B&N has been selling the older NOOKcolor for $199 since the NOOKTablet burst onto the scene. Now it looks like B&N is aiming to retire the NOOKcolor and (hopefully) face off against the Kindle Fire with a NOOK Tablet for $199-the only catch is that it will only have 8GB of memory, and not 16GB like the original NT.
If this rumor is true, it’s a good stopgap but B&N needs something meatier up their sleeves. The NOOK Tablet is a nice device, and for $199 it’s a great deal, but their app offerings and prices are dreadful compared to the Fire. B&N’s hardware is fantastic. While I haven’t reviewed the NOOK Tablet my NOOKcolor has been solid, and I’ve played with the NT at my local B&N. Sarah has a Fire and she likes it a great deal, but I think B&N’s offerings have more polished hardware. It’s unfortunate that B&N doesn’t have any way to answer to Amazon’s App Store, as that really tips the scales in favor of the Kindle Fire, even with competitive pricing.
It’s unclear from the rumor if this is just Wal-Mart or all locations selling NOOKs, but stay tuned for more info and details as they appear!