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The popular bookseller Barnes & Noble surely have a great pair of tablets on their hands, but they are rarely mentioned while talking about budget friendly tablets. With a strong focus on e-readers and digital content the Nook HD puts up a great fight against the competition. With the iPad mini selling like crazy, the Nexus 7 popular in the Android world, and the Kindle Fire HD does their new Nook HD stand on its own? Read on to find out our thoughts on this impressive 7-inch HD tablet that doubles as the perfect reader.
Barnes & Nobles tablets have always been pretty great for what they are, but it’s their content and ecosystem that still wasn’t quite up to par with the competition. Now that they have even better hardware, millions of books, magazines, newspapers, apps and even a Nook video store it’s time to take another look at the Nook. Their new Nook HD has the highest resolution display of any 7-inch tablet, runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and is designed with readers in mind.
B&N hasn’t wandered too far from the original tablets they’ve offered in terms of design, but it’s the small things that make the new HD their best tablet yet. B&N says their Nook HD display is “better than any other 7-inch tablet” while it features a 1440 x 900 HD resolution, still manages to be rather sleek coming in at 11mm thick and weighing only 11 ounces too. After using the tablet you’ll quickly see why. The screen is bright, vibrant, and crisp and the viewing angles are excellent. This makes reading a breeze. We’ll talk more on that below but for now lets round out the specs. The Nook HD rocks a 7-inch 1440 x 900 HD display, a 1.3 GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4 processor, 1GB of RAM, and comes with 8 or 16GB of storage options, not to mention a micro-SD slot for expanding those options.
The display rocks 243ppi and support for 720p video playback. Tipping the scales at 315g, it undercuts the Kindle Fire HD and, at 127mm wide, is narrower too. The Nook HD is lighter than the Fire HD, Nexus 7, and the iPad Mini and is smaller than them all except the Nexus 7. This makes it easy to use on the go, hold with a single hand, and of course you can read with ease. There’s no cameras on board, but then again this is more about content consumption than creation. The micro-USB port has been dropped in favor of their own 30 pin connector on bottom, which doubles as HDMI-out but you’ll need a special dongle for full support. We have the familiar Nook home button on the front, and they’ve placed the usual power and volume rocker buttons in easy to access places. The power is on the left top side, while the volume is placed on the right. They are out of the way during reading, but easy to find and access when needed. Overall we actually found the design in general to be quite pleasing after using the device for more than a day or two. It isn’t too pretty, but functions great.
Just like the Kindle Fire HD the Nook is more a reader than a tablet, but B&N has no problem showing us that. The Kindle is slowly becoming more and more a device for games and movies, while the NOOK HD is clearly geared for reading. You’ll notice that right off the bat with their soft-touch contoured design, curved edges for an easy grip, and the bezels up front. At first we weren’t too fond of the bezel on the front being in the way of the display, but once you read a few magazines you quickly realize just how comfortable it makes your experience — something no other tablets can tout. Despite the plastic edges and buttons the device doesn’t feel too cheap, but certainly doesn’t give you a premium feeling like the iPad mini.
The display was one of our favorite aspects on the Nexus 7, aside from Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but the NOOK HD takes the cake here. Viewing angles are great and overall reading a book or enjoying a video you quickly notice just how much effort they put into the display. Sadly they focused a lot of attention on the display and didn’t think about adding a camera or better audio. While we don’t miss the camera the SRS sound wasn’t nearly as nice as we’d hoped.
With the new line of NOOK tablets B&N added a long list of new features. Trying to better compete with the Nexus 7 and the iPad mini they’ve certainly stepped up their offering, but you still get a feeling this is all about reading. We have over 3 million books, magazines, apps and more, and they’ve added a new Nook Video option for movies. Movies look amazing on the HD display, but it’s the reading experience that shines on this slate. Running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich but you’d never know it, B&N has added plenty to make this stand on it’s own. We have tabbed browsing now, something that sadly was missing before, and the Nook profiles are a breeze to set up.
Beating Google to the punch here we have multiple user accounts that work quite seamlessly. Each has its own apps, settings, background, profile picture and more. Flipping between them is as easy as hitting the power button and sliding in, but the delay to change backgrounds and apps was longer than expected. the carousel homescreen is ever so familiar if you’ve used a Nook or a Kindle Fire, and populates with recently opened apps or books for easy access. They’ve managed to keep the Android 4.0 multi-tasking feature with its own dedicated on-screen button, something that is sorely missing from those Amazon slates. Overall the Nook user interface has a nice 3D effect and pops out at the user, giving it another element of refinement. Sadly there didn’t seem to be a video resume option in their software (which were told will be addressed in an update) and the audio was lacking so much we tried to find a setting to turn it up — which wasn’t available.
Those few qwerks aside B&N has done a lot to make this more than a reader, even though at heart that is still what it is. As you saw in our video above they’ve added tons of new additions. From Nook Magazines that look amazing in both portrait or landscape for dual-page views, Nook Scrapbooks so you can easily crop out and save your favorite excerpts, and even Catalogs. Yup, New with the NOOK HD catalogs offer a convenient way to browse and shop HD catalogs such as the Pottery Barn, L.L Bean, Frontgate, and more. The NOOK will populate top choices, and again the HD screen makes viewing and turning the pages just gorgeous and vibrant. You can then use the Scrapbook feature to save things of interest for later, or share them with family or friends.
Newspaper and magazine reading has multiple options to enjoy the content, or to just read the text. There’s on screen keys to zoom out and get a full magazine view for easy panning through content, or you can cut out all the images and just enjoy the text if you choose. NOOK video is also a new option that brings the NOOK lineup closer to their competition. Offering thousands of films, movies, and TV from multiple major studios. They don’t have anything like Apple or Google yet, but it’s a work in progress and one more addition that makes the NOOK HD “do it all” instead of just being a reader. They even offer these in up to 1080p downloads to take advantage of their brilliant HD displays.
NOOK Comics and Books are just as they’ve always been, which are excellent, but they’ve put some focus on high quality comics as well as new fonts to make books have a “paper” feel while reading. With more than 3 million digital books and more you’ll always be able to find what you want — for the most part. Even Twilight if you must. Overall the software is quite pleasant, even if it doesn’t feel like Android, and their app store has grown enough to stand on its own for those that don’t need the full Google experience. With 10 times as many apps as last year they’re doing ok, but still don’t offer many games and apps that most tablets enjoy. However, B&N has secured most of the top 100 apps from competing platforms to stay relevant and keep users happy. So enjoy that Angry Birds and Words with Friends.
As mentioned above the browsers been improved and now finally supports tabbed browsing, and their new built-in email app also offers features that were previously missing. Things like Microsoft exchange support, as well as calendar and contact sync for Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo! and more. Sadly everything just wasn’t quite as fast as we’d hoped. And that’s in all aspects of the UI, not just email and browsing.
For $199 and $229 the NOOK HD is an awesome tablet and reading experience. That is for sure. Whether or not it’s worth the price compared to the competition is another story altogether. At the same price point the Nexus 7 is a complete tablet and Android experience, yet offers more storage at 16GB for $199. Then you have the iPad mini. Obviously there’s a little price premium topping the $300 mark but you’ll get much, much more. While not everyone wants to spend the extra for the iPad, the little difference just delivers so much more in terms of content. We only state that for the simple fact that B&N is trying to offer so much content for the device. In the end it still fails as a “tablet” and thus we must give the Nexus 7 and iPad mini the win here. For those seeking a tablet mainly for reading but will still enjoy those other features, we believe the NOOK HD is a better choice than most. The design is geared for reading and the experience just feels better than that of the Kindle Fire. B&N also doesn’t have ads in your face like those Amazon folks.
In the end Barnes & Noble invested a lot into both their hardware and software, and it shows. The screen is vibrant and crisp, performance is snappy and family friendly, and their unique industrial design stands out from the competition while remaining familiar. Overall while B&N has made an excellent product the software and ecosystem still needs some help. Riddled with poor performance in the OS and gaming, everything but reading books and magazines just takes too much effort when you’ve used iOS or regular Android.
When it comes down to what we want in a tablet this delivers in terms of hardware, but still fails just enough in the software and content to truly make it worthy of a full recommendation. While we love where the NOOK line is going — and hope it will get there — the Nexus 7, iPad mini, and Kindle Fire HD still offer more that make them an easier and better choice. Lacking the ecosystem of true Android or iOS, not having a camera, and not delivering enough content for consumption like the Kindle Fire HD achieves makes this a miss. If you’re invested in the B&N world already, this is a worthy update in all aspects and is by far the best NOOK yet.
Barnes & Noble Nook HD Review is written by Cory Gunther & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Another decent discount on Barnes & Noble’s entry-level e-reader means you can now get the sans Glowlight Nook Simple Touch for just under $80. This prices it below to Amazon’s (ad-free) basic e-reader but above the $50 price tag that Target’s announced. However, this limited-edition Nook is encircled with a white border, which at least sounds a little more festive — we haven’t managed to snatch a glance at one just yet. Barnes & Noble says that it’ll remain at this price for as long as in-store stocks last, but bare a thought for your transatlantic cousins, who are paying the same amount, but in pounds, for an identical e-reader.
Continue reading Limited-edition White Nook Simple Touch lands at $79 this Black Friday
Source: Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble’s Nook HD and Nook HD+ have gone on sale in the U.K. today, landing on shelves in retailers John Lewis, Argos, Asda, Dixons, Sainsbury, Waitrose, Blackwell’s and Foyles, and available via www.nook.co.uk.
In the battle of the mini tablets, the 8GB model of the 7-inch Nook HD undercuts the iPad mini’s price-tag by more than £100 — with a £159 price-tag vs the iPad mini’s starter price of £269. The Nook HD also offers a higher resolution than the iPad mini, with a 243 pixel per inch screen versus 163ppi for Apple’s mini slate. The Nook HD is powered by a 1.3GHz dual-core processor.
The larger Nook HD+ has a nine inch display, with a full HD resolution (256ppi), and starts at £229 for the 16GB model. Under the hood is a 1.5GHz dual-core chip.
Of course, buying a tablet is far more about buying into an ecosystem than buying a slate-shaped slice of hardware — which explains the enduring popularity of Apple’s iPad. On the ecosystem front, the Nook tablets have access to the ~2.5 million books on the Nook Store, plus “a large selection of magazines and apps” (vs 275,000 native iPad apps, at the last Apple count). In early December the Nooks will also gain access to Nook Video: aka “a broad collection of popular films and TV shows available for purchase or rental”.
Barnes & Noble’s tablets are also competing with Amazon’s seven inch £159 Kindle Fire HD tablet in the U.K. Barnes & Noble notes that the Nook HD is more than a fifth lighter and a centimeter narrower than Kindle Fire HD slate, weighing in at 315g. The company also claims the Nook HD’s processor is “smoother and faster” than the Kindle Fire HD — claiming graphics processing is 80 percent faster.
Following the arrival of Barnes & Noble’s e-reader products in the UK, today’s the day that the company’s tablets follow suit. The Nook HD and HD+ are a pair of tasty little high-definition tablets, which can be snagged at stores such as Argos, Sainsbury’s and John Lewis. The 7-inch HD can be yours for £159 with 8GB storage or £189 for 16GB, while the HD+ is priced at £229 for 16GB and £269 for 32GB.
Continue reading PSA: Barnes & Noble’s Nook HD, HD+ tablets are now available in the UK
Filed under: Tablets
Barnes & Noble’s Nook readers are top notch — there’s no argument about that. The application part of that equation however, is pretty messy. The web app is integrated into the B&N site and keeps the UI clean and minimal. The Mac and PC clients on the other hand go with forest green highlights, grays and a busy sidebar for navigation, while the Android and iOS apps get bright blues and lots of gradients. And lets not even bring the Nook Tablet and Color into this. Basically, they’re all completely different, confusing and rather poorly designed. The company’s new Windows 8 app on the other hand appears to take cues from the Paper interface of the Nook HD which, while not exactly stunning, is certainly a huge step in the right direction. It also brings a certain amount of consistency to the ecosystem across platforms, something that’s been sorely missing. The current version is a little basic, as it appears the app lacks notation, look up and social sharing features, but it will let you pin content to your Start Screen as a live tile. Download it now at the source and check out the PR after the break.
Continue reading Nook app comes to Windows 8 with clean Paper-like design
Filed under: Software
Nook app comes to Windows 8 with clean Paper-like design originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 12:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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After agreeing on a partnership with Microsoft last month, Barnes & Noble launches its Nook reading app for Windows 8 and Windows RT today. The app, which is available for free, allows Windows 8 users to view Barnes & Noble’s list of books, magazines, newspapers, and comics. Users can even shop from over three million titles including New York Times bestsellers, new releases, and the hottest newsstand issues.
On the other hand, if you love comic books and graphic novels, the Nook reading app is a grazing land and home to top publishers like DC, Marvel, Archie, VIZ, and Dark Horse Comics. Nook for Windows 8 also lets users customize their reading experience with different fonts, line spacing, and themes. The app also syncs automatically to the last page being read on a tablet or PC so users can continue their reading in a breeze. The Barnes & Noble Nook reading app for Windows 8 is available at the Windows Store.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Microsoft announces $300 million strategic partnership with Barnes & Noble, Nook Simple Touch and Simple Touch with Glowlight now in U.K. retail stores,
Not that there’s been any lack of ways to get Batman or Supes on your chosen tablet, between Comixology and the devoted DC app, but if you happened to need on more, the publisher announced today that it will be bringing its entire line to three prominent e-bookstores. Justice League, Batman, Superman and a slew of others are hitting the Kindle Store, iBookstore and Nook Store. Never let it be said that your tablet doesn’t support Flash. check out some thoughts from co-publisher, cartoonist and all around awesome dude Jim Lee after the break.
Filed under: Tablets
DC Comics brings a veritable justice league of titles to Kindle, iBooks and Nook Stores originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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DC Comics has announced that it will be offering its comic books on a variety of digital platforms, including Apple’s iBooks, Amazon’s Kindle, and Barnes & Noble’s NOOK ereaders and tablets. Of course, DC Comics has been selling graphic novels in digital form for quite some time, but this is the first time that DC is officially releasing new content on a weekly basis to various big digital platforms.
Starting today, you’ll be able to get your comic fix through the official stores of your respective devices. DC also reported that for the year to date, its digital comic sales are up 197% year-over-year. Hank Kanalz, DC’s senior vice president of digital, says that the addition of more digital content won’t detract attention from physical comic book stores, but will expand the audience instead.
Previously, DC Comics sold its content through apps from Comixology including its own DC Comics app in Google Play and iTunes. However, those were the only two places that users could buy DC-owned comics. Now, users can go through the official bookstores on various devices without having to download additional apps in order to buy comic books.
Today will see 70 titles available in iBooks, the Kindle store, and the NOOK store, including the week’s New 52 superhero books, several Vertigo issues, select “digital-first” titles that publish online before print, as well as some back issues. A combination of same-day new titles and backlist titles will be added in the coming months.
DC digital comic books now available for iOS, Kindle, and NOOK devices is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Barnes & Noble recently took the wraps of two new tablets, updating its range (along with everyone else it seems) in preparation for next year. That doesn’t mean it’s washed its hands with the OG Nook tablet and Nook Color — in fact, both just got another price cut. Starting tomorrow, you’ll be able to pick up the original 8GB tablet for $159, the 16GB version for $179 and the Nook Color for $139. With two price cuts in three months, anyone would think it was trying to get rid of stock. This still puts last year’s lower capacity model shoulder to shoulder with Amazon’s 2012 Kindle Fire (with ad subsidies), but with Christmas just around the corner, we’re not complaining about more choice for less dollars.
Filed under: Tablets
Barnes & Noble cut the price of Nook Tablet, Nook Color once more, really wants to be on your Christmas list originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Nov 2012 14:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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