The Nook is very limited in what it can do when compared with a general-purpose Android tablet. Seeing as there is a Nook app available in the Google Play store, you can easily transform any Android device into a Nook.
One can look at the heavy modification of the Android 4.0 OS as a good or a bad thing. On one hand you have limited choice on what you can install, and on the other the device will probably be a lot more stable than a general-purpose tablet because there won’t be a ton of misbehaved apps running.
The $199 price point will probably seal the decision for you one way or the other. You can easily get a more capable Android-based device (like the Google Nexus 7 16GB) for that price or less. The advantage of the Nook over a general-use tablet is its higher resolution and integration with the Barnes & Noble store. The Nook also requires a credit card on file to do anything, even to download free apps, so be wary if this is a gift for your child.
Most tablets are for “consuming” content such as browsing the web, playing videos or checking email (and in this case reading books). The Nook is not a gaming tablet by any stretch of the imagination, although it technically has the hardware to be a light-weight gaming device. For the same price you can get a general-purpose tablet with a decent resolution and video chip and do so much more with it.
The Nook HD is a very neat device… just know what you’re getting. I say spend your $199 on a Google Nexus 7 16GB. You’ll have the top-rated Android tablet with great gaming capabilities, camera, an extra 8GB of storage, and can also work as a Nook… for the same price as a Nook HD.
