Barnes & Noble Nook

Barnes & Noble said it is exploring a spinoff of its Nook e-reader unit so it can continue to scale the business.

In a statement, Barnes & Noble said that it is looking to “unlock” the value of the Nook unit. That’s shorthand to acknowledge that the brick and mortar retail unit overshadows Barnes & Noble’s digital content business. The move may also mean that Barnes & Noble doesn’t have the resources to scale the Nook business.

Indeed, Barnes & Noble cut its sales forecast for fiscal 2012, which ends April 30. The company projected fiscal 2012 … Read more

Strong demand for the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet is boosting demand for 7-inch displays above the more traditional 9.7-inch tablet display size, according to an Asia-based report.

Shipments of 7-inch display panels in November grew about 17 percent month on month, surpassing shipments of 9.7-inch displays, according to a report in Taipei-based Digitimes.

Amazon said earlier this month that the Kindle Fire is its bestselling product and sales have been increasing week over week. Sales of at least several million are projected in the first month.

Barnes & Noble, meanwhile, is expected to take delivery of well … Read more

I'm going to make this quick because A) It's Saturday, and B) I'm concerned this is going to sell out while I'm typing these very words.

Barnes & Noble via eBay has the refurbished Nook Color 7-inch tablet for $119 shipped (plus sales tax in some states).

If you've somehow managed to resist the Nook as its price dropped from $199 to $179 to $159 to $139, your patience has paid off. Might we see it dip below $100 at some point? I suppose it's possible, but I have to think B&N … Read more

Amazon.com takes a hit with the sale of each Kindle Fire, but the loss isn't as bad as initially thought.

A look at the build of materials and manufacturing costs concluded that Amazon spends $201.70 on each Kindle Fire, only slightly above its $199 retail price, according to research firm IHS iSuppli. The cost is lower than the nearly $210 estimate the firm initially placed on the device.

Amazon was able to shave off a few dollars by using a few unknown suppliers and employing less memory for the Kindle Fire. The company's strategy of selling … Read more

Barnes & Noble is asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Microsoft's patent-licensing tactics, accusing the software giant of trying to thwart competition with flimsy infringement claims.

"Microsoft is attempting to raise its rivals' costs in order to drive out competition and deter innovation in mobile devices," Barnes & Noble lawyer Peter T. Barbur wrote in an October 17 letter to Gene I. Kimmelman, the chief counsel for competition policy in the Justice Department's antitrust division. "Microsoft's conduct poses serious antitrust concerns and warrants further exploration by the Department of Justice."… Read more

Though Barnes & Noble countered Amazon's upcoming Kindle Fire by unveiling the Nook Tablet today, Amazon isn't stopping in its tracks.

In fact, even before the Kindle Fire hits stores, rumors already suggest that the company is prepping its follow-up device for early 2012.

As you may know, rumors have circulated for months that Amazon is working on a 10-inch "Hollywood" tablet slated for a second-quarter 2012 launch. But just this week, new details have surfaced that suggest the online giant has opted to go with an 8.9-inch model instead.

According to sources close to DigiTimes, Chunghwa Picture Tubes and LG Display have started production for the new panels. Both companies are current suppliers of 7-inch panels being used in the Kindle Fire. … Read more

Hard drive shortages and weak sales slow down the PC market, HTC announces phones that will get the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update, and Barnes & Noble takes on the Kindle with a new lineup, including the Nook Tablet and Nook Simple Touch.

Links from Monday's episode of Loaded:

If you've preordered the Amazon Kindle Fire, Barnes & Noble hopes you're now having second thoughts.

That's the message of the just-announced $249 Nook Tablet, the successor to 2010's Nook Color (which remains on the market for $199). The new 7-inch color tablet equals many of the basic specs of the Kindle Fire, but justifies its $50 price premium over Amazon.com's model by offering several notable upgrades.

The Nook Tablet will offer more than twice the storage and twice the RAM of the Fire; it's got an SD expansion slot for even more storage capacity (which the Fire lacks), up to 32GB; and Barnes & Noble is already touting Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Pandora apps which will come included on the device from the start (Amazon's list of third-party Fire apps remains undisclosed). Those features are in addition to the existing assortment of apps and features already available on the Nook Color (and on deck for the Kindle Fire)--e-mail and a Flash-enabled Web browser, in addition to a fully stocked e-book store and magazine and newspaper newsstand.

In short, the Nook Tablet immediately becomes the first real challenger to the Kindle Fire in the emerging bargain tablet arena. Here's why.… Read more

It may have the Fire, but now Amazon's the one feeling Barnes & Noble's heat.

On September 28, Amazon sent shockwaves through the tablet and e-reader space by announcing the $199 Kindle Fire and two new low-priced e-ink readers, the $79 Kindle and $99 Kindle Touch. At the time, a lot of people wondered if Barnes & Noble, mum after Amazon's announcement, would be able strike back with both a compelling product and pricing that could blunt Amazon's blitz.

The answer appears to be yes, as Barnes & Noble today unveiled the $249 Nook Tablet, a … Read more