New and Improved Nook

Updated: Tuesday, 08 Nov 2011, 10:22 PM CST
Published : Tuesday, 08 Nov 2011, 10:22 PM CST

DAILY DOT COM - On Monday, November 8, 2011, Barnes & Noble unveiled its latest Nook Tablet. The release comes just ahead of the crucial holiday shopping season in a bid for more of the growing markets for e-books and tablet computers.
The device was first introduced in 2009, but the book retailer touts the new Nook as the company's "lightest, fastest tablet with HD entertainment."
Users will still have the same color look and Wi-Fi connectivity but there's twice the RAM and nine hours of video watching on the device.
The Nook Tablet will cost $249 and will compete head-to-head with Amazon's Kindle Fire, which sells for $199.
The seven-inch Nook tablet has a more powerful processor and twice the storage capacity of the Kindle Fire . Unlike Amazon, Barnes & Noble doesn't offer streaming services, but the Nook does include preloaded apps from Hulu and Netflix Inc. that allow users to subscribe to stream movies and TV shows.
Both Barnes & Noble Inc. and Amazon are challenging Apple Inc. and its dominant - and much more expensive - iPad for a piece of the holiday pie.
The book seller cut the prices on its existing e-readers. The Nook Color is now $199, down from $239, and the Nook Simple Touch black-and-white reader, which has no browser, is now $99, down from $139. The Nook Tablet will be in stores and shipped to customers on Nov. 17.
The Nook Tablet will be sold online, in Barnes & Noble stores and by a variety of other retailers, including Target, Best Buy and Staples.