Barnes & Noble Nook arriving at Best Buy, will go on sale April 18

Looks like the e-reader wars are heating up, retail-style: we just found out that Target will be selling the Kindle later this month, and now multiple sources are telling us that Best Buy will start selling the Barnes and Noble Nook on April 18th -- a rumor we can back up with this shot of Big Blue's inventory system. We're also informed that units are arriving at stores right now, so keep your eyes peeled -- we're assuming an overeager stocker will let one slip out onto the floor sooner or later. You know you can take a photo and tip us right from the Engadget smartphone apps, right?

[Loys Posted Apr 8th 2010 12:34AM]

The more e-readers the better, hope when i buy the second gens will be coming out!

[DaveBach Posted Apr 8th 2010 1:21AM]

@Loys

I walked into my local Barnes & Noble tonight and a new Nook kiosk was the first thing I saw. The next thing I saw was the $259 price tag, and I thought...yeah right, I'm not spending $259 on this thing.

We should take bets on how long it takes for each of these eBook readers to drop in price now that the tablets are hitting the market.

[steel Posted Apr 8th 2010 8:44AM]

@Loys

Actually, you have to hate it for B&N. They thought they were entering an uncontested market against the Kindle. How could they have known that Apple would release a "tablet" (quotes due to no writing abilities) that was so feature-poor that it would end up being pushed mostly as an e-Reader?

[Gorilla800lbs Posted Apr 8th 2010 12:35AM]

Nice! Best Buy frequently discounts Sony E-Readers that they sell, and 10%-12% rewards discounts often apply. I wonder if they will offer discounts on Nook every now and then too.

[AlienSix Posted Apr 8th 2010 1:01AM]

Best Buy doesnt even try to hide this info anymore, they leak more than a broken faucet

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 8th 2010 12:45PM]

@AlienSix

Almost every employee (150,000) has access to this system (RSS). If you block out info, it is impossible to find out who did it. The only thing Best Buy can do is NOT put the info in the system until the last minute.

[Elaith Posted Apr 8th 2010 1:03AM]

Pity they didn't show all the RSS details or the manifest dates so we could see if it was really coming in the 18th, or the day after, in addition to upcoming pricing.

[iDavey Posted Apr 8th 2010 10:09AM]

@Elaith

It shows a street date of April 18th. So next Sunday they should be releasing it.

Goes well with our sale week starting.

[CeNeTti Posted Apr 8th 2010 1:07AM]

Oh yes! I really want a dedicated reader for almost 300 bucks ?

hmmm.... drop it to $50 or better give it free with book subscriptions, then it'll be news...

[CeNeTti Posted Apr 8th 2010 1:09AM]

@CeNeTti

Oh who am I kidding. After seeing Ipad books and comics in action. They better be paying me to use one of them kindles .....

Zomg!

[KevOne Posted Apr 8th 2010 1:26AM]

a nook? i want a ʞoou

[MattsZ Posted Apr 8th 2010 1:43AM]

You know your product is a #fail when the Best Buy description says: DO NOT USE

[iDavey Posted Apr 8th 2010 10:07AM]

@MattsZ

I can tell you've never used the RSS system and understand what that actually means. Shame.

[MattsZ Posted Apr 8th 2010 6:01PM]

@iDavey smh @ you taking the bait

[Rossgadget Posted Apr 8th 2010 1:47AM]

Wait, what does this have to do with the iPad though?

[M8Rmpk4fpsogetthiscom Posted Apr 8th 2010 2:12AM]

ummm... isn't Big Blue, IBM?

[DavidW Posted Apr 8th 2010 2:13AM]

I have a feeling we are going to start selling the Kindle at Best Buy as well seeing as we just got cases for them in on the truck today. I find it hard to believe we will sell cases for a product we don't sell.

[cromulentgeek Posted Apr 8th 2010 3:11AM]

@DavidW I never really got that. I went to BB looking for an iPhone case before they started selling it. Was told they don't sell stuff for products they don't carry. But I used to work there, I know what the markup is like. Why not sell a case you have a 400% margin on even if you don't sell the device it's for (since you only make $0.03 from selling it)?

[cromulentgeek Posted Apr 8th 2010 3:07AM]

@hated one the nook isn't backlit, no. And that's a good thing. Ereaders are for readability and the added eyestrain from staring into a lit screen for hours is bad. So, calling one of my requirements for a reader a flaw seems a bit misguided.

[AmandaGal Posted Apr 8th 2010 3:29AM]

@cromulentgeek is right. Many people anecdotally find it easier and less straining to read on an e-ink screen than a backlit one. Though the scientific evidence of it being less straining is inconclusive.

I love my nook. I do find it less straining to read on than my netbook or my iPhone, but I'm not sure if that's due to the LCD, (in the case of the iPhone) the size, or (in the case of the netbook) the usability.

I've not read anything on an iPad, but I would assume the screen is a lot like my iPhone. I'll wait for 2.0. The good thing about the nook is that you're not stuck with Kindle format books so when and if I go to the iPad, all my books can go with me (I know, you can download the Kindle App).

[Lundmark Posted Apr 8th 2010 4:19AM]

I'd hate to be competing with this against the iPad.

[iDavey Posted Apr 8th 2010 10:11AM]

@Lundmark

Actually, I've seen more people pick up a Sony e-Reader than I did an iPad.
After Saturday, the Apple table was completely deserted as it normally was.

I'm still confused as to why the iPad is being sold in the computer section....

[Lundmark Posted Apr 8th 2010 10:17AM]

@iDavey

Probably because it isn't only a reader, but also a computer.

[Lundmark Posted Apr 8th 2010 4:23AM]

i'd hate to be competing with this against the iPad.

[Sarcasme Posted Apr 8th 2010 10:44AM]

I see Nook everywhere but I'm geting none.

[HektikLyfe Posted Apr 8th 2010 3:17PM]

I tested the nook at Barnes & Noble and they weren't kidding about that speed. Awful. It took me back to the first days of PDA's. I'm not talking speedy Palm interface either. I'm talking generic or Cassiopeia-like screen construction.

You could almost see the text and images loading like Tetris bricks. So messed up.

I can't wait to get my hands on the Kindle to see how it compares.