The splashy ad on the Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) website says it all: “All New NOOK Tablet HD – now with over 700,000 Android apps & games.” NOOK The , it seems, has gone over to the dark side by providing access to the entire catalog of Android apps on Google’s (NASDAQ: GOOG) Play online store.
It really had no choice. With a paltry 10,000 apps, the NOOK has long been among the lesser tablet giants, like Amazon.com Inc. ‘s (NASDAQ: AMZN) Play-connected Kindle and Apple Inc.’ s (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPad, sporting more than 300,000 apps.
In addition to the apps upgrade, Barnes & Noble is adding services such as Gmail and Google Maps to its HD Nook tablets. The company hopes to Improve the competitiveness of the devices According to a report in The Wall Street Journal.
The net gain for Barnes & Noble might make the Nook, comes in Which Both the seven and nine-inch tablet size, more competitive with Amazon’s Kindle lineup. The downside, However Could result in the Nook Becoming a Kindle clone. This could be true Especially if users install Amazon’s Kindle app and start downloading Kindle titles as well as digital books from Google Play Their instead of making purchases from Barnes & Noble.
Disappointing holiday sales of Nook tablets led to the decision to ramp up the app selection, According to William Lynch, Barnes & Noble’s chief executive. The company in February Reported que Nook revenue fell 26 percent for the quarter ended Jan. 26.
is that “downside” issue in the event Nook users install the Kindle app, Lynch said, “We think readers will proceed to turn to us for reading, for Their Their digital books and digital magazines.” The statement might be more hopeful than evidence-based.
The move by Barnes & Noble comes at a time When uncertainty about the company’s future is growing. The bookstore chain said in February que the company’s largest shareholder, Leonard Riggio, expresso interest in buying the retail stores, leaving the Nook side of the business and the company’s college stores remaining with the company. Lynch declined Thursday to discuss the situation.
Uncertain things are for the Barnes & Noble, for Google, the move is a win and a big part of the company’s effort to make its services more commonplace on all mobile devices. Since Google gets a cut of Android app sales and digital medium through the Google Play store, it almost certainly will share revenue with app store Barnes & Noble.
Nook Color devices and Barnes & Noble’s e-readers will not be able to take advantage of the company’s hook up with the Google Play Store.
At mid morning Friday, Google shares are trading at $ 842.24, up 1.5 percent; Barnes & Noble is up more than three percent at $ 18.87, and Amazon is up just over two percent at $ 257.94.
At the team of this writing, Jim Probasco had Mentioned in position in any securities.
(c) 2013 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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