Barnes & Noble slip shows $149 Nook Wi-Fi due this week
updated 09:50 pm EDT, Sun June 20, 2010
Nook Wi-Fi to undercut Kindle, iPad
A leak from Barnes & Noble's inventory system is likely to have confirmed rumors of an entry level Nook coming by the end of spring. The listing for a "Nook WiFi" shows it shipping for $149 on June 23. Not much else is detailed by Engadget's insider, but prior leaks had it stripping out 3G to fall below the regular Nook's $249 asking price.
The price plunge lends support to notions that Barnes & Noble is becoming much more aggressive in its attempt to claim the e-reader space. A sub-$200 device puts significant distance between the Nook and not only the Kindle but also the iPad, which may already be eating into e-reader sales from those who may consider $249 close enough to a $499 iPad to make the jump to Apple worthwhile. The bookseller's lower-cost model could also grab sales from the Borders-endorsed Kobo eReader, which also costs $149 but lacks Wi-Fi and a touchscreen interface.
A seeming confirmation would simultaneously give credence to other parts of the same rumor that identified the Nook WiFi and the earlier firmware update; it talked of a significant refresh, codenamed Project Encore, that would replace the existing Nook near the end of the year.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2008
Does a 3G chip make a $100 difference?
Are those chips that expensive? I don't know why they think that a Nook would steal sales from the iPad. They're nothing alike. It's already been said that only a small percentage of users are reading books on the iPad. The iPad does so many different things and is being bought for more than eReader chores. The Nook is in direct competition with the Kindle or Kobo, so it's a real battle between those three. $149 is a good price for people to have both an iPad and a Nook.