What kind of tablet would you like for Christmas? Maybe a Nook?

NOOK HD Snow 8GB

As more and more people have begun to steer away from physical books to e-books, e-readers and tablets have begun to establish themselves as the next big product. Barnes & Noble entered into the Tablet industry with its first tablet, the Nook Tablet, last November in order to compete with Apple’s iPad and as well as Amazon’s Kindle Fire. With this introduction of the Nook HD, Barnes & Nobles has begun the phasing out of its previous tablets, the Nook Tablet and Nook Color. This new design, which introduces an upgrade in hardware and software, comes in two different sizes, one with a 7-inch screen and the other with a 9-inch screen. This has come on the brink of Amazon’s announcement for four new varieties of its Kindle which also offers larger screens to compete with the iPad’s 9.7 inch screen.

In order to compete with the offerings of its main competitor, Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes & Noble has also introduced a new video service in conjunction with major television and movie studios like Warner Brothers and HBO to allow its users to watch and buy movies and televisions shows on their mobile devices and TVs. Amazon currently offers more services which include a larger app store and video library as well as also providing its customers with its huge product offerings. However, due to the constant threat of Amazon’s online retail operations, retailers like Wal-Mart and Target refuse to carry the Kindle which allows for more opportunity for the Nook to be reached by possible consumers without the extra competition of the Kindle.

The tablet category has seen rapid expansion with many competitors entering the industry. According to Forrester Research, approximately one-third of U.S. adults will own some form of a tablet by 2016. That doesn’t even account for the amount of families that own multiple tablets for their children to use. So for Christmas, which kind of tablet would you like? Is it possible that the cheaper prices of the Nook and the Kindle can sway even more consumers towards it rather than going for an iPad?

Sources:

http://www.suntimes.com/technology/15389281-478/barnes-noble-launches-new-nook-hd.html

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/nook-hd-barnes-noble/1110060426

8 thoughts on “What kind of tablet would you like for Christmas? Maybe a Nook?

  1. In one of my classes a group presented on the Kindle Fire HD and compared it to the iPad. They said that the Kindle can do almost anything the iPad can do and the only advantage the iPad has is all the different apps. The Kindle can perform just as well and for only a fraction of the cost at $200. After the presentation the teacher asked the question to students of would you rather have an iPad or Kindle and even though this group told us all the ways the Kindle was the same as the iPad and way cheaper still most students wanted the iPad. People want Apple products and even though the Nook and Kindle are cheaper I think sales of the iPad will continue to beat them because of the brand.

  2. Yes, I agree with the first comment. However, it is important to consider that younger people (college students) are going to want the “coolest” things out there. People want the iPad because of the brand. I think it is good that there is competition in the market. If the iPad was the only producer of tablets, it would be a little scary. I think it is good that the Nook and Kindle are selling for less – it gives the opportunity for people who are more money conscious to also purchase tablets and be part of the changing technology market. It is important that we have choices – price should definitely be one of them.

  3. I agree with the statements regarding the Kindle gaining more attention because of Amazon. Ive been a customer of Amazon for many years now and bought the kindle a couple of months ago. I thought it was the most convenient way of buying and reading books because the price is significantly cheaper than going to a bookstore. I don’t know too much about the Nook but from what I’ve heard it is also a good product. Barnes and Noble do a great job in advertising the product and offering a wide variety of e-books and tools to use. However, just having bought the iPad, I have to say it outranks all of these products. Tablets are a more convenient way to read books and complete work using the necessary functions of a laptop without all the bulkiness and weight. I would definitely stick to the iPad but if I didn’t,the kindle would be my next choice. Very thoughtful and informative article.

  4. While I agree that the iPad has the additional benefit of being associated with a trendy brand, I think it ultimately is a great product. In addition, I feel that it occupies a different space in the tablet market – completely separate from the space occupied by the Nook and Kindle. Consequently, I believe it’s unwise for Amazon and Barnes & Noble to compete with the iPad. While all three devices have some notable overlap, I feel that the iPad primarily functions as a mobile computing device, whereas the Nook and Kindle are eReaders with some computing capabilities. In other words, when I purchased my iPad, I didn’t buy it for “iBooks”; I bought it so I wouldn’t have to carry my laptop everywhere. In the end, I believe Amazon and Barnes & Noble should focus on competing with each other and worry less about the iPad.

  5. I think when a company puts out a new product on the market that is similar with a competing product, it is very important to think of the consumers brand loyalty. Even though the new Nook or the Kindle has the same features of the iPad with an even lower price, it’s still not an iPad to that consumer. When e-readers first came to the market, I think the biggest advantage they had over the iPad was their specialized screen so it almost mimicked ink on paper. For me, if I had an iPad, I don’t think I would be using it to read because the screen will eventually make your eyes hurt and give you a headache so I would actually prefer an e-reader for that purpose. That’s why I find it interesting that so many companies that started e-readers are shifting their technology to be used as a tablet. I agree with the comment above that Amazon and Barnes & Noble shouldn’t try to compete with Apple over tablets and they should stick to the traditional e-readers.

  6. I think the Nook and Kindle are very similar products and are more direct competitors with each other than with the iPad. The Nook and Kindle were originally meant for people on the go who wanted to be able to read electronic books. It wasn’t until later editions that they offered things like internet access to compete with the iPad. Personally, I would prefer either the Kindle or Nook simply because I would use it primarily for storing and reading books when on the train or other places. The iPad, on the other hand, has a very specific audience who are dedicated Apple users. Regardless of the price, I feel these customers would purchase the iPad, because it acts more like a portable computer than just an e-reader. Although the nook and Kindle are trying to compete with the iPad by improving their products, it would be difficult for them to gain a larger market share in the tablet market.

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