on my PC. 

So does anyone have any feelings about the Nook Touch vs. the upcoming Kindle Touch?


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## dbeman

I think we still have a couple of weeks to go before the Kindle Touches arrive on everyone's doorstep; and the nook ST just released its 1.1 update (which I haven't quite got around to dealing with yet) so I think the jury is still out on both ends.

The reading experience on each device, however, appears remarkably similar. If one does manage to outshine the other, it won't be by much. So if you've already got a lot of Kindle content and don't mind waiting a couple of weeks then go for the Kindle Touch. I personally think the nook ST looks a little more slick than the Kindle Touch does, and the matte black rubberized finish with the ergonomically contoured back makes it very comfortable to hold. Additionally I prefer the file and shelving organization system on the nook to that of the Kindle.

One thing to note is that the $99 Kindle Touch is ad-supported; while all nooks are ad-free. This would not be a deal breaker for me; but others seem to have issue with it so its worth mentioning.


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## Will Write for Gruel

I read ebooks on my PC now, which I don't really care for. I'd probably use Caliber to convert any Kindle books I have to epub if I go with the Nook. My girlfriend has a Nook Color so we could share books if I get a Nook Touch. That's a plus. 

I'm considering the $79 Kindle too. I don't mind saving $20 and it's lighter than the Touch. It's less than six ounces. I kind of like that. 

What I'm hoping for is a good Black Friday sale. That might make up my mind.


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## Meemo

The Nook Tablet wins on specs, but the Nook Tablet's a moot point for me because I won't buy one. I have an iPad - I don't need another tablet-tablet. I want a glorified reader that I can sometimes use as a tablet and I love the 7" screen size - that's why I bought the NC (got a refurb for $160). I don't use the NC in Nook mode much at all, it pretty much lives in N2A-card rooted mode, but I still use it mostly for reading in low-light. I'm on the fence about Android, it's okay, but it's not nearly as intuitive for me as my iPhone and iPad are...then again I've been using them for a lot longer, and it's probably getting harder for me to learn these new-fangled things as I approach geezerhood!

So it's about more than the specs for me. How easily can I navigate around? How intuitive will it all be? Plus I'm much more "invested" in Amazon - I have Prime so I can stream videos free, I've picked up a lot of free music & books from them the last few years, which of course I can also access via the NC using the Amazon MP3 & Kindle apps. The only thing I wouldn't be able to access from the Fire would be my B&N books - but they've all been liberated anyway, and lots of them I'd also gotten free from Kindle (who knows why??) making that a non-issue...so it'll come down to which one I enjoy using more - which is more comfortable to hold, which do I enjoy using more? And of course Amazon's customer service weighs in heavily on the Fire's side.  From the demos I've seen, and the size differences, I think the Fire just might win on that score - but I'll know more next Wednesday.


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## KindleChickie

I like in store reading with the nook.  I also like the SD slot.  I am seriously considering canceling my fire for a nook tablet.  But I am curios about the silk browsing with fire.  

What I don't get is people's obsession with winning and loosing.  I am not competing with anyone, my gadgets are not in competition with other gadgets.  Rivalries seem to dominate so much of society.  They just seem like a waiste of energy to me.


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## Meemo

KindleChickie said:


> I like in store reading with the nook. I also like the SD slot. I am seriously considering canceling my fire for a nook tablet. But I am curios about the silk browsing with fire.
> 
> What I don't get is people's obsession with winning and loosing. I am not competing with anyone, my gadgets are not in competition with other gadgets. Rivalries seem to dominate so much of society. They just seem like a waiste of energy to me.


Well, personally, when I say "win" I just mean which one will I like better. I doubt I'll keep both the Fire and the Nook Color, so in that sense one will "win" over the other. In the same way, if you cancel your Fire order and order a Nook Tablet, that means in essence the Nook Tablet "won" - it's shorthand for "it has more of the features I wanted".

In the big scheme of life, though, I want both to succeed, because competition is what will keep both of them growing and improving.


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## KindleChickie

Meemo said:


> Well, personally, when I say "win" I just mean which one will I like better. I doubt I'll keep both the Fire and the Nook Color, so in that sense one will "win" over the other. In the same way, if you cancel your Fire order and order a Nook Tablet, that means in essence the Nook Tablet "won" - it's shorthand for "it has more of the features I wanted".
> 
> In the big scheme of life, though, I want both to succeed, because competition is what will keep both of them growing and improving.


Neither will win for me. Maybe it is simply my personality but win means competition and for me there is none. Not saying your views should match mine, just commenting on how I feel out of sync with society at large.

Besides, Nook has the most adorable Kate Spade covers just released.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/kate-spade-make-mischief-magazine-cover/22509497?ean=9780594288022&itm=3&usri=kate%252bspade%252bcover


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## dbeman

KindleChickie said:


> What I don't get is people's obsession with winning and loosing. I am not competing with anyone, my gadgets are not in competition with other gadgets. Rivalries seem to dominate so much of society. They just seem like a waiste of energy to me.


QFT. People will obviously have their preferences; which is fine. The line gets crossed when people feel as though they need to go on a crusade to obliterate competing devices and mock those who choose to use them. If you like your Kindle, fine. But you don't need to throw Molotov Cocktails through the front window of your local Barnes & Noble in the hopes of wiping out the nook display in an effort to prove it.


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## NightGoat

Am I weird for finding this weird... people spending more time doting on a device, even more time debasing denigrating all else than they do actually using the device?


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## dbeman

NightGoat said:


> Am I weird for finding this weird... people spending more time doting on a device, even more time debasing denigrating all else than they do actually using the device?


Its a cultural thing; a bizarre impulse to put down others in an effort to make ourselves feel good. Its not enough to say "I bought a Kindle and it suits my needs perfectly I'm really happy with my purchase." These days its more like "You bought a nook? You may as well try to read on a brick because that's what it will turn into. Also Barnes & Noble's customer service department endorses human trafficking!"

I truly blame political advertisements for this shift in culture. Years ago a candidate would proclaim "You should vote for me. Here are the reasons why." Nowadays its more effective to list the reasons why you shouldn't vote for the candidates.


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## Meemo

dbeman said:


> Its a cultural thing; a bizarre impulse to put down others in an effort to make ourselves feel good. Its not enough to say "I bought a Kindle and it suits my needs perfectly I'm really happy with my purchase." These days its more like "You bought a nook? You may as well try to read on a brick because that's what it will turn into. Also Barnes & Noble's customer service department endorses human trafficking!"
> 
> I truly blame political advertisements for this shift in culture. Years ago a candidate would proclaim "You should vote for me. Here are the reasons why." Nowadays its more effective to list the reasons why you shouldn't vote for the candidates.


Well, it does go on on both sides - you see the same type thing on a Nook or Sony message board. (Have had all 3 and been on boards for all 3.) I'm not sure whether the politicians started it or are just following the trend, but they definitely make me want to vote for "None of the Above".


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## dbeman

Meemo said:


> Well, it does go on on both sides - you see the same type thing on a Nook or Sony message board. (Have had all 3 and been on boards for all 3.) I'm not sure whether the politicians started it or are just following the trend, but they definitely make me want to vote for "None of the Above".


Many of the negative threads on the nook boards that I have frequented were started by posters who barge in, post about how awful the nook is as opposed to the Kindle, and then slink back into the night never to post again. Of course we can not know whether or not these are actual Kindle users or simply enthusiastic trolls.

For the sake of getting the thread back on track...I've seen the Jane Lynch nook Tablet commercial quite a few times between Thanksgiving Eve & black Friday morning. Nice to see B&N do some proper marketing as opposed to relying on in-store foot traffic.


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## Will Write for Gruel

It is stupid. It happens with lots of things -- PC vs. Mac, iPhone vs. Android phones, Playstation vs. Xbox vs. Wii. 

I think it's more about the poster validating his purchase choice than it is about anything else.


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## K. A. Jordan

I liked my regular Nook - fell in love with the little Nook touch - but my husband ordered me a Nook Tablet.

I'm amazed by the device. It surfs. It does color covers. (My cover looks SO good on it!) It is better for magazines - and it's FAST.

If anything goes wrong - I just take it to the store and ask for help. I can read any book for an hour and I get a free book every Friday.

It doesn't get any better than that.


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## m3write1day

Has anyone tried to simply put a Kindle app on the Nook Tablet?  Have the best of both worlds.


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## Meemo

m3write1day said:


> Has anyone tried to simply put a Kindle app on the Nook Tablet? Have the best of both worlds.


I have the Kindle app on my Nook Color. I also have the Nook app on my Kindle Fire. 

I like the look and size of my Fire better, and it's felt more intuitive to me from the get-go than the rooted Nook Color has - so for me, that's the best of both worlds (especially when you factor in Amazon's customer service). But of course that's just me - YMMV. But yes, it's great to have all the reading apps on a 7" tablet that still feels like it's the size of a book - I also have Kobo and my favorite ePub reading app, Aldiko.


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## dbeman

K. A. Jordan said:


> I can read any book for an hour and I get a free book every Friday.


That's a nook feature that a lot of folks don't talk about...the ability to read any book while in Barnes & Noble for an hour; which is awesome if you're the type of person who can read an entire book in an hour or if you hang out in the cafe a couple of times a week.


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## Meemo

dbeman said:


> That's a nook feature that a lot of folks don't talk about...the ability to read any book while in Barnes & Noble for an hour; which is awesome if you're the type of person who can read an entire book in an hour or if you hang out in the cafe a couple of times a week.


Probably because a lot of folks don't spend that much time in B&N - I sure don't. It's great for people who live nearby one and do spend a lot of time there - my B&N is 25 minutes and a toll bridge away. And it sounds like they're starting to make a lot of the stores a bit less "friendly" for folks who want to hang out and read for free (either on their Nooks or paper books or magazines) with the changes some of the stores are making.

I've never been able to get too fired up about "Free Fridays" - it feels like more of a gimmick where they spotlight a book that's already been free (lots of times I've already picked up the book from them, or Amazon, or both), and Amazon has new free books 7 days a week.


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## dbeman

Meemo said:


> Probably because a lot of folks don't spend that much time in B&N - I sure don't. It's great for people who live nearby one and do spend a lot of time there - my B&N is 25 minutes and a toll bridge away. And it sounds like they're starting to make a lot of the stores a bit less "friendly" for folks who want to hang out and read for free (either on their Nooks or paper books or magazines) with the changes some of the stores are making.


I live within a stone's throw (stones' throw?) of a fairly large Barnes & Noble and have two others that are less than an hour away. This is not the case at either of these stores...on the contrary they seem to encourage the behavior.



Meemo said:


> I've never been able to get too fired up about "Free Fridays" - it feels like more of a gimmick where they spotlight a book that's already been free (lots of times I've already picked up the book from them, or Amazon, or both), and Amazon has new free books 7 days a week.


Whether its Amazon, Barnes & Noble or any other e-book seller, I've found most free books aren't worth reading (public domain classics aside). In the past few years only three free ebooks even appealed to me and I only enjoyed one of them. (Oddly enough it was a Free Friday B&N offering.)


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## Meemo

I agree that the freebies aren't always the best - although there have been some that were the first in a series that I liked and went on to read more in the series.  I used to be in the "if it's free it's for me" mindset - I've gotten over that and now I'm much more selective.  

As far as the changes in B&N go, I'm going what I've read over on the Nook board - that some of the stores have made changes (less seating, etc) but it's been a while since I've been to my local B&N - last time was when the Nook Color update happened & I couldn't get it to take - so I don't even know what's going on at that one.


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