By: Aseem Gaurav, April 25, 2011 (New Delhi)
Barnes & Noble's $250 Nook Color e-reader has announced a major software update, which it claims will transform it into a low cost Android tablet.
The update adds features like e-mail and enhanced Nook books, plus popular games like Rovio's "Angry Birds" and a superb multimedia experience with Adobe’s Flash video player. The update itself will include Nook Email — supporting Gmail, Hotmail, AOL and Yahoo — and Pandora radio.
In total there are 125 apps available for the e-reader right now including free and paid apps. The cost of paid apps range from $2.99 to $5.99.
In addition to apps, B&N has also added new features to its periodical reader, including adding a navigation slider bar in the carousel, and widening the landscape column of the article view.
In other upgrades, Nook Kids children's titles has now become more interactive, with 15 finger-friendly animated "Read and Play" books, like "Splat the Cat" and "Go, Dog, Go!"
Nook Color’s version 1.2 will automatically hit your eReader over the coming weeks but if you want it now then you can go and grab the update from Barnes & Noble immediately.
“The Nook isn't intended to go compete directly with full-fledged tablets such as the iPad, for which there are more than 65,000 apps,” said Jonathan Shar, head of Barnes & Noble's "digital newsstand.” "The target for this is still people who love reading," Shar said.
Overall, the new update will certainly help in extending Nook Color’ usefulness. It may be far away from competing against other feature loaded computer tablets available in the market, but it will help it change the marketplace of the low-end tablet market.
Barnes & Noble's $250 Nook Color e-reader has announced a major software update, which it claims will transform it into a low cost Android tablet.
The update adds features like e-mail and enhanced Nook books, plus popular games like Rovio's "Angry Birds" and a superb multimedia experience with Adobe’s Flash video player. The update itself will include Nook Email — supporting Gmail, Hotmail, AOL and Yahoo — and Pandora radio.
In total there are 125 apps available for the e-reader right now including free and paid apps. The cost of paid apps range from $2.99 to $5.99.
In addition to apps, B&N has also added new features to its periodical reader, including adding a navigation slider bar in the carousel, and widening the landscape column of the article view.
In other upgrades, Nook Kids children's titles has now become more interactive, with 15 finger-friendly animated "Read and Play" books, like "Splat the Cat" and "Go, Dog, Go!"
Nook Color’s version 1.2 will automatically hit your eReader over the coming weeks but if you want it now then you can go and grab the update from Barnes & Noble immediately.
“The Nook isn't intended to go compete directly with full-fledged tablets such as the iPad, for which there are more than 65,000 apps,” said Jonathan Shar, head of Barnes & Noble's "digital newsstand.” "The target for this is still people who love reading," Shar said.
Overall, the new update will certainly help in extending Nook Color’ usefulness. It may be far away from competing against other feature loaded computer tablets available in the market, but it will help it change the marketplace of the low-end tablet market.
