Barnes & Noble first made a name for itself in the consumer electronics space with its Nook e-book readers, which became fast-selling alternatives to Amazon’s Kindle devices. Now, it’s ready to step confidently outside of the e-reading device segment with products like this one.
The Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ gets its name because of its higher-than-full-HD resolution 9-inch screen. It features a native resolution of 1280x1920 pixels, and is referred to by many as having one of the best-looking screens available on a tablet today. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is the pre-installed operating system, and it runs on a 1.5GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4470 processor. Battery life is rated at 10 hours for reading e-books. To store the books, there's up to 64GB of internal space and it can be expanded even further through microSD cards.
The most evident negatives of the HD+ are its lack of a built-in camera or a GPS antenna. That might be a deal-breaker for some, but in some ways it makes sense on a device designed primarily for multimedia content consumption.
There’s no question that the Nook HD+ offers plenty of bang for the buck. The biggest difference between it something like the Amazon Kindle Fire is basically the fact that it is built with tight Barnes & Noble software ecosystem integration. Sure, Amazon may have the bigger primary source of digital content, but Barnes & Noble is working hard to make sure that its customers are fully satisfied. If you’re after a unique hardware and software experience, you can add the Nook HD+ to your list of choices.
Need to Know: Barnes & Nobles Nook HD+
1. Boasts a 1280x1920 pixel resolution 9-inch touchscreen display. (The Good)
2. Comes with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich pre-installed. (The Good)
3. Lacks a built-in camera. (The Bad)
4. Doesn’t have built-in 3G wireless connectivity. (The Bad)
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Sam Loveridge, TrustedReviewsThe Nook HD Plus has a fantastic screen for its price and greatly benefits from the addition of Google Play apps to bolster the limited selection provided by the Barnes & Noble store, too. However, its sluggish performance and poor build quality are too much to overlook.
- Jonathan Bray, PC ProOn the one hand, the hardware is brilliant and the price amazingly low, the UI is friendly, and the bookstore well stocked. On the other, it feels sluggish to use despite capable hardware, and the movie and app stores are sparsely populated. There’s no shortage of potential, but, ultimately, i...
- K. T. Bradford, Digital TrendsBarnes & Noble wants you to think of the Nook HD+ as a regular tablet, not an e-reading tablet with benefits. What holds it back from that? The lack of certain hardware elements like a camera, GPS, fancy sensors (barometers, thermometers, a gyroscope), NFC, and the like. Restricting owners to one co...
- John V., PhoneArenaStaring deeply at the $270 price of the 16GB base model of the NOOK HD+ ($300 for the 32GB version), there’s no arguing that their intent is to keep Amazon itching with anticipation. Rightfully so, they’re able to do just that, as the NOOK HD+ has the more detailed display of the two &nd...
- David Pierce, The VergeBarnes & Noble seems to have figured out how to compete with the iPad: build a light, nice-looking tablet with a great screen, offer a bunch of different ways to watch and read things, and charge a reasonable amount for it. $269 for a 9-inch tablet is a great deal, and if you want a Netflix and...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Resources
Manuals / User Guides
- NOOK HD+ Quick Start Guide (PDF)
- NOOK HD+ Manual (PDF)
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