Amazon's First Tablet Will Attack The Nook, Not The iPad (AMZN, AAPL)

Anyone expecting Amazon to release a tablet computer that will compete with the iPad might want to dial back expectations.

A source close to the company tells us that Amazon is launching at least one tablet later this year, but it will be an advanced e-reader with a color screen and some apps -- more akin to the Nook Color from Barnes & Noble than the iPad.

This matches what a developer told CNET earlier this month: Amazon is set to announce a 7-inch tablet "any day now," but it will likely have a low-powered chip and no camera.

It's focused on the Nook Color because that's where the Kindle is most vulnerable.

Now, this doesn't mean Amazon won't develop a full fledged tablet down the road. But for now, it's going to focus on controlling the e-reader space it has defined for the last three years.

See also: Here's Everything We Know About Amazon's Secret Tablet So Far.

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See Also:

• Amazon Is Getting Ready To Ship 4 Million Tablets By The End Of The Year [REPORT]
• The Best Android Tablet You Can Buy Gets Super Fast 4G In Two Days
• This Is Amazon's New Way Around Apple's App Store Subscription Rules

Amazon's First Tablet Will Attack The Nook, Not The iPad (AMZN, AAPL)

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Here's Everything New With The "Simple Touch" Nook Reader (It's Pretty Cool) (BKS)

Barnes & Noble unveiled it's new touchscreen Nook reader today.

The second Nook is targeted to people who want to focus completely on reading, while the Nook Color will be available for those who want a rich tablet experience.

We got some quick hands-on time with the Nook at the launch event this morning. It definitely feels great to hold, and they touchscreen is very accurate.

The Nook will cost $139 and is available for pre-order now. (It will ship early next month.)

In the meantime, we gathered all the best new features of the Nook for you here.

Touchscreen and only one button

Barnes & Noble decided to forgo a physical keyboard and make the Nook a touchscreen device instead. All you'll find is the "Nook" button, which activates the device and takes you to the home screen. Everything else, is touch.

Cheaper price point

The new Nook will cost $139. The old models will sell fro $119 (Wi-Fi) and $169 (3G) while supplies last.

Two months of battery life

Under normal use, which Barnes & Nobles considers to be about an hour of reading per day, the Nook's battery will last two months. That's about twice the Kindle's battery life. The battery is built in, so there's no way for users to replace it. But that shouldn't matter since the battery is likely to outlast the device itself.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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See Also:

• 8 Things Barnes & Noble Needs To Change About The Nook Tomorrow
• RUMOR: New Nook Will Have An E-Ink Touchscreen And Cost $139
• Is Your iPad Never Quite Loud Enough? This Kickstarter Project Will Give It A Boost

Here's Everything New With The "Simple Touch" Nook Reader (It's Pretty Cool) (BKS)

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Here's The Trick To Watching Hulu On Your Nook Color

If you're a proud Nook Color owner, you now have one more thing to be proud of.

With the help of Dropbox and a modified Flash player, you can now watch as much Hulu as you'd like on your Nook Color.

Hulu has tried time and time again to prevent tablet users from accessing Hulu content on the go, but hackers keep finding ways around the various walls Hulu is putting up.

See below for a tutorial video, or click here for a step by step guide.

Don't Miss: The 10 Best Android Apps For Your Nook Color

(Engadget via Android Central)

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See Also:

• Playboy's Uncensored Magazine Is Now On iPad
• STUDY: iPad Readers Are Skimming And Can't Remember What They've Read
• Dell's Secret Honeycomb Tablet Will Give The Galaxy Tab A Run For Its Money

Here's The Trick To Watching Hulu On Your Nook Color

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The Nook Color Makes A Weak Android Tablet, But Your Mom Will Love It [REVIEW] (BKS)

Despite a few initial glitches, the Nook Color update that went live on Monday, effectively turns the e-reader into a fully-functional Android tablet.

Not bad for $250.

Click here to see photos of the Nook Color running Android >

But despite the sweet price, don't expect the same performance or experience as you would from the more powerful Android tablets like the Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab. The Nook's relatively weak processor (800 MHz) has some difficulty keeping up with the operating system.

That being said, the Nook Color is still a great option for casual users. The first thing I thought after spending some time with it was "I bet my mom would love this."

If you only plan on doing simple web browsing, emailing, or gaming, the Nook Color may be a good choice for you.

Here's what I thought:

• When you first install the update, don't expect your typical Android layout. This is still a Nook, and it runs a heavily-modified version of Android 2.2. You probably won't even notice much has changed at first.

• The screen isn't as bright as the iPad or Xoom's but it does make it easier to use outdoors. Touch responsiveness is satisfactory, but not as good as other tablets I've used.

• The new web browser is a bit slow. Scrolling through web pages can be jerky, but I love that Barnes & Noble included Flash support. Videos look great.

• The email app is nothing flashy, but it gets the job done. I like that there aren't any complicated settings. Just log in with your Gmail or other account and the Nook handles the rest.

• The app selection is surprisingly good, considering you don't have access to the full Android Market. The average user will find everything he or she needs like RSS readers and casual games.

• I had some problems with rich games like Angry Birds. Animation stuttered, and Angry Birds completely froze the Nook one time when I tried playing it.

• The standard, preloaded apps work well. You get a media player, email, and Pandora right out of the box.

Again, this tablet isn't a powerhouse, and it shows in how it handles apps and web browsing. It's hardly a substitute for most tablets out there. But at half the price of the cheapest iPad, I think it's still a good option for casual users.

You can arrange apps any way you want on your home screen. They don't automatically lock into place, so its a bit awkward to line them up.

Here's a view of the bottom. There's a micro USB port and the "Nook Button" that returns you to the home screen.

There's a headphone jack at the top. Great for watching web videos in the browser.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

For the latest gadget news, visit SAI: Tools. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

See Also:

• Uh Oh, Nook's Android Update Is Bricking Some Tablets*
• HTC DROID INCREDIBLE 2: A Nice Upgrade To One Of The Most Popular Android Phones Ever [UNBOXING]
• Samsung's DROID Charge Launch Is Delayed Today Thanks To Verizon 4G Failure

The Nook Color Makes A Weak Android Tablet, But Your Mom Will Love It [REVIEW] (BKS)

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