Last week saw the launch of Amazon.com Inc.’s Android Appstore, a curated, iTunes-style take on Google Inc.’s official Android Market. Amazon.com is hoping that by taking the Apple Inc. approach to app selling they will be able to use their retail presence to make their outlet more profitable for developers – a perennial problem for the Android ecosystem.
Now, through an apparent scoop by the Home Shopping Network (of all people) we have learned that competing e-book retailer Barnes & Noble Inc. may be planning to launch their very own store for the popular Nook Color tablet.
The 7-inch device has become a hackers favourite in recent months, even seeing a port of Android’s latest version, Honeycomb, before it was officially released. The new Nook store may be a response to the rampant hacking within the Nook community, which has seen many owners (myself included) install Amazon.com’s more popular Kindle software on the Barnes & Noble device. It must grate that many owners are installing a competitor’s product on their device, so B&N will likely be looking to keep users loyal by allowing them access to popular apps (although which apps will be available at launch is unknown).
The firmware update including the Nook Store is apparently due “mid-April.” It will also update the underlying Android software to 2.2, bringing with it Adobe Flash support and an improved e-mail experience.
Curiously HSN list the retail price of the Nook Color as $504, offering it for the “bargain” price of $299.90, when it can be picked up everywhere else for its actual price of $249.
Aside from its apparent existence, precious little is known about the Nook Store, and Barnes & Noble are being predictably cagey with details, issuing only vague details in a press release:
“Nook Color will get even better this spring when a major update to the device’s firmware will offer customers access to explore exciting new applications, e-mail and many other requested features.”
You can see the blur-o-vision HSN segment on YouTube – let us know if you dig any more gems from the shaky footage.
Via Mashable
