Remember Barnes & Noble Nook tablets? It may surprise you to hear the company is still in the tablet business, and has announced a new model — the Nook 10.1. The bookstore’s latest isn’t competing with the new iPad Pro on features and massive spec lists, but it does come in at a considerably easier to justify price: Only $130.
For this reason, it’s a timely announcement, as anyone looking longingly at the new $800-plus iPad Pro — or Google’s laptop-not-a-tablet-honest $600-plus Pixel Slate — but unable to dig so deeply for one, may be tempted by the big-screen Nook instead. The Nook 10.1 has, as you’ve probably guessed, a 10.1-inch screen, making it the largest Nook tablet ever sold. The IPS LCD screen’s resolution hits 1920 x 1200 pixels for a rather lowly 224ppi pixel density.
You won’t buy the Nook 10.1 for its technical prowess; you’ll buy it to read books. It comes with instant access to Barnes & Noble’s library of ebooks, including a large section for kids, plus magazine and newspaper subscriptions. The tablet runs Android and comes with Google Play, ready to install as many other apps as you want. The tablet’s body has a soft-touch finish to make it comfortable to hold, and a keyboard dock is available in case you want to bash out a book of your own.
How about those specs? Barnes & Noble isn’t saying anything about the processor or RAM, preferring to focus on the 32GB of internal storage space, and the chance to add up to another 256GB using a MicroSD card, as the key technical specifications. The Nook 10.1 has Wi-Fi, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack. The battery’s capacity is unknown, but expect seven hours of use before it needs a recharge, which is achieved via a Micro USB connection. A pair of 2-megapixel cameras — one on the front and one on the rear — will take undoubtedly mediocre pictures, should you feel the need.
The Nook Tablet 10.1 is available to pre-order through Barnes & Noble now for $130, with the release date set for November 14. Oddly, you shouldn’t buy it just yet, as from November 22 to December 26, it’ll cost $120, or as a bundle with a charging dock and a host of Good Housekeeping recipes for $160.
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