Barnes and Noble must have a lot of Nook Tablets lying around because every week the Nook Tablet deals just keep getting better and better.
This time around they are offering the 8GB Nook Tablet for just $159 through eBay and B&N.com. It’s refurbished, not new, but it’s certified pre-owned and has been tested and inspected and comes with the same warranty as the new ones.
The Nook Tablet doesn’t have nearly as much going for it as the new Google Nexus 7 tablet that can be had for $199, but it does have one major advantage in that it has a microSD card slot for memory expansion. Battery life is a little better too.
Still, I don’t see how B&N is going to sell very many Nook Tablets now that the Nexus 7 is out. The Nexus 7 has superior hardware and software. A Nook Tablet is basically a children’s toy by comparison given B&N’s lockdown of the operating system and apps.
Luckily the Nook Tablet can easily be hacked and turned into a proper open Android tablet. It can run CM7 for Android 2.3 or CM9 for Android 4.0. There’s even an early ROM for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but unfortunately it won’t run on an 8GB Nook Tablet yet.
Even if you don’t hack the Nook Tablet it makes for a good ereader and basic tablet out of the box for $159. The new ones sell for $40 more.
Update: For the next 2 days, Livingsocial.com has new 8GB Nook Tablets for $169. (Thanks Carlos!)
Yeah this is really becoming a common occurrence, especially since the Nexus 7 release. At least they are offering discounts and gift cards, unlike Amazon. I feel bad for those who will buy the much outdated and outperformed Kindle Fire in the next couple months. There are so many better options coming down the line.
I did a search for articles on a new Nook Tablet this morning and I found some commentary, but not much. It sounds like we will see a new Nook Tablet by October/November. The post I read quoted a B&N source who claimed that the next generation Nook Tablet will have new “revolutionary screen technology and power-packed specs.” I’m thinking a Tegra 3 chip and a high-res screen comparable to the Nexus 7. I hope they keep their physical design the same (plus the SD card slot); I love the look and feel of the Nook Tablet. Other rumors include a dedicated B&N music and video store, à la the Google Play/Amazon model. I can’t wait until this autumn. Bring on the new KF and NT.
@Nathan do you know how I can add fonts to the Nexus 7? The Cool Reader and FBreader apps only show Droid Serif and sans. I would love to be able to take advantage of the customizable options with these reading apps, but I haven’t been able to find a tutorial on adding fonts yet. Thanks.
I’m not sure about FBReader because I mostly use Aldiko anymore, but with Cool Reader you just add TTF fonts to a fonts folder on the main root of the internal sd card: /sdcard/fonts/
Yes, that’s what I was attempting to do before but I don’t see an internal sd card folder in the Android File Transfer manager. My Nexus isn’t recognized on my computer outside of that manager. Thanks.
sdcard is the root folder. My computer calls it Internal Storage. What is Android File Transfer manager? Is that a Mac thing or something?
Yeah this must be a Mac issue.
If you have some cloud service installed you could transfer them with that. Given my abhorrence of USB cables, I’ve used Dropbox and ES File Explorer to transfer fonts before.
When the Nook Color came out it was an easy sell because it was by far the best device in its class at the time. But now, things are very different. Nook’s hardware is still fairly competitive, but lacks a camera and ability to attach peripherals, like a real keyboard. Nook’s (and Kindle’s too) biggest handicap, however, it its limited functionality. The walled garden problem. They could get away with that when they were the only credible 7″ tablet on the market, but why would anyone buy such a restrictive device now when for about the same price people can have a whole world full of options on one device?
For the $250 price of a 16GB Nook Tablet I can get an 8GB Samsung 2, which adds dual cameras, GPS, bluetooth, and more.
I don’t see the Nook hardware surviving unless it becomes much more capable and much less restrictive.
The real problem for me with both the Nook and Fire was that neither had good enough resolution for my older eyes. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to obtain a used Samsung Galaxy Note for $225, that’s meeting my tablet needs nicely and my eyes love the higher resolution.
Plus, things like having a camera and light weight and portability are important to me!
I wouldn’t mind also having a larger tablet though, so very interested in what might come out this fall. I was pleased to see higher resolution on the Nexus 7, though I’d like that tablet better if there was a card slot.
I just think that with W8 coming in Oct it just might make sense to wait and see if the Surface is affordable and has aa good reading screen. I would buy the new nook if it has a screen that is as daylight capable as the E ink screen.
@Josemn the Surface will be $499 and up, depending on your storage and accessories options. It will compete with the iPad, but not 7″ devices like the Nook Tablet and Kindle Fire.
No LCD screen will be as capable in the sun as E Ink, at least not with the available technology. Development of a non-glare LCD screen is years down the road.
Office Depot this week has the 8GB Nook Tablet on sale for $169, and the 16GB Nook Tablet for $199. These prices are good through August 4th.