Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS) is poised to compete with Amazon by offering two new Nook Tablets. On Wednesday morning, the popular bookseller announced their two new tablets: Nook HD and Nook HD+. The former features a 7-inch (18 centimeters) diagonal screen that starts at $199, and the latter features a 9-inch (23 centimeters) diagonal screen that starts at $269.
These new tablets also feature a lighter design. That’s not all: Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS) plans to add a video service that lets users purchase or buy their favorite movies and television shows. It also allows users to maintain separate profiles, which will make it easier to browse different titles for movies and books.
Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS) started out as a mall-based bookseller that sold a wide variety of hardbacks and paperbacks at regular price. In just the last few years, many people traded traditional books for e-readers that allow them to shop for low-priced books and store them on one device, which would allow them to take their book collections everywhere they go. Although Amazon invented the whole concept of the e-reader with the Kindle, Barnes & Noble has been able to stay ahead of the game with their Nook tablets. Both retail giants have also managed to stay in the tablet business, even after Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) introduced their iPad.
Barnes & Noble plans to phase out current tablets/e-readers, including the original Nook Tablet and Nook Color, however they will continue to sell the Nook Simple Touch line.
Nook HD will feature Android 4.0, the B&N browser, and app store.
Like Amazon’s new line of Kindle Fire tablets, the new line of Nook Tablets from Barnes & Noble should amp up interest this upcoming holiday season. Hopefully these revamped tablets will increase the bottom line for Barnes & Noble this year.
