Nook Color from Barnes&Nobles- $249 Android 7 inch tablet

With Amazon launching their latest Kindle 3 digital reader, it seemed that the guys at Barnes&Noble were left in offside.

However, they did strike back, with a new device: the Nook Color. However, unlike the original Nook, this is no longer an ebook reader per se, as it does not bring an e-ink display, but a 7 inch multitouch tablet powered by Android.

We really don’t have many details on the display right now, but we know it’s an LCD with 1024 x 600 px resolution and IPS matrix (thus colors and especially viewing angles are quite good). It also seems to be capacitive, as it performs quite smoothly in available demo clips, plus it support a bunch of different gestures, like zooming, panning, scrolling, all with just the touch of your fingers.

Also we do not know much about the hardware inside the Color Nook. I’m pretty sure however it does not use the latest generation processors, and you’ll see further below on what I base this assumption.

Nook Color from Barnes and Nobles – 7 inch touch tablet focused on reading activities

Unlike with most other touch tablets announced or available these days, this one from B&N focuses mainly on reading books and static content in general, like magazines, newspapers, sites, etc. It also brings integration with Social Media apps like Twitter and Facebook, as you can easily share what you’re reading or doing on your Color Nook with all your friends.

That doesn’t mean this device can’t be used for games, music and video content (although I’m not sure if it will be able to handle HD content as well). The OS behind this Nook is Android, but we’re not aware which exact version that is. Hopefully though we could upgrade it to 2.2 Froyo and get features like Flash 10.1 streaming. Still, B&N promotes these features as extras, focusing on books and content. After all, they are a library chain…

I should also mention that for the time being, the Color Nook only comes with Wi-Fi, as there is no 3G version announced. Also, internal storage space is limited: only 8 GB, but you can extend this, as there’s a card slot.

Nook Color – a versatile compact tablet with great pricing

What’s really impressive is the fact that this 7 inch tablet will go for only $249 in the States, with Shipping included. And that simply makes me want to buy one, as i’ve been waiting for a while for a compact tablet with Android and priced around 300 bucks, and this seems to be the first viable option.

Now, considering the price, you probably see why I assumed the hardware inside is not latest tech and not that powerful, so if you want a versatile tablet for multimedia, I’m not sure this is the one (future reviews will offer more details though).

Also see the clip below for more info on the Nook Color.

However, the Color Nook is a solid built mini tablet with a lot of interesting features and a great price, which makes it an interesting product to get for this year’s Holidays. It will ship starting November 19th, but if you want one, you’d better preorder now. Remember what happened last year when they launched the original Nook and stocks ran out in just a couple of hours?  This might happen again…

Of course, at least in my mind, this is not a replacement for a regular ebook reader with a proper e-ink screen. Even though B&N say the screen on this one is coated with a special anti-glare and eyes-protecting layer, I’m sure it’s not the same experience. Reading on an LCD is still reading on an LCD, no matter how you put it.

That’s it for now with the post on Barnes&Nobles Nook Color , but more details will be added as they pop out, so stay tuned for updates here on the site.

Via Barnes & Nobles