????Not content to let Amazon hog the spotlight this holiday with the Kindle Fire, Barnes & Noble unveiled the Nook Tablet, a hardware update to the Nook Color, launched last year.
????Priced at $249 and shipping November 16, the Nook Tablet keeps the Nook Color's look but swaps the internals with a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of built-in storage. (For comparison's sake, that's twice the RAM and storage of the Kindle Fire.) Also onboard: support for Netflix Instant and Hulu Plus. Meanwhile, Barnes & Noble's (BKS) existing e-reading devices received a price cut: the Nook Color dropped to $199, while the Nook Simple Touch will go for $99 with an updated display sporting 25% faster page turns, crisper text and improved contrast.
????Up close, the Nook Tablet looks almost identical to the Nook Color, save for a lighter gray case. In other words, if you liked Yves Behar's clean industrial design the first time around, you'll like the Nook Tablet. It's also 10% lighter, though I didn't really notice. The Tablet isn't heavy by any stretch. But also like its predecessor, there's a bit of heft and sturdiness to the device that means you'll eventually find yourself switching hands or propping it on your lap.
