nook

Does it still make sense to buy a Nook HD?

I suppose the writing was on the tablet. Back in May, ostensibly in honor of Mother's Day, Barnes & Noble whipped out some pretty hefty discounts on its Nook HD and Nook HD+.

Then, earlier this month, the cuts went even deeper for Father's Day, with the 7-inch and 8.9-inch slates selling for $129 and $149, respectively. But even after the holiday came and went, the discounted prices remained -- and now we know why: B&N is getting out of the color-tablet business.

Bummer. The company produced good hardware from the get-go, and although this … Read more

Nook Windows 8 app offers new design, discounts

Barnes & Noble is trying to lure more Windows 8 users to its Nook app with new features and a half-off promotion.

Updated Wednesday, Nook for Windows 8 and RT adds a new interface along with speedier performance, according to B&N. Users can also now highlight and annotate text, search for words via a dictionary, and find specific text within a book.

Book and magazine buyers will find a redesigned shopping experience. And users can now sideload both ePub and PDF files from their computers. The app also takes advantage of Windows 8 search. People can simply start … Read more

Nook's last stand? B&N still must battle Amazon

It may be better to fight one battle than face attack on all sides, but for Barnes & Noble, a direct matchup with Amazon.com is still a fight in which it may be outgunned.

Barnes & Noble on Tuesday said it is pulling out of color tablet design and production. Though it will to continue to design e-reading devices like the black-and-white Simple Touch, it will bring third-party manufacturers into a partnership for products like its Nook HD and Nook HD+.

The decision marks the end of Barnes & Noble's attempt to bat alongside major-league technology companies in … Read more

Barnes and Noble leaves the tablet biz

In this episode of Update:

- B&N says "goodbye" to the tablet biz.

- Ouya sells out its online stock.

- Sony updates their music service for better and stays competitive.

- Windows 8.1 shows off its start button features.

- A Taiwanese coffee chain now lets you print an image onto a latte.

CNET Update delivers the tech news you need in under three minutes. Watch Bridget Carey every afternoon for a breakdown of the big stories, hot devices, new apps, and what's ahead. Subscribe to the podcast via the links below.

Subscribe:… Read more

Barnes & Noble bails out on Nook tablet biz

Barnes & Noble is taking its losses and running.

In a statement released Tuesday, the retailer revealed that it's pulling out of its Nook tablet manufacturing business in the face of ongoing losses:

The company plans to significantly reduce losses in the Nook segment by limiting risks associated with manufacturing. Going forward, the company intends to continue to design eReading devices and reading platforms, while creating a partnership model for manufacturing in the competitive color tablet market. Thus, the widely popular lines of Simple Touch and Glowlight products will continue to be developed in house, and the company's … Read more

Nook HD vs. Kindle Fire HD

It's a Prizefight punch-out! The 7-inch tablet has established itself as the sweet spot for size and price, so we're facing off the recently updated Barnes & Noble Nook HD and the Amazon Kindle Fire HD!

The Nook HD gets a major software update and brings the entire Google Play ecosystem and Chrome as its primary browser.

Amazon has built a powerhouse ecosystem for content and Amazon Prime members get even more with the Kindle Fire, but will its more closed ecosystem hurt it?

Which is your pick to be the Prizefight King of the Ring? Barnes & … Read more

Nook tablet discounts extend beyond Father's Day

Father's Day is lasting a little bit longer than usual, at least in the land of Barnes & Noble.

The retailer revealed on Monday that it's stretching its special Father's Day sales prices on the Nook HD and Nook HD+ tablets. Kicked off on June 10, B&N's self-dubbed "best prices ever" promotion will now last for an extended but limited amount of time.

The Nook HD is selling for $129 for the 8GB version and $149 for the 16GB model, while the Nook HD+ can be had for $149 for the 16GB … Read more

Barnes & Noble slashes Nook HD prices for one week

Wow.

Remember last month, when Barnes & Noble chopped Nook HD and Nook HD+ prices the week leading up to Mother's Day? Turns out they like Dad a little more.

This week only, you can get the Nook HD (8GB) 7-inch tablet for $129 shipped and the Nook HD+ (16GB) 8.9-inch tablet for $149 shipped (plus sales tax in most states).

Those are unprecedented deals, especially considering that these are new units, not refurbs. The Nook HD normally sells for $199; the Nook HD+, for $269.

I've written about both these models before, and you can learn … Read more

Should Microsoft purchase Nook Media assets?

TechCrunch is reporting that Microsoft is mulling the idea of buying out the Nook Media venture in which Microsoft invested $300 million last year. TechCrunch says it has obtained "internal documents" that indicate Microsoft may pay $1 billion for the assets of Nook Media.

Does this make any sense? Given I thought rumors of Microsoft buying Skype and Yammer (both of which Redmond ended up purchasing) were pretty ludicrous, I'd say I'm probably not the best one to judge.

Microsoft officials, as one might expect, are saying they have no comment on rumors or speculation involving … Read more