Barnes and Noble’s new Nook tablets may not be quite as powerful or versatile as the iPad, but they do beat Apple in one key measure: weight.
Unveiled Tuesday, the 9-inch HD Nook is 20% lighter than the iPad, a difference that is instantly noticeable after lifting the two tablets, but feels even more pronounced when holding either device in one hand for prolonged periods. The iPad feels overweight by comparison, experts say. In fact, while the Nook and Kindle Fire tablets are getting lighter, the iPad is getting heavier: The third version of Apple’s tablet is 652 grams more than 50 grams weightier than the iPad 2.
Though the iPad remains far and away the best-selling tablet, its competitors are catching up in the very area Apple is famous for: design. “The iPad was indeed at the forefront and got things going for tablets, but now we are seeing better improvements from many others,” says Rick Singer, CEO of GreatApps.com. There’s growing demand for devices that are light like the original Kindle but also have the higher screen resolution of the Nook tablets, he says. (Apple did not respond to requests for comment.)
Customers care about each extra ounce. Xavier Damman, co-founder of Storify.com, was one of the first to complain about the weight of the iPad 3: “What’s the point of having a gorgeous screen and a better antenna if you can’t even hold your tablet with one hand when you are at home on your couch?” Others have complained that the iPad is too heavy to carry around at all times.
Read also:
Barnes & Noble banks on new Nooks (San Francisco Chronicle)
Apple iPad vs. Nook HD+: Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch compares tablets (Newsday)
Barnes & Noble aims at iPad with new, 9-inch Nook (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
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