The shipping of the latest Nook HD tablet from Barnes & Noble has started. While this device would be available at a price of $199, the company has reduced prices of the previous versions of the tablet. For instance, price of the Nook tablet models from the last year has been reduced to $179 for the 16 GB version and $159 for the 8 GB version. Besides, the price of the entry level Nook Color has also been reduced to just $139.

Although the strategy of Barnes & Noble regarding the old devices is not clear yet, it appears that the company would sell these devices through the holiday season. The company, in past, also had the policy of delivering refurbished versions of some of these devices at these prices.

Nook tablet, having 1 GB of RAM memory, was originally launched back in 2011 and was sold at a price of $249 for the 16 GB version. After that, Amazon launched its seven inch Kindle Fire during the holiday season which was available at $199 for the 8GB model. Eventually another version of the Nook tablet followed with 512 MB of RAM memory, while the internal storage was also reduced to 8 GB, mainly to compete with Amazon Kindle Fire.

Recently, the company started shipping its latest Nook HD, a direct competitor of Kindle Fire HD, Google Nexus 7 and the Mini iPad. The device is available in two models of 8 GB (which costs $199) and 16 GB (available for $229). While there are several advantages that Amazon and Google tablets have over the Nook tablet such as more number of apps and more content, the Nook tablet has a clear edge with its highest resolution that is so far available on a 7 inch tablet. Besides, the device is also lighter than Kindle Fire HD and has support for microSD card for memory expansion.

Shipping of the larger tablet form Barnes & Noble, called Nook HD+, would also be started soon. This 9 inch tablet would be available at a price of $269 while the 32 GB model would cost $299. As per the announcement on the official website of the company, Nook HD+ would be available starting from November 8.

Reports about the possible launch of a smaller version of iPad by Apple are pouring in and it is expected that Apple would not only launch mini iPad , but would also grace the event with the launch of an A6-equipped iPad 3. The report emerged on a tech blog whose source happens to be a developer who claims to have seen an iPad 3,6 in its app analytics software. As expected, there is no official confirmation from Apple about either of the two devices. Interestingly, the current versions of iPad 3 have emerged as iPad3,1; iPad 3,2; and iPad 3,3 in most analytics software and since each entry is about a different version of iPad depending upon the carrier, the emergence of iPad3,6 in analytics software might indicate a new version. However, the same tech sources also said that iPad 3 with an A6 processor was always expected to carry the name of iPad 4,x. Besides, since mini iPad is expected to use the hardware of iPad 2, the analytics entry about it happens to be iPad 2,6. Launch of an updated version of iPad 3 equipped with A6 processor, in addition to the launch of a mini iPad, makes perfect sense in the intensifying competition of the tablet market. Closest competitors of iPad include Amazon Kindle Fire and Google Nexus 7, with the expectation of Microsoft Surface tablet joining the bandwagon pretty soon. The trend of smaller tablets was made popular by Amazon with the launch of its 7 inch Kindle Fire with impressive specs and a reasonable price of $199. Although Amazon was not able to supersede the market dominance of Apple, it significantly captured the tablet market share. Late CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, denied that Apple would consider the launch of a smaller iPad but the immense success of Kindle Fire made Apple rethink its stance. After Amazon, Google also recently launched its 7 inch tablet, Nexus 7, running the latest version of Android called Jelly bean. This tablet also proved to be highly popular providing access to more apps compared to Kindle Fire. Besides, Microsoft would also soon plunge in the domain of tablets with the official launch of its Surface tablet whose price is expected to be inline with the high end iPad models. With the approaching holiday season, some also believe that Apple might not be able to fulfill the immense demand for the mini iPad which would result in reduced profit for Apple.

Apple has recently confirmed about a press event of the company that would take place on October 23 ^rd and as per the invitations that have been sent out, Apple says that “We’ve got a little more to show you.” The most anticipated product that is expected to come out of this event happens to be a mini iPad. However, Apple has not offered any details in this regard.
It is expected that iPad Mini would come with a 7 inch screen, mainly to compete with Amazon Kindle Fire and Google Nexus 7. Besides, quite evidently, it would also have a lower price, somewhere around $299. An analyst at Piper Jaffray, Gene Munster, also predicts that the device would only have support for WiFi, although Apple might decide to launch a 3G version in near future as well.

The timing for this launch is quite important since many tech giants have been launching smaller versions of their tablets and Amazon has recently launched the second generation version of its immensely popular Kindle Fire with HD display. The original version of Kindle Fire with HD display is available at a price of just $199 while 7 inch tablets form Samsung and Google are also available at the same price. Another expected launch is from Microsoft in the form of its Surface tablet which, however, would be a full-sized tablet and its price would most probably start at $499.

Various tech analysts believed that Apple was losing as much as 20% of the market by not launching a 7 inch tablet. And while the late CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, believed that launching a 7 inch tablet would be a bad strategy, success of other 7 inch tablets seems to have made Apple change its stance. Analysts have also predicted that depending upon the company’s ability to fulfill the demand Apple might sell as many as 5 to 10 million mini iPads before the end this year.

Fulfilling the demand is an important issue since iPhone 5, which was launched only three weeks ago, have been facing trouble in fulfilling the demand of the consumers which is causing Apple to lose the profit. Overall, Apple tablet is the most popular tablet ever since the inception of tablet computers back in 2010 and to the date, Apple has sold more than 75 million iPads worldwide. Other than the mini iPad, Apple might also launch other products like slimmer MacBook Pro laptop and revamped Mac Minicomputer during the same event.

Latest news about the upcoming version of Amazon Kindle Fire is that it would be displayed by Amazon during a press event. However, contradicting all the rumors and speculations, Amazon would not display any 10 inch version of its tablet and instead only two models of the 7 inch version of Kindle Fire would be shown.

The difference between the two 7 inch versions is that one of them would come with enhanced features while the other one would only be slightly upgraded from the first generation version. The enhanced version would have faster processor, increased internal storage, HDMI port and exterior volume controls, among other anticipated hardware enhancements.

The most important thing in this regard is that there won’t be any 10 inch version of the device. Previously, it was highly speculated that Amazon is developing a 10 inch version of its tablet, mainly to compete against Apple’s iPad. However, reliable sources have now claimed that other than the two 7 inch version of Kindle Fire, there would not be any 10 inch version.

Amazon’s decision of not entering in the domain of 10 inch tablets seems a bit reasonable since it would be quite useless competing against iPad which virtually has a monopoly among the 10 inch tablets. But on the other hand, it might have been a good idea since Amazon would face a real tough competition from Nexus 7 in the domain of 7 inch tablets and having a 10 inch tablet would’ve increased space for the company. Besides, there are also rumors that Apple is gearing up to launch a mini iPad, which would be a 7 inch device, and hence Amazon would inevitably have to compete with Apple. If this turns out to be the case, Amazon should consider launching a 10 inch version since it would already be competing against Apple in the domain of 7 inch tablets.

So far Amazon has not given any official information regarding the prices of the two updated Kindle Fire models. But rumors suggest that the improved model would come at a price between $149-$199 while the model with advanced features would cost between $199 and $249. However, there are also chances that Amazon might reduce the prices of the two models even further to retain its upper hand in 7 inch tablets.

Samsung recently announced the 10.1 tablet version of its Samsung Galaxy Note. Important technical specs of the device include screen resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels, 5 megapixel back end camera, 9 hours of battery life and the facility of microSD card for memory expansion. The device comes with an S Pen that would be used for jotting down notes anywhere and anytime. However, compared to the iPad, third party applications for the tablet are quite limited. The 16 GB version of the tablet has been priced at $499 while the 32 GB version would be available for $549.

Compared to Galaxy Note 10.1, the price of the new iPad starts at $499 for the 16 GB version and goes up to $699 for 64 GB version. It has a better resolution of 2048 by 1536 pixels and has the same 5 megapixel rear end camera onboard. But iPad clearly has a much better access to third-party applications, other than Apple’s own wide range of apps from iTunes. The tablet also has support for 4G wireless broadband networks.

A while back, the second generation version of Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 was also launched. Price for this tablet happens to be $399 for 16 GB version which is quite reasonable. Important technical specs of the device include a resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels, 3 megapixel rear end camera and 11 hours of battery life. There is also a 7 inch version of the device available for $250. Although selection of third-party apps is not bad, it is still far from Apple’s iPad.

Finally there is Surface tablet from Microsoft which would be launched in a month or so. Details about the technical specs of the device have not been revealed as yet but initial reviews and expectations in the industry are quite high. Besides, this tablet would also be available in 128 GB version which does not exist with any other tablet. With the launch of Surface tablet from Microsoft, the competition would certainly be intensified. Microsoft has pretty much bridged the gap between a tablet and a laptop with the the introduction of its Surface tablet. Besides, the competition in the domain of 7 inch tablets has also considerably increased, given the launch of Google Nexus 7 and the expected launch of the second generation Kindle Fire.

Rumors about Apple gearing up to launch a mini iPad simply refuse to die and it seems that the demand is quite plausible, since the success of 7 inch tablets have made it clear that there is considerable scope of expansion in this domain.
 
Various tech analysts have made it clear that Apple needs to launch a 7 inch version of its iPad, without which there is a danger of losing considerable amount of market share. Patrick Moorhead is one such analyst who happens to be the president and principal analyst of Moor Insights & Strategy. According to Moor head, Google Nexus tablet would be a success which can harm the market share of Apple unless it acts before it is too late.
 
Apple has made a good move in reducing the price of the iPad 2 but still, the price of $399 is not very effective in competing with $199 devices like Amazon Kindle Fire and Google Nexus. Price would be the most important factor when it comes to a mini version of iPad, since Apple might find it real hard to reduce the price of the device to the level of Google and Amazon. After various estimates, the overall materials and manufacturing cost of the mini iPad can be about $185, which does not include the marketing cost and the cost associated with R&D.
 
At a manufacturing cost of $185, it would be real hard for Apple to launch the device at a price comparable to the price of Kindle Fire and Google Nexus. However, studying the cost analysis of the Apple products does reveal that iPad mini would have the smallest gap between the bill of materials plus manufacturing costs of any iPad. This means that if Apple finally launches the 7 inch version of its iPad, it could end up cannibalizing the sale of iPad with a better profit margin. This strategy would be against the trademark behavior of Apple and is highly unlikely to happen.
 
If Apple really decides to sell the mini iPad with a price tag of $299, this would give Google and Amazon a clear edge with a price of $199. A difference of $100 is certainly huge and in the domain of 7 inch tablets, where Apple’s monopoly is non-existent, it would be a hard time for Apple. Theoretically speaking, it would be great to have a smaller version of iPad, but practically, it seems a bit of a problem for Apple to make that possible.

Google’s recent announcement of a 7 inch Google Nexus tablet has caused a considerable stir in the tablet market. While Google has mainly stressed on competition with Amazon and has avoided a direct clash with Apple by not releasing a 10 inch tablet, people would certainly compare it with iPad as well.
 
Google Nexus tablet would come with a 1.3GHz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor. In comparison to this, the new iPad contains a dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9. When it comes to the displays of both devices, the new iPad has a clear edge with its 1536×2048 resolution and a pixel density of 264 ppi. Google Nexus, on the other hand, would feature a resolution of 1280×800 pixels along with a pixel density of 216 ppi.
 
When we compare the cameras of both devices, iPad once again has an edge with its 5 mega pixel iSight camera, in addition to a VGA front facing camera. Google Nexus features only a single 1.3 mega pixel front facing camera. Considering that Google mainly intends on competing with Amazon Kindle Fire, this is still better since Kindle Fire does not have any camera at all. Connectivity on the new iPad is much better in comparison with Google Nexus. The new iPad has support for WiFi, 3G as well as 4G LTE networks, while Google Nexus so far only has support for WiFi networks, although support for 3G might be added soon.
 
The new iPad is available in 8 GB, 16 GB and 32 GB versions, while Google Nexus is available in two models of 8 GB and 16 GB. Besides, both tablets have no support for microSD card.
 
Finally comes the important factor of price and this is one factor that would attract large consumers towards Google Nexus. The 8 GB version of Google Nexus is available for $199 while the 16 GB version would cost $249. On the other hand, the 16 GB version of the new iPad can be purchased for $499. With an attraction of more than 600,000 apps and the latest version of Android, Jelly Beans, Google Nexus clearly has a chance of making it big in the market. Besides, it does not have to directly compete with iPad since both tablets belong to different domains of 10 inch and 7 inch displays.

Last couple of months have been very important in the tech industry since two of the top companies, Microsoft and Google, announced their respective tablets and made official launch in the tablet industry. However, while Microsoft has made the hardware of its own tablet, the hardware of Google Nexus tablet was manufactured by Asus.

Google Nexus tablet is a 7 inch tablet which would come with dual core Tegra 3 processor. Besides, it would run the latest version of Android named Jelly Beans. Priced at extremely competitive $200, this tablet would certainly prove to be the closest rival of Amazon Kindle Fire. Initial reviews by the tech experts reveal this tablet as extremely snappy and smooth device. The tablet is much better compared to the first version of Kindle Fire so if Amazon wants to remain in the competition, it would need to launch the second generation version with much better specs.

While Kindle Fire did run Android as its operating system, its user interface was much different compared to almost all other Android devices in the market. Besides, Amazon’s large content based services also played their role in the success of Amazon tablet. Prior to the launch of Amazon Kindle Fire, Amazon Book Store had been established as the most reliable and most popular online retailer of books and other content. So Kindle Fire was already expected to be a success. Amazon also made a wise decision of launching the tablet on the eve of Christmas when the demand for gadgets is at its highest. However, after the initial immense success, the demand for the tablet considerably declined. But still it remains to be one of the very best Android tablets in the market.

Talking from the perspective of Google, the Nexus Tablet is certainly much better than Kindle Fire when we talk of technical specs. Besides, the brand name of Google coupled with the reasonable price would play its role in the success of this tablet. Google Play is a relatively recent innovation but it has done pretty good since its inception. Besides, Google has collected all its services at a single place in its new tablet which would certainly contribute towards the popularity of this device. By the time Google Nexus hits the market, Amazon would most probably announce the second generation version of its tablet. As for the winner of this contest, that would be known after both devices are released and tested by experts and common users.

Apple has updated various specifications during the transition from iPad 2 to the new iPad. These changes include both hardware and software aspects of the device. So for a person considering purchasing the new iPad, it would be important to know the technical specs of the new iPad and what to expect.
 
To start with, the new iPad has support for the 4G LTE network unlike iPad 2 which is certainly good. As for the size and weight of the device, while the physical dimensions of the new iPad are similar to iPad 2, the weight of the new iPad is noticeably greater than the previous version. Increase in weight would certainly be an inconvenience for many people but this is something that can be compromised. Good news about display is that the display of the new iPad would contain a considerably higher resolution of 1536 x 2048 pixels along with a pixel density of 264 ppi. The operating system for the new iPad has also been updated to iOS 5.1.
 
There is also a considerable improvement in the camera of the device. The new iPad comes with an improved 5 mega pixel rare end camera which is equipped with features such as auto-focus, touch focus, geo-tagging, HDR, as well as face detection. This camera can also record videos in 1080p format at the rate of 30 frames per second. In addition, there is also a 0.3 mega pixel front facing camera.
 
Overall internet data speeds are quite improved in the new iPad. Having support for 4G, the new iPad uses HSDPA, HSUPA, LTE and EVDO Rev.A. The web connection on the new iPad is also considerably faster than iPad 2. As for the price of the new iPad, the WiFi only version costs $499 for 16 GB model, $599 for 32 GB model and $699 for the 64 GB model. As for the version equipped with 4G connectivity, it would cost $629 for 16 GB model, $729 for 32 GB model and $829 for the 64 GB model.
 
While there are some downsides to the new iPad such as increased weight, same processor, no micro SD card support, and the same battery power, overall the advantages and enhancements of the new iPad pretty much compensate for the negative points. However, with the decreased price of iPad 2, it is still a perfect alternative to the new iPad, particularly if you are not much interested in the cutting edge technology.

  Acer has become one of the very first tech giants to officially announce a Windows 8 based tablet, although such initiatives are expected from several other manufacturers in near future. The announcement was made during the Computex trade show in Taipei. Acer has previously announced two Windows 8 tablets that would be shipped during the fall of this year. However, so far Acer has not given out any official information regarding the technical specs, price or exact release date of the tablet. Previously we also have a Windows 7 based tablet from Acer known as Iconia Tab W500, where the W indicated Windows. For Android based tablets form Acer, we find the subscript A. With the Windows 8 tablet, however, there won’t be any more “Tab” with the name of the device.
 
The names of these two Windows 8 based tablets form Acer are Iconia W510 and the Iconia W700, and both of them have Intel x86 architecture. This architecture would allow the tablets to run Windows 8 in full mode, including the desktop mode. So far, only very little information is know regarding the technical specs of the devices. All we know is that Acer Iconia W510 would have a display size of 10.1 inch and a screen resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels. The tablet, just like the previous W500, would have a detachable clamshell keyboard dock. This would also result in an extended battery life, which can go to as many as 18 hours with Windows 8 running.
 
The other tablet named Iconia W700, which is also being called the “Performance” Windows 8 tablet, seems particularly interesting. This would be an 11.6 inch tablet having a screen resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels which makes it much better compared to most Android tablets available in the market at present. This unique tablet would come with multipurpose dock, and users would be able to tilt the display up to 70 degrees. Besides, this device would have 3 USB ports onboard for added facility.
 
So far information regarding the exact release date or price of these tablets is not known. However, it is expected that the price would fall somewhere between $400 and $800 for W510 and $800 to $1000 for W700. The price is slightly lower than Samsung Series 7 Slate, although there is not much of a difference. But overall, it would certainly be great to test a Windows 8 based tablet in near future.