Me and My Orphans

This week, Barnes and Noble announced that they will stop manufacturing color tablets. Then, a few days later, BlackBerry said that BB10 will not be ported to the PlayBook. Both announcements basically making my 2 tablets orphans.

As for the Nook HD +, I expected that Barnes and Noble would exit the tablet business, as the price cut was quite steep. And sales have been disappointing.  I still would recommend the Nook HD + to people who don't need video chat. It is a good tablet for the price and for people who are not sure if a tablet is right for them.

As for the PlayBook, I do feel sorry for people who paid full price for one. I paid $200 for mines. I have never regretted my decision. At the time, November 2011, it was the best tablet for me. Not sure what I would use a tablet for. Turns out, mostly reading news articles, watching videos (not too much streaming videos), paying bills and ordering things online. I do write this blog using my PlayBook. I have played videos onto a LCD HDTV, using the micro HDMI out, but not often.

I do wish the PlayBook had certain apps. The most wanted for me is a text/sms app. But other people want Skype and Netflix. Also nice would be a good VoIP app. When your phone dies, it is helpful to be able to make calls and text. Using a tablet to make a phone call may look stupid, but at least you could do it if needed.

For most people looking for a tablet, I would recommend a iPad, if they can afford it. I find Android has a less apps for tablets iOS. Would not recommend a Nexus 7, as I don't like the screen too much and quality control issues. I would never recommend a Kindle Fire, to locked down to Amazon.

Even though my tablets are orphans, The still have life in them. They might not be the fasted, have all the bells and whistles, but they do what I need and that is all that matters.

Two words of advice. Buy what you need. Buy on what it is and not what will be.

I Surrendered

I did it. I ordered a Nook HD + 32GB from barnesandnoble.com yesterday. Went to the Best Buy nearest my work, but they were busy. Got no help from the staff. Left without finding if they even had any in stock.

After arriving at home, opened the PlayBook browser and went online to order one. It supposes to arrive between 2-6 days. I expect it to arrive in 10 days. Free shipping. Got the 32GB for $209.00 + tax.

I really wanted the Nook for the bigger screen and it's high pixel density. Yes, it's low price. The sale price is good at barnesandnoble.com for today, May 12, 2013. And you have the option to pick your order up at a Barnes and Noble store near you.

Get the Nook HD +

I'm thinking of buying a Nook HD + from Best Buy. At $179.99 + tax, it sounds like a steal. It has a 1920 x 1280 9" screen. The colors are supposed to be good. Comes with 16GB of memory, with a microSD expansion slot. Weighs 1.1 lbs, kinda light.

I think, but not sure, that it now runs Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. When the Nook HD + first came out, it used a skin of Android 4.0. The Nook has a store, which you were limited to using for your apps, books, movies and such. But the other day, they announced that they will update the software and allow users to access the Google Play Stores and the Google apps. So, I assume they are more like Ice Cream Sandwich then before.

The downside to the Nook HD + are many. No cameras at all. No GPS. A proprietary charging system. Android 4.0. Android is at 4.2 Jelly Bean. And the speaker is on the back. One of the best thing about the PlayBook are its 2 forward facing speakers.

I'm also assuming it has a mic, because no review said it doesn't.

And now I see Barnes & Noble are selling the Nook HD + for the same price. It had got good reviews, the bad thing was the app selection, so now, with the price drop and app selection, it is a good choice for watching videos on a tablet.

Link to this CNET review
BN Nook HD + Review