Barnes & Noble Adds Google Play Store To the Nook

An anonymous reader writes "When Barnes & Noble first released its Nook tablets, one of the big problems with the devices was that their custom version of Android only had access to the Barnes & Noble app store. They took the 'walled garden' approach, preventing users from accessing Google Play, which had a much larger selection of software and many more options when it came to free apps. Now, the company is reversing that decision. A software update is being rolled out to give the devices access to Google Play. 'The bottom line: if something's available for Android, it's now available for Nook, assuming it's compatible from a technical standpoint. Among other things, that means you'll be able to install Amazon's Kindle app on a Nook and read books you've purchased from Amazon. For the first time, the notion of someone with a heavy investment in Kindle books buying a Nook doesn't sound completely impractical.' The company is gambling that the devices' increased utility will make up for the loss in app revenue. Either way, it's good news for Nook tablet owners."

Comments

Too little too late.

[janeuner]

Our Nook Tablet ran the stock software for nearly a year. It was terrible. I finally gave up on them rolling out a decent update and installed Cyanogenmod back in December.

It is an excellent bit of hardware, but management got in the way of the software. Too little to late; good bye Barnes and Noble

Re: Too little too late.

[IndustrialComplex]

You say it's too little too late, but what does that even matter? Sure, I doubt that you will revert your tablet to the stock software, but you far outside their target market. You are also a member of an astonishingly small community with respect to the overall size of the eReader market. (I'm running CM on all of my tablets and phones, so I'm part of that community, but it IS tiny in comparison)

Honest question, how is your statement any different than this situation:

"Car Manufacturer X's audio system is terrible. I gave up waiting on them updating the firmware and have now replaced the stock system with a new audio system. Too little, too late."

Yes, I can see how it might sour YOU to buying another car from Manufacturer X, but when you consider that 90% of people never even knew your issue existed, and that the issue is now moot, why would that even matter?

both?

[axl917]

Either way, it's good news for Nook tablet owners

I'm sure both of them will be overjoyed.

Re:both?

[TrollstonButtersbean]

Be nice to Barnes and Noble. They stood up to Microsoft's patent racket attempt and they are/were trying to prevent Amazon from being an Ebook monopoly.

Nook Simple Touch is Awesome (eink)

[mrpacmanjel]

I look at a computer screen all day and sometimes cannot be arsed doing it again at home.

I've ordered the Nook Simple Touch and it has 3 killer features for me:
    (1) Eink display is great even though it's only 800x600(?) - also means decent battery charge
    (2) Has an sd-card slot too - I'll be able to have all my ebooks on it
    (3) Can be rooted to enable Google Play (also install a proper PDF viewer too)

They've also dropped the price to £29 in the UK this week and they are selling fast (all shops in my high street have sold out this week).

Alas, it appears only recent versions of their tablets will have the restrictions lifted.

It's a shame really - If they official released a unrestricted Eink-based ebook reader it may improve their sales - they have a successful product in there somewhere.

(Currently an old version of android is installed - eclair and obviously the screen is not designed for games)

Re:Gardening

[DuckDodgers]

Well, with the Play Store on the Nook you can buy books, music, and films from Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, and Google, so that's three choices instead of one. I'd consider that a small improvement.

Of course thanks to DRM that's just three walled gardens, or maybe more descriptively you could say three "content silos", instead of one. So it's not a huge improvement. However, the villains here are not Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Google. If they didn't use DRM on content, the content owners (movie companies, music companies, book companies) would not allow them to sell their content. There are other reasons to dislike B&N, Amazon, and Google, but in this case we should be directing our ire at the MPAA and RIAA and spending our efforts and money on public domain and creative commons license content.

Now even Article posters are Too Lazy to RTFA

[celtic_hackr]

It should be noted, since the Soulskill didn't, that this update is ONLY for the newer HD series tablets.

Existing owners of older, and even the new lesser, tablets need not apply.

I'm still really pissed at B&N over this. "Oh, you'll be able to install anything you want on it."

So I bought one as a gift and immediately downloaded some apks (notably a decent browser).

Then they came out with that damn update that locked the Fucker down.
I can't even apply updates to the installed Opera browser. Without wiping/cryogenning the fucker.

Never again will B&N trick me into buying into their locked down hardware. My cheap, unlocked, rooted, Chinese Tablets work just fine.
When they become old, useless or die (from being prison made hacks), I'll discard them and still be better off price and content wise.