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Read the rest of this articleMajor firmware update powers the Nook way past the Kindle
When it comes to gadgets like smart phones and tablet computers, consumers like gadgets that can have multiple functions through apps and video capability. This fact hasn’t been lost on Barnes & Noble with their Android powered e-reader, the Nook Color. An upcoming firmware update will transform the e-reader into a cheap tablet computer that could smother the Kindle when it comes to sales.
Barnes & Noble had been hinting at a firmware upgrade for some time, but a press release and some teasers from the folks at HSN (formerly known as the Home Shopping Network) filled in some details on the update and the relationship between the retailers. HSN has been on a tear of late promoting the updated Nook Color on-air and on their website. They claim that HSN customers that buy a Nook Color ahead of the firmware update will get first dibs on the upgrade when it rolls out in April.
Other hints include a mention of eight new apps such as the addictive Angry Birds and the launch of a new Nook branded app store. The web browser will also be beefed up with Adobe’s Flash player and there will be an email client that isn’t browser dependent. HSN has the e-reader up for sale with a bundle of accessories for $329.00 while the bookseller still has the Nook Color listed for $249.00.
Barnes & Noble is betting big on this firmware update according to production reports; they’ve taken delivery of almost three million Nooks. In January and February of 2011 bibliophiles snapped up between 600,000 to 700,000 Nooks each month. Their main rival in the e-reader market, Amazon, sold about eight million Kindles in all of 2010.
Kindle fans are a loyal bunch, but Amazon will need to up their game to compete with massive update to the Nook Color. The additional features are certainly tempting for just $110.00 more, but it may be the e-reader’s colorful screen that seals the deal for many shoppers. Games are more enjoyable, web content more compelling, and children’s books become a lot more interesting when they aren’t mired in a grayscale world.
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Comments
Hopefully the browser will allow downloads this time..
If not I guess I'll have to root- not a move in B&N's favor since sometimes the nook registration is lost, and with it potential customers.
In all due respects the kindle wasn't made for games or heavy browsing. Besides eink is easier on the eyes
Nah, that's bull - I don't own a Kindle to browse the internet. I have other devices for that. My Kindle is for eye-friendly e-reading only. Two quite separate markets.
I agree with the above two. If people wanted a tablet, they could get and iPad or any number of the tablets that just came out from various cell phone providers. The nook is just trying too hard to be something it is definitely not.
People "could" just buy an iPad, but you're missing the point. These things are a lot cheaper, more portable and more stable than most other android tablets (right now anyway). I think they're going about it the right way
For a lot of people a rooted Nook Color is all they need for their tablet needs. B&N should just put full Android on it and call it a day.
Obviously you Kindle owners that say the Kindle is ssooo much easier to read on than the nook colorhavent used a nook color. You can turn the brightness down to pretty much nothing. You can read it in the direct sunlight. So go try something before you diss it.
I own a Kindle DX and an iPad. Both devices are great, but do different things, sort of like a fork and a spork. One is specialized and the other is for general use. I read for several hours every day, and much prefer the Kindle for that. The iPad is great for taking notes, browsing the web, watching tv, etc. It is horrible for reading long periods, though, no matter how i adjust the brightness.
The Nook Color is not an ereader. It is a cheap and inferior tablet, sort of like a plastic spork. You get what you pay for. I would recommend buying a first generation iPad for just a few dollars more, or buying any number of Android capable iPad competitors that are coming on the market this year. You'll get better screens, faster performance, longer battery life, etc.
Um, the Nook Color IS an e-reader and I've never had eye strain from it.
How about owning one before you criticize it?
I own a nookcolor, have played with both the ipad and the kindle and I prefer my nook. It does exactly what I wanted it for; allows me to read, browse the internet and take full ownership of my books to the next level. By that I mean I can highlight, bookmark and annotate with ease. The coming app store is only going to improve on that.
I appreciate the iPad for kicking tech in the pants with the tablet boom, and I appreciate Kindle for making ebooks a tangible force to be reckoned with, however, for what I want to do when I read, I'll keep my nookcolor close at hand.
I own a NC and I LOVE IT!!!! I haven't noticed any eye strain, but I also don't read for more than a couple hours a setting(blame that on my toddler). I do adjust the brightness when needed. We love the children's books and the ability to browse the web with ease. I have many friends who own kindles who envy my nook. Don't get me wrong, Amazon does have a great product. If you are wanting just to read, then the kindle does suffice. But, for the occasional Youtube, email, and Facebook browsing then the NC is where its at (for the price). After the firmware update, it will be even better, IMO, for MY needs. Did i mention I LOVE my Nookcolor? :)