The world of tablets is so crowded, but a new one couldn't harm, isn't it? Barnes & Noble took its courage and has just rolled out two new versions of its classical Nook tablet with sleek new hardware and a sharper high-definition screen.
Barnes & Noble Launches Nook HD Tablet
The new Nook HD is promoted as a 7-inch screen, starting at $199, and as a new 9-inch screen, the so-called the Nook HD+ (although I don't see a major difference between them), starting at $269. Following Amazon's steps, Barnes & Noble is also increasing the services the Nook offers, adding a video purchase and rental service, allowing users to maintain different profiles and making it easier to browse books.
If you ask me whether Nook HD is hotter than Kindle Fire HD, I can't choose, it's a matter of personal like and dislike and obviously, a matter of price, you can find discounts on Amazon's tablets right on the site, while Nook is freshly updated, I don't think Barnes & Noble will come up too soon with promotions. Instead, you will have to get pleased with Nook Video, an app that will open the gates of an extensive collection of movies and shows from major studios including HBO, Sony Pictures, Viacom and Warner Brothers. This move puts Barnes & Noble more directly into competition with Amazon and Apple.
Why the company has invested in HD gadgets? I would say for stopping the financial fall. The largest traditional US faced a cruel reality during the recent fiscal quarter, when sales of digital content decreased 46% and revenue from devices dropped partly due to lower prices. If the idea of e-book wasn't that profitable, why not transforming the tablet into a video gadget, perfect for holidays, when everybody loves to see what their friends are doing on social networks and enjoy a calm evening next to a good movie?
So, the Nook HD was born, as an upgrade to the previous tablets, the Nook Tablet and Nook Color. The company will continue to sell its smaller black-and-white e-reader, called the Nook Simple Touch, for $99, and a backlit Nook Simple Touch for $139, but Nook HD is more attractive, running on Android 4.0 system and including Barnes & Noble’s own app store and browser, it has to be strongly promoted.
Which is Barnes & Noble's war, after all? Hard to say, nobody bet on the company, when it first announced its idea and look where it reached. Barnes & Noble's operates nearly 700 stores and continues defying expectations. There are analysts believing that it managed to beat Amazon thanks touchscreen devices and a color readers. Since the chain launched its first Nook device, a basic e-reader, in 2009, it has won as much as 30% of the US e-books market, while Amazon is still the leader, thanks to 60% of the market performance. Now Nook HD+ tablet is meant compete with the iPad, due to its video features and screen size, but is it too ambitious though?
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