Rumor has it new NOOK this spring.

[robotecture]

Meh, the "new iPad" (not iPad 3) is a bit of a disappointment and not quite that different functionality wise than the iPad 2... I think a new nook makes sense at a larger screen size to engage the textbook market maybe... If rumors are accurate, a new smaller iPad mini may be coming later this year which IMHO is going to put pressure on the nook tablet, so better to put the pressure on the larger iPad and apples textbook initiatives now, before the mini iPad hits...

[Nom-de-Nook]

Robo, you are entitled to your opinion but like it or not the new iPad will sell multiplied millions and more multiples of millions more than all the 7" devices combined.  And probably more than all other devices combined period.

Also, I am not sure what people are disappointed about since it has everything that everyone expected except Siri (which is no big deal).  It is a bigger leap over the iPad 2 than the iPad 2 was over the iPad.

And despite the previous rumors, it does NOT cost any more than the original iPad or iPad 2 did on their release.

[robotecture]

What I mean to say is: I'm not sure the new iPad changes the game any. It is the update to the iPad, does not expand functionality to a new category really, so should not impact the arena in a big way... It will sell millions in the same way the ipad2 sold millions, and in the same price category. The iPad remains the higher priced higher end option at 10" form factor. None of that has changed. A new nook device that expands the range of the nook line can work just as well now as before.

[robotecture]

In other words, the product lineup at apple hasn't really changed, it's just the next gen device. I'm not sure what *functionality wise* changed with the new iPad... The iPad 2 was already a very capable device, there are plenty of people market wise who don't notice the specs change... And for those who do, I'm not sure if mant aren't already iPad owners who may be upgrading...

[roustabout]

bobstro writes "the only additional protection I need is for the screen when I'm not using the device. I want to protect it against getting poked while in my bag. I'm still looking for the perfect solution"

I had some black corduroy around the house, and some light craft plywood.  I cut a piece of the ply to wide enough to rest on the bezel, but not wide enough or tall enough to activate the buttons. 

I wrapped that in corduroy and left a tounge up top.  I  trimmed the edges with a little cotton tape to keep the corduroy from shedding (if I knew how to sew, I wouldn't use batting for every possible fabric project - if I could only use batting for the buttons on my shirts!)

I laid a little velcro on the tongue and the back of the NST to attach it with, and have a very lightweight flipcover that keeps me from worrying about poking something through the screen, and if I'm extra lazy acts as an easel stand. 

[patgolfneb]

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robotecture wrote:
In other words, the product lineup at apple hasn't really changed, it's just the next gen device. I'm not sure what *functionality wise* changed with the new iPad... The iPad 2 was already a very capable device, there are plenty of people market wise who don't notice the specs change... And for those who do, I'm not sure if mant aren't already iPad owners who may be upgrading...

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I think the new display will be very expensive for competitors to match in the quantities they sell.  Retailers accept a much lower profit margin on Apple products than Android. To allow retailers a bigger profit margin and still undercut  IPADs price with an eqivalent display may be beyond everyone except possibly Samsung which makes its own screens and has the capital needed.

[Nom-de-Nook]

And the ability to get the iPad2 for $399 will pressure both the full size and 7" Android devices including Fire and nook.

It also establishes a competitive price point if Amazon or BN do try to get into the 10" market (not likely either will bring out a 10" with better specs than iPad2 except for microsd)

[Schwa]

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Nom-de-Nook wrote:

And the ability to get the iPad2 for $399 will pressure both the full size and 7" Android devices including Fire and nook.

It also establishes a competitive price point if Amazon or BN do try to get into the 10" market (not likely either will bring out a 10" with better specs than iPad2 except for microsd)

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It doesn't establish that as a competitive price point at all.  Closeout pricing is closeout pricing.  Dumping old stock.  We already went over this with the Touchpad.  That closeout pricing didn't change the game either.

[robotecture]

$399 for the last generation iPad, doesn't put pressure on the $200 7" reader centric tablets... These are different product categories. The point I was making is that the product line hasn't changed for apple, not in the way a rumored iPad mini might upend the market... The reason for the kindle fire and nook tablets success isn't just a bargain price on a tablet. It is the reader centric form factor, interface, and content focus. These are reader centric devices, and function better for reading books than the iPad... (for a certain consumer group)... If I had wanted an ipad2 I would have bought the ipad2... An iPad mini might be something else...

[smarcin]

I wonder how many of us have iPads of any generation? My husband has one, the first gen. I personally hate it. It's of for video, so so for music. I wouldn't want to use it as a reader. Any of the Nooks are better, IMHO. But, what makes it really unusable for me is the way you get files onto it. There is no file structure as a computer has or even as an Android device has. If you want to put a PDF on it, it has to go to a particular app. If you want to put, say a DOC on it, same thing. You have to have an app to look at or access anything. As far as I can tell, you can't use 2 apps to look at the same file. My husband wanted to use it to carry around and annotate PDFs and Excel files. Well, be ready to buy some apps to do it. And not the $3 and $4 apps you find on Android, either. These could be $15 or more. Even if Apple came out with a mini iPad, I wouldn't be interested. Now, that Asus 7" tablet that might or might not come out? That I'd want.

Our Tablets running CM7 or booting CM7 from an SDcard are much more capable than an iPad, in my opinion. But everyone has their own opinion and uses for a tablet.

[robotecture]

Agreed, file management on the ipad is pretty backwards... And given that the tablet as a form factor device is in my opinion most suited towards digital reading, I think the nook is still the best device for my use in the market. Complementing my nook with an iphone, and a laptop if I want to seriously work, is the best combo for my needs. This is why, I do see an opening for a 10" nook tablet geared towards textbooks... I think a large format kindle and nook would be the devices to actually offer another option vs. The ipad given the content sales focused nature of these devices... one area I think the ipad has a clear advantage right now however is in apps- drawing apps for example. The one thing I wish the nook had is autodesk sketchbook pro,and maybe also a bluetooth option that would allow easy transfer of photos taken with another device to the nook to open up the nook to photo apps, and devices such as keyboards, etc.

[JayHD]

Hummmm now they are bundeling nook color and simple touch, they might be clearing the way for a new eink.

[robotecture]

I predict it may be a mirasol reader...

[JayHD]

That would be nice, but the last I heard marisol was not ready for the market yet. The frame rate was too slow.

[robotecture]

Or possibly a Triton color e ink device...?

[flyingtoastr Scribe]

Triton is probably the best option, it's the only one that's readily available stateside (and BN has a longstanding relationship with eInk to boot). Not to say it couldn't be a Pixel Qi or Mirasol, though. The former is probably more likely than the latter though, apparently the first generation of Mirasol that just shipped didn't work too well.

[roustabout]

I had not seen the Triton displays before, and located this video of a device from this year's CES that uses one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81DPU9lEQas

From the stills I've seen it looks as if this display, like Mirasol, works better in sunlight. 

Notable on the Triton is the page flash when turning pages, which is very noticable. 

From what I've seen of the Korean Mirasol device, I like the Mirasol display more, though it's perhaps less crisp than the Triton? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NQPDJW46Sw

side by side Mirasol against Kindle Fire:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIfKONiwJL8&feature=related

[JayHD]

They are saying it will be here this month, but will not say what it will be. I would hope for a color Eink.

[Ya_Ya]

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roustabout wrote:

From what I've seen of the Korean Mirasol device, I like the Mirasol display more, though it's perhaps less crisp than the Triton? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NQPDJW46Sw

side by side Mirasol against Kindle Fire:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIfKONiwJL8&feature=related

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I'm holding out hope for Liquavista.  

It's definitely not going to be this spring's release, but I hope nobody goes color eink until it's ready.  Color eink is useless - so muted as to be almost not colored and Mirasol uses more energy than eink, although far less than LCD.  

Liquavista could actually consume less power than eink, if that's believable and in all comparisons I've seen is brighter in lower light situations than Mirasol.

One rumor about the upcoming release is a revamp of the current N2E with incorporated lighting.  It's clearly just a rumor, but one that could definitely be a boon for B&N if it works out...