With Microsoft’s $300 million investment, they’ll own a 17.6 percent stake in the new business (valuing the new company at $1.7 billion), while Barnes & Noble will own the remaining 82.4 percent.

The first thing on the agenda so far is a Windows 8 Nook app, as well as working on spreading and popularizing the Nook Study software on Microsoft’s platforms. Just from these two things alone, Microsoft desperately wants content on their platforms. It seems they want their own answer to Apple’s iBooks and to offer Windows users an alternative to Amazon’s Kindle Fire.

However, this could end up being a bitter mistake for both Microsoft and Barnes & Noble if things don’t go even remotely well. Microsoft has a recent history of catching up to established markets by siding with mediocre companies (their partnership with Nokia, for instance). Microsoft’s partnership with B&N, who – let’s face it – is a lesser-performing company in the e-reading market, could become a complete flop if not done right, especially when going up against powerhouses like iBooks and Amazon’s established ecosystem.

Then again, Microsoft lacks any real strategy to compete in the e-reader business in the first place, so this partnership with Barnes & Noble is certainly a good first step if they really want to compete. It will allow them to get more content onto their platform — especially Windows 8 tablets.

In any case, it’ll be interesting to see what consumers will get out of this once the competition is in full swing.

Image Credit: George Kelly

The post Microsoft invests $300 million in Barnes & Noble; looks to spin off Nook business first appeared on Techerator.

The 8GB Nook Tablet still has the microSD slot that can be found on the 16GB version, but B&N decided to cut the RAM in half to 512MB, which matches the Kindle Fire.

B&N’s new version of their Nook Tablet makes the battle with the Kindle Fire much more of a fair fight, and it might turn the tables on which tablet looks the most tempting to buy. Both slates are now almost identical, but you have to admit that the SD card slot on the Nook Tablet is something that can’t be overlooked. With the prices of memory cards so low, 32GB of added storage space would be a great upgrade to any tablet. However, Amazon’s ecosystem is something that B&N will have a hard time replicating, especially with Amazon Prime being the forefront of that ecosystem.

The original $250 16GB (with 1GB of RAM) Nook Tablet will still be available if you’re wanting to spend $50 more to get B&N’s top tiered tablet. The original Nook Color is now selling for just $169. Although, just an extra $30 will bump you up to the new 8GB Nook Tablet.

If you had to choose between Barnes & Noble’s Nook Tablet and Amazon’s Kindle Fire, which one would get your $200?

The post Barnes & Noble releases 8GB Nook Tablet for $199 first appeared on Techerator.

Just like any successor device, the Nook Tablet picks up where the Nook Color left off. Underneath the 7-inch LG 1024×600 IPS display is a 1GHz dual-core TI OMAP4 processor and 1GB of RAM, as well as 16GB of built-in memory with a microSD slot for more space if desired. The whole package weighs less than a pound and can last for 11.5 hours on battery.

The Nook Tablet runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but just like the Kindle Fire, it uses a custom UI. This means that it’s not an all-purpose tablet that can run any app from the Android Market, but rather a tablet that’s geared towards specific functions such as books, magazines, email, web browsing, video, etc. However, B&N has partnered with a handful developers to create specialized apps and games for the device.

The company says that millions of books and over 250 magazines will be available at launch through Nook Books and Nook Newsstand services, as well as a large selection of Marvel comics and graphic novels. The device will also have Netflix, Hulu and Pandora integration.

You’ll also get free cloud storage service with the Nook Tablet, which will store your purchases and downloads. This way, you’ll be able to delete and re-download content whenever you want, if you have a WiFi connection.

Barnes and Noble claims that their new tablet has a better screen, more RAM and storage, and is lighter than the Kindle Fire. However, all that comes with a higher price. The Nook Tablet will cost $249, which is $50 more than the Kindle Fire.

Pre-orders are starting now, with the device actually shipping out to customers on November 17th. The Nook Color has been discounted to $199.

The post Barnes & Noble Announces Nook Tablet first appeared on Techerator.

[ad name=”Nook Color1″]

The market for small tablets and digital book readers can be fierce in its own ways.  The Nook Color from Barnes & Noble is a combination of these two devices – being an eReader and an Android tablet – but it doesn’t quite excel at either.

I am not a big book reader. I do, however, love magazines and web browsing. The Nook Color is a great multi-function device for both web and reading. The lack of an app store is a shame, but I hope to see one soon from Barnes & Noble.

The Nook Color is a good fit for me because I enjoy magazines (especially color images in magazines), which of course can’t be done on the black-and-white Amazon Kindle. To be fair, the Kindle can also handle magazines, just not in full color.

Is the Nook Color an Apple iPad killer? No! Is it a Kindle killer? That will depend on what you want to use it for.

Hardware

The device feels very solid and is built of high quality materials. The Nook Color is much heavier than the original Nook, but the heft is easily made up for with its ability to do more than just read.  The screen is glass and the back has a soft rubber texture that is both pleasing to hold and lends to good grip.

Display

The Nook Color’s touchscreen measures 7 inches diagonally and has a 1024×600 resolution (similar to a standard netbook). The touch is responsive at times and slow at others. The sensitivity issues seem to come from when my hands or the Nook is cold. At times it can seem unresponsive, which may be caused by the operating system slowing down under load.

Multi-touch is typically available in magazines and on the home screen for resizing the icons. Where it falls short is in the web browser. We have all become so accustomed to pinch-zooming in touch screen browsers, but the Nook browser uses a tap-to-zoom system that is not precise.

Audio

The built-in speaker is good, but not great. I personally have not heard the Galaxy Tab (Android Tablet) or an iPad to compare it to, but I have heard many Android phones and iPod Touches. The Nook Color has much better speakers than the iPod Touch, but not as good as the phones I have heard.

The headphone jack doesn’t seem to hold very well and I had trouble with my headphones becoming partially unplugged, causing the sound to switch back to its external speaker. I don’t think most people will listen to music on the Nook, even though it has a music player app and Pandora.

Battery

Battery life seems good so far. Barnes & Noble claims it will last 8 hours, and after my first weekend with it I’d say it can do that and longer. I charged my Nook on Tuesday night and was playing with it enough to consider it heavy use (with WiFi off and with the brightness at a reasonable level) and I did not have to charge until Friday afternoon.

Storage

The Nook Color has 8 GB of internal storage, but you only have access to 5 GB of it. The option to add a micro SD card is a nice touch for adding files and pictures of your own. From the library feature you can manage files put onto the device.

The Nook Color can read Microsoft documents and PDF files. I have not discovered if one can edit the documents yet. It’s a nice feature that may or may not serve your use.

Software & Operating System

Nook Color runs on an Android platform that is highly customized by Barnes & Noble. The Nook Color runs Android 2.1 VS 1.5 which also came with the original Nook. The Nook Color is speculated to be receiving Android 2.2 this January. As with all custom operating systems, it is tightly controlled by the creators.

The web browser is nice for both full and mobile sites. However, the pinch-to-zoom feature that many have grown used to over the years is not available in the Nook. The keyboard is good in portrait mode, but is too wide in landscape to use with thumbs.  The music player is not as intuitive as the native Android music player and will run simultaneously with Pandora.

Having an app for Pandora is very cool, but it is the only third-party software available on the Nook Color so far. Some free games such as chess, Sudoku, and crossword puzzles come pre-installed with the Nook Color. Nook also has the ability to link with your Facebook, Twitter, and Google contacts for social reading and the LendMe feature.

Store

The Barnes & Noble store on the Nook Color is smooth, fast, and easy to use. You can easily search for books, magazines, and newspapers. From the store you can read a review, see recommendations, and download samples. Some books are also capable of being loaned to and from friends for 15 days. Nook, along with other ePub readers, are capable of checking books out from libraries for a short time.

Your book collection can be managed from bn.com where you can buy and send books to the device from the computer. Books can also be deleted and returned from the internet.

Reading

The (obvious) primary function of the Nook is the ability to read books. With such a bright display, pictures, magazines, and children’s books are stunningly bright and wonderful to read. Books look great and the text is sharp and clear.

The display brightness can be changed to best fit the reading environment like at night when bright lights can be strenuous to the eyes. Reading in sunlight may be an issue, though, with its high-gloss screen which is definitely where the Kindle and original Nook do better.

Check out more pictures of the Barnes & Noble Nook Color below.

[nggallery id=11]

The post Review: Nook Color from Barnes & Noble first appeared on Techerator.

E-Book Reader (Him and Her)

Chances are that your special someone likes to cozy up at night with a good book.  Instead of purchasing your them a paper copy of that best-seller, get them an e-book reader and the digital copy.  There are two main e-book readers to choose from, the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook.  Although both items have their fans and opponents, I’m sure that this gift would be well-received and able to be enjoyed by all.

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

iPod Touch (Him and Her)

If you’re looking for something that can be enjoyed by your special geek anywhere and everywhere, then an iPod Touch is the gift you want to purchase.  The iPod Touch’s large capacity and the ability to install applications from the App Store make it a great gift that can be customized to fit anyone’s needs.  Best of all, if you purchase your iPod Touch from Apple, you can have the gift custom engraved to add a personal touch.

iPod Touch from Amazon

iPod Touch (Customized) from Apple

Flip Camcorder (Her)

Digital cameras are great gifts, but why not take it a step further?  Flip Camcorders are small and portable digital camcorders that feature high quality video, long recording times, and come in a variety of colors and styles to fit anyone’s tastes.  At only 4″ x 2″ and just over 1/2″ thick, Flip Camcorders are able to record up to 120 minutes of video.  The Flip also features a large line of accessories to connect it to your TV or computer.  The Flip is compatible with both Windows and OS X operating systems.

Flip UltraHD Camcorder

Heated Coffee Mug (Him)

Coffee is only good until it cools off.  Keep your special someone’s coffee warm by getting him a heated coffee mug.  Some options available include 12 V heating, USB heating, and temperature gauges.

Heated Coffee Mugs at Amazon

Powermat (Him)

Chances are that your Valentine has multiple devices that need to be charged on a consistent basis.  With each device needing its own charger, the mess of cords can easily become too much to handle.  Help reduce the tangle of cords with a Powermat.  The Powermat features a universal charging system that is able to charge almost any device.  A selection of receivers is also available to add support for devices such as the iPod Touch, BlackBerry smartphones and the Nintendo DS.

Powermat

Digital Photo Frame (Her)

Although they have been around for a while now, digital photo frames are still a good gift for a close friend.  With the ability to add large quantities of pictures and the addition of your special song, digital photo frames are still a well-received gift.  To make the gift extra special, add some pictures before you wrap the gift to really surprise your Valentine.

Digital Photo Frames at Amazon

Fun Tee-Shirts (Him and Her)

A fun tee-shirt is a great personal gift for you Valentine this year.  Available in all shapes and sizes, you can find tee-shirts that feature a wide range of funny and just downright geeky subjects.  Some examples include this All Your Bases poem tee and this pair of proximity sensing shirts for him and her.

Tee-shirts from ThinkGeek

Tee-shirts from Donkey Tees

Have any great Valentine’s Day gift ideas we didn’t mention?  Share them with us in the comments!

The post 7 Gifts For Your Special Geek This Valentine’s Day first appeared on Techerator.