Barnes & Noble just cut its tablet prices to make them more competitive. Now, $199 gets you the 16 GB version, and $179 gets you the 8 GB version. Twice the memory of a Kindle or Nexus, plus the ability to expand with cheap $25 SHDC cards? Why am I sitting at home writing this instead of standing in line?
Simple.
Am I willing to trade off less CPU power and less screen resolution for expandability? Sometimes, actually. And I’m not waiting for the new Kindle Fire, which I expect to be unexpandable. I’ve heard B&N is working on a new tablet too, one that will include a screen unlike anything else. That intrigues me. I think it’s worth waiting a few months to see what that’s about. And if it’s expandable? Even better.
And if not, there’s always the Samsung Galaxy Tab series, which is expandable. It’s costlier–the starting price is around $249–because it’s unsubsidized, but it’s expandable and not as locked down.
The 7-inch tablet market is interesting right now, and hypercompetition is making it cheaper and more compelling, but it really seems like a good time to wait a few months.
David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.